Long range: Is NO even rebuildable?

[Perky]

Should we want to rebuild the town with the rsik factors that exist inherently?


Is it even salvagable?

400,000 displaced persons? How long does the refugee camps stay in place. At a point there will be clamor to close down the welfare camps. Does this create a housing boom somewhere?


What about the Jobs?

For instance big employers: Hibernia Bank? Entergy Corp... Based in New Orleans. HOw do they restaff? where? Does the whole town move to Shreveport and Shreveport grows to meet the demand?

These are serions questions.. How do corporations recover? Would companies even want to move back to NO? Wopuld their employees want to move back? When? If the Corps move permenantly... there would be no jobs. Lower wage retail jobs get created as a result of higher wage earner spending.

WHere do you begin? DO YOU EVEN TRY?

[BillZBubb]

1. Of course NO is rebuildable.

Many places with low land are successfully protected. It would cost money to do it right, but it can be done. A levee system capable of withstanding a Cat 5 hurricane is very doable.

It's a cost/benefit tradeoff. Neither New Orleans itself nor Louisiana could pay for such a system. It would take 90% Federal funding and cost billions.

I would think, to the nation, it would be a worthwhile enterprise. It could be a well planned, very successful city. New Orleans could be rebuilt for it's tourist value alone. The tourism and convention industries could be stressed. Some businesses in banking and oil and gas might keep headquarters and offices their, but most other industry should not. The high density housing in the lower elevations should be replaced with lower density, less flood prone neighborhoods.

One year of the Iraq debacle costs many times more than what it would cost to rebuild a beautiful, well planned, and safe New Orleans.

[benburch]

2. Look at Holland.

Thats all you need to know about the situation.