Should New Orleans be rebuilt?

[gristy]

Poll question: Should New Orleans be rebuilt?

I mean, in the same place? The head of the USACE was just on CNN saying he thought it should.

on edit: spellin'

[KingFlorez]

1. Yes

This is one of the greatest American cities and is a cultural landmark. I pray it comes back stronger.

[blackcat77]

3. The charm of the city was it's historic buildings

All of that is likely gone. I really question the wisdom of again building a city that's in harm's way below sea level.

[cmf]

10. Actually, they're still there

The beautiful old buildings that many associate with New Orleans are built on the higher ground in the Vieux Carre, Uptown and in the Garden District. That's why they've lasted thus far. As long as there isn't a fire, they will still be there when people get back.

[Cascadian]

20. I think it will.

I cannot imagine America without New Orleans. It is one of the great, unique American cities.


John

[WiseButAngrySara]

25. I agree!!! I love the city. Closest to Europe than any other US city....

What would we replace it with? WALMART? :sarcasm:

[rockymountaindem]

2. Yes.

Aside from historical and sentimental aspects, it is one of this country's most important ports. I mean, there are lots of other harbors in that part of the country, but none of them are also on the mouth of our largest navigable river. It was built on that site for a very important reason.

[gristy]

6. But the port can exist without the city.

And why not put the port a few tens of miles upriver?

[tulsakatz]

4. yes, without question!!

not only is it a great city but there is also a lot of American history within that city. To not rebuild would be like saying you don't care about where we came from. And that would be a real tragedy!

[unrepuke]

5. No. The banks are aching to resell all that real estate again.

The only way to make it habitable is to let Holland build the levees - and you know the job will go to Halliburton - on the cheap, but at a much inflated price.

[Swamp Rat]

29. .

.

[TaleWgnDg]

7. No problem. End Bush's War Against Saddam/Iraq and you've

.
No problem. End Bush's War Against Saddam/Iraq and you've got the money to build steel walls as does Holland have! Huge steel "dikes" in the ocean to protect against the Northern Atlantic, for the entire country is below sea level.

Are they richer than us? Smarter than us? Or do they have a cultural mentality that has diminished in this country since Reagan and his neo-con movement?

It's the latter.

Europe has (as does Canada too) a cultural mentality of inclusivity not like us in America that has developed a cultural mentality of f*ck you (exclusivity). Sad. Really, really sad. America is a culture of greed done in tones of Jesus-speak.

How twisted is that?

[CatholicEdHead]

8. No, most has to be rebuilt on higher ground

Some of the downtown and French Quarter that is around Sea Level could still keep going for a while with the dikes pulled back, but most of the other commerical and residential has to be rebuilt on higher, more secure ground.

[Quixote1818]

9. Of Course, the levies can be reinforced to handle a # 5 storm

This all could have been prevented if politicians had listened to the Engineers.

[mom cat]

13. What happens when global warming spauns level 6 and level 7

hurricanes? The studies that show that hurricanes have increased in size, strength and duration by 50% since 1970 leass me to believe that we are in for worse...much worse...not only in NO, but in many other areas of the country and the world. Climate refugees are going to become much more common.
We all have to start doing all of the things that we know we should be doing to stop heating up this planet.

[Quixote1818]

15. The engineers need to calculate in level 6 and 7 storms

I agree with you. We need to be planning for all kinds of new Natural Disasters all over the place. As long as Bush is in office I seriously doubt any planning will take place. He got re-elected and now all he wants to do is play golf and ride his bike. He is the WORST person to be leading this country right now.

[johnaries]

11. No vote. Ask the people that lived and grew up there.

The rest of us - including me - shut the fuck up!

[goodhue]

12. Most certainly

The civil engineering is straightforward if resources are provided.

[VPStoltz]

14. There is no way to be objective about it.

I live in Seattle but have been to NOLA at least 10 times. I used to go every spring break - a friend lives in the FQ. The city has something about it that is so unique. And I think this quality comes from the precarious position it is in.

[the_spectator]

16. Yes!

And let me say this: even though I'm a relatively moderate Dem, and as a result am generally leery of calling others' loyalty to The Cause into question as can happen here excessively -

FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO VOTE "NO": who are you anyway? Denny Hastert?!?! I CALL FREEPER! :silly:

[markus]

17. To all who vote no

Fine. Let New Orleans and SE Louisiana leave the United States.

And take our oil and our port with us.

We can rebuild with the income from offshore oil that currently goes into federal coffers.

And at $70 a barrel, New Orleans would be OK. Heck, we'd be doing better than you.

[Swamp Rat]

30. Damn straight bro!

Fuck 'em if they don't want to help! See how they like $10.00 a gal. at the pumps! :mad:

[soothsayer]

18. Yes! But let it have canals, like Venice!

It actually looks pretty this way (save for the devesatation).

[Quixote1818]

19. I was thinking the exact same thing.

They could design the buildings to be submerged 20 feet then just let the water in. It would be awesome to see it that way.

[Lochloosa]

23. Sorry, won't work.

If you have canals like Venice and the buildings are built to the water level...what happens the next time a 25 foot storm surge comes to town? I don't think Venice has hurricanes...

[Endangered Specie]

21. YES, with a capital everything

[brazil]

22. I'm not a freeper and I voted no.

The difference between NO and the Netherlands is that they don't have hurricanes, whereas NO is likely to be hit with more and stronger hurricanes over the next 100 years, even if America signs the Kyoto Treaty tomorrow. (I wish.) Can they rebuild the levees to handle 30' storm surges? 40'?

If it is rebuilt, it's going to be a much smaller city. Somehow I doubt a lot of people will be returning there. In Hawaii, if an active lava flow crosses someone's private property, it becomes the property of the state and can't be rebuilt. Maybe something like that needs to be done here. Whatever's under sea level can't be developed.

Sure, people have known it was in a precarious position before, but now that's been made clear in the worst possible way. How much is flood insurance going to cost for anyone who buys a house there? What businesses are going to make major investments in that area, knowing what could happen next hurricane season?

This is a lot like rebuilding the WTC. Sure, it might feel good, but does it make sense with the climate getting worse?

I suppose there's one bright side, if it is rebuilt, it might keep America interested in rising sea levels and global warming, instead of just saying fuck it, it won't affect us. Until the same thing happens to South Florida that is...

[Cooley Hurd]

24. We're not talking Centralia, PA, here...

With strong, effective levees and a better-designed pumping system, NOLA can be rebuilt better than ever.:thumbsup:

[sierrajim]

26. I said no

At least not below sea level the French Quarter is the old part of the city and its above that level they built the new parts of the city below sea level if you ask me thats just plain fucking stupid.

[Swamp Rat]

31. so is your post

:puke:

[karlrschneider]

27. In addition to "should" there is the matter of "could"

Both from practical considerations (is there any way to keep the soft
land from sinking further...who knows how far? even as sea levels rise) there are financial problems: How do you insure property in that environment and who ends up paying the dozens of billions of dollars that would be needed?

I would raise the same issues if San Francisco were 95% destroyed in
an earthquake, for example.

[donheld]

28. Of course they should

only build it better.

[The Jacobin]

32. Its the biggest port on the gulf

It has to be rebuilt. We need it for grain exports and oil imports.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

33. Yes. If the Dutch can figure it out ..so can we