RW Media & Astroturf talk about not rebuilding NOLA

[cloudythescribbler]

The Wall Street Journal, in the midst of a column that condemned those to their left for seeing in Katrina's wake the need for rescission of tax cuts to the wealthy and greater attention to global warming -- followed by an attempt, in the same column, to use Katrina as a rationale for more tax cuts, to stimulate the economy remarks that perhaps NOLA really shouldn't be rebuilt anyway:

"But clearly there is an issue of how much federal money to pour into a city that is below sea-level and would still be vulnerable to another Category Four or Five storm."

This accompanies talk, which I have encountered at the astroturf roots level, of how NOLA, being below sea level should move wholesale to 'higher ground', in essence getting rid of the city as a city and merely replacing its infrastructure somewhere else.

First, it suggests to me the desire to purify the South of some of its (presumably noxiously) blue parts -- centers of cultural opposition to Gingrich's America. It makes sense to build in a lot of landfill on top of those newer and currently below sea level areas, so that the levees would have then no place to overflow from Ponchartrain. But the ecological measures as well as sea gates and other methods used in the Netherlands surely should combine with proper measures for NOLA's sake and the rest of us to produce a sane policy, rather than abandoning one of America's physically and spiritually most beautiful cities.

Reactions? Has anyone else heard similar talk?

[enid602]

1. NOLA

I have no problem with such efforts AS LONG AS they announce from the get-go that all developments will include a percentage of low and moderate income housing that approaches pre-Katrina NOLA.

[cloudythescribbler]

4. but new orleans is a CITY not just buildings

[bee]

2. its bullshit.

why dont we just bulldoze florida then? And hell, california COULD fall off the country... earthquakes and all... why should we waste money on them? Alaska? shit... global warmings going to wipe them out in no time anyway... And you know... theres a MAJOR fault line in new england too...

its absurd. The french quarter is standing - dry. we should trash it? No one thinks twice about re-building parts of florida over and over and over again. but we cant be bothered to save one of our Countries most famous cities? Isnt it JUST LIKE these people to abandon those in need. :mad: f*ck that. Our GOVT... whos incompetence ALLOWED this city to be destroyed OWES it to the people of NOLA to FIX what they broke. sheesh.

[Writer]

3. Well, New Orleans handed a Democratic governor victory.

I mean, why would we want to rebuild THAT? :sarcasm:

[Bridget Burke]

5. I've heard similar talk here at DU.

Fix the levees, look at other environmental factors. Then rebuild the city.

As some have pointed out, the French Quarter has NOT been destroyed. Old settlers often picked where they built for a reason. I live in Houston's Greater Heights area. During our Great Flood, a reporter flying over said "the Heights looks like an island in the city." But our floods drain pretty quickly....