CNN: Nagin rejects limits on rebuilding in New Orleans

[Eugene]

Nagin rejects limits on rebuilding in New Orleans

Residents in vulnerable areas can reconstruct

Tuesday, March 21, 2006; Posted: 5:31 a.m. EST (10:31 GMT)

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- All New Orleans residents whose homes were damaged or
destroyed by Hurricane Katrina should be allowed to rebuild if they choose, and the city
will not stand in the way of reconstruction in areas considered vulnerable to flooding
in future storms, Mayor Ray Nagin announced Monday.

However, the mayor warned residents that even with repairs now being made to the city's
levee system, some neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city will remain vulnerable
to storm flooding for as long as two years, until more improvements can be made.

He urged residents to consider taking advantage of a buy-out program that would pay them
up to $150,000 for property in those areas.

<snip>

Nagin also said that while he supported creating new parks and open spaces to help with flood
prevention, he would not "expropriate" property for that purpose. He said he would only use
that power to clear blighted areas.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/21/new.orleans/index.html

[pitohui]

1. a simple lack of courage

i can't picture any politician having the courage to honestly tell people that some areas should have never been developed and that it is throwing good money after bad to try to rebuild

much of new orleans east is a swamp, compensate the people, give them sufficient cash to rebuild their lives, and let them move on

that area is needed as a buffer zone to protect the city, where hundreds of thousands live

but some will come back, pour their money into rebuilding, then find out they can't get insurance and can't ever re-sell the property, they will be financially ruined forever for lack of some frank hard truth if you ask me

but who wants to be the bad guy to tell the homeowner a neighborhood is dead?

it's hard, it's damn hard

some people will argue nagin made the right decision and i understand your viewpoint but i'm just gonna have to disagree on this one, if my neighborhood is eff'd just buy me out and don't pretend i really have any choice if there is only one intelligent decision