Hastert Questions rebuilding NO

[Apotheosis]

Hastert Questions Rebuilding New Orleans

WASHINGTON -- It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's seven feet under sea level, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said of federal assistance for hurricane-devastated New Orleans.

Democratic lawmakers from Louisiana were quick to disagree Thursday and Hastert sought to clarify the comment during the day.

"It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed," the Illinois Republican said in an interview about New Orleans Wednesday with the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill.

Louisiana Rep. Charlie Melancon called the comments irresponsible and Sen. Mary L. Landrieu urged Hastert to focus on the humanitarian crisis at hand.

Hastert, in a transcript supplied by the suburban Chicago newspaper, said there was no question that the people of New Orleans would rebuild their city, but noted that federal insurance and other federal aid was involved. "We ought to take a second look at it. But you know we build Los Angeles and San Francisco on top of earthquake fissures and they rebuild too. Stubbornness."

There are "some real tough questions to ask," Hastert said in the interview. "How do you go about rebuilding this city? What precautions do you take?"

Asked in the interview whether it made sense to spend billions rebuilding a city that lies below sea level, he replied, "I don't know. That doesn't make sense to me."

Hastert later issued a statement saying he was not "advocating that the city be abandoned or relocated."

"My comments about rebuilding the city were intended to reflect my sincere concern with how the city is rebuilt to ensure the future protection of its citizens and not to suggest that this great and historic city should not be rebuilt," the statement said.

Still, an angry Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco demanded an immediate apology from Hastert.

"To kick us when we're down and destroy hope, when hope is the only thing we have left, is absolutely unthinkable for a leader in his position," Blanco said in a Thursday night news conference.

Landrieu issued a statement earlier Thursday sayings Hastert's question on how to rebuild can be debated later but that right now the focus must be on stabilizing the situation in the state.

"When we do discuss the long-term rebuilding of New Orleans and the parishes of St. Tammany, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and Jefferson, I will do everything I can to express that southeast Louisiana is filled with the most extraordinary of people ... the most extraordinary of resources" who are "worth every penny of a complete rebuilding effort."

Hastert announced Thursday that the House, currently at the end of its summer break, would return for an emergency session Friday to approve some $10 billion in federal aid for hurricane victims.

"In the wake of this disaster, the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida should know that the United States Congress stands ready to help them in their time of need," he said in a joint statement with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

[Artha]

Where the hell else should you build a major port city that needs to be at the mouth of the Mississippi River?

[Apotheosis]

For those of you who don't know, Dennis Hastert is the House Speaker (speaker of the house).

[Terminator X]

Dennis is just some fruity adventurer who sports a frock coat and a long jimberjam. That bastard is constantly pacing about, nervously... :smug:

Originally posted by Yswithe
For those of you who don't know, Dennis Hastert is the House Speaker (speaker of the house).

really the article didn't mention it in the first sentence...


WASHINGTON -- It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's seven feet under sea level, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said of federal assistance for hurricane-devastated New Orleans.
Did you even bother to read it before you posted?

[Edited on 9-2-2005 by Dave]

[Celephais]

It does seem kind of foolish...

"When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp." - Monty Python.

[Electrawn]

We just need a massive population exchange.

Send the Pennsylvania Dutch to New Orleans. Import a few from Amsterdam too.

http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa033000a.htm

They have 2000 years experience...and will take centuries if needed to reclaim land!

Then we send the current NO population to Quebeq. Problem Solved!

[ElanthianSiren]

I think they should built it further up, though with the coastal errosion rate and wetland disappearance, all citites bordering the sea will eventually run into the same problems.

Certainly, there is a lot of history in NO. They could try elevating it the same way that Seattle was elevated after its great flood (yes, Seattle is built a lot on debris from previous Seattle). Makes for an interesting read if you care to be interested.

I am torn on this issue, obviously.

-M

[Apotheosis]

Dave, I posted that brief bit of information, because you would be surprised at the amount of people who don't know what politicians are/who/do/what/where/why.

I was trying to give a brief bit of context before people actually read the article, although I understand that the article did mention it.

[Landrion]

I really cant find fault with what he said. Ive been thinking the same thing. Further I agree with him about the fault line cities.

Unfortunately, even though it is bad planning to build where you know something will be destroyed thats not going to stop people. I dont know if Id want the government having the kind of power to say something like "We are not rebuilding NO and no one is allowed to live there". It dont want a government to deny people their homes or do forced relocations. By this I mean permanently, obviously evacuations are a different story.

So, I think its a bad idea to build below sea level, or near faultlines or whatever. But Im sure not going to tell people where they can and can't live and Im not going to support a government telling them so either.

[Sean of the Thread]

Originally posted by Terminator X
Dennis is just some fruity adventurer who sports a frock coat and a long jimberjam. That bastard is constantly pacing about, nervously... :smug:

Hehehe. Obvious exits are NOT DENNIS.

[Gan]

They can always look at Galveston and how it was built back up after the hurricane that hit in the early 1900's that killed 12,000 or so folks. Houston at its highest point is 120 feet above sea level and at its lowest points is right at sea level. I'm sure city planners and the army core engineers who help plan for floods and the like would be more than happy to discuss flooding strategies as well as hurricane strategies.

The technology exists to build up the land where it wont be above sea level, as well as either relocating lake ponchetrain or at least making levies and other flood control measures that will ensure it wont loom above the city like a huge trap waiting to fall. Disneyland in Florida was built on a swamp, look how they did it.

The answers are there if you look hard enough and are willing to put forth the effort.

Hastert, while attempting to be practical, is being an insensitive ass. Comments like those are best kept to himself until a more appropriate time and in front of the appropriate people - not as an attempt to get his face in the papers.