[TheForge] katrina ( was RE: OT Threads)

[terry l. ridder]

hello;

comments intermixed below.

On Wed, 8 Feb 2006, Dave Mudge wrote:

>
> BESIDES ALL OF THAT,,, if you are talking about New Orleans, it wasn't the
> hurricane (directly) flooded the city. It was the failure of the levees,
> which by the way were built by the good ole USA Corps of Engineers.
>

actually, the levees have been being built and maintained long before
the usa army corps of engineers ever existed.

please refer to the below url for the history of the new orleans levees.
orleans levee district
http://www.orleanslevee.com/History1.htm

below is the 2nd paragraph from the above url.
<begin quote>
   Levees required constant attention. In
   1732, the royal bureaucracy of King
   Louis XV sent Bienville a letter
   authorizing some brickwork to solve
   street drainage, and suggesting that
   Bienville set up a "tax to build and
   continue to maintain" the street work
   and also the "levees along the river."
   So, for the first time, flood protection
   was to be the financial responsibility
   of taxpayers who directly benefited.
<end   quote>

so even the king of france felt that those who benefit from the levees
should pay for the levees.

>
>
>
<snip>
>
> You can't take peoples land away from them because the levee broke.
>

yes, that is true. however, the property can be condemned under eminent
domain and compensation paid to the landowner. last year the united
states supreme court expanded on the uses on eminent domain.

please refer to the below url.

KELO et al. v. CITY OF NEW LONDON et al.
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=04-108
http://tinyurl.com/aeq2w

that ruling basically says the use of eminent domain does not have to be
for 'public use' it may also be used for 'public benefit'. in that
particular case the city of new london, connecticut was condemning land
for a private developement in hopes of revitalizing the city and
providing an increase tax base.

in a local case, the city of chicago, has been for years attempting to
use eminent domain to expand o'hare airport. 535 homes and businesses
are effected by the expansion of o'hare airport.

>
> If you are talking about the folks along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, they
> were hit by a 27 / 30 foot tidal wave called a "storm surge" who's  effects
> were felt as much as 10 miles inland and 4 or more hours of 160 mile per
> hour wind. Who here has a house or shop that would withstand that?
>

well that is a problem with the local and state government building
codes. i do not see how the rest of the united states should be held
responsible for the lack of proper building codes in the gulf coast
region.

>
> My friend Joe Strain had a shop along the Pearl River (compares to the Erie
> Canal, should everyone move away from the Erie Canal?)
>

if they cannot or will not insure their homes and belongings they should
either move or understand that they are on their own.

>
> Not only did the storm surge wipe out his shop, but a steel hull tug
> boat landed on top of the shop and crushed whatever the storm surge
> didn't take.
>

sounds like the tug boat owner and operator should be held responsible
for part of the damage. they obviously did not insure nor secure the tug
boat to ensure that it would break lose in the hurricane.

>
> dave mudge
>

-- 
terry l. ridder ><>