[TheForge] Is anyone on-line ? OT:

[Andrew Vida]

On 11/6/2012 5:56 AM, Bruce . wrote:
> For years we've been saying about folks on those barrier islands, "One
> good hurricane..."  Well, Sandy was pretty good.  Most of the damage
> was to people on the barrier islands.  I am writing to the governor
> (who actually hung around for the storm this time -- him and his
> Lt.Gov. too!  Imagine that!) that the state should buy out the
> destroyed properties (at land value -- these people can collect on
> their insurance for the rest) and turn it back into untenanted barrier
> islands.  Then take some FEMA money and settle these folks on higher
> ground.  It's a situation analogous to New Orleans.  If you build in
> Nature's path, you're going to get wiped out sooner or later.

Taxpayer money to bail out the landowners in Seaside?  I'm sure that 
would go over like a lead balloon.  You're talking about several 
billions in real estate at the very least.  Then what?  Remediation of 
the detritus would be billions more.  Billions more to rebuild the 
coastline... perhaps tens of billions.  Remember when they redid the 
beaches at Asbury Park and Manasquan?  Those two miserable stretches 
totaling what... MAYBE 2.5 miles was over $250 million as I recall.  I 
used to go out and watch them pump the sand... which was pretty 
impressive, but what a waste of money.  Two years later the beaches were 
back to their eroded states.  Hello.  To rebuild what I would bet is at 
least 50 to 70 miles of beach would be lunacy, but I'd bet that is 
exactly what they would propose.  The glazier's fallacy on steroids 
running amok in NJ. =8^o