9.22.2008

NO! To Money To Rebuild Galveston

$2.3 billion dollars to restore Galveston? Are you kidding? How about acknowledging that building there is a terrible idea, instead?

Another example of a bailout of the foolish and greedy.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Foolish and greedy? When was the last time you visited Galveston? The mayor of Galveston has only asked for $2.3 billion to rebuild the city. $25.5 billion was allocated for New Orleans, which is much more vulnerable to future damage than Galveston.

It's been over 100 years since Galveston faced a disaster like this, and they built a sea-wall the last time. Instead of refusing to help natural disaster victims on the assumption that they're foolish and greedy, how about ask ourselves, how can we continue to improve our chances of preventing massive damage the next time?

Of course, going along with your train of thought, perhaps we should save that money and pay off some more credit card debt...screw the fact that people no longer have a home. Oh, well!

What's next? Saying no to money to rebuild for tornado victims in the midwest, earthquake victims in California, or hurricane victims in Florida?

Just because an area is more prone to a natural disaster, it doesn't automatically denote the residents as greedy or foolish. And it doesn't give you the right to tell them to rip up their roots, leave, and forget about re-building.

Your logic, if it can be called that, makes no sense, my friend.

The Lazy Iguana said...

One could argue that it was foolish to rebuild south Miami-Dade County after Hurricane Andrew.

I would not really argue with that, as it is a given that one day there will be another hurricane to hit south Dade County.

But who knows when that will be.

Karen Cramer Shea said...

Both Galveston Texas and New Orleans Louisiana are towns I took one look at and knew I would never buy property in. Galveston has numerous homes built on stills next to the beach. What do you think will happen if there is a storm? New Orleans is a place you have to look up to see the water level. Surprise, surprise it gets flooded.

Areas damaged by hurricane winds should be rebuilt strong enough to resist high winds. Areas damaged by water from a hurricane should not be rebuilt.

Also while Galveston gets wiped off the map by a hurricane every 100 years it suffers major hurricane damage every 20 years.

I think these guys should get money to rebuild SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Anonymous said...

Wow...I'm amazed at the stupidity of the people posting these things. Or, I'm sorry, I should say ignorance.

Should people have money to rebuild Galveston? Absolutely.

South Miami-Dade shouldn't have been re-built because of the possibility of another hurricane hitting it someday???

What are you talking about? Seriously, people...wake the heck up, and think before you type.

The logic of all of you people is really ridiculous. Let's see, if I followed this logic, I would:

1. Never live in New York...because of the possibility I might get blown up by a terrorist
2. Never have lasik eye surgery because of the possiblity that I might go blind.
3. Never take antibiotics because of the possibility that it might weaken my natural defenses against disease.
4. Never live in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, or Arkansas because of the possibility I might die from a tornado.
5. Never ride in a car because of the possibility that I might get in a car wreck.
6. Never have a child because of the possiblity of it being born with birth defects.
7. Never fly on an airplane because of the possibility that it might crash.
8. Never eat chicken because I might get the bird-flu.
9. Never use a public bathroom because I might contract some nasty disease.
10. Never have sex because I might get aids...

Seriously...that's your logic? You think these ten examples are ridiculous? So is the idea that these people shouldn't rebuild because of the possibility that a hurricane MIGHT hit again.

Again, it's not about abandoning the island, it's fortifying the re-built structures to withstand wind AND floods.

And let me ask you something, "karen shea"...please, provide me with a single home anywhere in the United States' eastern seabord that has a beachfront home NOT on stilts??? You talk as if these people are stupid for not realizing that if a storm hit they could get flooded by storm-surge...but THAT'S WHY THEY'RE ON STILTS. AND, by the way, most of those homes are vacation homes, weekend houses, or rental vacation spots. They were also houses not protected by the seawall. The part of Galveston that was "wiped off the map" is a fraction of Galveston, and not an accurate representation of what is still there. Think about it...there were 1,577 confirmed deaths int he state of LA from Katrina (not limited to New Orleans), and there have been approximately 30 deaths in Texas (not limited to Galveston) from Ike.

We built a seawall, what else can we do to prevent damage??? I don't know, but I know we can figure it out if we try.

I lived in Galveston, don't tell me it's full of foolish and greedy people. Obviously, none of you people have ever been there. It's easy to judge when you can't identify...remember that.

Galveston sustains major hurricane damage every 20 years? Here's an accurate list of the actual damage of all the hurricanes to hit TEXAS (not even just to affect Galveston, since 1900)...again, research before your type. Compare that with a list of hurricanes that have hit Florida...and then try and convince people to leave Florida on the basis that a hurricane might hit them.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1487922/posts

And also remember that "Major" hurricanes are those that are a category 3 or above.

Galveston is the oldest city in the state of Texas, and the oldest port west of New Orleans...and it's history is worth much more than the fractional $2.3 billion needed to help re-build it.

Do your research before throwing out your opinion out as fact...forgive me if I'm being harsh, but really, it's hard for me to understand people when they obviously haven't done any research or care to really put themselves in the situation before they judge.

Anonymous said...

too bad more people aren't interested in this blog...there have been a lot of good points made...seems to me like econo-girl should do more to get people interested...

Karen Cramer Shea said...

I had a great aunt who died in Galveston as the result of a Hurricane not the famous big one but one a decade later. We can't visit her grave because it is now under 30 feet of soil.

People should not build houses on stilts by the ocean. If they do they should not be insured and they certainly should not come to me WHEN not if their house is destroyed.

I think the only thing that should be on the water is Ports. Anything else can be built a couple hundred yards back where it is safer. If no one built right on the beach we could have a lovely view from a few hundred yards back.

I have visited Galveston several times I would have been a third generation Houstonian if my parents had not escaped.

Risk is one thing we have to manage. But it is a certainty that water front property will be destroyed sooner or later and with global warming it is going to be sooner.