On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 02:11:49 GMT, Hachiroku ???? <Trueno@AE86.gts>
wrote:

 <Satire On>

 "We" being the Federal Government in yet another bailout?  But
that's Government's JOB to bail people out of their own stupid
decisions with "other people's money".  Just because the beautiful
place they chose to live in has "a few minor faults with the drainage"
or "it gets a bit windy" every few years is no reason to not indemnify
people against "acts of nature" at a bargain rate...

 <Satire Off>

 <Common Sense ON>

 Take all the remaining structurally salvageable houses in the below
flood level parishes of NOLA, pick them up a city-block at a time and
move them to a nearby vacant lots, trees too if there are any good
specimens that survived.  Raise the ground of the whole block to above
flood level & compact the new soil, or place driven pilings to raise
the houses onto stilts, then move them back.

 Lather, Rinse, Repeat - one whole block at a time.  If a historic
house isn't stable enough to move, lift straight up and build a new
basement foundation under it.  Then raise the ground around the house.

 If they would force people who CHOSE to deliberately build on
"unbuildable" lots in high-risk areas like that to pay the REAL cost
of flood insurance, and the government stop running their "Giveaway"
relief after each disaster, you'd suddenly see a thousand dump trucks
headed into New Orleans to raise the ground level under houses to
where natural drainage takes over - and drop their insurance rates to
where they can afford it.

 Or go without flood insurance and take your chances - but good luck
getting a mortgage without carrying proper insurance.  Banks aren't
stupid enough to loan on an uninsured house, too many people would
walk away from their mortgage after each flood or hurricane.

 If the Feds pay to rebuild any house, they should only pay to do it
if the owners pay part of the costs of never having to do it again.
Remove or remediate the imminent perils inherent at the site, either
by relocation of the house (either horizontally or vertically) from
the middle of a flood zone, or redesigning coastal houses to better
resist the inevitable storm damage.

 You CAN build a house to remain standing and livable after a Cat 5
Hurricane, a full-on tornado or an 8.0 Earthquake if you follow best
practices - but not if the county has a 'blind' building inspector
that can be bought off cheap.  Lots of steel strapping between all the
roof structural rafters and the walls, use screws instead of nails
everywhere you can for the increased pull-out resistance - and lots of
them.  Heavy bolting of the walls to the foundation, shear panel in
every wall (including interior walls) etc.

 There have to be national Uniform Building Code regulations and a
way to enforce their use on all construction work nationwide, even in
rural areas - tie it to passing inspection before getting a mortgage.
And builders have to realize that all building codes are the minimum,
you can and should do better.

 Steel rolling shutters installed over every window and other opening
don't look pretty unless they are recessed and properly camouflaged,
but they also don't blow out like glass picture windows do.  And
slapping on a layer of plywood to try and "board up" before the storm
is ineffective if it isn't properly attached and reinforced.

 Houses built in Tornado and Hurricane areas need to have a properly
reinforced safe room or basement 'storm cellar' - period.  Nobody
should have to ride out the storm cowering in the bathtub or an inside
closet praying a 2X4 or other wind driven debris doesn't punch through
the wall and kill them, we know better.

     --<< Bruce >>--

actually it is 23 feet of water if the ice on greenland were to melt.. but
thats enough..

with that said...  the city is sinking and unnatural run off is ruining the
coast...

Dennis Hastert, the day after, said the truth. The problem is Americans dont
always like the truth.

To keep 'em from settling down in New England.

On Aug 25, 10:11 pm, Hachiroku      <Tru...@AE86.gts> wrote:

Whoa, so now you believe there is global warming???  When did you come
around to reality?

Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B, 8/25/2007,10:11:49 PM, wrote:

We are rebuilding Naw'lins in order to the secure the vote of those who
think we should put everything we have into saving the oppressed and
creating a welfare state.

Stupidity.  Greed.  Pride.  Thinking we can foil nature by criminalizing all
human activity.

Because America needs at least one place where we can get drunk in the
streets and puke in the gutters all night long and no other city really
wants the honor.  Not even Vegas - they still have *some* standards in
Nevada.

Anyway, it's not "100 feet" in "no time flat."  NOLA is a small enough area
that any reasonable increase in sea level can *probably* be managed.  The
Dutch, for example, have been successfully dealing with a similar issue for
centuries.

Hachiroku ???? wrote:

It's insanity, even IF ocean levels remain the same.  I can only
imagine that some filthy politicians are getting something out of
it...