Federal Funding Directed Toward Questionable Projects in Louisiana
How did I miss this little bit of reporting? I seem to have missed the media crying out that Louisiana has been choosing economic benefit over safety. Check the date of the post article.
But all finger pointing aside, I heard on the news today that Louisiana has brought engineers from Holland to look at their flood protection systems. I was very much surprised as I think this is a really good idea as the Dutch have amazingly well thought out flood control systems. I agree completely with the last paragraph of the link. ;-)
I’ve been thinking that New Orleans should not be rebuilt in it’s current location, but it’s been mostly a from a financial and human tragedy perspective. Now added to the list is the environmental perspective.
November 27th, 2005
Stop stealing our offshore oil revenue and we will be glad to pay for levee protection ourselves. Just let us have what EVERY OTHER oil producing state gets in off shore oil revenue and then you won’t have to listen to us whining anymore. Every negative statement against New Orleans steals HOPE from its residents and that is what we need more than anything right now. Also I just saw this AM on New Orleans TV experts from LSU say that we have the ability and the means to build flood barriers that allow natural tidal flow to occur. I truly hope you never have to live under the conditions that people on the Gulf Coast are living under at this very moment. Your government does not work and does not care.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/25/AR2005112500963.html
November 27th, 2005
Uhhhh, I’ve never stolen offshore oil revenue (I wish I’d found a way to). But please help me out and let me know exactly who is unfairly “stealing” this revenue and why is it being done only to Louisiana?
As for your second point… The current conditions people are having to live under are a big part of why I think it’s insane to rebuild. Hope is a wonderful thing, but choosing live in a coastal city that is below sea level is not very wise. I do not feel that I have a duty to whithold my opinion so that unwise hope can thrive (and be subsidized by dollars that could be better used elsewhere).
I think you mean “Our government does not work and does not care”, unless of course you are not a resident of this country. Do you always overgeneralize everything? ;-)
November 29th, 2005
EvilT,
Did you notice I said Gulf Coast? So now you are saying not only the three hundred year old city of New Orleans should be deserted but the 90,000 sqaure miles of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The stealing has to do with the fact that Louisiana receives less than 1 % of its offshore oil revenue where Texas receives 100% up to 10 miles, Alaska receives 50% and New Mexico recives 40% from oil produced in its state on federal lands. And then there is LA with nothing. It goes back to a feud in the 1920’s between LA and the feds. Give us 40% of our own resources and we can repair our own levees and restore our coastal erosion problems that have been caused by the Army Corps of Engineering projects on the Mississippi River and canals oil companies have but all throughout the wetlands that caused salt water intrusion. All of this to keep America warm in the winter and its grain moving throughout the world. As to your government, I mean that. I am not being treated as a citizen of the USA even though I have to send them 38% of my income each year. That is one of the biggest hurts of all. I am one of those people that gets tears in my eyes when they play the Star Spangled Banner. The government of my ideals wouldn’t leave its citizens twisting in the breeze of months on end. 8000 small businesses are going under every day. And nothing is said. Excuse me if I am angry.
November 30th, 2005
Not really, I’m saying that if you want to live on the coast you should be able to bear the cost of the additional risk. The rest of the country should not have to subsidize the statistically poor risk of property close to the water (I feel the same way about fault lines too).
As for the stealing. Via what mechanism does the money get stolen, by who, and from who? So far I cannot find evidence of the injustice, so I’m mostly reliant on you for the information. Everything I see so far says that Oil is Louisiana’s cash cow:
1. 2001 study cited 93 Billion of economic effect to the state of Louisiana.
2. In recent history oil money accounted supported more than 40% of all state and general fund revenues.
3. In 2004 the Louisiana Tax Commission made a move to increase oil and gas assessments from 30 to 70 percent.
4. This little taxes applied by state chart makes it look like Louisiana is making out reasonably well as they charge more to everyone for the priviledge of pumping oil out of Louisiana (and 10 miles out) dirt.
As for 8000 small businesses going under every day, are you saying that the federal government should subsidize small business, or maybe nationalize it? (I’m hunting for what the government should do, throw me a bone here). Additionally what is the small business creation rate?
December 4th, 2005
I guess DrJ has left the building… I wonder if the last paragraph in this story is what he was referring to… If so it only speaks to the federal tax on oil, the state still gets their own taxes…