Cancel 2006 :: Rebuild New Orleans

[king james version]

Here's a revolutionary idea, and I'm quite serious about it.

How about a slight shift in focus and venue for BM '06? What if we put all of our time, money, and creative and artistic energy over the next year into rebuilding New Orleans? I don't mean 'hey, let's get a few burners together and go down and kick the dirt around.' I mean we take everything and everyone, especially Larry and the whole "inner circle" staff and dedicate the next year to New Orleans. And, no, not 'hey, if you'd rather work in New Orleans than go to BRC this year, then go for it.' Instead, BRC is shut down, for just one year and any energy that would've gone there now goes to this one very specific thing.

There is no other town for which this would be a perfect fit. If St. Louis (my birth town) got razed by fire, flood, or 'nukuler' holocaust, it could be put back together in a relatively straighforward manner. [No offense to my hometown peeps, work with me here.] But if you know anything about the history, the architecture, the music, the food, the culture, the people of New Orleans, you know there is an extremely complex web that was created there. Slapping it back together like so many chunks of strip mall America would be a catastrophe of proportions nearly equal to the hurricane and aftermath itself. Hyperbole, you say? Not if you've lived there or visited for more than a couple days on Bourbon St.

In the brief couple hours that this has been stirring in my head, I've envisioned a cross of Burning Man and Habitat for Humanity. I don't think this idea would ever get off the ground if it were just building houses. People go to the playa to play, to create, to escape, to connect. I think that all of that would be possible in the BRC goes south scenario. It would largely be about housing, but there would be a great deal of room for artistic expression and embellishment. Without the old tax laws forcing the accidental beauty of shotguns and camelbacks, we flavor the houses instead with welded creatures hanging from the roofs!

New Oleans is truly about so many of the things that BM is.

I know this is an extremely complex idea, and I am certainly not the planner/activist type. It would take the entire BM community to pull this off. I realize there are as many reasons why it wouldn't work as there are reasons why it would. Feel free to post them all. But if you're just trolling, being a nay sayer, or flexing your e-playa seniority and rhetorical muscle, please spare us all. Disagree, good. Respect, good. Belittling this as hippy dippy dreaminess, save it.

I've seen other related threads on here about other groups helping in N.O. (Isotopia put up good links) and I plan on contacting them. I also plan on using whatever microscopic connections I do have to the Org to at least plant the seed.

Financially, I think it could be similarly structured. In other words, we mostly put our own money in, but we also all "buy a ticket" maybe to the tune of $150 (increasing through time as usual, to charge extra for the frat boys looking for Mardi Gras in September). This way, the the people on the staff who are already paid would continue in their organizational roles, and there would also be a central fund controlled by the Org to pay for DPW food and housing or what have you. [I realize the DPW could be a major wildcard in this.]

The idea would be to work through the year (both in our home towns, and in New Orleans). We especially start it up in January (one because that's when we normally really start to work, and because then some of the basic infrastructure of New Orleans will actually be repaired—electricity, water, etc.) and then have it all culminate in the same way it always does, with a week long shindig leading up to Labor Day.

No, I haven't completely thought this out. Remind me of that in creative ways, please. I think you know the basic gist of it, though.

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts,
James Kalin

[AntiM]

First reactions:

Physically, I'd be a burden in a rebuild effort. I can't lift much, I can't spend hours on my feet, I can't even drive a car. So I'd be more helpful donating cash to good organizations, yes?

Where would we build a city for 30,000 workers who would then do a week's worth of rebuilding? There's no open playa to accomodate us. Resources are strained as it is, an influx of people, no matter how helpful, could be a severe strain.

Then there's timing, the help is needed sooner than later. Not everyone can pull up stakes and go, vacation time is set in stone for some.

Those who can help physically need to research agencies already in place rather than recreate the wheel. There's plenty of volunteer positions in every state, you can channel energy into the rebuild without traveling to a disaster area.

I think a first step would be to see if we'd be a help or a hindrance.

[HughMungus]

Nice idea, but, a lot of the people who go to Burning Man spend the other 51 weeks helping others and they need some kind of break. Even Jesus took a few days off after his work was done.

[cowboyangel]

how about giving free transport and accomodations to anyone from the stricken areas to come to 06? And, using this website and these boards to raise monies for relief efforts specifically from burners? Many burners I know are already donating money.

[king james version]

Thanks for the responses so far.

I'll reply to each in turn, with a bit of overlap maybe.

AntiM,

I'm looking to have each do what they are best at. There will be plenty of people to swing hammers. The whole point of my idea is that it will be heavily infused with the creative spirit and the spirit of community that normally shows up on the playa. This is about physical rebuilding, but it's really about so much more than that. In other words, not everyone is DPW (thank god, hehe; love you guys). Some people make art, some people teach throat singing, some people work at the cafe, and on. Burning Man is an extremely fertile ground for ideas. I would want the year (or however much time one normally puts into playa prep) to be spent coming up with innovative ways to both preserve/restore what was lost—an almost Herculean task as it is—and buffer/bolster that with adding to and changing the place. Things like: how can we make the housing unique, how can we make community centers and playgrounds and school into positive creative places for music and sport and learning? And so on.

As for the space for 30K workers. I reckon the numbers would be quite a bit lower. Also, there is a large park between midtown and the lake which could accomodate a ton of camping ([sarcasm]and the hoity-toity First Camp folks could set up shop in Audubon park, since it's fancier; oh and all the stoner/hackysackers already have a hangout there called the Tree of Death, a really righteous, huge oak[/sarcasm]).

Timing. I think rebuilding this town will take years, so whenever and whatever we bring will be great. I'm sure there will be plenty of room for what we would do, both from afar starting, say, in January, and when we show up en masse a year from now.

DP,

You're right, compassion fatigue (or whatever it's called) is a serious issue to consider, and not just with this particular situation. We all have lives to lead and bills to pay. That is exactly why I want people to approach it with the same spirit that they do when crafting their art car or theme camp. Obviously we won't be making art cars to bring there, but, to spin off that, I'm asking if there is a way that we could propose/create some type of drastic change for transportation there. The streetcar is a fixture, and riding bikes there takes dedication. The challenge then is to put 100 burners who know a lot about transportation in a (virtual) room together to brainstorm. IDEAS, MAN, IDEAS!!!!! If we're not having fun doing it, it ain't gonna happen.

cowboyangel,

I'm really hoping to do something completely out of the ordinary, rather than just send money. Don't get me wrong, rebuilding is going to take billions. But money without spice is Orange County; money with spice is all of us doing something unprecedented for and in New Orleans (why do I all of a sudden feel like a cross between Homer Simpson and Paul Atreides?).

Again, thanks for your input. Now dig deeper into those creative brains. I'm not looking for us to do the entire rebuild. To restate the theme: we take the time, energy, money, creative force, and especially the playful nature that we normally put into Burning Man and bring that to the table of rebuilding.

James

[AntiM]

The schools are trashed and even if they relocate the teachers, they'll have lost their personal supplies. Teachers put tons of money into their classrooms, they're underfunded even without a hurricane to take it all away. How about materials for teachers and students, books and lots of art supplies. Anyone good at arranging that sort of thing? I haven't a clue how to get it rolling.

[king james version]

Nor do I, but out of all burners, past and present, I reckon someone has a clue about that.

All the teachers that are burned out from fighting to implement their ideas now have a new petri dish to grow fun things on. Of course that's an idealistic notion; there will still be bureaucracy, maybe even more than the past, who knows. But why not float the ideas? You sure as hell know the "intelligent design" dorks will be offering up their texts for free.

Now you've got the spirit, AntiM!!!

I'll turn this into a tent revival if I am forced to. I am, after all, the son of a Lutheran Theologin.

[sputnik]

In my opinion New Orleans should not be rebuilt. The Army Corps of engineers should also stop trying to keep the Mississippi from switching course. Anyone allowed to rebuild in New Orleans and the surrounding areas should do so on their own dime and not be given rebuilding aid in the future. I suggest the government spend my hard earned dollars relocating the city to higher ground or dispersing the residents. Shut off the pumps and let nature take her course.

[playasnake]

I suggest the government spend my hard earned dollars relocating the city to higher ground or dispersing the residents. Shut off the pumps and let nature take her course.

actually your hard earned dollars were spent long before the hurricane hit. not really sure who's money we are spending now

[geekster]

Wouldn't it just be easier to burn New Orleans instead of the man? I mean, they could push all the debris into a HUGE fucking pile and we can have Burning Gras

[geekster]

Shut off the pumps and let nature take her course.

I agree. The basic problem is that New Orleans is build on silt. The silt slowly compacts or subsides over time. In the old days, the floods would deposit new silt. The silt deposition about equalled the subsidance making the level of the land roughly stable over time. When we bottle in the river with levees, it causes all the silt to run out into the Gulf and the land under the city keeps subsiding without being replentished.

What we need to do is desginate wide flood plains and flood lanes. Open areas with grass and trees that are allowed to flood. Or just let the river go where it wants to. In the end the river will win anyway.

[nova_mike]

:shock:
How about: I've given enough already, food, money, compassion.

I need burningman.

[HughMungus]

In my opinion New Orleans should not be rebuilt. The Army Corps of engineers should also stop trying to keep the Mississippi from switching course. Anyone allowed to rebuild in New Orleans and the surrounding areas should do so on their own dime and not be given rebuilding aid in the future. I suggest the government spend my hard earned dollars relocating the city to higher ground or dispersing the residents. Shut off the pumps and let nature take her course.

Agreed. We don't tolerate morons (much) on the playa, why do we do it in the other world?

[the mole]

Mission Statement:

The Second Line is a long-standing, long-dancing New Orleans tradition; best known as the band that follows funerals, somber on the way to the grave, joyous and celebratory on the way back.

Inspired by this fine tradition, Third Line is a rapidly expanding hurricane relief organization, with a core comprised of New Orleans residents and entertainers, and a vast network of friends who also want to help. Primarily we are a circus, which will provide entertainment relief (in the form of circus acts, a mobile film theater, puppet shows, and music) and children’s day care (with an educational focus on creating their own children’s circus), although we seek to fulfill other needs as we see fit (e.g. housing, clothing, etc.).

As our network has grown we have also begun to realize a new, much more serious set of issues: the general news media is failing to report what is basically criminal negligence. And so our mission has expanded to include the following two goals: 1. the dissemination of alternative and repressed news reports (including reports that government officials have been denying New Orleans residents the access to evacuate as well as confiscating food and water supplies), and 2. the aiding of citizens still inside New Orleans by any and all means necessary.

Our membership, which has been constantly growing in number, currently includes individuals proficient in a vast number of areas including emergency medical care, day care, information and media technology, and more, not to mention arts, music, and entertainment. With the cooperation of The Burning Man organization and Red Cross we helped to raise over $30,000, about $4500 of which has been put towards our endeavors, the rest of which may also go to us, Red Cross, or other relief groups. Whether or not we are allowed further funding will likely depend on us showing results.

In any event, we are actively seeking support in the form of participants who whould like to join us in Houston, either as entertainers or laborers, as well as donations of materials and/or funds to aid our mission. Please contact us if you’re interested in participating in any way.

------

So anyway, we’re now in Austin, Texas, networking with refugees and some folks who want to volunteer, doing some circus performance, and developing more ideas. Lots of people seem interested in helping out, and everything is running smoothly. We’ll be heading down to Houston on Sunday or Monday, where we will create our semi-permanent base, and from which certain members of our group will be going into New Orleans to help with clean-up/rebuilding/medication/evacuation/etc.

If anybody would like to help out, either from home or in Houston, please contact me (e-mail: [email protected]; phone: 808 344 0719). We now have a network of people and organizations varied enough to find a place for virtually any sort of volunteer, from entertainers to laborers.

Here’s our web site: http://thirdlinecircus.com (which is still very much ‘under construction’ at this point). Soon it should have alternative news reports, links to help or get help, footage of our efforts, updates on our progress and upcoming events, etc.

Besides volunteering you can also help the relief effort by donating, either to us or other worthy organizations. To donate to Third Line just go to PayPal.com and make your donation to [email protected]. Maybe folks can reply to this post with links to other good organizations…

------

and my thoughts on making burning man 2006 in new orleans. it's a cool idea but the fact is that the majority of burning man participants don't care. they would rather be in fantasy land. i watched as droves of burners passed by the new orleans relief booth, gritting their teeth and continuing their path as i called out to let them know that the worst natural disaster our country has ever seen had just occurred. it was quite depressing. in addition to this guy's idea, there has now been some media pressure for the burning man organization to "do something". with the third line circus, they have done something, and with your support, it can be something much more impactive. this is how burning man has gotten involved and now it is up to us to follow their lead.

[lurker]

I have to laugh as I see people who live on fault lines, whose yearly calls for help with wildfires, mudslides and god knows what other act'o'god should get California re-named 'the Disaster State', whining about 'rebuilding' New Orleans.

First, in case you haven't been paying attention, it's not the total washout the media's been putting out. Second it is a major commercial, cultural and strategic point in the US. Third, why's it okay to funnel my tax dollars to California to rebuild but not Louisiana?

And, how about this. Do both. Help rebuild NO, and them go to Burning Man to....relax.

Volunteer Donate Act

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulent Encore

[lurker]

Boy, do I get nasty about this.

I'm not trying to piss anyone off, it's just that I cannot believe that the idea of NOT rebuilding even came up. Rebuilding anywhere else isn't even questioned(and you'll notice that no ones talking about not re-building the communities to the east of NO who got hit worse?)

It makes me loopy.

[theCryptofishist]

I don't remember them talking about them not rebuilding Florida either, and we've had repeated hurricanes there...

I think we should rebuild New Orleans--with some caveats. First off, we should let the Mississippi chose it's own bed. So we probably should not build in the 100 year flood plain, except the sort of stuff that's easily replaceable--soccer feilds and horse trails sort of stuff. Don't know if you saw those picks of Jefferson Davis's house that survived because it was elevated and the water just swept under it but we should build with modern varients of time tested designs for areas prone to flood, ect. Just as when the big one hits my home town of Berkeley, we should daylight the creeks and build housing stock to a stringent code. The truth is that there are always geologic and weather hazards. And when quakes hit Seattle, New York and the New Madrid area--as fault lines say they very well might, they are going to look a lot uglier than in California in a lot of ways, because at least some of our buildings are built to a stringent code.

So my answer is rebuild thoughtfully and with reguard to know hazards. Of course, zoning is often overridden by money.

[Driveway]

Here's a freakin' idea, how 'bout every stupid-merican out there agrees that the "American Dream" isn't a completely self-centered idea and agrees to pay some fuckin' taxes so there AREN'T ANY MORE POOR PEOPLE so everyone can get the hell out of wherever the hell the next hurricane is going?


Oh...wait...I've been doing cocaine all night, I'm sorry, I've lost my freakin' mind.

Disregard this insanity.

[Kinetic IV]

the fact is that the majority of burning man participants don't care. they would rather be in fantasy land. i watched as droves of burners passed by the new orleans relief booth, gritting their teeth and continuing their path as i called out to let them know that the worst natural disaster our country has ever seen had just occurred. it was quite depressing.

I have a problem with that comment. For some of us we knew from listening to satellite radio that the price of gas had skyrocketed over the week that we were there. I wanted to hold on to my cash until I got back and at $3.29 per gal I almost used up what I had set aside for gas and then some. That could be self centered but when you're 1600 miles from home, self-preservation does factor in...ya gotta get home. Next when I got back I know that one of the companies I work for was hard hit by Katrina and would likely set up a matching employee donation program. Yeah I could give you $100 at the gate, but I could wait two days and double that money so it really makes an impact on the ground. Next I flat refuse to give to anything that benefits the Red Cross, perhaps the most bumbling group of misled volunteers in American history. Case in point, they are ignoring Mississippi....it's so bad that Oxfam moved in to do what they seem to be incapable of doing. You don't need mobile kitchens in areas where people have power and cars, you need it where people lost everything but they are too clueless to figure that out. And outside of Katrina I've ran into them around KC after tornados went through...and I am not impressed. Any group that charges someone that lost everything for a cup of coffee is scum in my book.

So there's 3 reasons right there why someone did not give you any money coming out the gate this year. You may want to use a smaller paintbrush next time when you try and paint burners in exodus with the stereotype brush.

Edit: yeah I know he posted about that clear back on Thursday...but it was so outrageous a comment it deserved some feedback.

[LeChatNoir]

but the fact is that the majority of burning man participants don't care.

I suspect that many of the people who drove by had valid reasons for not stopping, as Kinetic mentioned. I also suspect some did not, since there was a lot of Moop out there this year, including broken bottles on Esplanade. Seems the same mind set could accomplish both acts easily. Be that as it may, I can’t force someone to give a damn about the world or people around them. All I can do is try to do the best I can and hope that it encourages others. Some people throw shit on the ground. Others pick it up.

That being said, the idea of holding BurningMan in New Orleans as a rebuilding effort is noble, but... it seems logistically impossible to me. Just too much to contend with that makes it unrealistic. I go to the event to escape this world for just a bit, and though in truth that is a bit selfish, it’s much needed in my mind. Self preservation if you will. But until that week rolls around, I’ve got chances to help. I’ve not heard anything from Bmorg about an organized effort and what something like this needs is organization. The relief efforts that are already in that region are most likely stressing out and stretched thin. They will take notice quicker if they receive a phone call from an established organization than they will from a bunch of well-wishing individuals who lack a single, cohesive bond. The groups already working there don’t have time to organize yet another group.

Bmorg... there’s a lot of people here who are willing to help and we, as a community have a terrific ability to network quickly. We need you to step up to the plate and help us out. I'm not certain of it all just yet, but I’ve got a truck, a welder-generator and I think I can swing time away from my shop (the only source of income I have) in January. I’m looking into other options myself, but would prefer an organized “BurningMan” effort.

but the fact is that the majority of burning man participants don't care.

Mole... I suspect this comment was out of frustration for what you witnessed and the expectations you had for a return on your efforts. I’m sorry you were disappointed, but look at the difference you did make. And my experience has been that the good outweighs the bad on the playa ten fold. I believe in the ability of this community to effect social change on the grand scale. When it comes to accomplishing big things, I’ve always been too damn hard-headed to know that I couldn’t do it, and so found out that I could.

The frantic, “rescue everyone you can” stage seems to be winding down and the time for a organized, methodical, concerted effort backed up by hard work is emerging. Bmorg... you have the opportunity to spearhead this. We need your help.

[alienfry]

i bet a large chunk of people leaving had no idea about new orleans. my camp found out late saturday night after the man burned.

back to the original idea...

i have to agree with Dallas earlier on: i need that week, dude. 51 weeks a year i fundraise for AIDS Project Los Angeles. i love my job and all but i feel confident that i'm filling my good-deeds quota and then some.

wow, as i re-read this i see that my statement sounds just AWEFULL! well, it's the truth. 50-60 hour weeks, 48 weeks a year (that's after much needed vacation/personal time) spent helping out with some cause, any cause is just fine for me.

novel idea you have, but i'll pass.

[ZaphodBurner]

Here's something you need to know about New Orleans that hasn't made the political talking points:

On August 28, construction crews arrived for the half-million-square foot expansion of the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. According to the Times-Picayune that day, the $315 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT was "one of the largest state-financed construction projects in Louisiana's history.

The date on the story is chilling. While Katrina and fate bore down on Louisiana--which claims that they didn't have enough money to improve
New Orleans' levees--a third of a billion dollars was about to be spent drawing more conventions and corporate tourism to the city.

http://www.nola.com/business/t-p/index. ... 249320.xml

"Proponents say Phase IV's planned bright and airy environment, strong technological capabilities and elegant 60,000-square-foot ballroom overlooking the Mississippi River will enable New Orleans to crack the lucrative corporate meetings market and retrieve lost convention customers."

-c

[geekster]

Easy enough to understand for a city. A levee is pure overhead a convention center brings in money. Nobody comes to a city to see the new levee.

I hope they use eminent domain to remove the worst of the flooded residential areas. The problem with that is that they tend to also be the poorest. The poor again taking the hardest impact. But there are several layers to the problem. There is a reason the poorest areas were there. That is because property in those lowest lying of areas is the most inexpensive and affordable. Another way of looking at it is that since it is the lowest valued area, it also brings in the least in taxes to the city. As I mentioned before and as others have said, the levees should be pushed back to give the river more room to spread out. A green belt along the levees would help eliminate some of the human suffering in future floods.

Relocating people might not be as big an issue as it sounds at first. In many cases the homes need to be torn down anyway. They have already lost their home so you are not taking anything away from them. An insurance company might be happier to rebuild a house in an area less prone to flooding than they would be to rebuild a structure in the same area that has already flooded. Many aren't returning anyway, they say they have nothing to return to.

In my opinion, the city government of New Orleans and the State Government of Louisiana have shown a surprising lack of planning, coordination, and execution during an emergency that has been predicted to happen for years. They knew or should have known this was going to happen and should have had a response ready for it. Instead the appeared to run around in circles screaming at the federal government to make it all better. There was no working communications network between cities and towns within a parish, there was no working network between parishes. One town had no idea what the neighboring town was doing or what their status was. A city official in one town could have easily instructed people to evacuate into an area that was worse off than the one they were leaving.

And the worst part is really yet to come, in my opinion. Once a few more weeks get behind us and other events get into the news, people are going to begin to forget about the poorest of the victims. The little towns way out in the bayous are going to be left on their own to make do as best they can. I have a feeling that many of the small towns and settlements worst hit will just fade away. Their history and local culture gone forever.

The most important thing that I think we can take away from this is that if you have any illusion that government is going to "take care of you" in case of a regional catastrophe, then you need to think again. You need to make damned sure you have the means to get by for at least 3 days, a week is better, with no help from outside. You need food, you need water, and you need a basic shelter. About the same as you would need to spend a week at Burning Man. There is something to be said about not camping with a rented RV. From now on, when you go to Burning Man, go with all your own shit. If nothing else, it gives you experiance in knowing what you are going to need for a week of living without the luxary of a rental.

[we0ne]

While I have a lot of compassion and empathy for those affected by the hurricane in those costal areas, why were Americans not able to muster up a bit more money for those affected by the Tsunami disaster overseas last year? I was in a hotel room after BM before returning home and heard a news reporter bragging about how much money Americans raised for New Orleans comapred to the Tsunami and one other disaster, it was nearly 6 times as much and when we're talking in the millions, that's a lot of dough. The US government is one of the richest entities in the world, why do civillians need to donate so much money. I see the need for people to volunteer time to rebuild in any disaster, and yes I donated some money too, but there were millions of peole homeless, poverty stricken, ill and living in unhealthy environments long before New Orleans was sinking. I guess in a nut shell, I'd be more open to relocating to New Orleans for BM if those on the 'Need our help" waiting list were visited first. I bet Shri Lanka would love to have us.

[theCryptofishist]

weOne--that reporter was an idiot. The sad truth is that people do help those more like them, those closer to home than those far away. I don't know how "generous" we "should" be. We can always do more. But chasing that thought just leads you in circles. IMHO>

[unjonharley]

Not to be a real hard ass but. I crossed the mighty Miss in 1948 in a large army type truck. The spring river was ten miles across. We drove on a crown road the city was below us. My question them and now is?????? Why wold anyone live i this mess. When we crossed in the summer we could see the city. Each house had a boat and mud poles tied to it. The boats were on the lawns waiting for the next flood. The mud poles were long handles with a board across one end tied to the house. They were used to push mud out of the houses. I can see helping the people to recover there life, limb and kin. But fuck rebuilding in the same place.
.
1950s in China. A river flooded every year A quarter mil. would be swept away. The over croding forced the next bach to move into the flood plane. Move the people out of the area and let it flood was the ansewer. Can it get more simpel?

[Isotopia]

While I have a lot of compassion and empathy for those affected by the hurricane...

Your point being? Looks like a typical opening to an argument that lays out a logic tree (or sets up a posit) to exlain 1) why those people got what they got 2) those peole got what they deserved 3) if only those people had done... X or why give X this when Y never gets that...

Cut me some fucking slack Archie. Jesus.

[Kinetic IV]

why were Americans not able to muster up a bit more money for those affected by the Tsunami disaster overseas last year?

This is so, so simple. Charity and help begins at home. It's one thing to help people thousands of miles away on the other side of the planet. But this is in your backyard so to speak. Americans have a long history of helping each other during times of crisis, this country comes together and gets things done. The massive outpouring of charity is simply more of that long standing tradition resurfacing.

As for the government arguments we might be one of the richest countries on earth but there is no government that has the resouces to bail out every American when shit goes wrong. There's not enough taxdollars to do it and still be able to run the basic essentials of government. I could really get into ripping that argument to shreds but let's say I strongly disagree with that line of thought and move on.

As for building in flood plains we learned that lesson here in Missouri in 1993. Or at least most of us did. (There are some clueless folks in St. Louis who haven't). Some of our people banded together and said ok, you've offered to help us recover and that's great. But instead of giving us disaster relief to rebuild, let's spend a bit more money and relocate out of the floodplain so in 5 years you're not down here in jonboats assessing more damages. And it was done, there are now new towns built a couple of miles away on higher ground which ended the problem. Now old man river can overtop the ag levees anytime he wants and without much fuss from the locals unless he swamps a good soybean field or corn crop. And that's the way it should be.

Now what worked in Missouri will be different along the coasts...that's a much bigger argument with more complex factors involved. But along inland waterways....my take on it is nobody should build in the floodplain, period.

[geekster]

The problem is relocating a city that large with as much cultural heritage. You could move everyone back a couple of miles from the river, and everyone between the lake and the river, but then the French Quarter is gone. Where is Mardi Gras held? It is a huge problem if you don't want it happening again and it probably will happen again no matter how much we pour into the levees.

New Orleans is 20 feet below sea level. If you want to do it right, you need to build it up in additional to widening the river a bit.

In my opinion you would need to build brand new levees more like dams set about 1/4 mile back from where they are now on each side of the river. Then you raze everything else down to bare earth and fill it in and then build a new city on top of that.

If they simply rebuild the city as it is, there will be no end to the billions of dollars that are poured into it and it will, though history, happen again and again and again. It might be a century between disasters, but it will happen as long as New Orleans is so deep below sea level.

Overall, they really need to slow down that river, let it dump it's load of silt and build land again. The current 1800's thinking we are still shoring up is guaranteed disaster after disaster.

[karine]

Hello Friends!

I have started a non-profit organization to help other non-profit GRASSROOT organizations that have begun clean-up and action in and around the New Orleans and Katrina devasted areas. I believe the link below can tell you more information.

Thanks to all of you for ALREADY supporting your southern neighbors.

see this link:
http://www.geocities.com/karinedch/index.html

Love, Karine

[b]Grassroots Katrina Effort[/b]
Help Neighborhoods affected by Katrina clean-up and stay in action