INFORMEDdebate
YES
from members:
Should the federal
Earl Harvey
Chicago, IL
government support
communities built in
Natural disasters
can strike just about
anywhere in the U.S.
The federal government should assist
all citizens in rebuilding.
areas susceptible to
Philip Frazier
Woodbridge, VA
natural disaster?
A post-hurricane debate about rebuilding New Orleans’ 9th Ward,
People in many of
these cities don’t have
the means to overcome such disasters.
They need assistance.
a part of the city particularly vulnerable to flooding, brings into
question whether any areas susceptible to natural disasters such as
Charmaine Jackson
hurricanes or floods should be rebuilt using federal funds. Those
El Paso, TX
opposed to federal funding say that if property owners knew they had
to bear the financial burden of rebuilding in such areas, they would be
less inclined to live in them.
Americans should take
care of Americans. New
Orleans is an important
city to this country.
Residents in at-risk areas say that culture, generations of heritage
and a sense of belonging, though intangible, are big factors in where
people choose to live. They say Venice and Amsterdam
have successfully protected their cities, and many
NO
vulnerable, yet inhabited, areas of the U.S. can be
from members:
similarly safeguarded. They also say that relocating
Jayne Weller
Fair Oaks, CA
entire populations would be a daunting task.
What do you think?
It is impractical to
throw good money at a
problem that will not
go away. We should
respect nature, learn
from it and use it for good.
John Shoemaker
Lexington, NC
It doesn’t make sense
to spend millions of
dollars repairing cities
over and over again.
Money needs to be
spent on prevention.
Elaine Slowik
Huntsville, AL
Find out more about this topic on the Web:
www.thenation.com/doc/20050926/klein
www.slate.com/id/2125810/
www.post-gazette.com/pg/pp/05254/568906.stm
In some cases, rebuilding
could risk lives. It would
be terrible if a disaster
reoccurred in an unsafe
rebuilt area.
