Common sense for rebuilding?
The recent hurricanes have created loss of life, havoc and tragedy for many Americans. We can't ignore it. Moving forward, however, there needs to be common sense applied to the recovery.
The following comes from a blog by Jack Schultz of Boomtown USA.
"Ben Franklin started it all! Prior to his innovations of fire departments and fire insurance, calamitous fires were common in U.S. cities. Many burned to the ground.
"But when people started to protect themselves with Franklin's two innovations, they began demanding better fire departments so their insurance premiums weren't so onerous. Building codes were strengthened to prevent fires and make them easier to fight.
"But as we've seen in the last month in New Orleans, few people are as passionate about levees or protecting themselves from a flood that is sure to come. Why is that?
"They have no vested interest in protecting their property because they know the federal government will bail them out if something catastrophic happens. Only 40 percent of the homes in New Orleans had any type of flood insurance, even though the city was 10 feet below sea level!
"In the 1960s the U.S. government took over the business of insuring against floods. As a result, people built seaside homes and condos in areas that would never have been developed, knowing that if a hurricane hit they would get bailed out.
"No one is taking responsibility, either personally or city-wide. The federal government should still help coordinate disaster relief, but every town should take responsibility for fighting floods just like they do in fighting fires. Individuals should buy flood insurance or suffer the consequences when their homes are destroyed. We should get back to a fire-insurance model for floods and hurricanes."
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This past Saturday night, as we sat at Reimer Field taking in the pleasant fall evening air and watching the Bluejays take it to the Threshers, I gazed at the scoreboard to see if it had enough lights for triple digits.
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A while back, I wrote we thought there might be some kids running around on the roof of our downtown apartment during the wee hours of the night. I may have to retract that statement as we now have a great big black and white cat (with great big feet, I presume) roaming at night.
He/she/it is now known as "roof cat." The wooden utility pole at the back of the building makes a perfect avenue for climbing to the roof.
