Time Is Energy

One idea for New Orleans' future

Oh yeah, lest I be deemed simply a critic with nothing positive to say, let me add an idea.

New Orleans should apply to host the 2016 Olympic Games (or whatever the next open year is).

This would offer a solution to a number of problems. First of all, the World Olympic Committee would give it to them in a heart-beat (the whole world watched the tragedy). D.C. might even allow/offer a bit of federal funding to back up the deal. Secondly it would give the city and the people of New Orleans a lofty yet achievable goal for the city. It would give many businesses the economic certainty that investing in rebuilding would be rewarded down the road. Thirdly, the planning involved in citing facilities for the event would provide a legitimate excuse to acquire the lowest lying properties and build up these areas so the new Olympic facilities would be at or above sea level.

Yeah some people will scream and moan, but really, allowing let alone encouraging, people to rebuild homes that are significantly below sea-level (again) strikes me as both foolish and negligent. I may get flamed for this last bit, but honestly building/living in the houses below sea-level and relying on imperfect (and no levee is perfect) levees to keep them dry is at least partly what caused this whole thing to begin with.

posted by Daniel @ 7:47 PM