Toronado3800
Gold Member
- Nov 15, 2009
- 7,608
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The following is timely in my neck of the woods:
Events this week have brought up painful memories for many of 2008, 1993 and for some 1973. I propose we prevent these tragedies from ever repeating themselves and improve American competitiveness in the process when you consider the 1993 flood had a direct cost to America of 100,000 homes destroyed and 15 billion dollars. Failure to change our course of action will doom the victims of the 2015 flood to a repeat of this tragedy. Even in our relatively modest 2015 flood in Missouri the lives of 14 people have been lost. That is too many sons without fathers or mothers with funerals to attend.
We must acknowledge a few things. First we know with 100% accuracy what land flooded in 1973, 1993 and 2015. We also know a levee raises the level of a flooding river like placing your foot in the bathtub. A cycle is created where those downstream are forced to build higher levees and roadways in an endless cycle to the environments detriment. Finally a highly channelized river is not one which supports its wildlife potential. The water flows too fast and there are few breeding grounds.
Developed land which floods sucks money from the economy in through taxes to maintain levees, forcing charities to aid displaced citizens when they already have enough work to do and costing productivity and raising insurance rates.
My proposal is we reduce the population of areas through a series of land buys and trades. This land would not become totally barren either. Flood plains are some of the best farmland we have available. As a side benefit there will be more demand for properties which are out of the land which plainly floods. These efficient properties which cost our cities and states less money to maintain will go up in value. Do not fear, I am not talking about depopulating Kansas City or St Louis this is going to be a huge and slow moving program and
Yes some will not want to leave their homes. This is America, we would not force them to either. We just would not extend the offer of levee maintenance, free rescue or subsidized insurance to them. Sentiment is not an excuse to put your family in a position to cross a swollen river or creek to get home. Sentiment is not an excuse to have make some fireman risk not going home to his family to pull you off your roof. Modern cities do not rely on being near a creek to power a sawmill. We have citizens in need of welfare. We should not create the need for welfare.
Join me in saving lives, saving the environment and saving America money
Events this week have brought up painful memories for many of 2008, 1993 and for some 1973. I propose we prevent these tragedies from ever repeating themselves and improve American competitiveness in the process when you consider the 1993 flood had a direct cost to America of 100,000 homes destroyed and 15 billion dollars. Failure to change our course of action will doom the victims of the 2015 flood to a repeat of this tragedy. Even in our relatively modest 2015 flood in Missouri the lives of 14 people have been lost. That is too many sons without fathers or mothers with funerals to attend.
We must acknowledge a few things. First we know with 100% accuracy what land flooded in 1973, 1993 and 2015. We also know a levee raises the level of a flooding river like placing your foot in the bathtub. A cycle is created where those downstream are forced to build higher levees and roadways in an endless cycle to the environments detriment. Finally a highly channelized river is not one which supports its wildlife potential. The water flows too fast and there are few breeding grounds.
Developed land which floods sucks money from the economy in through taxes to maintain levees, forcing charities to aid displaced citizens when they already have enough work to do and costing productivity and raising insurance rates.
My proposal is we reduce the population of areas through a series of land buys and trades. This land would not become totally barren either. Flood plains are some of the best farmland we have available. As a side benefit there will be more demand for properties which are out of the land which plainly floods. These efficient properties which cost our cities and states less money to maintain will go up in value. Do not fear, I am not talking about depopulating Kansas City or St Louis this is going to be a huge and slow moving program and
Yes some will not want to leave their homes. This is America, we would not force them to either. We just would not extend the offer of levee maintenance, free rescue or subsidized insurance to them. Sentiment is not an excuse to put your family in a position to cross a swollen river or creek to get home. Sentiment is not an excuse to have make some fireman risk not going home to his family to pull you off your roof. Modern cities do not rely on being near a creek to power a sawmill. We have citizens in need of welfare. We should not create the need for welfare.
Join me in saving lives, saving the environment and saving America money
