Hastert: Don't Rebuild New Orleans

The Speaker of the House of Representatives stated today that we ought to think twice about rebuilding New Orleans:

House Speaker Dennis Hastert dropped a bombshell on flood-ravaged New Orleans on Thursday by suggesting that it isn’t sensible to rebuild the city.

"It doesn't make sense to me," Hastert told the Daily Herald in suburban Chicago in editions published today. "And it's a question that certainly we should ask."

Hastert's comments came as Congress cut short its summer recess and raced back to Washington to take up an emergency aid package expected to be $10 billion or more. Details of the legislation are still emerging, but it is expected to target critical items such as buses to evacuate the city, reinforcing existing flood protection and providing food and shelter for a growing population of refugees.

The Illinois Republican’s comments drew an immediate rebuke from Louisiana officials.

“That’s like saying we should shut down Los Angeles because it’s built in an earthquake zone,” former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., said. “Or like saying that after the Great Chicago fire of 1871, the U.S. government should have just abandoned the city.”

Hastert said that he supports an emergency bailout, but raised questions about a long-term rebuilding effort. As the most powerful voice in the Republican-controlled House, Hastert is in a position to block any legislation that he opposes.

"We help replace, we help relieve disaster," Hastert said. "But I think federal insurance and everything that goes along with it... we ought to take a second look at that."

Of course, Speaker Hastert's comments will be very unpopular with the people from Louisiana, but I've got to admit I've been having similar thoughts as I've looked at the scope of the damage down there. Essentially the cities entire utility grid will have to be rebuilt, from sewers to electricity to water to gas to communications. Many, if not a majority of the structures will not be salvagable after being under water for days or weeks. There will be massive health problems due to mold and disease. The town's a wreck, and given it's location and elevation, is it wise to rebuild it just because it once had a thriving culture? I'm not so sure it is.

Perhaps the best course of action would be to get the people out, blow the levees, rename it Atlantis, and build a "new" New Orleans somewhere else.