[StBernard] I still don't understand the plan and buy-out

[Westley Annis]

Gaby,
	I understand your emotions about your home.  I have felt the same
sense of loss of the family home -- where I have such good memories of my
children growing up -- as anybody. I do think, however, that our elected
officials have an obligation to look at the economics of the situation, and
to give people enough information so as to allow them to make a decision
from a financial perspective.  For many people, their home is the biggest
and most important investment that they will ever make.  Many want to use
that investment for their retirement, or to leave to their children.  I
don't think many people want to invest $150,000 or more into a home when it
is almost certain to lose value -- maybe even be unmarketable -- when the
time comes for it to be sold.  Very few people are in your position and are
confident enough to say that they are going to rebuild where they are, live
in the house forever, and never have to sell it.   No one I know ever buys a
house with that attitude.  Virtually everybody considers resale value when
they buy a house (you are essentially buying a house if you put your money
back into your existing house).  Most people would chose to put that money
(representing years of hard work) into a home somewhere else, in St. Bernard
or not, where they could eventually recover the $150,000.  Even though many
of us would like to view things from a more emotional perspective, for some
of us, the economics factor in heavily, and I would expect the economics of
rebuilding should be figured into any governmental plan.  
						CK