[StBernard] Duany meeting

[Westley Annis]

 There are genuine, first come, first address issues when considering a NEW
CITY/Parish:

Suppose we had these designers a few years ago and things were
completed/built up a few feet so that we can get insurance. Then Katrina
comes along in 2005 with 30 ft. storm surges, tops/breaches the levees.
(even suppose the storm was incredibly stronger than Katrina). Now the new
city/parish is inundated with the same swamp water, this time 2 feet below
the ceilings. Same result. Destroyed.

No addressing MRGO, stronger, higher levees NOW before a redesign can mean
the above scenario. Wasted monies, energies and lives.

Secondly, if money is not given to the unfortuate firstly (as in all
probability, these were working class as the well-2-do had the means for
superior coverage, perhaps), then let them go on with their lives here or
elsewhere would be first priority. In St. Bernard Parish, there were
average/mean income of perhaps $22,000 or less. Hardly a parish to attract
the best of malls, theaters, new car dealers, huge 25+ story business
buildings, and great infrastructure dealings and entertainment. Some will
argue that bedroom communities are needed to avoid riff-raff and Fat City
biz overcrowdedness, then one trades entertainment for sleep chambers.

All this design, and keeping homes in designed areas? How would this be
accomplished? Not everyone in every neighborhood in Chalmette, for example
is leaving. Build and redesign around their property? It's almost as if
every home would need to be razed to design properly. These people, for the
most part has lost everything, and re-designing their homes (especially
fixed-income owners isn't offered the privilege unless helped by that
congress act.

To settle firstly with those needed to move on seems most important while
decisions are made to ignore or address MRGO and the safety of the area.
Without being secure --new, more modern, devestating storms could be on the
horizon. The chicken or the egg? Save the chicken firstly. Then, when she
decides to have her eggs, they will more secure than the eggs left without
the hen sitting atop it.

Maybe not a joke than a dream--whether we're expecting a Utopia or ignoring
reality. I don't think I can live with 6 feet of water in my home rather
than the 12 feet it got. It's unacceptable, realizing my street had never
been flooded with water beyond the curb in the worse of May floods.

Priority 1. Stop the chance of future floods as with "Katrina". We can't
take another one and smile with sincerity.
Priority 2. If we cannot guaranteed that we can stop a 3-5 Cat Storm, why
bother knowing the outcome/misery.
Priority 3. If we can guarantee (and who can?) yet another catstrophe which
ruined St. Bernard to this point, then we can go ahead to create the best
St. Bernard Parish that pales Florida's reconstruction.
Priority 4. Do nothing as the above 3 has the answers. Return the area to
pre-1700 century St. Bernard.

Jer.