Since I am often accused of being a soshulist, maybe this will surprise some people. I keep seeing these heart warming stories on the teevee of people who lived in such places as Grand Isle Louisiana proclaiming to fawning and admiring reporters that they aren't going anywhere, they will rebuild, their community is strong and resolute . . .
Listen bub, if you can't get insurance from Limu Emu, Geico Gecko, Aflac Duck, Flo, the fop with the umbrella, or JK Simmons, there is no fucking reason why I as a tax payer should pay one penny to insure you or rebuild your house. Furthermore the electric company, with the blessing of the public utilities commission, should declare that they will no longer supply electricity to your eroding barrier beach because they can't afford to keep rebuilding it, and so should the suppliers of Internet and phone service. I'm willing to pony up a few bucks to buy you out and help you get a new start somewhere else, but that's it.
If you want to live there without insurance and off the grid, nobody can stop you, but when the next storm comes, we aren't going to rescue you. I'm sorry, it's sad and tragic and all that, but people cannot live there any more. The world has changed.
The national flood insurance program should be completely abolished. There is no rationale for its existence. The risk of living in a particular place should be part of the cost of living there, end of story. If there is some compelling public interest in maintaining a human community in a particular place I'll listen, but I'm unaware of any such rationale for any place that is covered by the program. One hundred percent of Republican members of congress should agree with me because this is a Big Government program that rips off the taxpayers and distorts the Free Market™. It would only take a couple of Democratic votes to go along with them to get this done. I'm waiting.
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