This Is Ridiculous
MSNBC is running a cover story about how people are upset that the city is going to bulldoze over 5,000 houses on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River that were partially damaged by Hurricane Katrina. (By "partially destroyed," I mean basically unlivable structures that could very well cost more to repair than to rebuild.)
Homeowners in the area have basically three arguments to halt the bulldozing: 1) that destroying the area will push back the African-American population, 2) homeowners haven't had a chance to get their personal belongings, and 3) it's unconstitutional to bulldoze buildings without owner permission.
Argument #1 has no merit: bulldozing is an economic decision, not a racial one. It doesn't matter what color person owns the house- you're not going to spend $100,000 to fix a home that's worth maybe $80,000. It just doesn't make sense. In fact, Ray Nagin is the one supporting it- something tells me that he's not in the business of pushing African-Americans out of New Orleans.
Sidebar: I'm not so sure the homeowners understand how expensive it can be to bulldoze a house and haul off the debris. I'd imagine the price tag could easily run somewhere between $5,000 to $10,000 a house. Doing them all at once spares the homeowners the expense and actually would result in a lower overall cost, since it would all be done at once. At any rate, I don't want people complaining when they wave off the city's bulldozers and then decide a year later to raze the thing to the ground. In that case, they should have to foot the bill.
Argument #2 has some merit, but it's nothing that couldn't be solved by issuing a statement giving the homeowners until a certain date to grab their belongings. Of course now, thanks to MSNBC, every burglar and looter in the city has official notice that there's stuff sitting practically unguarded. I'm sure it won't stay there long.
Argument #3 is the most interesting to me because it's a legal issue. The mayor contends that he can do so by issuing an edict declaring the houses an "imminent public danger." While that's stretching it a bit, it's constitutionally sound. The city has certain police powers to protect its citizens that trump individual rights. I can't speed because I might hurt others; likewise, I can't leave open refrigerators laying around my yard because children might climb in. It's totally forseeable that a child might get hurt exploring a house that has broken windows, a caved in floor, etc. The city has a right to condemn these buildings.
Oddly enough, it is the city council that's opposing the move. One of them reportedly stood in front of one of the homes, defying the bulldozers their destructive task. It appears that outlandish political maneuvers is par for the course in city councils. However, I understand why they do it- city council members are more closely connected to the citizens they represent- thus, even if they approve the measure, they have to pretend to agree with their constituents.
The only way New Orleans will ever rebuild is by clearing the rubble and setting a new foundation. It'll happen sooner or later- eventually, the homes will collapse on their own. I hate to be harsh, but let's help the process along.
Homeowners in the area have basically three arguments to halt the bulldozing: 1) that destroying the area will push back the African-American population, 2) homeowners haven't had a chance to get their personal belongings, and 3) it's unconstitutional to bulldoze buildings without owner permission.
Argument #1 has no merit: bulldozing is an economic decision, not a racial one. It doesn't matter what color person owns the house- you're not going to spend $100,000 to fix a home that's worth maybe $80,000. It just doesn't make sense. In fact, Ray Nagin is the one supporting it- something tells me that he's not in the business of pushing African-Americans out of New Orleans.
Sidebar: I'm not so sure the homeowners understand how expensive it can be to bulldoze a house and haul off the debris. I'd imagine the price tag could easily run somewhere between $5,000 to $10,000 a house. Doing them all at once spares the homeowners the expense and actually would result in a lower overall cost, since it would all be done at once. At any rate, I don't want people complaining when they wave off the city's bulldozers and then decide a year later to raze the thing to the ground. In that case, they should have to foot the bill.
Argument #2 has some merit, but it's nothing that couldn't be solved by issuing a statement giving the homeowners until a certain date to grab their belongings. Of course now, thanks to MSNBC, every burglar and looter in the city has official notice that there's stuff sitting practically unguarded. I'm sure it won't stay there long.
Argument #3 is the most interesting to me because it's a legal issue. The mayor contends that he can do so by issuing an edict declaring the houses an "imminent public danger." While that's stretching it a bit, it's constitutionally sound. The city has certain police powers to protect its citizens that trump individual rights. I can't speed because I might hurt others; likewise, I can't leave open refrigerators laying around my yard because children might climb in. It's totally forseeable that a child might get hurt exploring a house that has broken windows, a caved in floor, etc. The city has a right to condemn these buildings.
Oddly enough, it is the city council that's opposing the move. One of them reportedly stood in front of one of the homes, defying the bulldozers their destructive task. It appears that outlandish political maneuvers is par for the course in city councils. However, I understand why they do it- city council members are more closely connected to the citizens they represent- thus, even if they approve the measure, they have to pretend to agree with their constituents.
The only way New Orleans will ever rebuild is by clearing the rubble and setting a new foundation. It'll happen sooner or later- eventually, the homes will collapse on their own. I hate to be harsh, but let's help the process along.
posted by Yorick at 9:28 PM
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