"Sometimes if you're good Miss Brenda lets you have cookies with the chocolate milk," he added. "One time I hit Matthew and I was not allowed to have cookies. I was not allowed to have milk, either."
Man, I knew I should have stayed in New Orleans. I LOVE CHOCOLATE!
Oh, and I've gotten in so many debates with "good liberals" over the last couple weeks who insist that they're only bulldozing down the homes that are not livable (which is true, by definition of building code) and that this is in the best interest of the black community. What, of course, they're missing is that most of the people whose houses are being marked for bulldozing will not have enough money (even with federal aid) to build a new house on their lot and thus will be forced to sell and move elsewhere.
Maybe I'm in a Seattle real estate frame of mind, but if you owned a house you were probably not dirt poor. Most likely its the oppressive slumlord making money off the poor who is screwed.
I would think federal aid plus homeowner insurance would equate to something... and if not, maybe its not such a bad thing to be forced to move away from the flood zone.
Again I'm not a homeowner so maybe there is something I'm missing.
This is definitely a Seattle real estate frame of mind. Real estate is a lot cheaper in Louisiana in general and the Ninth Ward was not really a desirable place to live if you had money.
Further, even outside of a Seattle perspective, this is largely a bias of age. It's likely that a lot of the houses have been owned for some time before it became as cost prohibitive to own houses; my parents, for instance, bought their first house when they were eighteen year old newlyweds in Los Angeles during the mid-seventies for under twenty-thousand; they sold it during the mid-eighties and bought a mobile home on five acres in Redmond for thirty thousand. Slightly different market (even accounting for inflation).
I'm not sure how much flood insurance will cover. Flood insurance is really expensive and I don't believe it's required in all areas of the country. And, of course, I'm sure you know how hard it is to get insurance companies to pay (especially when they know you can't afford a lawyer).
Being forced to move away from a flood zone may sound peachy to you, but remember this is also moving away from their jobs, their family and their community. And if they can't afford to rebuild in one of the poorest areas of New Orleans then they certainly don't have many options for places to go.
I should also note that because of increases in labor and manufacturing materials, it's notably more expensive to build houses than it used to be. It is not unlikely that someone might have a home that's been in their family for generations in that area, which is completely paid off and insured for half what it would cost to rebuild one today.
[Again, by contrast: my parents built a 3000 sqft house in Redmond for $60k in 1984; the same house today would cost about $250k to build].
There was an NPR interview the other day with a factory worker at GM who was angry because he was overpaid and while he appreciates his salary he feels that it is part of why (in his opinion) the Japanese are producing higher quality cars for cheaper wages.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2006-01-17 08:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 08:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 08:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 08:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 10:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 08:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 08:46 pm (UTC)"*gasp* Chocalate...half price!"
Date: 2006-01-17 10:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 10:25 pm (UTC)Oh, and I've gotten in so many debates with "good liberals" over the last couple weeks who insist that they're only bulldozing down the homes that are not livable (which is true, by definition of building code) and that this is in the best interest of the black community. What, of course, they're missing is that most of the people whose houses are being marked for bulldozing will not have enough money (even with federal aid) to build a new house on their lot and thus will be forced to sell and move elsewhere.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 12:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 02:33 am (UTC)I would think federal aid plus homeowner insurance would equate to something... and if not, maybe its not such a bad thing to be forced to move away from the flood zone.
Again I'm not a homeowner so maybe there is something I'm missing.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 02:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 02:52 am (UTC)Further, even outside of a Seattle perspective, this is largely a bias of age. It's likely that a lot of the houses have been owned for some time before it became as cost prohibitive to own houses; my parents, for instance, bought their first house when they were eighteen year old newlyweds in Los Angeles during the mid-seventies for under twenty-thousand; they sold it during the mid-eighties and bought a mobile home on five acres in Redmond for thirty thousand. Slightly different market (even accounting for inflation).
I'm not sure how much flood insurance will cover. Flood insurance is really expensive and I don't believe it's required in all areas of the country. And, of course, I'm sure you know how hard it is to get insurance companies to pay (especially when they know you can't afford a lawyer).
Being forced to move away from a flood zone may sound peachy to you, but remember this is also moving away from their jobs, their family and their community. And if they can't afford to rebuild in one of the poorest areas of New Orleans then they certainly don't have many options for places to go.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 03:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 02:59 am (UTC)[Again, by contrast: my parents built a 3000 sqft house in Redmond for $60k in 1984; the same house today would cost about $250k to build].
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 03:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 03:21 am (UTC)There was an NPR interview the other day with a factory worker at GM who was angry because he was overpaid and while he appreciates his salary he feels that it is part of why (in his opinion) the Japanese are producing higher quality cars for cheaper wages.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 09:56 am (UTC)I hope you don't mind my hitchhiking onto your journal. I enjoy reading your reviews.
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Date: 2006-01-18 09:58 am (UTC)