Jay Honeck wrote:
When the budget for improving the levees was cut by the Feds, New
Orleans tried over and over again to get the money reinstated as a basic
safety measure for the city. Bringing the issue to a vote in the city
would have done nothing to free up the federal funds, which is where the
money had to come from.

What would have happened if the citizens of N.O. had raised funds to
reinforce their levees themselves?

*Gasp!* Imagine!

Unheard of, I know, but couldn't the locals have actually taken action for
themselves?

You mean to tell me that you are not affected by the levees breaking? I
know I am stuck way out here in the Philippines, but even I have heard
some things about the price of gas, coffee, the overall economy, etc.

Suppose everyone in New Orleans had that attitude. "Hey, that levee is
on the west side of town, let them pay for it." "Nah, I don't live
right next to the levee, let those guys pay for it." "I don't want to
pay for any part of the levee that does not actually touch my
property." And so forth.

I heard that Davy Crockett lost some of his key supporters because
while he was in Congress he voted to appropriate $10,000 to help flood
relief victims on the Mississippi. He went on to lose the election. So
much for Crockett's image as a rugged individualist.

Some of us, you know, are sick and tired of spending federal disaster
relief funds to bail out people in the Midwest who are so stupid as to
live in an area that is regularly devastated by tornadoes. They all
ought to just move out of there.

I guess provincialism is alive and well.