If Wilma follows the path that I'm seeing on my computer this morning, it will squeeze through the Cuba/Yucatan gap intact and enter the Gulf of Mexico as a Cat 3 hurricane. Right now, they've got it following the Florida Keys lengthwise to the mainland, but little dots on a map four days out are pretty hypothetical.
Not so hypothetical is that if it reaches the Gulf, it pretty much has to hit the U.S. mainland somewhere. It will cause billions in damages. Congress will agree to pay for much of it, including aid for private individuals who decided of their own free will to live along the Gulf.
Hurricanes along the Gulf and the Atlantic seaboard are predictable. They happen every year. We can't say where they will hit, but they will hit. This is why God invented insurance. The idea is that people share their risk with others who have a similar risk.
But instead, hurricane damage is something the federal government keeps paying for. I'm in Oregon, where we don't get hurricane damage. Ever. Why are my taxes going for this? It pisses me off. Wilma is just one more example.
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2 comments:
You should not pay for reconstruction, though the Govt needs to provide basic care to the affected parties as they should when Oregon has an Earthquake.
Massive Govt spending have become an accepted part of economic life, largely because the economy has been robust enough to support it. The spending recklessness of the Bush administration may change all that since the upcoming Hilary Clinton administration will be hard pressed to cut defense and security yet will want to fund social programs at the highest levels.
It'll be hard to support this massive deficit spending since much of the high yield corporate activity is in the process of moving offshore or getting done by China, India, Japan, Europe companies.
Let's see. If I choose to jump off of a cliff, I should expect the government to help me recover from my bumps and bruises.
And if I choose to live in Florida (which I do), I should expect the government to bail me out (no storm surge pun intended).
I think the federal government should stick to the six things outlined for them in the Constitution.
But who am I? Just a citizen...that's all.
Thanks for dropping by my blog and posting. Come back any time.
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