Wake Up Call

[OldRegular]

Looking at the streets, roads, and homes in parts of the Northeast one would have to say that "Sandy" was well named!

After viewing the destruction caused by this storm but more importantly seeing the total inability of people and governments, federal, state, and local. to deal with the aftermath raises the question: Is this a wake up call?

Obama blew $800 billion dollars, appropriated by a subservient Congress, supposedly for "shovel ready jobs" that he would admit three years later were not "shovel ready". That money could have been used to improve the electrical grid which would have alleviated some of the distress.

Seems to me that a bigger question is: Can large metropolitan areas, particularly in a colder climate cope with large disasters, natural or man made? Business/industry tend to congregate. In an age where communication/transport was limited that made sense but is it any linger necessary. I believe it was poncho who mentioned that many small towns are "drying up" because of this tendency of people to congregate. This is evident to some extent in SC but is worse in some western states.

Given the problems we see in the northeast is it time to consider alternatives other than large metropolitan areas with their towers of babel? Is it time for small town America to experience a renaissance?

 

[saturneptune]

Looking at the streets, roads, and homes in parts of the Northeast one would have to say that "Sandy" was well named!

After viewing the destruction caused by this storm but more importantly seeing the total inability of people and governments, federal, state, and local. to deal with the aftermath raises the question: Is this a wake up call?

Obama blew $800 billion dollars, appropriated by a subservient Congress, supposedly for "shovel ready jobs" that he would admit three years later were not "shovel ready". That money could have been used to improve the electrical grid which would have alleviated some of the distress.

Seems to me that a bigger question is: Can large metropolitan areas, particularly in a colder climate cope with large disasters, natural or man made? Business/industry tend to congregate. In an age where communication/transport was limited that made sense but is it any linger necessary. I believe it was poncho who mentioned that many small towns are "drying up" because of this tendency of people to congregate. This is evident to some extent in SC but is worse in some western states.

Given the problems we see in the northeast is it time to consider alternatives other than large metropolitan areas with their towers of babel? Is it time for small town America to experience a renaissance?

I do not understand where all the money went. Forget the argument between government and private industry for a minute. The fact is our whole infrastructure is old, in some cases, over a century old in the Northeast. The unemployment rate should be zero with good paying jobs. Our highways, bridges, electrical grid, communications network, water, sewer, and energy sources all need fixing. We just wasted that money, once under Bush, and several times under Obama. Our infrastructure is not one bit better than when all this started. That could also include rail lines, shipping ports, etc. Something modeled after the TVA projects in the 30s would have been better than what we did.

If I was starting a career today in any of these areas, young and just starting a family, I would head to North Dakota.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Looking at the streets, roads, and homes in parts of the Northeast one would have to say that "Sandy" was well named!

After viewing the destruction caused by this storm but more importantly seeing the total inability of people and governments, federal, state, and local. to deal with the aftermath raises the question: Is this a wake up call?

Obama blew $800 billion dollars, appropriated by a subservient Congress, supposedly for "shovel ready jobs" that he would admit three years later were not "shovel ready". That money could have been used to improve the electrical grid which would have alleviated some of the distress.

Seems to me that a bigger question is: Can large metropolitan areas, particularly in a colder climate cope with large disasters, natural or man made? Business/industry tend to congregate. In an age where communication/transport was limited that made sense but is it any linger necessary. I believe it was poncho who mentioned that many small towns are "drying up" because of this tendency of people to congregate. This is evident to some extent in SC but is worse in some western states.

Given the problems we see in the northeast is it time to consider alternatives other than large metropolitan areas with their towers of babel? Is it time for small town America to experience a renaissance?

In a word...."NO"!

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I do not understand where all the money went. Forget the argument between government and private industry for a minute. The fact is our whole infrastructure is old, in some cases, over a century old in the Northeast. The unemployment rate should be zero with good paying jobs. Our highways, bridges, electrical grid, communications network, water, sewer, and energy sources all need fixing. We just wasted that money, once under Bush, and several times under Obama. Our infrastructure is not one bit better than when all this started. That could also include rail lines, shipping ports, etc. Something modeled after the TVA projects in the 30s would have been better than what we did.

If I was starting a career today in any of these areas, young and just starting a family, I would head to North Dakota.

Beautiful place if your a sheep! Here is a wake up call regarding North Dakota.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2012/11/01/north-dakota-oil-boom-jobs/1674409/

 

[OldRegular]

In a word...."NO"!

You got power???

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Yes I would say I am a powerful man .... why do you ask?:smilewinkgrin:

 

[padredurand]

Given the problems we see in the northeast is it time to consider alternatives other than large metropolitan areas with their towers of babel? Is it time for small town America to experience a renaissance?

Nope. I like my small town and don't want them cityfolk cluttering it up.

 

[OldRegular]

Nope. I like my small town and don't want them cityfolk cluttering it up.

I know what you mean. I used to live 2 miles from the nearest grocery store now got a Target in my back yard. And we are still a small town by most standards>

 

[Oldtimer]

Nope. I like my small town and don't want them cityfolk cluttering it up.

That's part of my thinking, too. I know what happened to this rural area during the building boom prior to the economic crash.

All those city folks moved out here into McMansions on postage stamped lots, packed like sardines in a can. Then twice a day, they hit the roads to/from their jobs in the metro areas. And, spending their money there, as well. The small towns around me slowly died.

Their property taxes did not offset their impact on the local infrastructure. (schools, water, waste, roads, demand for public recreation, etc.)

Additionally, many (most?) never heard of the concept of being independent and self-reliant in good times AND in bad to the extent possible. The power will always be on. Service stations will always pump gas. Hardies, McDonalds, and FoodLion will always be open and ready to serve their every demand.

As our local towns died, the jobs died, too. Auto repair shops closed. Small grocery stores closed. Local theaters and drug stores closed. As that tax base eroded, so did the infrastructure that was needed to encourage new industry to locate here. At the same time the growing bedroom communities demanded more for themselves, while crying foul if any industry they didn't deem to be suitable tried to locate out here in the sticks.

I don't know about anyone else, but I do know I'm tired of politicians using the term "roads and bridges" for their own political gain. In the previous rounds of this, far too much money was routed to something other than repairing existing "roads and bridges". -- Seldom used pedestrial walking trail bridges over multi-lane major highways. Miles of brick masonery sound barrier walls between highways and exclusive neighborhoods. Pretty flower gardens in the medians. Existing intersections turned into round-abouts.

And less I forget......... While it isn't in national news to any great extent, the Outer Banks of NC took a major hit from Sandy, too. Yes, there are millions of dollars involved in restoring Highway 17 that was washed out in numerous places. While that repair is underway, I'm reasonably sure that even more money will be spent to protect special interests along our coast.

The NC coast has changed tremendously in the last 30-40 years. Traditional industries, usually associated with fishing villages and such gave way to the tourist trade interests. Now those interests must be protected at taxpayer expense. Along with restoring Hiway 17 AGAIN, we'll also be repairing storm damages that might hurt the pockets of investors who built resorts on shifting sands. Monies that are diverted from 100 year old crumbling bridges in other parts of the state.

Opps, I see I'm on another rant.

OldRegular, it's all your fault. :saint:

 

[padredurand]

If this was facebook I'd be mashing the 'Like" button right about now. Speaking of shovel ready.... There's a heap of sandy spread from the Carolinas to Maine. We could get some of those chronically unemployed folk on a bus to the coast and create one of those win-win situations.