Trump order cramps rebuilding stronger against floods

[groundloop]

Source: CBS News

Two weeks before Harvey's flood waters engulfed much of Houston, President Donald Trump quietly rolled back an order by his predecessor that would have made it easier for storm-ravaged communities to use federal emergency aid to rebuild bridges, roads and other structures so they can better withstand future disasters.

Now, with much of the nation's fourth-largest city underwater, Mr. Trump's move has new resonance. Critics note the president's order could force Houston and other cities to rebuild hospitals and highways in the same way and in the same flood-prone areas.

"Rebuilding while ignoring future flood events is like treating someone for lung cancer and then giving him a carton of cigarettes on the way out the door," said Michael Gerrard, a professor of environmental and climate change law at Columbia University. "If you're going to rebuild after a bad event, you don't want to expose yourself to the same thing all over again."

Mr. Trump's action is one of several ways the president, who has called climate change a hoax, has tried to wipe away former President Barack Obama's efforts to make the United States more resilient to threats posed by the changing climate.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-order-cramps-rebuilding-stronger-against-floods/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Sooner he leaves, the better it will be for everyone, except for his racist thug supporters. n/t

[murielm99]

2. This headline is so strange.

When I first read it, I thought he was ordering cramps. WTF?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. You're not the only one

A whole different word really could have been used.

[texasfiddler]

7. That was an awkward headline

Although, I will say every time trump gives an order, I get trump order cramps.

[IronLionZion]

4. Making America great again by making stuff weaker and more at risk of disaster

Sounds like the Trump way.

The thinking of these assholes:

"That makes sense, otherwise FEMA would be the big checkbook," he said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Everybody would be hoping for some disaster so FEMA could come in and build them a brand new road to the 2020 standard instead of the 1970 standard."

I don't know anyone who is hoping for some disaster.

[murielm99]

6. A tree fell on our roof a few years ago.

It damaged one room, my office and computer room. Most of the damage was outside, to the front door and the roof.

We replaced the door, and decided it was time for a new roof. We never submitted an insurance claim. It was not worth it.

What were we supposed to do? Replace the door with a 1970's style screen and inner door? Patch the roof with shingles salvaged from the dump? Yes, we had to figure out how to budget for everything, but it was worth it in the long run.

Where does the asshole think he is going to find anyone who would know how to do this and where to find the materials? Doesn't he know it would be more costly in the long run?

[Igel]

8. "Force" is misleading.

It "forces" Houston to do things because it's not going to give Houston money to do anything more.

It doesn't require that things be built to the older minimum standard. It just says, "We're going to fund reconstruction up to the older minimum standard." In fact, it's not clear it forces FEMA to just fund up to the minimum standard--the EO that was rescinded would have compelled federal funding up to a new standard.

It's like being unemployed and saying that "forces" a person to live entirely on the unemployment benefits even if they have $50k saved up they can access. You're constrained by the assets you have and the funding you receive, not just by the funding you receive.

It pays to remember that the EO is from 2015 and was rescinded in mid-August this year. The standard was yet to be defined as of two weeks ago, it wasn't even open to public comment yet, so it was pretty unlikely to be in effect by the time this disaster hit. It would also have compelled FHA loans to go to homes that met the new standard. This would have had, in Houston at least, a large disproportionate impact on communities of color, by the way, depressing housing prices to sellers and/or increasing the size of loans to those with limited income. It would have either reduced the population in what are now historically non-white areas or only had higher-income folk who could afford to improve the properties to the new standards move in. Some of them, if rebuilt with drainage at 2017 instead of 1950s standards would be highly desirable. When considering something, both the positive (increased FEMA funding for compulsory higher standards) as well as the negative should be taken into account.

[nwduke]

5. Scary

Ignorance knows no bounds! I hope America can recover from this president and his zealot administration!