What's a Billion $$

[BlueHaya]

What is a billion?

The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in a casual manner, think about whether you want the "politicians" spending your tax money. A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

a. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
b. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
c. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
d. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
e. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans. It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division . . Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number, what does it mean?

a. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.

b. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.

c. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012

Washington, D.C .. HELLO!!! ... Are all your calculators broken??

 

[HT_USMC]

Holy schnike's!

Even though the rebuilding of New Orleans isn't for the homes/families alone, it's businesses, road surfaces, drainage, signs, lights, water breakers, restoration of historical buildings, and the like... it's still a hefty sum.

 

[thepushercg]

amazing numbers.
if new orleans does not get the levies upgraded it will be putting good money into a bad situation.

 

[heavybusa]

 

[psycobusa]

food for thought

 

[Lamb busa]

Big Deal! The government will just print a billion more

 

[mymaster]

 

[GMbusa]

New Oleans needs to redo ALL they're levy's. They're calling for another storm to wipe that place out again in 07'.

 

[Shibumi]

I heard a good "dollar" perspective on it-

If I give you one million dollars and task you to spend $1000 dollars a day until you run out (ignoring interest), you will be broke in roughly 3.2 years.

If I give you a billion, it will take 320 years.


That's what you call real money.

 

[Devil Dog]

 

[BigmanZ]

(GMbusa @ Dec. 21 2006,08:58) New Oleans needs to redo ALL they're levy's.  They're calling for another storm to wipe that place out again in 07'.

What they need to do is raise the elevation of their city like the places around them did. Problem is Orleans has shown an inability to plan for the future. We saw it all play out before, during, and after Katrina. Pretty sad....they didn't even name the damn Hurrican after me. Someday dangit...someday.

 

[AES]

i just wish they would take their thugs back. im tired of arresting them

 

[notman]

thats a whole lot of 40's

 

[300Busa]

(RCKTMAN @ Dec. 23 2006,10:37) i just wish they would take their thugs back. im tired of arresting them

+1

 

[300Busa]

ImageShack Links Do Not Work

 

[bigoltool]

OK I gotta chime in here. For ten years I lived in a federally specified "Flood plain". The town sat in a delta between two Rivers where they dump into the Puget sound. I was required to carry Flood insurance which was provided by FEMA. It occasionally flooded where I lived though we faired far better than those a few miles away who's home were completely inundated with water and effluent from the treatment plant which also overflowed. Now FEMA helped them rebuild once. After that they were required to Raise their homes or they would not be re-insured. In fact now all new construction in the flood zone must be 6' above designated flood plain. Were none of the homeowners in new Orleans required to have flood insurance? Particularly the businesses. People (most anyway) here are aware of the flood danger, prepare for it accordingly and go on with their lives. No one was looting Walmart for tV's, no one was running around shooting people and Raping little kids. Just people helping people get on with their lives.

Most of this affected area in New Orleans is built far below flood Plain. Wasting money simply rebuilding the homes in this area would seem to be foolish at best. The Levy's need to be fixed certainly. But FEMA needs to address the situation and if they are gong to spend the money rebuilding the homes then raise them accordingly to prevent this from happening twice. And you would damn sure be able to do it for a lot less than 500K$ each. Maybe take the remainder of the money and arm the decent citizens of New Orleans and call open season on the Junkies, Profiteers and thugs!

 

[DC TONY]

(RCKTMAN @ Dec. 23 2006,08:37) i just wish they would take their thugs back. im tired of arresting them

RCKTMAN, I WISH YOU WERE IN THE DC, MD, AND VA AREA