What is a Billion?
Here's something thought provoking - A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but the next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in an off-hand way think about this....
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?
Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516, 528.
Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home must have been worth $1,329,787 Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.
Washington, D.C. !!!...........................Are all your calculators broken????
Thanks Richard Sutton for the information.
Note from Lucy: In my opinion they have already spent more money than they need to on New Orleans. The American public opened it's heart and donated millions. Where did that go? The government has already promised billions to the city. How much more do they need? Why would anyone rebuild a city below sea level? People can move to higher ground and make the old area a park. I don't mean to sound heartless, it's just common sense. All forms of government have botched the job already done. There are still trailers sitting around waiting for people to live in them and the storm was seven months ago. How long do they have to wait? Don't get me started!
posted by Lucy Stern @ 4:35 PM
20 comments
20 Comments:
Go ahead, get started! Let it all out! :)
It's pretty amazing what a billion is and more amazing how they can spend it. Thanks for all those facts!
I don't have the answer for NO but I agree that it makes no sense to build below sea level and that close to the sea. Duh. Sad for all those people that lost their lives and homes. Won't be that long until it's hurricane season again though!
Oooooo, this is a fun post!
Whatever it may be, millions, billions or trillions, it all ends up to as evil as money is the root of all evil.
hmm I don't have time to calculate wheater this all comes togheter.
Nevertheless it's quite amazing
You know I agree with you. I don't feel sorry for people when they build some place knowing that nature can total it. Heartless Me I guess!
i agree with you also. I don't think they should build there knowing that it is below sea level. Nature will take it over again. the people should just move some place else so next time people wont have to deal with the rest of the world going cray over it.
Oh, don't forget that the reason they are not getting the money they wont cause most of the people are black down there.
You just opend a can of worms girl...lol
I agree, I don't think that it should take that much to build a city that is a b-line target for a hurricane seasone that get's worse every year.
BTW - the Nation deficet is in the Trillions. How on earth are they suppose to get out of that.
I hear you on this one. I originally advocated moving them to closed military bases but that was squelched. Then they set up trailer court havens for everyone and that is going bust. Now all that money for what?
what really anger me is how hard I work and the extra I do for everyone and when I finished my taxes the other day i still owed another $7,500 to the feds. I do not live high on the hog and own nothing anyone would steal but it seems i pay more and more every year and notice more and more people with their hands out for my money.
That's really sad. Thought this kind of thing only happens in my country.
Enough is enough...
What bothers me too is all the billions we're spending on Iraq. At least in New Orleans we'd be spending it to help our own people.
Personally, I think our government spends way too much money helping out people who live in dangerous weather prone areas, but don't have adequate insurance. Even if it's LOW COST GOVERNMENT insurance.
There was a proposal on the table to make that area a park just like you mentioned. It was shot down. I don't understand the logic.
We still see the same money problem going on in SirLanka/Thailand, after the Sunmani,where is the money now ?
We see it after Katrina now..same!
If the money is there,why isn't the help needed, being provided by now?
It really is difficult to understand how this happens.
Thought provoking topic!
Thanks for sharing~
ps.People lived below sea level because they were told it was safe.
The New Orleans disaster was totally preventable but do to politics , people trusted and died.
Improvements and construction had been put off for years!!!!!!
Let your feelings out...
I know exactly how you feel, since this is what I think about spending money in Iraq, a contry that is not even our own...
At least the money for New Orleans goes towards America, but that is just my humble opinion.
Call me a sap, but the devastation I've seen of New Orleans pulls at my heart's strings.
I don't think they need that much money to rebuild, but it still doesn't look rebuilt to me.
Geesh. Makes me remember how wasteful we really can be...
I have family that lives there. some that were able to get back in, but have no furniture and are slowly getting it piece by piece. they mostly stay in their upstairs cause the rest has water damage. their place is just outside of new orleans, but still below sea level. I agree with you. all the money we sent, where is it? we donated directly to our family members, so I know where that went, but what about the rest everyone donated? I guess there are FEMA trailers lined up for people to live in, but no one is living in them. it is just so sad...
A second ago I was calm-
now I'm angry.
Carlos Mencia said the same thing- don't rebuild, fools! What a waste!
don't think they will get more money next time. And what about the other cities devestated by the hurricane? They are as popular so they get gipped? Whatever.
New Orleans would've gone sooner or later. Flooding has been a concern since the French ruled Louisiana. It was only a matter of time. Never should've settled people there in the first place. As for contributions, I have to wonder where my $50 went...
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