HOUSE BILL: The Storm Surge, Coastal Flooding... (At Final Vote)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Pending
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Sponsor: Leinad for the President
House Designation: HB 1112

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to commence advocacy for this bill.


Other members have an additional 48 hours to post their initial comments and questions.

And yes, I am assembling a list based of those who have violated the latter on the first few bills and the warning PMs will be incoming shortly.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I can certainly vouch for the necessity of this project from recent, rather personal bad experience in this area. I can understand if there are concerns regarding the cost, but it is critical that make this investment in this area of infrastructure, for it is just as important as roads and other areas. The staggering cost of damage from river flooding and other post storm impacts on water ways, leads to severe economic disruption and a devastating impact on the people of the effected area.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Minimum Debate Time Analysis:

House Sponsor (Leinad) Posted in first 24 hours: No

Other Members:
Peebs:  no
NC Yankee: yes
Simossad: No
OneJ: 13 hrs late
Pessimistic: Yes
Clyde1998: 15 hrs late
Santander: No
Dereich: No

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Clyde1998: 15 hrs late

Well I have to do something to get you people talking. Its a strict standard, yes. But it is based on the minimum debate time, so it isn't pulled randomly out of my ass. Surely, in 72 hours one can find the time to post at least what Peebs did and sooner than a week after the bill hit the floor.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I'm, personally, happy with the $800bn fund. I feel that this wouldn't be provided straight away, so there's no need to reduce spending elsewhere - should we not wish to do so - to pass this bill and considering that Hurricane Katrina caused $108bn worth of damage (as an example), it's always good to money reserved for natural disasters while having additional money held back in case of multiple major disasters in a short space of time.

Actually that is not how the bill is written.

A lot of that money would be spent dredging rivers, replacing dams and restoring coastal barriers to hurricanes.

A lot of this is in serious need of immediate help. We have earthen dams in NC that are a mega disaster waiting to happen and there was one in Moore county that came really close to collapsing during Matthew. Several others were breached or severely weakened as a result.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So any further matters for discussion or can this be moved along?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I like the overall idea of this bill but that is a lot of money. I don't know exact figures but I'm inclined to guess that we don't have $800 billion just lying around. If the US federal government were to implement a bill like this, it would take up about 20% of all spending. Again, the idea is a good one but can we afford the price tag?

There are options to reduce the price tag.

1. Spread it out over several years
2. Partner with the regions (Though they would have to voluntarily contribute their portion)
3. Dedicated funding stream.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I've said before on IRC,

insert generic anti-IRC sentiments


The whole reason I established public debate requirements was so that such very critical points could be made when the bill is just getting started. It does little good to state such on IRC where no one can see it and certainly very few members oresent besides OneJ, Peebs and/or Leinad maybe. I am certain I was probably at work during said conversation. Atlas threads increase accessibility.

Would you go for $8 billion as a one time kick start measure.

Yea, it is a massive increase over the the current allotment. But remember we have been operating on the basis of deferred maintenance with years of sediment built up in rivers, years of erosion on Earthen dams and the costs of these failures is $0 until a storm comes.

Then it is tens of billions of dollars. Water is a beast, it goes where it wants to, takes whatever it wants to and ruins whatever it touches. Proper cleanup to guard against people getting sick costs a lot and some less than savory people skimp on the cleanup process and sell flood houses and flood trailers to people, who are thus at risk for health problems as a result. It is literally happening down the road.

But of course I don't need to describe for you these risks as you know full well being from Florida. However, when the flooding is caused not by the storm surge or flash flooding, but because a swollen river or a dam gives way, that is something we could have prevented via dredging and dam repair/strengthening.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Pending
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Offering this because I would rather something come of the previous line of debate.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Pending
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Sponsor Feedback: Friendly
Status: Representatives have 24 hours to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment has been adopted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I move for a final vote, unless there are other desired changes.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A final vote is now open on the underlying legislation, Representatives please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This has enough votes to pass, Representatives have 24 hours to change their votes.



I am doing this so I don't have to stay up until 5:30 AM after getting off work.


Oh who am I kidding, I will be up anyway

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Vote on Final Passage of The Storm Surge, Costal Flooding, etc...

Aye (: Clyde, Dereich, Leinad, LLR, NC Yankee, OneJ, Peebs, and Pessimistic
Nay (0):
Abstain (0):

Didn't Vote (1): CMB222 (on Leave)

The legislation has been adopted and is sent to the Vice President and the PPT for Senate action. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Passed 8-0, in the Atlasian House Assembled,

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