We have all heard of the destruction and terror that comes with shoreline floods and erosion; but how much do we really know when it comes down to the facts? The government thinks people should be able to pay for any damage done; they choose to live in an area that is prone to flooding, yet the people who live there believe that the state/federal government should help pay because it’s a natural disaster and it is their “job”. When you truly think about all the facts there is seemingly only one good answer to all the problems, split the cost down the middle.

“Mr. Stephen says that homeowners had plenty of time to find their own solution to their shore line problems”; but to the citizens of the North Carolina shoreline that is incorrect they believe that because Hurricane Hannah was a so called natural disaster the government should have to help them out because they are considered to be environmental issues. What other options do we have? Should the government be able to tell the citizens they can’t protect themselves and their property anymore? That is just nonsense, we as people need to learn to compromise.

There are many, many more reasons why we should work TOGETHER to help the people of America who have suffered the wrath of a natural disaster. The Foundation for Teaching Economics says that “Based on the rule of rational choice, government should not undertake in disasters for which the benefits do not outweigh the costs – activities like getting supplies to victims and rebuilding disaster-stricken communities.” That in simple terms means that we the people should be in charge of helping each other out when it comes to feeding victims and getting medical supplies to them, the government should help only on the bigger things like insurance for the rebuilding of houses.

When people build a house, or move to a house on the beach, they should know the risk, but should it be their job to rebuild if something goes wrong? That is the ever so difficult question that in reality can be made simple. The government should pay the big dues like fixing up the actual beach, and the people should have been smart enough to get the correct insurance when they moved to the beach knowing the risk of storms. John Hall says that the government’s job should be “simply repairing breaches and shoring up dunes after major storms.” And when talking about sand that washed up into the roads and yards says “when given an extended period of calm weather the sand should work its way back on shore naturally.”

“When it comes to sand replacement much of what’s left at this point is protected areas with reefs” says Charles Passy, and maybe that’s true, the governments job is being done, so you should do yours as well. In regards as to whether or not the government should pay for damages done by ocean related natural disasters or not I believe that there is a happy medium. Citizens in America who choose to live by the ocean should have to get insurance for flood and natural disaster BEFORE they make the move. The government does its job after a disaster by cleaning up the actual beach, us the people of America need to do our job and keep OUR homes safe by purchasing insurance.