[Mb-civic] Back to Trent Lott's House - Anne Applebaum - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Back to Trent Lott's House

By Anne Applebaum
Wednesday, September 21, 2005; Page A23

"Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house 
-- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to 
sitting on the porch."

-- George W. Bush, Sept. 2

Now that a suitable interval has passed, perhaps it's time to return to 
the question of Sen. Trent Lott's house. What interests me is not the 
now-tired question of whether the president ought to have promised to 
rebuild the Mississippi senator's family home on the Pascagoula 
beachfront before mentioning the lost homes of thousands of much poorer, 
less notorious people. What interests me is why his house was built on 
the beach in the first place.

At first glance, the answer appears simple. Although I haven't had the 
pleasure of visiting the senator's home, it's pretty safe to guess that 
he wanted to live by the water because it's psychologically soothing and 
aesthetically pleasing. It's quieter too, having seagulls instead of 
neighbors. It's nicer to sit on the porch.

But it's also true that many people build houses along the water because 
it makes economic sense to do so. Houses or apartments with ocean views 
command higher prices. Beachfront property owners can demand higher 
rents. Beachside businesses -- casinos, hotels, restaurants -- spin 
money. And, best of all, the risks of owning beachfront property -- 
risks from floods, hurricanes and erosion -- are covered by other 
people. Federally subsidized flood insurance programs and 
state-subsidized beach "re-nourishment" programs ensure that taxpayers 
-- rich, poor, local, national -- pay for damage to property built close 
to the water. To put it differently, Lott's house was on the beach 
because you and I paid for it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/20/AR2005092001414.html
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