09 September 2005

Poll: Most Say Abandon Low-Lying Areas

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer
6 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - More than half the people in this country say the flooded areas of New Orleans lying below sea level should be abandoned and rebuilt on higher ground

An AP-Ipsos poll found that 54 percent of Americans want the four-fifths of New Orleans that was flooded by Hurricane Katrina moved to a safer location.

Their skepticism about restoring New Orleans below sea level comes as the public mood has darkened after one of the nation's worst natural disasters.

Almost two-thirds, 65 percent, say the country is headed in the wrong direction — up from 59 percent last month. President Bush's job approval was at 39 percent, the lowest point since AP-Ipsos began measuring public approval of Bush in December 2003.

Two-thirds of those surveyed say the federal government was not adequately prepared to respond to the disaster. And about the same number said the state and local governments deserve much of the blame for the slow response.

Despite their gloomy mood, people are donating to hurricane victims at record levels. Almost two-thirds in the poll say they have already given money.

The poll of 1,002 adults was taken Sept. 6-8 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

2 comments:

mrs the experience said...

Yet I heard on NPR today that the cost of property along the Florida coast that Hurricane Ivan decimated several years ago is at an all-time high. We have short memories where disaster is concerned.

The Experience said...

This seems like yet another way for the rich, white republican minority to punish the poor black American multitude. Racism is alive in well in the US. Why lynch 'em when you can just let mother nature take em out for you?