Earthtalk

The principal function of town government is to spend taxpayers’ money in ways that produce the best benefits for the most people. The Long Beach projects fails on both counts. Had the town of Rockport  never leased lots there in the first place, that area would now be a natural resource that all in town could enjoy. Look no farther than Good Harbor Beach to see what is lost at Long Beach. Like Good Harbor Beach, Long Beach is a barrier beach backed by a salt marsh. What is missing are the foredune and backdune areas that are prominent features at Good Harbor. In their place are houses, fill, parking lots, and a street that have no recreational or habitat value that could be enjoyed by everyone in town.

Spending millions of dollars on the wall at a time when climate change is projected to not only raise sea level but produce more intense and frequent storms and hurricanes is money wasted. Hard choices must be made and to set the precedent of once again bailing out oceanfront properties is the opposite of what should be happening. The logical response is to do nothing and let the ocean have its way with the wall and homes over the next few decades. Destroyed or badly damaged houses should not be replaced or repaired and, eventually, leases should not be renewed. As painful as this would be for the homeowners, taxpayers should not have to pay for their protection indefinitely.

# posted by Rockdoc @ 5:38 PM