Before Obama, Frank, Dodd and the Clintons put us on the path to national bankruptcy, Orange County had its own. One of the impacts to us as the county dug itself out of former Treasurer/Tax Collector Robert Citron's mess (he spent a year, day-shift only in County jail and paid a $100,000 fine) was a dramatic cutback in the improvements that had been planned to the County Flood Control system.
The lack of funding meant the channels that ran through Fountain Valley could not be improved to the satisfaction of the Army Corps of Engineers, which estimates the flooding potential. The original plan, I recall from years ago research, was to line the channels with concrete to the ocean. Until that happens, much of the north end of the city remains in a Class A flood zone -- and that's significant to anyone with a mortgage on their home as owner are required by their lenders and the government to have federal flood insurance on the structure. I've been there, and this can easily cost over $1,000 annually.
Like Obamacare, no free citizen ought to be told what they MUST buy for their own "protection." But if your mortgage loan depends on it, a home buyer has no choice. Responsible, truly free citizens would analyze the risk, be able to make their own decision as to the "100 year" flood's potential damage to their property and then decide on its value and necessity. If they appreciate their home is essentially in a desert and decide not to insure it, it's up to them to suffer any consequence and pay to repair any future damage to their asset.
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The city council needs to be reminded again to pay closer attention to this long-festering issue. Home owners in the city's north end (plus many in Huntington Beach) have been burdened with these extraordinary costs for well over 20 years. Yet, since the County bankruptcy over ten years ago, nothing has been accomplished at the city or county level while the Feds continue to suck money out of us.