El Niño and the public cost of disasters
The latest El Niño episode leaves a supermarket wrecked and sparks a fight over the bill. The repairs will come out of taxes.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
El Niño puts to the test who pays for the damage
How much does an El Niño tantrum cost? It depends on who pays for it and how it is counted. The latest episode of the climate phenomenon has left a supermarket wrecked and a debate that puts the bill back on everyone's table.
While meteorologists talk about intensity, the conversation drifts toward blame. One camp points to individual conduct and structural impunity; another considers those terms a smokescreen. The only thing everyone agrees on is that the cost of repairing the damage will ultimately come out of taxes.
The metaphor of a country that pays for itself
The image of a damaged store becomes the mirror of a model: it breaks, it gets patched up, everyone pays, and the one responsible carries on as usual. This reading, a recurring theme in economic analysis, shifts the question from meteorology to tax fairness.
The next time El Niño turns unruly, it would be worth reviewing the real figures for repair spending. Meanwhile, the only certainty is that the bill will arrive. As always, late.
How much does an El Niño tantrum cost? It depends on who pays for it and how it is counted. The latest episode of the climate phenomenon has left a supermarket wrecked and a debate that puts the bill back on everyone's table.
While meteorologists talk about intensity, the conversation drifts toward blame. One camp points to individual conduct and structural impunity; another considers those terms a smokescreen. The only thing everyone agrees on is that the cost of repairing the damage will ultimately come out of taxes.
The metaphor of a country that pays for itself
The image of a damaged store becomes the mirror of a model: it breaks, it gets patched up, everyone pays, and the one responsible carries on as usual. This reading, a recurring theme in economic analysis, shifts the question from meteorology to tax fairness.
The next time El Niño turns unruly, it would be worth reviewing the real figures for repair spending. Meanwhile, the only certainty is that the bill will arrive. As always, late.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (10 replies).
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