Summary: Sandy left behind not only countless disrupted lives, but a cost in dollars that’s hard to quantify and is still being counted. Governor Andrew Cuomo said New York will need at least $30 billion from Washington, and Governor Chris Christie said New Jersey is also seeking financial help from the federal government. As the President and the Congress head into tough negotiations about spending cuts and tax hikes to avoid the Jan. 1 fiscal cliff, they're also dealing with the impact of Sandy. This week on WNYC's Money Talking, contributors Joe Nocera of The New York Times and Rana Foroohar of Time magazine weigh in on who should decide what is rebuilt and what is not after a natural disaster. Plus, the President’s former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said during the financial crisis, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” Nocera and Foroohar discuss why rebuilding after Sandy could be an opportunity for local and state governments.
