Posted on 08/31/2005 4:24:31 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
The problems confronting a governor in the position of Louisiana's Kathleen Babineaux Blanco are overwhelming.
Since this space so frequently roasts Dems, fairness compels us to say that Blanco, a Democrat, comes across as about as reasonable and authentic as an elected official can be expected to be under the circumstances. Compare and contrast with Dem Sen. Mary Landrieux, who at every press conference seems to focus more on ostentatious emoting than on getting things done.
In any case, the Today show offered surprisingly extended video coverage of looting in New Orleans. Given that 100% of the looters shown were African-American, one might have thought that Today's PC instincts would have discouraged them from running the footage. But for whatever reason Today did, and when Matt Lauer interviewed Blanco, he asked her numerous pointed questions about the looting.
Blanco essentially deflected the questions, offering blandishments to the effect that "we certainly don't like looting," but also making clear that stopping it wasn't a priority.
Frankly, she might well be right: in a catastrophe like this, government must prioritize, and compared to stopping the levee breach and rescuing stranded people, stopping some guy from ripping off a pair of $150 Nikes could be trivial.
Speaking of the levees:
Louisiana and New Orleans are known as some of the most notoriously corrupt places in the USA. Over decades, the government should have had one overweening infrastructure priority: to ensure the levees worked.
They didn't, and now millions suffer and billions of dollars are lost. If the politicians had been honest and spending money on the right things, one must believe they could have created a levee system that would have worked the first time it was really called upon.
But it is a fact that, as far as I could see, 100% of the looters in the Today footage this morning were black,
Well I guess they could bus in some hispanic looters or some white looters,perhaps even a few asian looters ... after all I think the demographics of the area are a little lopsided.
Most of the people who live around there are black ... thus ... most of the looters would be black.
I have seen plenty of "looters" in my life time and believe me , they come in all colors and flavors.
Wow, you nailed it.
OTOH, if the entire city and infrastructure is a wasteland and you've lost everything but the clothes on your back, is it wrong to "loot" dry clothes and food?
Wondering if you read the first sentence in my post to which you replied:
"I have no doubt there are white looters, and I am dismayed by the racial overtones in some of the comments here."
No way. The noble Euro-American would never resort to common thievery and anti-social behavior. Especially not when there is a Cricket match on. "Tallyho, Cooter, perhaps a spot of tea before the next bat? Look at those savages stealing the fruit of South African labor from the jewelry store. I shall take to my Lazyboy in my expansive singlewide estate in grief for our despotted land"
But, there are so many that have lost everything and are not stealing. Think about the poor man who lost his wife when their house split and he has small children to raise by himself. His last thought was looting.
Homeland security money has been spent on recreation facilities for firemen, and in NYC, diversity programs (whatever that means)
Planning for the future is anathema to the politicians and the public he/she supposedly serves.
If the Jimmy Carter fiasco didn't awaken Americans to the need to be less dependent on OPEC, nothing will.
Funny...said the same thing to my liberal, socialist girlfriend this morning.
For once, she seems objective about it.
governs watches FAR FAR too much lib TV. He's been brainwashed!
What if I stole water and the looter who came behind me had nothing to drink because I took it?
No it's not.
It's time to get the damned levee repaired.
New Orleans Population:
White 28.05%
Black or African American 67.25%
I can see that relationship will be long term!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't think I've ever questioned your keen observations before.
NBC TODAY shows footage of a New Orleans WalMart being looted. How's that for irony after WalMart has already donated one million dollars to the Salvation Army?
The Louisiana governor said the first priority is getting the people out of the the Dome. "We'll use boats if we have too", she says. What??? She hasn't already commandeered the boats?? "We'll use helicopters if we have too", she says. It's obvious to me, this governor has no idea how she's going to evacuate people from the Dome, or any other section of New Orleans.
She's spouting platitudes, offers mindless excuses for the looting that's going on, then says "we need more national guard troops to patrol the streets." (that "need" will soon turn into accusations against Bush, mark my words. as in, Bush didn't get the national guard in quick enough). But immediately following that, she tells Matt the roads are impassable, no one can get in or out of the city.
The LA governor sits in a tv studio, all gussied up, for the first time she looks "put together", in control of her body movements, but she still doesn't make demands of the citizens of New Orleans, or offer them specific warnings or instructions. She makes no mention of the situation worsening.
(By the way, when I flipped over to ABC, there is a video showing big groups of New Orleanians, walking out of the city to meet buses which will take them out of the city. the video shows National Guard trucks going in the opposite direction, heading into the city of New Orleans.)
People walking out of the city. Trucks heading into the city. A lightbulb goes off in my head!!
I couldn't believe it! Any idiot could have already figured out how to get people out of the Dome just from watching that video. Get boats close to the Dome, load em up and take them to the place where buses and those Guard trucks can pick them up and take them to safety.
If tent cities aren't already being prepared somewhere, heads should roll!
Now Matt interviews The Mississippi governor. Haley Barbour is on the ground in Biloxi, describing exact conditions, explaining the situation along the Mississipspi Gulf Coast, which he describes as 20 to 30 miles of total destruction. Matt asked Barbour when he expects the first turn-around. Barbour tells Lauer the first turn-around began yesterday, with supplies from other states beginning to come in. "We've turned the first corner, we've got many other corners to turn", Barbour says.
Barbour is on top of solutions unfolding, he describes them well. I considered him very involved and sympathetic to the needs of his people, (as was the LA governor), but also realistic in assessing the situation. Instead of hand-wringing, asking for a Day of Prayer, the Mississippi governor is already into "Let's Roll!" action mode.
The contrast between the governor of Louisiana and Mississippi is startling.
On FOX & Friends, Louisiana Congressman Bobby Jindal is giving an excellent explanation of the levee break, and the accompanying FOXNews graphic is excellent. He says 3000 people have been rescued from rooftops. He says a barge will be used to try and fix the break in the levee. HELLO???? Jindal says the Corps of Engineers will move a huge barge in to place over the break in the levee???? I have to think someone might eventually consider using other barges to get the people out of New Orleans.
I don't want to be harsh in judging these people. And Granted, Lauer might not have wanted to ask the Louisiana Governor the really tough questions, or get into the blame game prematurely. But surely he needed to ask "When do you plan to have the Dome evacuated? When do you plan on forcibly evacuating New Orleans, and how will you accomplish it?
Wondering if you read the first sentence in my post to which you replied:
"I have no doubt there are white looters, and I am dismayed by the racial overtones in some of the comments here."
yes ..
I didn't mean to imply that you hold a bias , but I was rather responding to the general topic.
sorry if it came off as if I was poking at you.
Match and raise you:
Biden
Durbin
Kennedy - all of the live ones - Ted and Robert Jr etc etc
Bill Clinton
Wesley Clark
Norman Mineta
Richard Clark
You get the idea. The Dems have just as many "soft" men as they have women. Idiocy is not gender-specific.
Speaking of FNC. I caught a few minutes of their reporter on the scene helping the stranded people blame the lack of National Guardsmen for their plight.
And take them where? I bet the goofy mayor and governor haven't bothered to think out that little problem.
Come on now. Do you really think I've gone over to the dark side? All I'm saying is that Blanco handled herself reasonably this morning.
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