Posted on 09/04/2005 9:38:42 PM PDT by logician2u
Much has been made of the parked school buses and how filling them with people could have saved at least a few lives (even if the drivers had to be paid overtime, etc.).
In this day and age, though, you absolutely cannot rely on the government - whether it's the city, the school district, or FEMA - to look after your best interests. By the time they get around to acting, it could be too late.
As this article points out, priorities for New Orleans were to construct hugely expensive rail systems that didn't really go anywhere so tourists could have a good time. (Hey, it's been a few years since I was in Norlins, and I had a good time even without riding a trolley down canal street - as I think everybody did.) Little thought was given to spending a few million on basic transportation, or at least developing an alternative for those who don't have cars when an emergency arises.
The lessons of New Orleans and Katrina are going to be a tough sell in much of the country, unfortunately. The anti-automobile movement (disguised as "smart growth" and other easier-to-swallow covers) is too well entrenched in city planning departments and too well funded by (no surprise here) non-profit organizations and even the EPA. Even a disaster like this will not change their way of thinking. They would prefer to point fingers of blame rather than consider the possibility that their goals are dangerous to society.
Good post.
New Orleans is an advertisement for owing a private automobile and a damning critique of public transportation.
Unfortunately this situation uncovers (among many other social and governmental shortcomings), the perils of dependency on public transportation in today's world, particularly in an emergency..
Soon, the libs will be demanding a car for everyone.
Well now BS.
We have seen the masses of busses just sitting there. The poor may not have had "automobility" but they sure had one hell of a lot of busses just sitting there and doing nothing, thanks to the unmatched stupidty of Mayor Numnut Nagin.
You RATs. You are so predicable.
At the taxpayers expense no doubt.
The city leaders had at least two full days to use these hundreds of buses to evac the poor, exactly as their own emergency management plan called for.
Here's the southeast Louisiana evac plan supplement, most recently revised in 2000. Go to page 13, read paragraph 5. It states:
5. The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating.
What does FEMA have to do with evacuation PRIOR to a hurricane?
Exactly.
LOL! Hadn't thought of that but doubt it since they hate cars so much. Good point though.
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Number of Deaths Caused by Hurricanes in the U.S.
1900-1919 10,000
1920-1939 3,751
1940-1959 1,119
1960-1979 453
1980-1999 57
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This is far more related to weather forecasting advances. Cars get you out of danger, but don't help at all if the storm hits without warning.
Seems as if I've heard that before somewhere.
It doesn't bear thinking what will happen when a strong earthquake hits this country. Except that someone has to.
I have an account there, I just posted this image from the thread.
Sorry Indy, no offense meant..
Nothing.
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