Posted on 09/13/2005 5:57:22 PM PDT by Mark
At 4:31 a.m. Jan. 17, 1994, a major earthquake struck Los Angeles. It produced the strongest ground motions ever instrumentally recorded in an urban setting in North America. Sections of major freeways collapsed, as did many buildings and homes. Within minutes, tens of thousands of people were homeless. As the aftershocks continued, 30,000 or more people fled to city parks. Many of the newly homeless were families with young children. Stores were closed. Food and water were scarce.
At 5:30 a.m., I received a call from then-Mayor Richard Riordan. He was already downtown at the city's emergency command center. I was the president of the commission in charge of Los Angeles' 350 parks. His friendly but terse command was "Get your rear down here now."
I did, and during the following weeks, I learned a lot about disaster relief and leadership. Most notably: The primary function of government - whether it be local, state or federal - is to be a rescuer, to keep law and order, and to restore the basic infrastructure.
In the case of the Northridge Earthquake, the federal government's main role was to be a bank. It provided more than $12 billion for bridges and the damaged public and private structures. It also facilitated financing for new construction and oversaw the collection of insurance proceeds.
To watch the president, the governor of Louisiana, and the officials overlooking the disaster area in New Orleans, one should not assume they can wave a magic wand and resolve this unprecedented crisis. The real magic wand is the private sector. It has the instant access to the warehouses, manpower, materials, distribution systems and leadership to deliver food, water, medicine, portable generators and other vital supplies.
The morning of the earthquake, Riordan got people together, including me, and gave us a list of businesses and business leaders from his private Rolodex. "Call and ask for help on anything you can think of. If what you need is not on the list, go to the Yellow Pages, ask people - whatever it takes. I guarantee they will all say yes."
This is exactly what happened.
The tens of thousands rendered homeless were supplied the first day with food, water, disposable diapers, enormous tents and anything else they needed. Anheuser Busch supplied water in unmarked cans meant for beer; Ralphs supermarkets supplied foods and liquid nutrients; Sears gave sleeping bags; others also donated innumerable items, as well as the use of tents meant for large public affairs and portable toilets.
Within a day, community shelters were created in tents, schools and churches. People and businesses were empowered to help, and they did themselves proud. The motto in City Hall and throughout Los Angeles was "It's better to get forgiveness than to get permission. Just do it!"
The repair of our city was left to the private sector. The collapsed sections of the freeways were repaired within a few months, well ahead of schedule. The bonuses received by the contractors for this work were less than 1 percent of what they saved our economy.
Think of what the private sector could do in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. National companies like Wal-Mart, Target, Costco and Home Depot, as well as local companies, have warehousing and distribution systems in place. They have the leadership and the will to find solutions.
Government assistance is critical, and I in no way denigrate its importance. However, if our experience in Los Angeles is any indication, it will be the private sector that will have the greatest impact on the recovery. At our fingertips, we have private companies that have the capability 365 days a year to store and deliver the necessities required in an emergency.
The biggest lesson I learned back then was, "Pull out your Rolodex and ask for help."
Dean D. Pregerson is a U.S. District Court judge in Los Angeles.
But....but ....The press says........
I was living in an apartment complex in Simi Valley across the street from the Reagan Library when the Northridge event hit. I wasn't left homeless -- but I was certainly scared sh!tless.
Wal-mart has been on the front lines on the Gulf Coast, right from the git-go.
I was expecting a nice juicy apple and all I got was an orange.
I was only about 25 miles away, and barely felt it.
Exactly. What the 'rats, Blanko, Ray "Lake" Nagin, and cute little Mary want to do is Venezualicize America by taking advantage of every opportunity presenting itself.
Because all of the lights in the greater L.A. area were out, the dark sky had more stars visible than I had ever seen before.
It was a stunning, breathtaking sight!
I remember the collapsed freeway(118- now known as the Ronald Reagan Freeway) getting fixed very quickly- private firm- a lot of overtime pay---done right.
However it hardly compares to what hit the Gulf Coast
Well, in terms of dead and destroyed infrastructure, true.
But in terms of responsiveness, Riordan, as a businessman, knew exactly who to turn to.
Nagin was so accustomed to his cronies calling the shots, he had no idea what to do in the face of disaster.
The private sector beats the public sector, every time.
Uh huh, lost power for a couple of hours, MSM & LA leaders were in full panic mode.
Tens of thousands in New Orleans were also supplied the first day with food, water, disposable diapers, and anything else they needed, they just had a different distribution system.
Anheuser Busch supplied water in unmarked cans meant for beer
And Anheuser Busch was a major supplier in New Orleans, too.
I remember that, too. Wasn't it Riordan who pushed that contract?
IIRC, the repairs were expected to take 26 months. There was an agreed on price, but the contractor would be fined for each day he exceeded the deadline. He also would be given a bonus for each day that he was early.
He did it in 2 1/2 months, and got a *huge* bonus.
I was spending much time in LA then, and I don't remember anyone being annoyed about the size of that bonus.
I think that contract should be the model for reconstruction projects.
South central had already been looted and burned, there wasn't much left by the time the quake came.
BTW had the roads been impassable we could have had anarchy quite easily in 94.
Were you on the space station????< humor on >
It was the 10 Fwy(Santa Monica) and you're correct.
They got a $14 million bonus.
They worked 24 hrs a day.
I drove by it twice a day every day until it reopened(observing the reconstruction as I passed by).
It was broken in 2 places.
They even used a special more expensive but quicker setting concrete.
Cal Trans would have taken years.
Drove back into work as soon as it was light. Sections of the 118 had shifted several feet. Already the city (or Caltrans) had stuck on blacktop ramps to compensate for the shifting. Bumpy but passable. Don't imagine that anybody waited for the feds to decide if they could patch the road - they just did it.
Now I live near Milwaukee. They joke that there is only two seasons here - winter and road construction. Having seen what can be done with the Santa Monica, I ponder why it takes literally years to resurface a few miles of interstate. There was a road near my work that was tore up for a mile or so for most of a year. Driving through the Marquette (which is the current, multi-year project) you often see nobody working on the many miles of orange cones.
Sigh.
ping
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