Posted on 09/27/2005 5:26:43 AM PDT by OESY
In the past four weeks we have seen two different governmental responses to disaster, one efficient, the other, frankly, disastrous. Providence has spared Houston and much of urban east Texas, but that city's response to Hurricane Rita--and the comparison with New Orleans--should give us pause in thinking not only about how we deal with the mess left behind by Katrina, but also the future of the Gulf Coast.
In 2001, the director of Louisiana State University's hurricane center described New Orleans' establishment as "lulled to sleep" in the face of a predictable, looming disaster. In the months before Katrina, big new spending focused not on shoring up levees or storm-related plans but on a $450-million expansion of the now infamous convention center and an initiative to cash in on the city's "cultural economy." City and state failed to develop an effective evacuation plan and, when disaster struck, implemented their half-baked plan with astounding inefficiency.
In contrast, Texas--and the Houston area in particular--has been industrious, building elaborate drainage, sewer, flood and other systems to handle the delivery and control of water into the metropolis....
The huge discrepancy between the Texas and Louisiana responses should call into question the assumptions that have been trumpeted since Katrina. Foremost, we need to reconsider the central focus on the role of the federal government. Historically, the first responders in a crisis have been local officials, the province being more one of mayors and governors than presidents. History shows that the key determinant of success is the competence of local government. When local officials are responsive and prepared--as seen from the 1994 Northridge, Calif., earthquake to recent hurricanes in Florida and, now, in east Texas--FEMA plays its role with some effectiveness. But when local officials are inept, the shortcomings of the federal bureaucracy become more obvious....
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
They could turn the Dakotas into a corrupt, degenerate, victimhood whiners, do-nothing cesspool.
We had walkie talkies to report problems to "Flood Control". One morning, about 3:00AM, we spotted a beaver swimming in the river and reported a "damn engineer" to Flood Control. He was not wearing a hard hat and should be chastised. for some reason they didn't get it.
All in all, the Corp of Engineers did a fine job and damage was minimized.
I'm sure the 'Daks would welcome all Norwegian Ni''s, (Blazin'g Saddle afirmation).
Wasn't L'il Tommy Dashole a Senator from South Dakota? They'd be too late.
4 Hurricanes hit Fl last year; I went through the eye of one of them and not once did I have the urge to shoot at a hospital or helicopter. No looting, no cries for FEMA, no crocodile tears from local officials, no shooting at first responders.
Why did Louisiana need such babying from the Feds? Why doesn't Texas need it now?
Never mind, I know the answer.
They might...until about October, when winter sets in. We have a saying about winters where -30F (static air, not wind chill) is not unusual--Winter keeps the riff-raff out. The non-productive feeeze or leave.
Really, though, why take folks who don't have enough clothes for warm weather and send them here? It makes more sense to move them to California or some other balmy climate and let them outvote the mass of bluestaters hanging out there...
Of course, Mr. Henry Hub is not a person and not even a mister (Mr.)...
Just missing in action...
None here in the Appalachians. The worst that can happen is an ice storm or perhaps a localized flood. But nothing major has happened in decades. Maybe centuries.
Oh please; this line is routinely trotted out by Californians and people on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts to try to kid themselves that everyone everywhere is exposed to the same natural disaster risk.
It usually consists of the weird obesession with the idea that people in the midwest typically have their house destroyed every other year by tornadoes.
Tornadoes have very narrow tracks and even in Oklahoma, the chance of a given acre of land being hit by a tornado in a 100 year period is shockingly small; much smaller than the chance a given acre in California experiences strong quake shaking, or a segment of coast on the Gulf coast experiences storm surge.
Insurers don't fret about tornadoes. Quakes and hurricanes give them the willies. There's a reason that you don't have to pay extra to buy tornado coverage, and you do for quake and flood coverage.
Southern Arizona. The only "natural disaster" here is flash floods. And we don't build houses where they happen (dry washes).
I guess Henry Hub just ran away with Katrina and Rita. He will get in trouble being around two women at the same time... [ /sarcasm off ]
you cannot ask people to do anything sensible that takes the minimum amount of self-determination or self-reliance or responsibility !
They ALL demand the federal govt come in and rebuild and insure them for abject stupidity!
Hey after all, it isn't THEIR money!
Only an ignorant fool would build in a marsh and even a bigger fool and totally mentally retarded to go back and do it again - and again - and again.
Give me good paying job, uni-bomber style shack (well insulated), high speed internet, and a horse. That'll get me to relocate from Houston to anywhere it is not 95+ in September. I almost forgot, they have to respect Wed night church, Friday night Football, and Sunday Church/Football. .../sarcasm
"The Red Cross was there with coffee and donuts."
How much did they charge?
While his ship was being unloaded he was given shore leave. There was an air raid and explosions in the harbor. When he returned to his ship he found that it had been sunk by a V-1 bomb. He lost his whole kit and only had the uniform he was wearing. He went to the Red Cross and was charged for ther skivvies, toiletries and food while he waited for reassignment. Whenever you said Red Cross he would spit!
"He went to the Red Cross and was charged for ther skivvies, toiletries and food while he waited for reassignment."
He wasn't the only one treated in that manner, then or now. You have to wonder about an organization, run as a charity and financed by charitable donations, that charges money for their assistance. And we're talking retail price here, not even a discount, for people who are basically down to the money in their pockets.
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