Posted on 09/18/2008 12:16:15 PM PDT by MplsSteve
With a late evacuation, contradictory messages to her citizens and now a failed first attempt to give evacuees a chance to check their homes, it's been a tough week for Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas.
The four hectic days were filled with Hurricane Ike's destruction and the reality that thousands of residents were reluctant to leave. Now there is the arduous task of keeping her promise to them that she would have them home soon while trying to combat a growing public health crisis.
Tears welled in her eyes as she pleaded with her tiny quorum of three council members early Wednesday for another seven days to try to pull Galveston out of what she herself called "Third World country" status and onto a clear road to recovery following Hurricane Ike.
"I can't even explain how heartrending the decisions are that I have to make," she said.
On Tuesday, Thomas had to call a halt five hours into her "Look and Leave" program, which allowed some of the 58,000 residents and untold business owners and workers to come back, check on property and leave, because too many took to Interstate 45, clogging it for miles.
Last week, Thomas waited until after the more inland Harris County called a mandatory evacuation on Thursday before making the call herself.
In the end, residents all over the island stayed, vowing to never leave in a future storm because of bad experiences. Those who left are vowing never to leave, also.
That's troubling for city officials who will have even more trouble getting people on Galveston Island to take a mandatory evacuation seriously.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
I find this article to be an interesting read because it sounds like the Mayor was beset by the same doubts many Galveston residents had too.
It sounds like she's in one of those "damned if I do, damned if I don't" situations. But even if she had issued the mandatory evac order, I suspect many would have disregarded it anyways.
OK, comments or opinions - anyone?
The solution to her dilemma is easy. Blame EVERYTHING on George W. Bush.
Hey, it worked for Ray Nagin...
Comment? They got lucky.
If Ike had been just a couple of miles to the west of his track, Galveston would have been wiped clean like Bolivar and Galveston Bay would have been 10’ deeper in water.
She needed to make the evacuation order and stick with it. That’s part of the price people have to pay for living there.
This, while Obama’s camp sneers at mayors/city managers.
And part of the price she pays for her job. “What if people don’t like me” should never have been part of her decision process.
She’s doing fine. Her directives and orders have been clear and above board.
>> OK, comments or opinions - anyone?
Yeah — she’s in over her head would be my comment.
No excuses — if you want to be mayor, plan for stuff like this (not like a hurricane was an unforeseen longshot, eh?) and execute competently.
She’ll be voted out next election, and rightfully so. Government incompetence SHOULD NOT be rewarded with “another try”.
Not that the next one necessarily has any higher probability of competence.
She's using Kathleen Blanco's playbook.
In addition to her role as a part-time, unpaid mayor, she is a Democrat who owns a real estate company on the island. She was tardy in issuing the “mandatory” evacuation order. She has ordered city employees not to talk to the local newspaper, so the people who evacuated must rely on the rumor mill for information. Her “Look and Leave” idea was a fiasco.
I think the situation could have been handled better.
Galveston was devastated for sure, but she looked weak.
President Bush had to hold her hand to comfort her while taking his Galveston tour.
I'm sure she's a great person, but she was overwhelmed as would most anyone in her position.
But, Please don't cry on tv if people our looking to you for courage and strength.
Payers for everyone touched by ike.
PS: I live in Seabrook, TX, we just got power back yesterday after noon, little wind damage, no flood damage. Water got to within 10' of my front door.)
One day she says “To those of you still on the island I have only one thing to say. Please leave. Leave now.” The next day they announce, well ok, you can come and look but you have to leave, and get a line of cars all the way back to Houston. Then the next day oooops, scratch that look and leave thing, bad idea, republicans fault.
Today they’re telling people not to go but they’re going anyway and clogging up 45 again. Why? Who knows, the policy may change again.
She’s a little old lady. She is way in over her head.
Where's Geraldo and Shep pleading and whaling when more than half the place was wiped out. That really gets my goat.
Mayor Thomas is a Republican, btw.
In Texas you cannot “make” someone go....it is merely a suggestion.
They need to get their facts straight. Well actually this article needs to be written by a journalist not a third-grader.
This is completely bizarre. I work in downtown Houston overlooking the 45/59 exchange. All day Thursday buses were evacuating people. Lots of buses. Metro was using regular park and ride drivers for runs.
Hurricane fatigue, I guess. I would think that the 4th largest city in the country and by far the largest in the south being dark, not to mention the coastal flooding, not to mention that people are dark as far as Cincinnatti would be a fairly major story, but apparently not. Nary a mention in the national news.
You’re right. She looks old and frail. (like a lot of the folks who didn’t have sense enough to leave)
It all happy go lucky beach life until it’s not.
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