[LenS]

And to expand on that analogy, how much aid would come if the entire NJ, Connecticut, Long Island and Rhode Island coasts were smashed up also? And a tropical storm was still flooding and dropping tornadoes on upstate NY, Massachusetts and PA?

This is a vastly different logistical situation.

Of course, if the city had evacuated a day sooner, if they'd actually planned for removing tourists and the 100,000 or so without cars (hello, are there no school buses or municipal buses in southern LA? Trains? The lines were still clear on Saturday), if the Mayor and Governor had any clue about presenting a calm face in a disaster (heck, Sen. Landrieu is making Senators Schumer and Clinton seem like great leaders), and if they'd made it clear that force would be used to maintain order, then we wouldn't be in as bad a mess.

[MarMema]

Of course, if the city had evacuated a day sooner, if they'd actually planned for removing tourists and the 100,000 or so without cars (hello, are there no school buses or municipal buses in southern LA? Trains? The lines were still clear on Saturday), if the Mayor and Governor had any clue about presenting a calm face in a disaster (heck, Sen. Landrieu is making Senators Schumer and Clinton seem like great leaders), and if they'd made it clear that force would be used to maintain order, then we wouldn't be in as bad a mess.

Amen to this.