What a Difference

Amazing how different the Galveston evacuation is from the New Orleans fiasco. In Texas, they had evacuation plans that took into account the fact that not everybody had cars. Mayor Nagin of New Orleans apparently thought everybody lived there for the Mardi Gras. Don't get me wrong, the traffic jams are horrid, and the shortage of gasoline is a tad scary, but I suspect that Texans have plans to deal with both, without Federal assistance!

What's Good for the Goose...

After reviewing all the information coming out about Hurricane Katrina, I think I see the biggist single reason why so many were left behind. If they had put a nuclear power plant in New Orleans, they would have had sirens, a 100% tested and effective evacuation plan, that would have covered 100% of the population. Instead, they let the Army Corps of Engineers spend billions of dollars on the waterways, levees, dikes and dams, without filing a single evacuation plan. If they had been forced to follow the same procedure that a private firm would have, the city would have been 100% evacuated, and we wouldn't be looking at all the finger pointing that is going on.

Help Us!!!!!

Let me toss a hypothetical your way. I warn you that if you don't evacuate, there will be nothing I can do for two weeks to help you. Better yet, let me make you the Governor of LA, or the Mayor of New Orleans. What would you do? What they did was say the right words, get on the record, and moved aside for the hurricane. Instead of mobilizing the LA National Guard and helping these people out of the area, they picked a couple of places in the heart of the expected disaster area, and moved people there.

They didn't have enough time to plan, is that what I heard you say? You're right, 40 years for politicians is nowhere near enough time. Why budget for that which may not happen, when we have Mardi Gras to plan for? To listen to these pompous asses cry about lack of support is nauseating. Damnit, you were warned, you did nothing, and now it's NOT your fault?

Listening to the mayor of New Orleans this morning explains the situation perfectly. When challenged about the FACT that LA has not requested Federal aid, He asked "did we wait for permission to relieve the tsunami victims?" Well, idiot, yes we did. For some reason, sending troops into an area without permission is called an invasion. Of couse, the resident genius of New Orleans had an answer for that too "how long did it take to invade Iraq?" Gee, I gues hizonner doesn't read papers, of couse, considering the mistakes made by the powers that be down there, maybe the jerk doesn't read at all. Iraq took months, even after the UN presentation.

So now, it's everybodys fault but his. But of couse, otherwise he couldn't live with himself, killing all those hundreds, maybe thousands of people. Let the good times roll may be a good slogan for the convention bureaus, but it sucks for you emergency response group. You had years to plan, two days to implement, and all you did was lead the lemmings to the cliff. What you did was unforgivable, your Honor. You may have killed more Americans in a day than have died in Iraq in two years, or on 9/11. If I tell someone I can' help you if you do X, and you do X, don't be suprised when X happens and I can't help you. And it's your fault, not mine, you ignorant ass.