2 States, 22 Observations

[nebula]

Another e-mail pass-around. This could have gone in the Humor forum - but considering the dialogue that would occur afterwards, it probably fits best here.

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2 States, 22 Observations

Things I have noticed while watching media coverage of the recent hurricanes.

1. Texas: Productive industrious state run by Republicans.

Louisiana: Government dependent welfare state run by Democrats.

2. Texas: Residents take responsibility to protect and evacuate themselves.

Louisiana: Residents wait for government to protect and evacuate them.

3. Texas: Local and state officials take responsibility for protecting their citizens and property.

Louisiana: Local and state officials blame federal government for not protecting their citizens and property.

4. Texas: Command and control remains in place to preserve order.

Louisiana: Command and control collapses allowing lawlessness.

5. Texas: Law enforcement officers remain on duty to protect city.

Louisiana: Law enforcement officers desert their posts to protect themselves.

6. Texas: Local police watch for looting.

Louisiana: Local police participate in looting.

7. Texas: Law and order remains in control, 8 looters tried it, 8 looters arrested.

Louisiana: Anarchy and lawlessness breaks out, looters take over city, no arrests, criminals with guns have to be shot by federal troops.

8. Texas: Considerable damage caused by hurricane.

Louisiana: Considerable damage caused by looters.

9. Texas: Flood barriers hold preventing cities from flooding.

Louisiana: Flood barriers fail due to lack of maintenance allowing city to flood.

10. Texas: Orderly evacuation away from threatened areas, few remain.

Louisiana: 25,000 fail to evacuate, are relocated to another flooded area.

11. Texas: Citizens evacuate with personal 3 day supply of food and water.

Louisiana: Citizens fail to evacuate with 3 day supply of food and water, do without it for the next 4 days.

12. Texas: FEMA brings in tons of food and water for evacuees. State officials provide accessible distribution points.

Louisiana: FEMA brings in tons of food and water for evacuees. State officials prevent citizens from reaching distribution points and vice versa.

13. Louisiana: Media focuses on poor blacks in need of assistance, blames Bush.

Texas: Media can't find poor blacks in need of assistance, looking for something else to blame on Bush.

14. Texas: Coastal cities suffer some infrastructure damage, Mayors tell residents to stay away until ready for repopulation, no interference from federal officials.

Louisiana: New Orleans is destroyed, Mayor asks residents to return home as another hurricane approaches, has to be overruled by federal officials.

15. Louisiana: Over 400 killed by storm, flooding and crime.

Texas: 24 killed in bus accident on highway during evacuation, no storm related deaths.

16. Texas: Jailed prisoners are relocated to other detention facilities outside the storm area.

Louisiana: Jailed prisoners are set free to prey on city shops, residents, and homes.

17. Texas: Local and state officials work with FEMA and Red Cross in recovery operations.

Louisiana: Local and state officials obstruct FEMA and Red Cross from aiding in recovery operations.

18. Texas: Local and state officials demonstrate leadership in managing disaster areas.

Louisiana: Local and state officials fail to demonstrate leadership, require federal government to manage disaster areas.

19. Texas: Fuel deliveries can't keep up with demand, some run out of gas on highway, need help from fuel tankers before storm arrives.

Louisiana: Motorists wait till storm hits and electrical power fails. Cars run out of gas at gas stations that can't pump gas. Gas in underground tanks mixes with flood waters.

20. Texas: Mayors move citizens out of danger.

Louisiana: Mayor moves himself and family to Dallas.

21. Texas: Mayors continue public service announcements and updates on television with Governor's backing and support.

Louisiana: Mayor cusses, governor cries, senator threatens president with violence on television, none of them have a clue what went wrong or who's responsible.

22. Louisiana: Democratic Senator says FEMA was slow in responding to 911 calls from Louisiana citizens.

Texas: Republican Senator says "when you call 911, the phone doesn't ring in Washington, it rings here at the local responders".

What if state and local elected officials were forced to depend on themselves and their own resources instead of calling for help from the federal government? Texas cities would be back up and running in a few days. Louisiana cities would still be under water next month. Republicans call for action, Democrats call for help. What party will you be voting for in the next election?

[NITE OWL]

I wonder if the story would've been the same if Katrina hit Texas instead of Louisiana?

[other one]

Yes it would.....

[NITE OWL]

Yes it would.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And you know this because...?

[Mongo]

I live in Texas. We've had the big ones before and this is normal for us. The hurricane did not take the path that the media hoped for (or seemed to hope for) so the path did not strike heavily populated areas. I was here through it, I had no choice.

I found the wailing of LA's governor and NO mayor to be typical of people who want to blame others. Its not the governments job to call in the guard or mobilize aid. The governors of every state actually took that power (they requested it) into their own hands so that they could decide when to excercise it. In Texas, Perry (a man I do not support) called for mobilization when Rita hit the gulf, even though the destination was not known. In LA, no one called for anything until after. I think these two things compound the problems everyone went through and create the severe contrast. I place the blame in LA on the governor and mayor, not on the political party (which I also do not support). The governor had taped a hurricane preparation message to be played in coastal cities, but he didn't push for it to go out until the week Katrina came in.

Had they been reversed, it would have made little difference. If you think otehrwise, you are sadly misguided and I will explain why. NO sits below sea level and this means that without the levies they would get flooded. They also have poor drainage, further adding to the problems. True the levies were not maintained well, but they were maintained some. The other problem is that most Texas cites that were affected sit inland, but for Port Arthur. The path inland, had it been Katrina, would have seen the same results but probably more outages and for longer periods (we still have people without power from Rita).

I think Nebula's observations are fairly accurate, but I wouldn't have said them out loud. I have to look at each one of them and agree that I think a lot of the problems rest in who runs things in the states. Not the parties, but the people and who they are. Perry is fighting for re-election in a state that goes either way, LA doesn't have this problem. And the people in charge in LA and NO, were flat lazy and incompetent. They want to blame Bush for their own faults, but alas the issues rest squarely upon them. Hopefully the loss of life and devastation taught them something. We should pray for those who had to endure this. There are children who are without families now and I think that takes precedence.

Good observations though, Nebula.

[NITE OWL]

I don't understand why people are still slamming the leaders of louisiana. What possible good can come from it?

[Mongo]

Maybe because they are still the leaders and people are praying they learned.

[NITE OWL]

Maybe because they are still the leaders and people are praying they learned.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then they should pray for them...not condemn them.

[IslandRose]

One thing to remember, too, is that those in Texas had the advantage of hindsight. They already saw what happened when things were not done well in advance.

I think the points have been made here, so I am going to close this one now. Let's continue to pray for the people affected by both hurricanes.

IR

[nebula]

I want to appologize for a misunderstanding.

First, I didn't write this - it came through the e-mail (guess I didn't explain that well enough).

Second, it was good to hear the perspective of people from the areas. But since this thread was locked, I won't say any more.

OK, I'll honor the Mods and re-lock uit, but since I started it, I felt the need to clarify something.