How is Texas governor Rick Perry (R, of course) avoiding a repeat of the Katrina tragi-farce? According to this must-see video, by not letting reporters anywhere near the worst-hit areas.
Try though he might to protect his brand, reports spread of federal and state incompetence in delivering aid and support to survivors (though they’re markedly good at finger-pointing and blame-sloughing). Hell, a Texan friend I talked to yesterday had just watched a Houston congressman on TV asking residents to donate extra water and food — not to fellow citizens but to THE RESCUERS marshalling at a local stadium. The assholes in power (looking at you, Chertoff) haven’t supplied enough food, water, or porta-potties for them, much less anyone else.
If this suits you, keep voting Republican.
I don’t look for this to end well either. From the Galveston Daily News blog:
Ok–I will ask the question–Why does this man have a pet lion? And why should taxpayers have to make accommodations to care for this foolish man and his exotic pet?
Lotus, get a grip. I don’t think incompetence is a Republican or a Democratic trait–it’s just a human trait. Look at Louisiana during Katrina. Weren’t those incompetent office holders a_ _ hole Democrats.
So now you’re on about Perry too because some local sheriff wouldn’t let some jerk reporter into a devistated and extremely unsafe area? I suspect the reporter didn’t even know where Bolivar is until Ike came. But, a little grandstanding never hurt ratings.
I’m not defending anyone, but this is a little silly. But, it’s an easy punch, so have at it.
Here’s the report regarding the 300 first responders without food & water-you’re doing a heckuva job Chernie!
Chertoff deserves all the scrutiny he can get. Mike “heck-uv-a job” Brownie did NOT deserve the blame for Katrina. Everyone overlooks the fact that Brown was in charge of FEMA in 2004 when Florida was hit by 8 tropical storms (including four hurricanes) and no one complained about FEMA during those emergencies. But when Katrina struck, FEMA had been placed under Homeland Security and everything had to channel through Chertoff. Don’t you remember Chertoff being more upset that Brown had contacted the White House directly than he was at the problems taking place in N.O.?
Observer, I almost never agree with you, but this time I do. Homeland Security ruined FEMA, and, come to think of it, air travel hasn’t been the same since Rove and Cheney invented it, either. Ditto the United States Constitution.
Since much of the coastal destruction is in areas represented by Ron Paul or formerly represented by Tom Delay, maybe FEMA assumed they did not want any federal government interference in their personal affairs.
The Homeland Security Department should have never been created.
Researcher, I hear that Friday night before Ike hit, DeLay was on MSNBC(?) by phone, saying how the media always over-dramatizes hurricanes, and he felt it was more critical for folks to stay at their property to prevent looting.
Money and things, baby, money and things. So much more important than lives.
Um, I don’t think Lotus was saying that the gummint was responsible for the lion – just passing along a disaster weirdness.
But wait, it get’s weirder:
http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/091508kvue_ike_shelter_lion_crystal_beach-eh.7acb9b8e.html
Guess I shoulda said “it’ll end well for only the lion (and that only temporarily).” Thought that clarification unnecessary, but seems not.
There really should be very little need for “first responders” in the first place, if these folks would just evacuate as ordered. It is getting harder and harder for me to show much sympathy.
Case in point, there were some in Galveston who foolishly chose to ride out Ike, despite warnings from local, state, and federal govt. that doing so would likely result in certain death, and that it may be quite a while after the hurricane hits before any rescue crews could get in there. These folks who chose to stay were asked to write their SSNs in waterproof ink on their arms so that their bodies would be more identifiable in the event of death. It is difficult to reason with or understand such insanity.
I have no doubts that the FEMA response can and should be better. And it should strive to continue to improve, in every way possible, with every storm that requires FEMA action. But, I am growing weary of the politicization of every hurricane and other acts of mother nature.
afotl: I believe the folks in Houston were actually encouraged by the gummit to stay home and not evacuate because they didn’t want a repeat of the evacuation fiasco during Katrina/Rita. Galveston, as you point out, is a completely different story altogether. However, if it doesn’t endanger the lives of the first responders to do so, even those who knowingly placed themselves in harms way in this manner deserve to be rescued.
Here is an article about the Bolivar Peninsula. Rescuers weren’t even able to make it in until Monday
I’m always amazed at people who choose to “ride out” a hurricane such as this when they have been warned of the destruction and “certain death” that will follow. I understand why those in Houston were encouraged to stay, but those on the peninsula and island and those closest to the ocean were told they would face “certain death” if they stayed.
This area faces the threat of tornadoes with a short time for response beforehand. I don’t know anyone who sees a tornado coming and says, “I’ll just stay in bed and hope this one hits the neighbor’s house and skips mine.”