Katrina, under Michael Brown’s mishandling, set a standard on how to NOT prepare for disaster. All disasters since Katrina have been handled with increasing efficiency and speed. Considering the area effected, the terrain involved, and the number of people in need, FEMA is doing an outstanding job. It would have to be 2-5 times bigger as an agency in order to do more than it is.A quick shout out to anyone with a friend in those gas lines. During the gas embargo of the 1970’s and for a briefer time after Isabel, I was in lines like those we’ve seen on tv. Folks, turn the car off. If you are healthy enough, push, don’t drive the car, as the line advances. Help the elderly or disabled to advance in line as well. I have seen young men sitting in idling cars waiting for gas, and telling the journalist they’ve been in line for over 2 hours. You are losing an incredible amount of that precious fluid every minute you have your motor running.Also, I have seen pictures of people cutting in line with their cars. A dangerous act that is also dishonorable, unethical, and immoral. Just as there are laws to prevent price gouging on gas and generators during these event, it should be illegal to cut in front of people who had the gumption to get into line early and wait patiently for their turn. Unless there is a medical emergency, cutting in line is nearly evil and invites fights, even gun fights. Most DMV manuals tell us that driving is a privilege, not a right. Those who do not show respect to their neighbors in times like these do not deserve to drive.Respectfully,C.
Just a note: most of the actual damage from Katrina that caused the most misery was the result of sub-standard work by contractors, and a failure to work over time, to upgrade, and correct the levee faults, leading to failures, NOT the actual Hurricane. That FEMA under “that guy” was so much slower to prepare and respond. That that “W” took SEABEES out of the work they were doing in Mississippi to clean up and make repairs, and sent them to sit on the butts in Qatar, didn’t help either.
chazandru over 11 years ago
Katrina, under Michael Brown’s mishandling, set a standard on how to NOT prepare for disaster. All disasters since Katrina have been handled with increasing efficiency and speed. Considering the area effected, the terrain involved, and the number of people in need, FEMA is doing an outstanding job. It would have to be 2-5 times bigger as an agency in order to do more than it is.A quick shout out to anyone with a friend in those gas lines. During the gas embargo of the 1970’s and for a briefer time after Isabel, I was in lines like those we’ve seen on tv. Folks, turn the car off. If you are healthy enough, push, don’t drive the car, as the line advances. Help the elderly or disabled to advance in line as well. I have seen young men sitting in idling cars waiting for gas, and telling the journalist they’ve been in line for over 2 hours. You are losing an incredible amount of that precious fluid every minute you have your motor running.Also, I have seen pictures of people cutting in line with their cars. A dangerous act that is also dishonorable, unethical, and immoral. Just as there are laws to prevent price gouging on gas and generators during these event, it should be illegal to cut in front of people who had the gumption to get into line early and wait patiently for their turn. Unless there is a medical emergency, cutting in line is nearly evil and invites fights, even gun fights. Most DMV manuals tell us that driving is a privilege, not a right. Those who do not show respect to their neighbors in times like these do not deserve to drive.Respectfully,C.
Dtroutma over 11 years ago
Just a note: most of the actual damage from Katrina that caused the most misery was the result of sub-standard work by contractors, and a failure to work over time, to upgrade, and correct the levee faults, leading to failures, NOT the actual Hurricane. That FEMA under “that guy” was so much slower to prepare and respond. That that “W” took SEABEES out of the work they were doing in Mississippi to clean up and make repairs, and sent them to sit on the butts in Qatar, didn’t help either.