Tough Love for Louisiana

After Hurricane Katrina, most of us opened up our wallets and hearts to the victims.   It’s what we do when disaster hits our neighbors, even if those neighbors are 2500 miles away.  Most of us could only give money; others were able to do more. 

Some of us were also highly critical of many of the local officials and residents who could have done more to save themselves.

Because Governor Jim Risch of Idaho said it in an interview, the residents of Louisiana are in a bit of a huff over it.  Tough.

From KING5 News:

Risch is quoted in the Guardian as saying, “Here in Idaho, we couldn't understand how people could sit around on the curbs waiting for the federal government to come and do something. We had a dam break in 1976, but we didn't whine about it. We got out our backhoes, and we rebuilt the roads and replanted the fields and got on with our lives."

“People in Idaho don't sit around waiting for the government to bring them drinking water. In Idaho there would have been entrepreneurs selling the drinking water."

That’s not an insult, that’s the truth and in this case it’s a truth that needs to be heard.  Call it tough love.

But that didn't stop a daily paper in New Orleans from writing an editorial about Risch's comments.

The paper’s editorial says, “It's starting to feel as if the whole state of Idaho has disdain for Louisiana.”

That’s a typical knee-jerk response.  It’s a stupid response; no thought, just juvenile petulance.

It’s the start of a brand new hurricane season. If you get hit, be prepared.  If you are hoping to expect the federal government to come in and save you, you’re stupid and deserve what you get.

The people of Idaho don’t have any “disdain”.   Governor Risch told the truth. 

VW

Comments

[Ronald Reagan]

But in New Orleans, you couldn't drive a back hoe or get drinking water. The problem was people trapped in floodwaters most heavy equipment couldn't get through.

The bigger problem was that the administration issued orders NOT to help.

The Coast Guard and Fish and Wildlife people ignored those orders. But even a Republican Congressman from Florida questioned why the Department of Homeland Security banned a shipment of 500 boats from Florida to help get people out of the flooded areas.

The problem may be solved this year.

The Louisianna National Guard (whose equipment was mostly in Iraq at the time) have aquired a fleet of military amphibious trucks which can rescue people in floods.

[Mike Pittman]

You completely dismiss every mistake made by Nagin and Blank-o. Never mind that the size of the disaster was about the size of Minnesota.

Yes the Feds made some bad mistakes. There were a lot of mistakes and miscommunications. Hopefully, they have fixed some of these, but I'm sure others will be made - new ones. No operation of that size will EVER go off without a hitch, I don't care who is in charge

But all you have is your hatred of Bush clouding your view. You are incapable of seeing past that.

VW

[Ronald Reagan]

No, Blanco and Nagin made mistakes. But the flooding was something that only the feds could address. Neither the state nor the city had the proper rescue equipment.

DHS ordered USS Iwo Jima to stand down for three days -- even though it was ready to launch rescue helicopters before the storm passed. The ship's extensive medical resources were not used onboard -- and it was nearly a week before doctors aboard the ship were allowed to come ashore to assist.

Let's not forget that the biggest problem on the ground was the inability of local, state, and federal responders to communicate with each other. This is one of the chief problems the 9/11 Commission identified from that attack -- and one of the 41 reccomendations this administration has failed to enact (out of 41 made).

True, I have no love for this President. I've met him personally several times. His father, mother, brothers (Jeb & Neil) are nice people. W is a world class jerk. I've seen him walk away from his father's campaign workers in mid sentence. I've seen him storm out of a Holocaust Museum dinner in the middle of another person's speech because it was "past his bedtime." And I've seen how rude he can be -- just on the phone with Nancy Reagan, calling once in 2001 to wish the former President a happy birthday.

But I don't hate Bush. I hate incompetence paid for by billions of our tax dollars. And that must be challenged.

But again, if Bush had waited three days to order a federal response to a terrorist attack -- would you be so forgiving?

If there'd been no F-16s over New York and Washington, DC until September 15th, would you still give him a pass?

[la expert]

Just a reminder...there were TWO hurricanes last year, and they impacted two very different areas of the state, and two very different kinds of people. So before you generalize 'people in LA sitting around waiting on the government' - make certain you mention they were in New Orleans - because nowhere in the southwest part of the state (impacted by Rita) were people sitting around. They got up, dried off and started helping each other rebuild and recover. They didn't get much news coverage, b/c they weren't crying and begging for help...they were taking care of their own business! The biggest problems for New Orleans is they chose to ignore evacuation orders, yet pointed fingers and blamed the very ones who issued the orders when all hell broke loose.