2 States, 22 Observations
Techniguy - 09-24-2005
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?
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