"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you."
Not since Huey Long caught a .32 with his kidney in 1935 has America paid as much attention to the corruption, incompetence and potential for danger in the cajun-crayfish-boil of Louisiana politics as we are right now. A Democrat presidential candidate, political grifter and world-class class-warrior, "The Kingfish" built a career, made a fortune and set-the- tone-in-the-state by preaching the political poison of victimology, resentment, social dependence and lack of personal responsibility. His success inspired generations of cynical successors in local and state government and it warped the world-view of citizens yet-to-be-born. Former corrupt Louisiana Congressman (and current corrupt lobbyist) Billy Tauzin is reported to have once joked, "Half of Louisiana is under water, the other half is under indictment." Tauzin's joke ceased to be funny this week as the sorry state of the sorry state's politics, and its power over a dependent-by-design citizenry, killed a yet-to-be-known number of people who just plain never knew not to trust the government with their lives.... Who's in charge here? Despite warnings from the Feds, the National Hurricane Center and scientists from the state's universities, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin chose NOT to follow his city's own published evacuation plan that told him to utilize the hundreds of city and school buses to move the citizens who couldn't or wouldn't move themselves. And because neither the Mayor nor anyone else told them what to do when the city flooded last week... and because they didn't feel personally responsible for their own lives... some combination of hundreds or thousands of citizens of New Orleans died of stupidity, dependence and/or helplessness. Back to the buses: One erstwhile blogger counted 255 buses in an aerial photo of just one city parking lot. At 66 seats per bus, a single run would have safely transported 16,830 people the ninety miles to Baton Rouge in a couple of hours. So, why didn't Mayor Nagin fire up his fleet instead of his crack-pipe? Those buses weren't good enough. Taking a page from the Marion Berry playbook, he called the media, played the race card and demanded President Bush send to New Orleans Greyhound's entire fleet of luxury coaches, currently scattered across the country. He said they would be more fitting transportation for his displaced constituents than the big yellow buses sitting in rising water within two miles of the Superdome. Apparently, Nagin was never taught to seek high ground in a flood. And every time he opened his mouth this week, it all got a little deeper for everyone. The no-good Mayor told at least one reporter the CIA is out to get him for criticizing the President. When last heard, the unhinged city executive was busy rotating his overworked police force to well-deserved week-long family vacations in Las Vegas and Atlanta... to rest at taxpayer expense. Seems his cops are tired, stressed and running out of ammo "protecting and serving" the citizens of New Orleans. No one in city government has yet explained how the police department of a major city can run out of ammo in six days. Run out of ammo? Not even the poor city of Mogadishu runs out of ammo. And if you think the N.O. Mayor is a bad joke, don't bother turning to the Governor of the state for leadership. She's M.I.A. Mrs. Blanco was last seen crying like George Voinovich on the Larry King Show.... Gibson for Mayor... and Governor! Wednesday morning, while the Governor blubbered and the Mayor was unbundling his undies, 20-year old Jabbar Gibson calmly walked into a bus garage, took a set of keys to a school bus and made his way out of the city. Along the way he stopped to pick up "about 70 passengers" before hitting the road for the 13-hour trip to Houston. The passengers kicked in for gas and Jabbar's bus arrived at the Houston Astrodome even before the price of unleaded jumped seventy cents a gallon on news of Katrina. They pulled in to the stadium at 10 p.m., just about the time Mayor Nagin's now-famous Greyhound Emancipation Proclamation was first aired on CNN. I'm thinking this Jabbar kid is an Independent and a difference-maker. And he is at least one good reason to believe New Orleans is worth rebuilding.... Forget the levee, plug that pie-hole! While people are still drowning and dying, Hillary Clinton announced that she has written the President requesting a 9/11-like "Katrina Commission." She got wind that someone stole a school bus in New Orleans and she wants to make some political hay by investigating the crime and making a public example of the thief. But nobody except the politicians really seemed to care what Hillary said. Thinking people are more concerned with what real people are really facing right now in the Big Easy. I'm guessing if you're reading this, you've already sent a donation, or you're going to. You've got it and they need it. Send a check to the Red Cross or The Salvation Army. They'll make a difference with your money. But be careful. There are a lot of sketchy charities that crop up in times of trouble. Don't be duped into a donation to the "Michael Jackson Neverland Shelter for Flood Boys" or the "Ted Kennedy Mardi Gras Memorial".... R.I.P., Chief Justice Rehnquist. His death came as no surprise, given his long, public fight with cancer, but it's always a bad day when you lose a great leader. Rehnquist made a positive difference in our history during his tenure on the bench. We should appreciate him for many things. But mostly because it was his court that had the wisdom and courage to stop Al Gore from stealing an election. It's not that we're always so glad to have George Bush; he's certainly not perfect. But we should thank William Rehnquist and his court every day that we won't ever have Al Gore driving the peoples' bus. To Houston or anywhere else.
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You sound ignorant. Don't call people "dikes". You should know better and I'm ashamed. I didn't laugh at all- Steve's America is a whiny laundry list. Get your sense of humor back. Gay bashing is not funny. You don't need to stoop this low. What are you putting out in the world right now? Steve's America used to stand for something. Trite, snarky comments are ruining this website. Know your readers, know your limits- lest Steve's America have a population of one.
WWWAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
Quit yer whinin'. I don't gay-bash. And this is America... there are no limits. And if you don't like my blog... make your own and leave me alone. Jeez.
The Blame Game... Steve's America is sounding a lot like Karl Rove's.
This sad, sad event has enough blame to pass around.
Let's spend more energy helping Americans at home as opposed to
attacking them:
www.redcross.com
Hey, I don't think Steve's playing the blame game, he's just stating the facts that are slowly coming to light. Who should understand the potential for a local disaster better than local officials? Heck, Houston keeps the Astrodome stocked with supplies in the event a hurricane hits Galveston. Let's face it - Nagin and Blanco were both completely unprepared and they cannot defend their actions (or lack thereof). Let's support the people who are risking their lives to get this catastrophic mess cleaned up.
Hey Anon,
you wrote "Nagin and Blanco were both completely unprepared and they cannot defend their actions" and I agree. They, tragically, were not the only ones.
Some, most scientists, would look at global warming as a factor in the storm and it's legacy. Let's face it, a hurricaine coming off of water that was two degrees higher than normal WAS a disaster waiting to happen.
Many, mainly ecologists, point toward erosion and other changes in the land. Come on, build on silt, live on silt...
Most, mainly Republicans and Democrats (and an occasional Libertarian) think someone or the other is at fault.
I've never been to New Orleans and hope that changes.
el G,
I was in New Orleans once... about two years ago. It was great. The understated elegance of Las Vegas, but with better food.
As far as the blame game goes, the local leaders really screwed the pooch. The Federal bureaucracy is a what it is... a friggin' mess.
Global warming? The debate goes on. But a category 4 or 5 hurricane was going to flood a built-below-sea-level New Orleans sooner or later. Even if local, state and federal government had worked like a fine Swiss watch, a tragedy was inevitable. Incompetence made the human suffering worse. Heads should roll for incompetence or bad judgment.
No level of government had anything to gain by making it worse. The lessons here is simple: Be responsible for your own safety because the government can't always protect you. And keep a good home supply of water and ammo.
Before spending $50B to rebuild levees so we can wait for next year's storm, the inevitable congressional commision should study the cost of purchasing all the land which is under water as a result of the storm and turn it into a wetlands park. The federal billions plus the insurance company billions should pay for all the "badland" and have enough left over to buy a new mayor for a smaller N'Oleans
Steve:
Did I read this correctly? You are in favor of busing!!!
Steve:
The school bus picture is tody's neo-con image and message of the day in the ongoing effort to deflect attention from George W.
Down the road there willl be plenty of blame ot go around to every level of government. But right now the finger pointing is a wast of time. It isn't housing a single family, feeding a single child or raising one cent of relief.
In the end the greatest story of this whole mess will be the collective efforts of everyday American citizens to come to the aid of the people of the gulf coast.
Remember: it's what you do, not what you say that is really important.
First anonymous,
Perhaps the Feds can use "Kelo v. New London" to seize the property for a water park.
Second anonymous,
I'm not for busing anymore than I'm for canoeing. But I'd use either in a pinch.
Third anonymous,
If you truly believe actions are more important than words, you understand that Mayor Nagin dropped the ball and people died. Thanks for writing. It's always nice to hear from the Blue States.
Steve:
I am in awe of ignorance. I read where you stated that the debate continues about global warming. What planet are you on? A signifigant majority of scientists have PROVED that we are experiencing global warming...there is no longer a debate. The temperature has elevated one degree farenheit over the past hundred years. Maybe you could turn off Fox news long enough to read some credible science.
I am really impressed with Bush's pick for the director of FEMA...his background sure does make him the right man for the job. It's a shame that thousands have died and suffered because Bush put a friend in the office that IS NOT QUALIFIED. Makes me real proud to be American...not.
Also, you stated that the government has nothing to gain by making the situation worse, I agree but can't ignore the fact that Haliburton got the contract to clean up. Hmmm....kind of smells fishy. I know that it doesn't benefit the government directly, however Cheney has ties to the company as we all know.
In terms of local governments being responsible- if you go FEMA's website the very first paragraph states that the organization resumes responsibility in the case of natural disasters. I highly recommend that you read it. They dropped the ball. They assumed respnsibility and did not lead the relief.
Steve is right, global warming, like evolution, is still only a theory.
Dear anon,
I'll give you the statistical one degree rise in temperature over the past hundred years. I won't concede the cause or an implied trend. And I won't blame global warming for Katrina.
If you are going to wait for a federal agency (in a democrat or republican administration) to save your life... or the lives of the local constituents in your care... when time is of the essence, the odds are much greater that you're going to die of more imminent than global warming.
FEMA did not cause thousands of deaths. Neither did tax cuts, Karl Rove, Abu Graib, Social Security Reform or SUVs.
Maybe YOU should watch fewer Michael Moore movies.
The people of America and (and particularly today, Louisiana) should be glad that we have a company with the competence and capabilities of Halliburton. Halliburton gets business because they do stuff on a scale their competitors cannot. And because they have smart leaders (like Dick Cheney). Perhaps you would prefer the rebuilding effort be turned over to the UN. Why do you lefties resent competence?
Hey anon,
don't forget the evil Wal Mart also was a major supplier of good and services to those hardest hit by the flooding. That evil company, like that evil Haliburton, just happened to have some serious expertise in logistics and transportation (or basically getting stuff from point A to point B as efficiently as possible). I bet Bushitler also is in cahoots with Wal Mart to let the levee break so they could ship more than $15 million in goods and services to the hardest hit people so they could, um, give people the lowest prices. That damn company. How dare they!
SA,
as you stated, Halliburton, nobody does it better:
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/40525
THANK YOU,
President Bush, for sounding more like a Libertarian than ever:
"Tonight I propose the creation of a Gulf Opportunity Zone, encompassing the region of the disaster in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Within this zone, we should provide immediate incentives for job-creating, investment tax relief for small businesses, incentives to companies that create jobs, and loans and loan guarantees for small businesses, including minority-owned enterprises, to get them up and running again. It is entrepreneurship that creates jobs and opportunity, it is entrepreneurship that helps break the cycle of poverty and we will take the side of entrepreneurs as they lead the economic revival of the Gulf region."
President George Bush, September 15, 2005
Sign me up for the GOZ.
EG
P.S. GWB - Don't fail, Steve's America is watching you too.
el G,
I didn't hear all of W's speech, but based upon past experience, the Cliff's Notes version is roughly: "Hold onto your wallets and kiss your tax cuts goodbye. We're about to make the Transportation Bill look like third world lunch money."
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