Michael Brown is expected to give sworn testimony today regarding the federal governments less than timely response to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. First off, I think that what they are looking for is a whipping boy,someone to point at and say hey it wasn't me it was HIS fault.I have some experience in flood matters, some years ago we were flood victims right here in my little town. The rains came and wouldn't stop it rained for nearly a week steadily.At times heavily. We live along the banks of a lovely and usually benign river, but after these ceaseless rains, the banks were swollen with flood water. There is a large dam and another river at the headwaters of the river I live on. Some one at this dam, decided to open the wickets a little and let off some of the water pressure because they were afraid that the dam would burst. They did and debrie from that river clogged the wickets and they couldn't`t close them. On our river we have a series of locks and dams to control the water level and promote navigation. They held back as much water as they could to protect Pittsburgh which is downstream from us. Now the interesting part is Pittsburgh is at the bottom of the glass and simple physics dictates that the glass will fill from the bottom up unless the dams intentionally hold back the water.So in light of that we filed a class action suit to recover our damages. It went through the court system and they found the power company and the operators of the upstream dam were guilty of malfeasance BUT they could not be held culpable. This, very simply , means yeah they did it but they don't have to pay . Thank you very much so instead of the help we thought we would get, we were permitted to borrow money from the federal government and repair our homes. Lesson learned? If you live in a area that is lower than the water level..Expect a flood. If you get flooded ..Shut up about it cause it will not matter how vociferous you are no one is going to give you anything for nothing and the truth of it is, you deserve nothing . Fema or any other group is not responsible for your mis- fortune. If you qualify and get a loan take it and repair your homes or move out of the flood zone and start over like so many of us have. They took us out of our home by boat and as soon as the water went down we shoveled our way back in and started the re-build it was hard ,brutal work that often times was heart breaking when somewhere in the mud and debri you found a treasure you held dear and it was destroyed. A trinket your children made in school gone. Human nature says you suck it up and move on. That in and of its self is what New Orleans needs to do. They want to be a first class American city then act like first class Americans and get the job done. At least that is the way I see it on here Arrathorns alley.
1 comment:
I cannot for the life of me understand all of the bitching and moaning down there. What do you expect to get when you live in a hurricane area? A SANDSTORM?! I live in a huricane area. Chances are Charleston is due for another Hugo, we will get through it because we are not a network of "Me-First's".
They want to place blame? Look to the governor! She is in charge of getting funds where they needed to be. Emergency Managment down there had no sateillite phones? Why? they were budgeted for, where did the money go?
In 1972 when the Army Corp of Engineers told the government of NOLA that the Levees neede work and some needed replacement, what happened? NOTHING!
I understand that people wnat the Homeland Security to pay for this. I ask why?
I want Homeland to do one thing, and to do it well. I want it to prevent another 9/11. We have government departments already for natural disasters, Homeland is supposed to be for Terrorism.
Hurricanes are not terrorists.
Savvy?
I must admit I was angry at the beginning of Katrina, afterall we helped people half a world away in atsunami that hates our guts, but we let people die in NOLA. I changed my mind there. When I saw how people were grabbing things from helicopters and reselling them to their own people. I understand from someone who lives there, the going price for a bottle of water given freely by the National Guard was $10.00 and if you wanted MRI's go to the internet. NOLA "victims" were selling their cases of MRE's on ebay.
Those people down there were their own enemy. They took advantage of the weak and the sick. If you were strong enough to get to a dump site, you were in control of getting those items to the stranded, instead they made a buck or ten on the supplies.
NO, I do not feel sorry for anyone in NOLA. When they wise up and get their crooked politicans out, then I may go down to visit again. BUT for the last 7 years or so, they have been the 50th most corrupt state in the union!
I guess those involved with Taminy Hall can now relax!
Peace out, Bro.
Rose
Post a Comment