[lit-ideas] Re: Katrina
- From: Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 22:21:06 EDT
In a message dated 9/2/2005 9:03:29 P.M. Central Daylight Time, pas@xxxxxxxx
writes:
They are victims of a complete lack of organization, care, and
action of the government who usually gives them everything. That's the
tragedy. The upshot of the storm was that it was going to flood a city that
was plotted in a bowl, below sea level, at the mouth of one of the biggest
rivers in the world, in a known HURRICANE area. The property loss was
inevitable. No LIVES needed to be lost. Everything is replaceable except
the life. That's the tragedy.
Hi,
Totally agree. Anyone who has ever written a procedure or planned anything
has to be even more appalled than those who have not. The only thing that
keeps me from completely going over the edge is that the Red Cross, Salvation
Army and other disaster relief people DID meet the week before and divide up
duties--it's the only reason things are even as 'not bad' as they could be.
BUT--their job is to *assist* not to be the main coordinators. FEMA director
should have been the one calling that meeting and planning contingency plans
for all different possible scenarios. It's what you DO if you are in charge
and you even KNOW something big and bad not only *might* happen but *will*
happen.
I'd be totally even more upset) I'd hate to be one of the 'regular' FEMA
folk who probably DID want to create such procedures (cannot believe that
there
have not been papers written and presented at conferences on
scenarios...There really is NO excuse for this ignoring of the '5 Ps'. One of
my siblings,
with whom I usually dance around politics and stuff as that side works for
NSA and such--was quipping what must be a standard saying in the security
world--Plan Prepare Execute.
(I'd hate to be a project engineer with project management experience--to
really KNOW how to organize and know that there should have been a plan--and
to know what needed to be done...I do that sort of thing in my job, on a small
scale all the time. I could have done better the week before with a half-way
decent staff and the authority and it's not even my field...)
To Eric--appreciate what you sent and added to it and sent it outward to
Others. However, please note that Andy does have a point (even if diplomacy
is
not his strong suit...<g>) in that those in charge do need to be held
*accountable*. It's not about 'blame-pointing', it's about responsibility and
leadership and accountability.
Granted, I do not know what can be done in a practical sense, but shining a
light on the situation will surely assist in figuring that out...if there is
incompetence, no planning skills, etc.--then let's get people in there that
have them.
I really did like the suggestions you sent, though. Very
proactive--limiting the amount of profits that the oil companies make is such a
good idea. Even
before this hurricane, they were making in excess of over 50% of what normal
profits were...and were acting like it was a 'shortage' that was keeping
prices so high. It was not. At this point, limiting the profits does seem
almost
a national security issue--I know of people who are losing their jobs
because they cannot afford to drive to them. (living paycheck to paycheck
it's
hard sometimes) The only thing that I might have added to the bill was that
the
money could be used to refine the crudest of all oil--apparently there is
LOTS of that but no one has even started on building a refinery that would
refine it...but it would keep us from ever having to drill in Alaska, keep us
from being dependent on foreign oil, etc. I also liked the concept of tax
breaks for fuel efficient cars and grants for mass transit sytsems.
The bill was introduced in May 2005 by that Ohio Rep that Carol liked. (I
always associate him with her <g>) and here is the link for anyone who wants
to
know more of what Eric was talking about--it is a very practical bill and
one that I was not even aware of...(and I usually know lots of stuff <g>)
_http://www.kucinich.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2314_
(http://www.kucinich.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2314)
Having a quiet evening at home,
Marlena in Missouri
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