If you were a victim of Katrina would you not be absoluteley incensed ?

Question

Having to watch the Cali fire evacuees receive massages, accupuncture and sushi----- when you couldn't get a drop of water or a place to dump-------??? Oh it is a new FEMA all right Georgie my boy- can you never get anything right !

Answer 1

I like this question because it makes people THINK!
First of all most of your responders are right in that Californians are much more prepared for disaster (even financially) than in the south and thats just a sad fact. Katrina was a disaster on many levels, not just a governmental failure.
But I also agree that to see the rich or at least middle class white refugees getting massages compared to the black corpses we saw floating past on the news coverages for the disasters are worlds apart. As they are- worlds apart.
Disparity is a part of the world we live in , my friend.

Answer 2

Yes.

However, you have to understand that in 99% of those situations in California, it is NOT the Federal Government performing those services and providing the products. People who live in the area are donating these. You also have to understand that the fires, while devastating and tragic, are MUCH easier for California to deal with because they are a highly organized Department of Forestry that has the equipment, manpower and know how when it comes to beating down fires like this. And when they dont, surrounding states routinely come together to help them. California is quite able to handle its own emergencies. This particular fire...or more correctly these particular fires...are not the norm. There are so many cites and the winds are so intenste that it presented a bigger challenge. But make no mistake, California knows how to deal with it.

The Federal Governments function here is to supply emergency funds for immediate necessities and to get FEMA on the job of rebuilding, getting funds to those who need them and the like. The declaration of emergency by Bush was a no brainer. (See how that fits?) There are some National Guard on the ground, but even that is a function of The Gov getting that process in motion. Navy aircraft has been deployed to the scene, but mostly, it's a distraction because the pilots dont know how to fly under these circumstances and may end up causing accidents in the fly zone. California officials are being forced to stretch manpower thin so they can copilot these planes. In other words, the Federal response is token at best.

What would REALLY singe my butt if I were a Katrina victim is the way the Federal government is grandstanding this fire to somehow show how prepared it is to deal with disaster. And a comparison of the two incidents is ludicrous. Especially when you consider that one incident is a natural disaster that happens with frequency and can be controlled by the state, and the other was the result of the Federal government refusing to protect a city from inevitable destruction while being unable to care for them after the fact. The fire response in no way tells me that the Federal government is ready to handle a Katrina like disaster again, or even worse, a nuclear incident.

So yes, I'd be a tad angry. The token lovefest in San Diego does not excuse the imcomptence and lack of compassion in New Orleans. Nor does it make me feel any safer or more confident that this administration has done anything do prepare for disasters that someone else can handle without them.

Answer 3

Boy are you way off base !!! I agree the people in New Orleans went through alot but most of that was because of the inadequacies of the elected officials in New Orleans and the governor of the state.

And George Bush had nothing to do with the FEMA mess, not the way everyone thinks, thanks to the lousy news media who couldn't find the truth if it bit them.

In order for FEMA to go in and help, they have to be ASKED FIRST. Did you know that the Weather Center in FL called and talked with the mayor and the governor several times, warning them that Katrina was going to be a really bad storm and that he (the head man at that) told them over and over and over again that they needed to evacuate New Orleans because of the topography of that area and the devastation that would come if they didn't get the people out of there?

Now ask why the mayor of New Orleans didn't order the evacuation of the people or why he didn't use buses and other things that were supplied BEFORE Katrina hit the city.

Ask why the so-called governor didn't call up her state National Guard and put them to work BEFORE the storm came, to assure there were drivers for the buses and to see that people were evacuated. She said she didn't know she could use them. duhhhhhhh What did she think they were there for? And all the buses that were supplied for evacuation. All ruined. Every single one of them because instead of being up north where it was safe, they sat side-by-side in a parking lot, not used.

And what about the hundreds upon hundreds of trailers that were parked outside of Hope, AR, waiting for LA to take them and put them to use? They may Still be there. What about the people who DID get trailers and complained because it didn't have all the comforts of home?

If you want to put the blame somewhere, put it where it belongs. It all starts "at home", not at the top. I am just so amazed at how people can even think that without common sense telling them it is wrong.

If CA is getting the help they need from FEMA, I would venture to say someone out there has some brains and is going about things in the right order, just like Gov Perry did in TX when the second hurricane came through the Gulf after Katrina hit LA. I am so impressed with how he and all the mayors along the TX coast worked TOGETHER to secure their areas. They could have cared less who was Republican and who was Democrat and THAT, dear folks, is the way it should be at times like that.

And unlike the mayor in New Orleans, they didn't go blaming others when things went wrong, they took responsibility for their own actions if something happened and they weren't prepared.

Answer 4

Katrina "victims" -- hung out in front of the TV for three days, ignoring warnings of a major storm. Louisiana leadership ignored offers of federal assistance and did nothing. Heck, "Baton Rouge" Ray Nagin ran to Baton Rouge and left his city behind.

California fire victims -- mostly are heeding the warnings and getting out of the way. Government at all levels is taking action.

Bottom line: No matter how involved government is during a pending natural disaster, it is up to the individual to get the heck out of the way. Sitting around and throwing a hurricane party is not very smart.

Answer 5

since when is any human being responsible for natural disasters? Sorry but you cannot pin this on Mr. Bush with any sincerity. The fires started in an area that is tinder dry with very little rainfall! Not Mr. Bush's fault! FEMA has learned from Katrina and that's a good thing!

Answer 6

The big difference.
The Cali fire evacuees were prepared, responsible and took care of the required preparations for an emergency such as this. They were insured and have the necessary support mechanisms in place as any responsible person should.
In other words, personal responsibility.
The Katrina evacuees, for the most part, were bums with no more foresight in their lives but to expect Georgie boy and the federal government to take care of them.

Answer 7

Learn to read. FEMA is not running the show in California. The state and local government is doing it. The city of New Orleans and Louisiana let there people down. They basically put up there hands and said the the federal government handle this. California said lets get to work.

Answer 8

The biggest difference between Katrina and the fires in So Cal are the local and state governments involved. Louisiana and New Orleans officials were incompetent. Even though Bush declared a state of Emergency two days before the storm hit land, the governor and mayor did NOTHING !

Answer 9

there is a huge difference between katrina and those fires.
in the fires small parts of communities are being affected. in katrina huge swaths of coastline devastated everything around.
the local communities in the fires are doing most of the disaster relief work.

that model *fails* when ALL of the local community is disrupted. thats when you depend on federal or state government.

what Katrina victims found is that the federal response to a large scale tragedy was very late and very poor.

about the fires:
people are also pissed at the federal government over these fires. the GOP plays a game where they hold back fire fighting aircraft till its usually too late, they did it 4 years ago and did it this time. Fires raged for 3 days before those aircraft were made available. Why is that? They were just sitting there.

Answer 10

Mayor "What buses?" Nagin was the primary problem for Katrina survivors. There were 60 unused buses Mr. Nagin could've used to bus his citizens out of the city with... but no, Mr. Nagin had already evacuated his own sorry self from the area... and sent thousands of people to a stadium that WASN'T EVEN SET UP FOR A DISASTER EVACUATION.

Disaster management is a joint effort, involving city leaders (Mr. What Buses?), state leaders (the Lousiana governor waited several days before declaring a "state of disaster"), and federal leaders.

Apparently, Californians have their poop together a little better than Louisianans do when it comes to disasters.