[Rhodes22-list] P-Horse shit and drinking.

[Herb Parsons]

So, you're assuming that in the three weeks since Katrina, the mayor of Galveston and the Governor of Texas "learned" the lessons from Katrina, and jumped into action?

See, that's the arrogance of many of the left. The city of Galveston and the state of Texas did little, if anything, to alter their evacuation plans. Those plans were in place. They learned their lesson from the 1900 hurricane, not Katrina.

And Bill, I'm going to repeat myself. I wasn't passing on "observations from the ground." I was passing on information that was related to me by the USCG Lt Col in charge at Alexandra, LA. Nothing I've said would position me as any sort of expert on anything. I never quoted myself as a "source".

On the other hand, you have done so.

I also find it note worthy you give the example of the President saying "There is plenty of time for us to figure out what went wrong" (though I doubt that's exactly what he said), but leave out the Mayor of New Orleans insisting, in spite of the advice given to him by FEMA and the President, that New Orleans was ready to be repopulated. It took another storm in the gulf for him to realize that maybe, just maybe, the Feds might know a thing or two.

I also notice that even in this case, the President offered ADVICE to the Mayor, and didn't storm in (no pun intended) and take over. That's the way our country is supposed to work.

I can't help but note that leaving out the mayor's post-Katrina response does; however, fit in nicely with your "let's blame everything on the Bush administration" philosophy.

There are LOT of needed changes that should come as a result of Katrina. I personally believe though, that the changes should be from the bottom to the top, rather than the other way around. The first place the people invovled should look is THEMSELVES. Those that were there should ask "What should I do in case of a mandatory (whatever THAT means in this case) evacuation" and "what can I do to prepare me and mine for next time". Then work up the tree from there.

Finally, as far as me "yelling 'Blame Game' and obscuring the facts", neither is true. If someone wants to fully analyze what went wrong, that's fine, but analyze EVERYTHING that went wrong. If someone wants to just say "This is all Bush's fault", or even "This is all Nagan's fault", then I don't care to participate. THOSE types of comments, are what is "obscuring the facts". 

Herb Parsons

S/V O'Jure
  1976 O'Day 25
  Lake Grapevine, N TX

S/V Reve de Papa
  1971 Coronado 35
  Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Coast
>>> bill at effros.com 09/21/05 8:48 AM >>>
Wally,

I did not mean to berate Herb, and I do understand how my comments could 
have been taken that way, and for that I apologize to Herb, and to the 
rest of the list.

What I was trying to say was that people on the scene can tell us what 
they see, but that those first hand accounts should not be confused with 
expertise about obscure laws that do not apply, or a special knowledge 
of the sequence of events which the observer did not see.

The Blind Men and the Elephant.

I am not blaming anyone for anything, except those who yell "Blame Game" 
over and over to obscure the facts, and then start flooding the Internet 
with completely false information.  In my view that is dangerous, and 
someone must speak out against it.  General Honore has done so, and I 
applaud him for it.

The current situation with Rita is exactly the same as the situation 
with Katrina was, this many days before the hurricane hit.  FEMA is in 
action.  Local governments are doing their best.  Pre-determined 
evacuation plans are being implemented on the local, state and federal 
levels.  Things have been learned in the intervening 3 weeks, they are 
being applied, and we will surely have less loss of life this time around.

And that is the reason it is so important to get the facts right, from 
the get-go, and not be lulled by a President who says, wrongly, again 
and again, "There is plenty of time for us to figure out what went 
wrong..."  Well, there wasn't plenty of time to figure out what went 
wrong, and luckily many people started trying to figure it out and do 
something about it immediately..

Bill Effros

Wally Buck wrote: