I have some mixed thoughts about the response to the disaster.
On one hand, I think the response should have been faster, but then I also know that to mobilize a response this large takes time. Then I hear that the mayor/govenor didn't utilize the resources available prior to the hurricane, and have been less than efficient in utilizing the resources available makes me wonder who's driving this bus.
FEMA is unfortunatly a large beurocratic organization. Anyone who has worked with the goverment knows that they don't move quickly. I think the response was good, but a bit slow. Again, I'm hearing that they did not pull the trigger, and start their response unitl a day or two later, which is totally inappropriate. The director was some head honcho for a horse judging outfit prior to his gig as the director of FEMA. WTF?? What makes him qualified in any way to organize a gigantic operation like this?
I'm really upset with these people who are claiming race bias. I have not seen any evidence of this whatsoever. I hate to say this, but it seems like the people who are the most racist are the black folks. It seems as though they are the ones who always pull the race card. Until the black pundits (Al Sharpton - whose only purpose in life seems to be to stir chit) started pulling the race thing, nobody else had said boo about race. It irritates me that these people seem to always have a racial slant to things (both good and bad). There is no need for this. I've seen rescuers risking their lives to save white, black, yellow green and every other color without thinking twice about it. It has nothing to do with race from what I can see. Just so happens that a large percentage of the people who need rescuing are black.
I think Texas deserves huge kudos for taking so many refugees and being willing to step in and help wherever they can. I'm sure other states have done significant things to help as well (including sending relief and taking refugees), but unfortunatly you don't hear as much about them.
I could go on, but not everyone wants to hear me rant.
Erik
