Texas vs. Louisiana

[Casper]

OBSERVATION OF TEXAS VS. LOUISIANA

 

 

Things I have noticed while watching media coverage of the recent hurricanes.

 

 

1. Texas: Productive industrious state run by Republicans.

 

Louisiana: Government dependent welfare state run by Democrats.

 

 

2. Texas: Residents take responsibility to protect and evacuate themselves.

 

 

Louisiana: Residents wait for government to protect and evacuate them.

 

 

3. Texas: Local and state officials take responsibility for protecting their citizens and property.

 

 

Louisiana: Local and state officials blame federal government for not protecting their citizens and property.

 

 

4. Texas: Command and control remains in place to preserve order.

 

 

Louisiana: Command and control collapses allowing lawlessness.

 

 

5. Texas: Law enforcement officers remain on duty to protect city.

 

 

Louisiana: Law enforcement officers desert their posts to protect themselves.

 

 

6. Texas: Local police watch for looting.

 

 

Louisiana: Local police participate in looting.

 

 

7. Texas: Law and order remains in control, 8 looters tried it, 8 looters arrested.

 

 

Louisiana: Anarchy and lawlessness breaks out, looters take over city, no arrests, criminals with guns have to be shot by federal troops.

 

 

8. Texas: Considerable damage caused by hurricane.

 

 

Louisiana: Considerable damage caused by looters.

 

 

9. Texas: Flood barriers hold preventing cities from flooding.

 

 

Louisiana: Flood barriers fail due to lack of maintenance allowing city to flood.

 

 

10. Texas: Orderly evacuation away from threatened areas, few remain.

 

 

Louisiana: 25,000 fail to evacuate, are relocated to another flooded area.

 

 

11. Texas: Citizens evacuate with personal 3-day supply of food and water.

 

 

Louisiana: Citizens fail to evacuate with 3-day supply of food and water, do without it for the next 4 days.

 

 

12. Texas: FEMA brings in tons of food and water for evacuees. State officials provide accessible distribution points.

 

 

Louisiana: FEMA brings in tons of food and water for evacuees. State officials prevent citizens from reaching distribution points and vice versa.

 

 

13. Louisiana: Media focuses on poor blacks in need of assistance, blames Bush.

 

 

Texas: Media can't find poor blacks in need of assistance, looking for something else to blame on Bush.

 

 

14. Texas: Coastal cities suffer some infrastructure damage, Mayors tell residents to stay away until ready for repopulation, no interference from federal officials.

 

 

Louisiana: New Orleans is destroyed, Mayor asks residents to return home as another hurricane approaches, has to be overruled by federal officials.

 

 

15. Louisiana: Over 800 killed by storm, flooding and crime.

 

 

Texas: 24 killed in bus accident on highway during evacuation, few storm related deaths.

 

 

16. Texas: Jailed prisoners are relocated to other detention facilities outside the storm area.

 

 

Louisiana: Jailed prisoners are set free to prey on city shops, residents, and homes.

 

 

17. Texas: Local and state officials work with FEMA and Red Cross in recovery operations.

 

 

Louisiana: Local and state officials obstruct FEMA and Red Cross from aiding in recovery operations.

 

 

18. Texas: Local and state officials demonstrate leadership in managing disaster areas.

 

 

Louisiana: Local and state officials fail to demonstrate leadership, require federal government to manage disaster areas.

 

 

19. Texas: Fuel deliveries can't keep up with demand, some run out of gas on highway, need help from fuel tankers before storm arrives.

 

 

Louisiana: Motorists wait till storm hits and electrical power fails. Cars run out of gas at gas stations that can't pump gas. Gas in underground tanks mixes with floodwaters.

 

 

20. Texas: Mayors move citizens out of danger.

 

 

Louisiana: Mayor moves himself and family to Dallas.

 

 

21. Texas: Mayors continue public service announcements and update on television with Governor's backing and support.

 

 

Louisiana: Mayor cusses, governor cries, senator threatens president with violence on television, none of them have a clue what went wrong or who's responsible.

 

 

22. Louisiana: Democratic Senator says FEMA was slow in responding to 911 calls from Louisiana citizens.

 

 

Texas: Republican Senator says, "When you call 911, the phone doesn't ring in Washington. It rings here at the local responders".

 

 

What if state and local elected officials were forced to depend on themselves and their own resources instead of calling for help from the federal government? Texas cities would be backing up and running in a few days. Louisiana cities would still be under water next month. Republicans call for action, Democrats call for help. What party will you be voting for in the next election?

[Devils Advocate]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww. Owned.

[Guest Boosted GS430]

And obviously no one learned in Texas learned from Katrina and that is why they overprepared for Rita???

 

No of course not, because they were republicans, everything was better, right?

[Casper]

And obviously no one learned in Texas learned from Katrina and that is why they overprepared for Rita???

 

No of course not, because they were republicans, everything was better, right?

 

 

The fact they didn't take chances can definitely be attributed to Katrina. However, the citizens have a food supply, the levee maintainence, the quick reaction by local government, the fact the local government stayed in place, the lack of looting police officers, the lack of total social corruption, etc... all had nothing to do with Katrina. Its called a strong government. Its called a local government which prepared for this years ago. They didn't get this all planned and organized in just two weeks because of Katrina. The evacuation plans, preparedness, and emergency response was something they've had planned just incase of such an incident. Louisiana blames the federal government. Did you not watch tv? Every single one of them blamed the federal government for the slow response. But what about being prepared for this? Well, New Orleans cut the maintainence budget for the levees because they, and I quote, "had better things to spend money on". What were these better things? The police force which looted and fled their posts? The pumps which didn't work? Or how about the lovely smell of urine that engulfed the entire city? You know a place is bad when the mayor of the city gets up on national television and says the looting is just because of a majority of his citizens being drug addicts and now going through withdrawal, like we should feel bad for them!

[OGRE]

And obviously no one learned in Texas learned from Katrina and that is why they overprepared for Rita???

 

No of course not, because they were republicans, everything was better, right?

 

 

Fact is La. had 3 days to prepare for what they thought may be the end of New orleans, they thought it would be WORSE than it actually was, and yet is was still a giant cluster fuck. You are acting like Katrina is the first cat. 4 hurricaine ever. It's a shame that La. didn't happen to see the hurricanes that hit Fla in the past couple years, maybe they could have learned by example. Much property damage but very few lives lost, very little looting, government infrastructure remains intact. Wait Fla and Texas responces are vaguely fimiliar, florida surely must have a democrat run government to be a good example. . . wait, oh, shit

 

And most of it was due to proper leadership, no matter if you choose to believe it or not.

[Lustalbert]

Bravo. Good comparison.

[OSUGT]

Not to hijack the thread, but what do we do now? Is New Orleans worth rebuilding? What if it was just turned into a commercial district? Maybe a port and refining city? Just a thought.

 

I think its like rebuilding a sand castle at low tide and expecting it to be there in the morning.

[ShoMeSomeFun]

Hell yea NO is worth rebuilding. Bourbon street, Mardi Gras, ive gone for the past two years. Thats my only reason though as wrong as it may be.

[McGraw]

you know, I do love these arguements everyone argues "we'll Texas was prepared and learned from Katrina." It was a fucking hurricane, they don't sneak up on you.

 

Bill : "How ya doing today Ted?"

Ted : "Not to bad, kinda windy isn't?"

Bill : "Yeah I don't know what could be going on."

Ted : "Me neith ... Oh My God a Huricane!! Run!! Someone warn the people!"

 

Turn it into political debate, heh, whatever. Anyone who sticks around for level 4+ storms. And then is surprised that there was lots of damage and people died. Probably, luckily, another hurricane 'happens' that way ... They'll move next time.

 

People who are hit by lightning four times have shitty luck, people who bitch about losing all their stuff in a hurricane four times are idiots.

 

IMO

[Lustalbert]

Rename it New Detriot. Then you wouldnt hafto fix it up any.

[OSUGT]

Hell yea NO is worth rebuilding. Bourbon street, Mardi Gras, ive gone for the past two years. Thats my only reason though as wrong as it may be.

 

 

 

If that's your only reason, then it makes the choice pretty clear. How bout they rebuild Burbon Street in Vegas? Keep your party and let me keep my tax dollars:)