According to the temporary web site for Tulane “Nine of the leading higher education associations, which represent hundreds of colleges and universities around the country, have developed a plan to accept Tulane students, as well as those from other institutions adversely affected by the hurricane, for the fall semester only.” Educational bureaucracy is a massive lethargic monster — and they are moving more quickly than recovery efforts by response entities that are supposed to move quickly.
Planned Parenthood needs your help. 100% of donations to PP for Katrina relief will go to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. One of the aspects of disaster (including war, by the way) that is rarely given attention is the lack of access to contraception and reproductive health care. Because it is, in my estimation, a woman’s problem, and thus relegated to the back burner even though inattention in this area will create misfortune for generations. The burgeoning ranks of displaced, unemployed, homeless people may not be able to care for any new children for years. This is heart-breaking. But we must insure that no unwanted children come into the world accidentally to face a life of abuse and in about 15 years to dramatically raise the crime rate. (Stanford economics research has shown this to be the case. I will supplement with the complete reference soon.)
Chain-of-command requires effective top down leadership. Ultimately some orders that needed to be given were not issued until days into the disaster. Even a Junior Congressionional Member should be able to trace the chain-of-command to see what orders were issued when. The New Orleans Atrocity is what happens when you allow, at best, self-serving intersts, or, in the worst case, criminals, to take over a political system. Fedblog is a site by and for government employees, those people who are the ones likely to be blamed by their bureaucratic bosses for failure, and who are most often not to blame. Excellent set of Katrina resources.
Okay, now to address the Republican whining that has already begun to protest that people are being mean to them by saying, “Democrats will seek to politicize this.” Hell yes. It is a political issue. Their whining supports a madman who is a crude s.o.b.. The political system needs to cut off the heads of those elements of governance (not actual decapitation, folks!) that failed. Isn’t that the point of governance — to be able to throw the bums out and from time to time; to at least, change bums?
The analogy that I have heard that makes sense to me is: “This” is no different the slum lord who knowingly builds a sub-standard building that collapses killing its occupants. It is about time for the American people to realize we do not have the highest standard living in the world. People here face horrors in their daily lives that other affluent western countries would never tolerate. Katrina has brought this out in a way that cannot be ignored.
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