Currently reading a book on the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. There have been many interesting things, but one today struck me in comparison to how Hurricane Katrina was handled. The earthquake occurred at 5 am. Less than 18 hours later a train had arrived from Los Angeles full of food and medical supplies, and others were coming from Oregon, Washington and Nevada. The president immediately issued an order to the military to assist, and within a few days 10% of the standing military were in San Francisco and every available military tent was also there. Remember, there were no airplanes to transport this. It all came in by train and wagon. In other words they responded my quickly and more efficiently than did FEMA after Katrina.
I have heard good things from those dealing with FEMA following the flooding here, and I can't help but wonder if that is because we now have someone in charge of FEMA (as well as all other governmental agencies) that feel it is the government's job and responsibility to do these things. I once worked for someone who was whispered as a potential nominee to head the Department of Education under the younger Bush, and it was his position that the department should be abolished. How good of a job running the department do you think he would have done?
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