Florida Today Article

"It focuses on encouraging personal responsibility through education as well as money to strengthen public infrastructure and personal residences."

""We need to focus on the people who can't be prepared for 72 hours," Bush said. "The folks that are driving around in Mercedes to get free ice and free water, I'm not going to worry about them so much."

...Seems like this is a little late...

Well, better late than never. I wonder if we'll hit Z again this year?

And I liked the comment about Mercedes. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The state was already about 80% there the last 2 seasons. His plan is to remove the last 20% which was expected Federal Government help.

My personal opinion is that Florida is in the same class as California in emergency prepardness. The state hasn't royally screwed up since we got punched in the gut during Andrew. Now, if it looks like a hurricane will hit, tolls drop on outbound directions 3 - 5 days in advance.

"Bush's budget proposal is silent on what some lawmakers say is Florida's greatest hurricane challenge -- widespread and extended power outages like those that paralyzed South Florida following Hurricane Wilma."

Do people in FL (including lawmakers & media) REALLY expect FL to EVER get into a position where a hurricane hits and all they have to do is flip a switch and everything will instantly be back to normal?

That's insane, even for American whiners.

There are very few people in FL (or anywhere else) that aren't capable of buying & storing a week's worth of water, food and batteries. We've become a nation of helpless, whining complainers that expect to sit back on their bent lounge chairs and have the government come and wipe our noses and butts. PATHETIC!

What might be a real eye-opener is for FL (& all the other states) to openly state that they AREN'T going to provide shelter, food, water and ice to anyone but the aged, injured and infirm, and then DO IT!

Providing supplies for people who are capable of taking care of themselves for a few days is a waste of effort and money.

Cynical Sue

If you take that tack, then you have to start wondering if anyone who chooses to live in a huricane prone area isn't thinking too clearly about the eventuality no matter how well they're prepared for a disaster with stored water and Emergency/Survival kits...

If someone is prepared, and they loose their supplies as a wall of water crashes through their homes...

Not only that, but how many people expect the gub'ment to give them money to rebuild no matter how many times their home has been destroyed? Not to mention what we've seen from the insurance industry after the latest hurricane season for those who were prepared for that eventuality...

I personally don't know where to draw the line in my mind and can only do my best to have compassion for everyone because we're all ill prepared for one thing or another. It's the shell we don't hear that's going to blow our little worlds to pieces.

For me it's not so easy an issue, but still I can understand your cynicism.

While I agree with the sentiment, there are far too many people who don't "see the light" until it's too late. I don't want my tax money distributed to idiots who don't care when they've been told what to do, but if it means fewer lives lost, I suppose some politicians will jump to spend my money. To bad they don't spend more wisely and save even more lives.

One other thing, it's not unreasonable to expect state and federal governments (or provincial, county, etc. for those not in the States) to have a plan to "flip a switch" to get everything back to normal. There's a LOT that can be done to get things back to at least survivable conditions. Waterproof buried electrical cable, backup grid components that can be activated to bring on power, emergency-use-only fuel pipelines to critical infrastructure and shelters, mobile electrical generation trailers, prophylactic building codes and construction standards, stocking and equiping emergency shelters and hospitals (food, meds, water, light, sanitation), encouraging more volunteerism for emergency preparedness and first aid, mobile deployment of water filtration/sanitation facilities, the list goes on (but will be ignored by most governments)....

All of these things cost some money, but they are multiple use and really sensible. Why is it unreasonable to expect some of the profits the utilities take to go back into their infrastructure and emergency preparedness plans? Why shouldn't people who can't make it out not have "something" they can fall back on should their own preparations be destroyed or inadequate for the time they need? Government is supposed to take care of infrastructure and make sure corporations who take their profits from said infrastructure put back into it for the good of all.

I ask you this: What if YOU were in the hospital on a ventilator after an accident, expecting a full recovery, and a hurricane/ND hits the hospital? Maybe they have enough diesel to run their generators for a week and plenty of O2. Don't you think it's reasonable for you, the patient, to expect that the government have plans to refuel that hospital (and any others stricken) within an agreed upon time period? Even if the hospital stretches with 2 weeks of diesel (very unlikely), and they only keep critical equipment active, if there are no plans or capabilities to get fuel, that person who would/should have lived won't stand a chance after that timeperiod.

We are woefully unprepared as a society. But along with our own personal and family preparedness, we need to encourage local and federal politicians to spend our money in smart ways. The sad truth is that much disaster could be avoided and we could get back on our feet pretty quickly - power is a large part of this. Insurance companies should also be the ones we encourage since they have the money and a PAC to get some of this done.

I'm hoping I don't have to rely on the government, but I find it sort of silly to say people are idiots if they find themselves having to do so. You simply never know when you find yourself, your family or your friend being that idiot, so why not make sure the government makes at least minimal preparations? It doesn't mean YOU have to stop being prepared and give over your safety to the state!

Rant On:
Last week I attended the Maryland State Swift/Flood Water summit, in part sponsored by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). I t has been recognized since hurricane Floyd that the state is ill prepared to handle such events and despite legislation to have a state wide plan and associated resources and despite being hit by Hurricane Isabelle, we still lack a plan that is truly effective.

Currently FEMA does not have a strong plan of action for swift/flood water response, although Katrina was a major wake up call, progress is slow at best. Other then CA, TX and NC, most states are well behind the times in planning, resource development and training. Most flash flooding events are local in nature, so regional and state emergency management agencies leave planning up to local municipalities. Flooding, especially due to hurricanes are defiantly regional in nature and often impact several state EMAs and few are truly prepared.

Funding for equipment, training and supplies especially since 9/11 have gone towards terrorism response. While it is true, the potential for devastation from a terrorist act could be enormous, daily more people more are affected and have lost both property and lives due to flooding. However, both the public and the politicians, unless floods directly affect them, continue to ignore the problem. Building continues, resulting in loss of ground water absorption and most localities continue to look to home building as tax revenue generators. Whether you believe in Global Warming and if so, regardless if it manmade or the result of natural forces, costal communities over the next 20+ years are in greater danger from flooding then ever before.

Unfortunately, it is going to take several more disasters of epic proportion before the matter is adequately addressed.

Rant Off-
Pete

clapsssssssssssssssssssssssss! from across the room you are so right coming from a person been there done that,

Massacre, if you would reread my post a bit more thoroughly, you will see that I am not against helping those who need it. I am talking about the able-bodied people who have all the toys there are, and still expect someone else to provide for them. These people are a drain on all available resources, and will CONTINUE to be a drain, until someone puts their foot down and says "NO!"

Sue