Sandy and the president

[kathyp]

i know it sounds like the start of a puppy story 

i vividly remember Katrina and the raging against the president, FEMA, etc.  within 3 days it was all bush's fault.  as soon as the shops in NO opened, they were full of tshirts blaming everything but the actual storm on bush, FEMA, and the RC.
  at that time FEMA was a 2800 man/woman strong agency.  the smallest agency in the federal government.  it was doing exactly what it had been tasked with doing which was assisting states in the logistics of disaster aftermath.  FEMA is now a massive and expensive bureaucracy.  while they still are not 1st responders, they are supposed to be there with stuff.  that's what people wanted.  that's what we pay for. 

i don't blame what happens after a disaster on the president, any president.  recovery from disaster is not his job.  i don't think that FEMA should even exist.  that said, it seems odd to me that after Katrina bush was hammered from day 1 over the response, but obama has pretty much gotten a pass. 

i have observed something else.  the states impacted, were not prepared.  the first thing they did was scream for FEMA and RC.  if the involvement in disaster response allowing states to pass on preparedness?  just as we see people becoming lazy when someone else is doing for them, i think we are seeing states take a pass on what they should be doing, in the hopes that they can demand that the rest of the country step up and pay for their neglect.

[AllenF]

I agree that recovery from disaster is not his job, but it is just so much fun to rip on the president, no matter which one.  I think that we are so blessed with the ability to save up a little to take care of our selves for a few weeks and that there are just so many non government agencies that come in to help after a natural disaster.  When I was younger and something bad happened, we did not look to the federal government to take care of us. 

[buzzbee]

I wonder now for those that stayed after being warned to get out  are as inconvenienced as leaving would have been.

[buzzbee]

I remember the shop I worked in back in 1996 we had flash flooding in January when 4 to 6 inches of rain fell on snow laden mountains with temps in the 50s for a day and night. The next day sub freezing temps,lots of destruction. Fema and Pema were  all over like fleas on a dog for a couple days taking info,promising help,loans and the like. Then nothing.Fortunately the locals helped each other and got the job done. If people would have waited,chances are they still would be.
I do remember Tide came and set up temporary laundries for flood victims to come wash and dry their clothes
 Many contractors sent crews with front loaders and backhoes to help with cleanup.
. And the national guard deployed to guard against looters.
Seems Bloomberg does not want them their because they are carrying guns.
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/35/44/all_martysnubbed_2012_11_02_bk.html

[kathyp]

there are times when i can't help but feel people have gotten what they deserve.  i don't mean the storm, but i am talking about the incompetent pols that they repeatedly put in place and then wonder why things go wrong.  unfortunately, those who don't vote for those losers, are still the victim of them.   

if we are headed into the same weather pattern of the 50's, then we will see more of this and it will hit areas that have put their faith in big government over self reliance.  in some ways, everything is political......

[Michael Bush]

Everyone knows that global warming was caused by President Bush and global warming caused the hurricane, so therefore it is all Bush's fault...

[luvin honey]

I didn't realize....there were people stranded for days on NYC rooftops? People died from lack of water and food? The president was off on vacation for the first 1-2 days?

[kathyp]

I didn't realize....there were people stranded for days on NYC rooftops? People died from lack of water and food? The president was off on vacation for the first 1-2 days?

seriously??  do you get your news from MSNBC?

[luvin honey]

I actually didn't follow it at all. I have no TV and was avoiding all other media due to it being election time. It's a genuine question.

[kathyp]

People died from lack of water and food?

i don't know of anyone who died for lack of food and water.  might have happened, but i didn't hear of it. 

here were people stranded for days on NYC rooftops

wrong question.  why were people on the roofs during katrina for days? 

The president was off on vacation for the first 1-2 days?

bush was on vacation at his ranch when katrina hit.  he left his vacation and went back to washington.  obama was at work when sandy hit and he left washington the day after for a campaign event in Las Vegas. 

i am curious. on what information do you base your political positions?  not that i think the press is a great place to get info, but it's part of the picture....at least a place from which to start research.

[luvin honey]

Normally, I read a ton online, my state newspaper, listen to public radio. After Sandy, I was not doing much media at all, trying to avoid the nonstop political stuff.

I try to base my political views also on my real life. I talk to my friends and family who are Republicans, hear their gripes about Democrats, and vice versa. I acknowledge when they seem to have good points.