HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Sept. 27, 2005 Having watched approximately 500,000 of the 1.2 million evacuees from Houston drive back and forth in front of my house over the last week, the enormity of the mistakes made were staring me in the face. As usual, my ideas on the subject fly in the face of popular opinion and much of the rhetoric on this site. My brother and his family were forced to evacuate Houston and spent a few days with us. That makes his total costs for the experience much less than many others’, he did not pay for a hotel. Still between three tanks of gas and missed work (he’s a contract electrician), he estimates the do-gooders cost him about $700. Figuring that some families did stay at hotels, I’d estimate the average family cost would be at least $750. Dividing 1.2 million by an average family size of four equals 300k families, or a total cost for the evacuation of Houston alone of about $225 million – out of their own pockets. Repeat those costs for the Golden Triangle area (Texas term for Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange) and Lake Charles, La., and I’m guessing citizens shelled out about $500 million just to evacuate. Where are those debit cards when you need them? Why did our government force those people to spend that money? I know my brother sorely needed his and judging by some of the ragtag cars I saw rattling by, others did too. I think the government’s responsibility should be limited to warning folks – but they should do that very, very well. And providing evacuation shelters. And removing any barriers preventing the citizens from saving themselves. I do believe that the government should save people – innocent victims. But I don’t call anyone living on the Gulf Coast that gets wiped out by a hurricane ‘innocent’, I call them ‘stupid.’ Hurricanes do not rise up out of the ocean and wreak havoc in a day’s time like a tornado – they are spotted at least a week in advance and meticulously tracked constantly until every last rain drop falls. Yes, there are a small percentage of folks who intentionally isolate themselves from society, and so may not hear of a storm’s approach, but that’s a risk they assumed with their isolation. And others are incapacitated, or mentally deficient. Well, as Sam Kinison said to the starving folks in Chad – "MOVE!!’. The Gulf Coast is hit by hurricanes EVERY year. Live on the Gulf Coast and there’s no question ‘if’ you’ll get wiped out by a hurricane – only ‘when?" I don’t understand why U.S. taxpayers have to foot the bill for the losses of folks who assume the risk of living on the coast. But I can accept that, I’m not a heartless SOB. What I’m struggling with is the forced evacuations, at your own expense. If I want to be an idiot and "ride it out" – let me die. If my neighbor wants to ride it out, let him die – don’t spend my hard earned tax dollars saving his stupidness. "What about all the traffic jams that might prevent someone from fleeing if an evacuation is not organized?", I was asked. It takes about 6 hours for a healthy person to walk twenty miles – typically enough distance to escape the storm surge. If there is a traffic jam and danger approaches, start walking. If you can’t walk, if you aren’t healthy – read Sam Kinison’s advice again. ------------ About the author: Ron Lewis is a software salesman extraordinaire, albeit habitually unemployed, with no significant accomplishments at age 47 other than two wonderfully talented children who take after their mother. All his friends note his keen insight, bad eyesight, doggedly jaded disposition, and rugged bad looks. A third person seems to recall that he talks too much. Email: grnacres@direcway.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
