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Comments on the news:  1.Katrina  2.Labor Day  3.Fletcher’s Pardons

By Theresa Fritz Camoriano

1.       Hurricane Katrina –

The Katrina disaster has many lessons for us:

First, when people along the gulf coast saw hurricane Katrina coming toward them with 175-mph winds, they should have known they were in serious trouble, and they should have left the area.  Fortunately, most people did.  Sitting in New Orleans, a city below sea level, and waiting for Katrina to hit was like sitting in the middle of a highway with cars speeding past – not very smart.  It amazes me that so many people took no responsibility for their own safety and then complained when others were not fast enough in rescuing them.  It is a lot easier and more economical to leave when the streets are clear than to be sitting on a rooftop waiting for a helicopter to rescue you, not to mention the fact that you might not survive to get to the rooftop.  Being poor is not an excuse.  Even poor people could have gotten themselves to a shelter in the city. 

Second, the local government blew it.  The mayor of New Orleans should have told people how bad the situation was and insisted that they leave.  We have known for years that a strong hurricane hitting New Orleans was likely to break the levees and be devastating.  The mayor also should have used school buses and other available resources to get people out of town.  The photos of parking lots full of swamped school buses in New Orleans indicate that the mayor failed to use the resources at his disposal to save lives and property. 

Third, the looting, shooting, and other lawlessness by people in New Orleans is sickening.  Why were so many criminals wandering around freely in the city?  Protecting the people from the bad guys is the first role of government.  Again, the local government failed to carry out its responsibility. 

Fourth, where is “homeland security” when you need it?  With a powerful hurricane bearing down on a city that lies below sea level, everyone involved in disaster relief should have expected a disaster and should have been preparing for it.  They should have had large numbers of national guard troops ready with equipment and supplies of water.  They didn’t.    

The most important lesson we can take away from this disaster is that our first line of defense is ourselves. We need to be prepared to take action to protect ourselves, our neighborhoods, and our communities. Waiting for somebody else to take responsibility for our lives could very well result in our deaths.

Labor Day –

Workers are much better off when they have opportunities.  Increased opportunities for workers are created when businesses grow and expand and when the workers themselves improve their productivity through training and education.  If we care about workers, which in most cases means caring about ourselves, we will not press for even more employment laws that have the effect of driving opportunities away.  Instead, we will cut the taxes and regulations that discourage business growth, and we will end the government monopoly on education so schools will become accountable to parents and students and will begin to give students the tools they need in order to be productive.

Pardon Me! –

I am glad Governor Fletcher pardoned the people who had been under attack by Greg Stumbo for alleged violations of the state hiring laws.  Stumbo was wielding the law as a political weapon, causing tremendous hardship for decent people.  If anyone thinks any administration could or would completely ignore politics when hiring state employees, he is dreaming.  Granted, Fletcher’s administration is very green and hasn’t learned how to play the game, but that shouldn’t cause them to have to spend all their money and time defending themselves against criminal charges.  Fletcher may take a lot of political heat for what he did, but he is a big boy and can take it.  The ability of the governor to grant pardons is an important check on the abuse of power and was properly used for that purpose in this case.  If we want competent people who could get a better paying job in the private sector to take jobs in the state government, then we need to get rid of laws that are ripe for abuse.  Meanwhile, a pardon is appropriate.

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