Newspaper Page Text
4A
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2005
CUhe .ijmmutl
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President,
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans Rex Gambill
Vice President Managing Editor
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Yes, let's tlnger-point and blame
President Bush insists that now is not the time
for finger-pointing and blame, but it certainly is
and most of the finger-pointing and blame for the
slow-motion federal response to Hurricane
Katrina is being directed at Michael Brown, the
hapless head of FEMA whose only apparent qual
ification for the job was a wise choice of college
roommate.
Editorialized an outraged New Orleans Times-
Picayune, "Every official at the Federal
Emergency Management Agency should be fired,
Director Michael Brown especially."
Even as the vast federal relief apparatus now
appears to be finally in gear, Congress and the
White House are planning separate investiga
tions into why the initial response was so slow
and fragmented. Brown, the governor of
Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans will
come in for harsh scrutiny, but investigators
should step back and look at a broader issue:
Maybe in part this was a failure of government
structure. Maybe FEMA should not be _ and
should never have been _ part of the Department
of Homeland Security, best known for making
Americans remove their shoes and surrender
their nail scissors.
FEMA was created in 1979, the successor to
agencies whose primary mission was civil
defense, principally preparing for a nuclear
attack. With the end of the Cold War, FEMA
focused on natural disasters. Under the Clinton
administration, FEMA was an independent
agency with broad powers in emergencies; its
head, a seasoned professional, had Cabinet sta
tus; and it won praise for its reaction to floods,
hurricanes and the Oklahoma City bombing. It
was not an agency that needed fixing.
But, in 2002, FEMA and 21 other agencies were
thrown into the new Department of Homeland
Security. Disaster relief is not a top priority or
even close to one for DHS; counterterrorism is. In
a Web site updated as recently as Sept. 3, the
White House reiterated that DHS is "a single
agency dedicated to protecting Americans from
terrorism." The Web site goes on about counter
ing terrorism and not at all about disaster relief.
FEMA began dropping down the organizational
depth charts. A reorganization plan announced
this summer would have made it subservient to
yet another layer of bureaucracy. The Financial
Times reports that FEMA's budget has been cut
each year it has been part of DHS, and that it has
been reduced by 500 positions in that time.
Taking Michael Brown out of the equation for a
moment, Congress should consider this chilling
possibility: Maybe with its reduced status, small
er staff, increased departmental red tape and
bureaucratic hurdles, FEMA did the best it could.
It wasn't good enough and may never be as long
as it's part of Homeland Security.
- Scripps Howard News Service
Send your Letters to the Editor to:
The Houston Home Journal
P.O. Box 1910 • Perry, Ga 31069 or
Email: hhj@evansnewspapers.com
Katrina has brought the worst of times; the best of times
To quote Charles Dickens:
“It was the best of times; it
was the worst of times.” He
could have been talking
about us. We have certainly
been through the worst of
times. If there is anything
worse than the devastation
caused by Hurricane
Katrina, I’ll pass, thank you.
Here we are at the fourth
anniversary of the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11 and all
those bad memories, and
now Mother Nature deals us
a blow unlike anything we
have ever experienced.
Death and destruction on a
scale that is unimaginable.
Homes and businesses total
ly wiped out. An entire city
gone. A friend of mine
showed me a note from an
acquaintance of his in
Louisiana, who says the
state’s Supreme Court was
underwater, along with all of
its legal documents. Think
«f the complications that
Dick Yarbrough
Columnist
yarb24oo@bellsouth.net
will present.
We have made the worst of
times even worse with all
the finger-pointing and sec
ond-guessing over the gov
ernment’s response to the
aftermath of Katrina. Yes,
the federal government was
slow to respond, and, yes,
the president dithered at his
ranch too long. Neither the
mayor of New Orleans nor
Refugees, evacuees: I have another ward for them
The e-mail came from
someone, presumably a
woman since the pseudo
nym of the sender was a
feminine name, who took
exception to something I
wrote last week.
I referred to the people
who have left New Orleans
as “refugees” and in the e
mail I was reprimanded for
not using the word “evac
uees.”
“You have offended these
people by calling them
refugees,” the e-mail said,
adding, “You are attempting
to strip them of their digni
ty.”
This really defies the
imagination and that is why
I am passing it on to readers
of this column. They are
evacuees from New Orleans,
but I feel like they are
refugees from the storm and
devastation.
The most offensive line in
the e-mail said that using
the word “refugees” when
referring to these people
was a racist remark, since
most of them were blacks.
That is a startling state-
Trinity UMC collecting Items
Editor:
Please spread the word.
Trinity United Methodist
at 129 S. Houston Road in
Warner Robins is collecting
donations and providing
them to evacuees in this
area. We served 39 adult and
28 children evacuees today.
We are accepting drop offs
starting at 8 a.m. each day
this week and on Saturday
and at least for the next two
weeks.
We need everything!
Clothes of every size and
gender, kitchen supplies,
towels, linens, sheets, blan
kets and pillows, shoes,
belts, diapers, wipes, kids
games, stuffed animals,
books, videotapes and
DVDs, toys, baby equip
ment, PACKAGED under
wear for any size and gen
der, suitcases, Rubbermaid
tubs, purses, jewelry, per
fumes, lotions, bubble baths,
unopened makeup, soap,
deodorant, shaving cream,
razors, toothbrushes and
toothpaste, tools, vacuums,
TVs, radios, alarm clocks,
microwaves, Crock Pots,
blenders, mixing bowls,
pitchers, silverware and
dishes, placemats and table
cloths, dish soap, laundry
soap, fabric softener, bleach,
sponges, computers, furni
ture, rugs, OTC meds, laun
dry baskets, hampers, dia
per pails, toilet brushes,
kitchen cleaners, paper
goods, hangers, socks, back
packs, school supplies, can
dles, matches, coffeemakers,
filters and coffee, irons and
ironing boards, cookbooks,
light bulbs and lamps, box
fans, sleeping bags and air
mattresses, tarps, camping
equipment, sewing supplies
such as thread, needle, pins
and scissors, sewing
machines, DVD and VCR
players, cameras, batteries,
film, flashlights, bicycles
the governor of Louisiana
have exactly covered them
selves in glory, either. Where
is Rudy Giuliani when you
need him?
Shame on the black politi
cians who have played the
race cards. I am particularly
embarrassed that my old
friend, Rep. David Scott, of
Georgia’s 13th District,
joined with our Ambassador
to Outer Space Cynthia
McKinney and charged that
if those had been white faces
staring back at us on televi
sion, we would have
responded quicker. “Prove
me wrong,” he says.
No, Rep. Scott, you prove
it correct. That is a serious
charge you make and it
smacks of racism of the
worst type. I never thought I
would see you pander like
that. Leave the race-baiting
to McKinney. It’s her only
talent.
We made the worst of
Foy Evans
Columnist
foyevansl9@cox.net
ment.
I doubt that the “evac
uees” are concerned with
political correctness or
semantics at this time. They
probably are grateful that
they are alive and are receiv
ing compassionate help dur
ing their time of crisis.
Ironically, within a few
hours after I received the e
mail referred to above I
received two more saying
basically the same thing.
Both were sent *by people
who did not use their real
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
and rollerblades/skates,
jump ropes, Hula Hoops,
treadmills and Slim Fast,
shower caps, sleeping
clothes, transportation to
new jobs, DFCS, Social
Security, doctors’ appoint
ments, gasoline gift cards,
Blockbuster and theater
movie passes, gift certifi
cates for meals and gift
cards to stores.
Well, have I forgotten any
thing? Let me know. Now is
the time for that garage
closet-attic cleaning.
God bless!
Maria Trenam
Warner Robins
Why not blame
mayor, governor?
Editor:
The liberal media keeps
stating the federal govern
ment and President Bush
were slow to respond to the
Katrina disaster that hit
New Orleans. Why don’t
they ask the Mayor of New
Orleans where was his evac
uation plan? Why didn’t he
use the resources available
"
/ i ( to help the storm victims \
* ime 1 *°°k Qroundme| /
times even worse here in
Georgia when we allowed
the news media to panic us
into thinking there would be
no more gas available. (If
the potential gas shortage
slowed anybody down to
anywhere near normal
speeds on the interstate
highways over the past cou
ple of weeks, I missed it.)
Some service stations took
the advantage of the rumors
to raise prices to as much as
$6 a gallon. Gov. Sonny
Perdue has promised to take
names and kick fannies. I
would suggest stringing
them up by their toenails.
Then, there are the best of
times. Money is pouring into
relief efforts from every
source imaginable: church
es, civic clubs, businesses,
actors, athletes, entertain
ers and plain old everyday
citizens. Now, miracle of
miracles, even some foreign
governments are offering
names in their e-mails.
It reeked of some sort of
meaningless campaign
about absolutely nothing.
I guess some people sit
around looking for things to
complain about instead of
getting out and doing some
thing useful.
Meanwhile, many of the
“evacuees/refugees” are now
in Houston County and are
being provided housing,
food, clothing and comfort. I
imagine that if they were
asked how to refer to them
most would simply say, “for
tunate.”
• • •
The spike in gasoline
prices seems to have come
and gone for the present.
Last Wednesday I filled the
tank of my car, not knowing
that there had been rumors
of a shortage. Within a mat
ter of a few hours the price
went up 40 cents a gallon to
$2.66 where I buy my gas.
The peak in prices came
Friday, when I saw premium
gas priced a $3.67 a gallon.
After Gov. Perdue warned
against gouging and stopped
at his disposal, such as
police cars, school buses,
city buses, boats and ambu
lances to move the poor out
of the city? And for the gov
ernor, where was the
National Guard? Inquiring
minds would like to know.
You can bet the media will
not ask these questions.
Chester Lambert
Warner Robins
HHJ an excellent newspaper
Editor:
I greatly appreciate the
efforts that your reporter,
Timothy Graham, went to
accurately report the use of
the ReSTOR lens in my
patient with macular dis
ease.
I have said it before and I
reiterate, “The Houston
Home Journal has become
an excellent newspaper that
we enjoy receiving at my
office.”
It is nice to have a news
paper so interested in cover
ing local news, especially
that which may benefit
their help. Volunteers are
going to Louisiana and
Mississippi to give assis
tance. In Georgia, people
have greeted evacuees with
open arms, taking them into
our hospitals, our nursing
homes, our schools and our
residences. Even the govern
ment seems to have gotten
its act together and is begin
ning to make some headway
in getting order re-estab
lished.
Groups are vowing to go to
the hardest hit places and
help rebuild. My own church
has committed to going to
Mississippi and helping
build new churches. I hope
to be a part of that effort. I
should be a great asset.
After all, I was elected
Latrine Digger First Class in
Honduras. I am a rare and
vanishing breed.
President Bush has said
that the recovery is going to
take yeare. That is a little
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
collecting state taxes of
about 15 cents a gallon the
same gasoline was priced 58
cents lower Saturday.
How low will it go? For the
immediate future we cannot
expect any relief.
I do not have any inside
knowledge on the subject.
However, in my opinion, we
may never see gasoline
priced below $2 a gallon
again. Why? Because the
people in control have
learned that Americans are
not going to give up their
gas guzzling vehicles and
are willing to pay whatever
is asked of them.
If we are patient enough
and live until 2011 there is a
promise from the federal
government that a few vehi
cles - not the worst gas guz
zlers - will be required to
get better gas mileage.
You just have to love such
boldness in dealing with this
crisis. President Jimmy
Carter did much better
when he was faced with a
shortage of gasoline about
25 years ago.
many of its readers.
J.L. Gayton, MD
Warner Robins
How about a national DT
Editor:
Since our federal Justice
Department has ruled that
our new photo ID law is not
illegal, I would go a step fur
ther and require a National
Photo ID for all legal resi
dents of our nation.
Also we should require
this federal ID be required
for all job applicants nation
wide. Illegal immigration
from Mexico, Central and
South America needs to be
curtailed if not eliminated.
It’s unfair to qualified, eli
gible applicants who go
through the legal processes
to become a citizen to see
others sneak across the
Mexican border. Israel’s wall
across its borders looks like
a great idea! This is all sad
but necessary.
Frank W. Gadbois
Warner Robins
scary, because I know of our
short attention span. The
temptation will be to inure
ourselves to the stories and
the pictures of the devasta
tion, and to begin to com
plain about the inconven
ience it has caused us.
Please don’t let that happen.
Remember, there is no time
limit on doing good deeds.
My friend and mentor, the
late Jasper Dorsey, said the
only reason that we are on
this earth - the only reason
- is to leave this world better
than we found it. Hurricane
Katrina has given us the
perfect opportunity to do
that. Together, we can make
the worst of times, the best
of times. Charles Dickens
thanks you. I do, too.
You can reach Dick
Yarbrough at
yarb24oo(g)bellsouth.net,
P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta,
GA 31139, or Web site:
u/wui