How they do it in Colorado

[Woodbutcher]

I don't know if it's origin is accurate but it makes some good points. Though some may enjoy the read.




This is the way we do it in Colorado!



THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MOMENT.

Denver Post:

This text is from a county emergency manager out in the central part of Colorado after today's snowstorm.

WEATHER BULLETIN

Up here, in the Northern Plains, we just recovered from a Historic event--- m ay I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FYI:

George Bush did not come.

FEMA did nothing.

No one howled for the government.

No one blamed the government.

No one even uttered an expletive on TV .

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.

Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, e ither.

CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snowstorm. Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.

No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.

No one looted.

Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.

Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.

No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera.

No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found.

Nope, we just melted the snow for water.

Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars.

The truck driv ers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.

Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snowbound families.
Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.

We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.

We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die".

We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.

Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of the world's social problems evaporate."

It does seem that way, at least to me.


Maybe SOME people will get the message. The world does Not owe you a living.

[anonymous2]

Ah,but you didn't have your house wash/blow away,loose everything,loot,riot,shoot people,because of it.Those people were not prepared for high water,as moutain cities are in case of snows even though it was a high amount. I am not making excuses but you can't compare snow to engineering mistakes,and the force of rushing water washing everything away to a few more inches then normal of blowing powder. I was in a 54" snow in Buffalo, NY years back,and the same thing happened,yes a few roofs collasped,and road were closed,power lost,but they are used to that and were relatively prepared,in week they were almost back to normal. Not so for Katrina. BTW I had family in Mississippi,and are now back in there new home after rebuilding & loosing EVERYTHING. What did you loose,but a few days off work,and reading by candle light.

pateardropper

[Miriam C.]

You tell it Pa! And no one was shooting at those trying to flee the snow. Resturants were giving food away instead of being buried under water. Had there been no water for people to drink the National Guard would not have been ordered to stand down by the Governor.

In fact if there had been an avalanche the full force of the military would have been there instantly.

The golf huricane victems had nothing. You had everything and some snow. Yes Northern folks seem to survive most disasers better than the South. Perhaps it is the kind of disaster that makes the difference.

What would you have done if you had been stuck on that bridge? You couldn't walk out, they wouldn't let people across the bridge. Could you have found a way to boil the chemicals out of the water to drink. Could you, like so many in Mississippi have survived being washed into a tree.

To those who condemn those less fortunate than yourselves (I've always wanted to use that.

[apratt]

If you go back in history, it was not the goverment responsilblty to take care of everyone and the city took care of them self. They had no problem. Now goverment step in and getting spread out to thin and now everyone has problems and goverment get blamed.

[Miriam C.]

When the city and your neighbors are all underwater you really need the bigger community to jump in. Through out our history we have helped the world but not our own.

Imagine not sending the US military to help Indonesia. Why not New Orleans? I am not saying make the people dependant or that there aren't abuses. Weeks ago we watched our military go up a mountain for 3 men why not 30,o00 men women and children?

The type of disaster is different. You can recover and go back to work from a blizzard. You cannot recover or go aback when there is nothing and the government hires illegals to do the clean up. Your neighbor can't help you if your neighbor is up the same tree.

PS---check your history. Start with the history of the Red Cross

[apratt]

I realize when a city gets wiped out it makes it hard for them to recover. That is where insurance comes in. It is amazing ( and sad ) that a lot of people do not have insurance! A home or business is a major investment you should have insurance to protect your investment. So if they want to gamble on their investment they should not expect other people to bail them out on their foolish gamble.

P.s. I wish I could remember where I read the article about the county that suffer a major huricane, it was back in 1923 if I remeber right.

[Laredo]

But I note the NG is out feeding the cows now, for all those highly-self-sufficient Coloradans.

Much like we had folks from all over helping fight fires in the Panhandle, this time last year.

Like the constitution and the beatitudes, government works best when it's made to work for everybody, not a handful. Resentment of people who couldn't get out of New Orleans because they hadn't the wherewithal makes no sense to me.

[Woodbutcher]

Just to clear up something. I am not from Colorado or New Orleans. But I have been to both. I am from Chicago and know what large snowfalls can do. Back in 1978 one nearly put me out of business. When reading this article it seemed sort of tongue and cheek. After Katrina all we heard about was GW caused this. It's racial. Fema wasn't there. ect, ect. I think the point of the article was that instead of pointing fingers when something terrible happens you don't wait for someone to solve your problem. Just do what you have to. While Katrina is a much larger disaster, I doubt we would have thousands of Coloradoan's living in Fema trailers a year later had they been needed. My bet is if their homes had been wiped out they would have taken their relocation money and moved. Those Fema trailer villages will still be full of evacuees 5 years from now.

[Miriam C.]

But I note the NG is out feeding the cows now, for all those highly-self-sufficient Coloradans.

Much like we had folks from all over helping fight fires in the Panhandle, this time last year.

Like the constitution and the beatitudes, government works best when it's made to work for everybody, not a handful. Resentment of people who couldn't get out of New Orleans because they hadn't the wherewithal makes no sense to me.

I wasn't trying to pick a fight but the people of New Oleans in particular were not allowed to cross the only bridge out before the flood. The flood happened the next day. The Red Cross was there and not allowed to go in. They were allowed in other areas. The people at the super dome were not allowed out even though there was no flood. Why is that? They went there in good faith. They didn't riot or steal or kill.

People from Colorado would not leavea and go else where if not allowed. Most of the people of the Golf coaste region do not own thier own homes and renters insurance, if available, is expensive and wouldn't cover anyway. You are not talking about home owners, you are talking about low wage or unemployed or disabled.

Guess the cows are more important.

[Miriam C.]

My bet is if their homes had been wiped out they would have taken their relocation money and moved. Those Fema trailer villages will still be full of evacuees 5 years from now.

UM What relocation money? The fema trailers are there to house the people who are rebuilding the coast. They are the worker bees who keep the docks and cities going. How on earth do you think the area will recover if everyone got relocation money and left. Who would keep the oil and shipments going?

There are hundreds of Fema trailer not being used because people refuse to leave Houston and other cities where they find themselves better off.

[Ira]

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

For this ALONE they should give thanks for their blessingS!



(Sometines I even make MYSELF laugh. I lived through the Sharpton/Tawana Brawley years up in New York, so don't get me STARTED when it comes to him!)

[Gerdo]

We are getting more snow today. 30" in the first snow fall, 20" in the last snow an already 6" in this one.

[gailkaitschuck]

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

That's because, sadly enough, we were stuck with the both of them here in Augusta running James Brown's memorial service.

Gail (who is wondering if they are actually going to BURY James Brown or simply take his dead body on tour)

[Woodbutcher]

My bet is if their homes had been wiped out they would have taken their relocation money and moved. Those Fema trailer villages will still be full of evacuees 5 years from now.

UM What relocation money? The fema trailers are there to house the people who are rebuilding the coast. They are the worker bees who keep the docks and cities going. How on earth do you think the area will recover if everyone got relocation money and left. Who would keep the oil and shipments going?

There are hundreds of Fema trailer not being used because people refuse to leave Houston and other cities where they find themselves better off.

There was relocation money in the form of $2500.00 given out to many thousands of people. This does not even count the thousands of charity and relief agencies that moved people all over the country. We had many come to Chicago. Fema was criticized months later for mismanaging those funds. It seems that many people were getting their expenses paid in hotels and taking the cash help as well, double dipping. Time will show that many of the neighborhoods destroyed will not and should not be rebuilt. The lower areas. I spent a weekend a few months after Katrina with a Mother and her Adult son. Both worked in health care in New Orleans. They were warned along with everyone else along the coast to leave. He said every radio and TV station warned of the danger and told people to head north. If you were unable to leave on your own there was a number to call and they would pick you up and move you. This was not a surprise hit by this storm. He also said that it was well known by the locals that the levies would not hold above catagory 3. Katrina was thought to be above that. He worked with a woman whos house backed up to the levy. Even in dry sunny weather her backyard always was wet. When she reported this to the authorities they would send out someone who just walked around her yard and then leave. Nothing was ever done . Many people decided to stay put because they did not believe it would hit them that bad. While I feel sorry that so many died and were misplaced many just made a bad choice. Everytime we see reporter standing in the middle of some huge storm telling us how bad it is there are always people to interview that refuse to leave. Most make it through fine but it encourages others to do the same and sometimes it costs them their lives.

[Miriam C.]

Gerdo, we wish you well. I'm wondering if my sister passed through there again. She was stuck both the other times.

I know it is hard on a lot of people and hope you all get thrugh it. Shall I bring my shovel?

Gail my sympathy is definatly with you and the people of Augusta. You gotta wonder what those two have to do with poor James Brown. Surely they weren't friends.