More lessons learned

Earlier this week, we talked about how the only significant improvement in the State and local political leadership from Katrina/Rita to Gustav/Ike came in the area of handling the media. Turns out the Feds' scorecard looks about the same.

Ike ruins the weekend for my fantasy football team

Texans-Ravens postponed. I was counting on some Flacco magic. Oh well. Very sorry, Houston Texans fans. I hope no one takes this opportunity to suggest that you shouldn't be allowed to have any sports teams in your storm-prone city anymore.

Making an impression

Yesterday I was in line at the Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas behind a mother and her two daughters who had evacuated to New Orleans from Texas in order to get out of the way of Hurricane Ike. They were buying what looked to be a week's worth of supplies in case they were stuck in a New Orleans hotel for that long. I have no knowledge of any "tiered" reentry plan for Houston so there's hope that these ladies will be going home sooner than later.

The Texans were in high spirits about the whole business... which is always encouraging to see from people dealing with the stress and uncertainty of hurricane evacuation. They discussed their situation with the cashier who was sympathetic and hospitable as you would expect most New Orleanians to be with anyone unfortunate enough to share our accustomed experience of running from storms.

Most touching was the glow of civic pride emanating from the cashier as she helpfully (and quite earnestly) suggested to the evacuees that upon returning to their hotel they ask about the "Mayor Ray Nagin Special Rate. It's a special rate for you all. I saw it on the news."

The Texans were grateful for this advice. The cashier, I'm sure, was only too glad to have been helpful to these folks in their time of need. I hope it works out for this family and I hope they come away with pleasant memories of how they were treated while they were here. But the set-up I witnessed at the Wal-Mart wasn't a good sign. If those ladies did go back and ask about the special rate, they likely just made another unnecessary headache for themselves. And the Mayor just managed to misdirect the well-meaning good wishes of an unwitting citizen toward the task of furthering the buffoonery.

Mommy State

Face it. The National Weather Service obviously sees at least part of its mission as being a benevolent propaganda mill for emergency managers.

Adding: I won't emulate every asshole talking head in the country and presume to tell coastal Texas residents in the path of Ike what to do. But I will wish them all luck and hope for the best.