NEW ORLEANS VERSUS SAN DIEGO –
FROM EXPERIENCE, THEN AND NOW!

It’s a good thing Ray Nagin is not in California.

This is the AP:
“Civility Reigns at San Diego Stadium — Like Hurricane Katrina evacuees two years ago in New Orleans, thousands of people rousted by natural disaster fled to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, waiting out the calamity, worrying about their homes. The similarities ended there as an almost festive atmosphere reigned at Qualcomm Stadium.”

They have bands here! “Bands were belting out rock ‘n’ roll. There were lavish buffets serving gourmet entrées. There were massage therapists to help relieve…” I kid you not, “massage therapists to reveal the stress of those forced to flee their homes because of wildfires.

‘The people are happy. They have everything here,’ Governor Schwarzenegger declared Monday night after his second Qualcomm tour.” Now, “Although anxieties ran high the misery index seemed low. As the governor waded through the mob, scarcely a complaint was registered with him.” Everybody was asking for pictures with Arnold.

Now, in fairness, we have to mention that Qualcomm is not threatened by fire at the moment. The Superdome was right in the middle of Hurricane Katrina and the roof blew open.

So it’s not quite a perfect comparison, but it still is juicy.

It is an interesting contrast nevertheless.

San Diego is, in large part, conservative community-oriented. Louisiana is not.

Here in SD, people are pitching in and so forth. It’s just a fascinating contrast.

Qualcomm Stadium didn’t spring a leak that the Superdome did. I think the comparison that you’re hearing people make all day is not between the two structures and the circumstances, but rather the attitudes of people.

The big difference in the two is that the local officials in New Orleans were derelict in getting the need out there, and saying that what Qualcomm Stadium represents is an evacuation of the danger area. In New Orleans, people were evacuated within the target area, with the hopes that the structure would hold.

We had all those school buses to get people out, and they didn’t. That’s the real difference. Whether people wanted to leave or not, we know, the evacuation plan was not put into place. There were way too many people still left in because once the storm hit, the 12 feet of water and the floods and the levees and so forth, there was no way out anyway even if you did have vehicles.

It was up to the National Guard and their helicopters and boats — and, by the way, they did more rescues in Hurricane Katrina than in any other disaster. It was a great performance by the Coast Guard. It’s been overshadowed and ignored by a lot of people.

FOR REASONS OF FULL DISCLOSURE:

I GREW UP IN NEW ORLEANS – ATTENDED UNO- , NOW I LIVE IN NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY…

SO DISASTERS, I KNOW. BEEN THRU BOTH AND EVEN ONES THAT DIDN’T MAKE WORLDWIDE COVERAGE.

LIVING THE CURRENT FIRE STORM HERE. WILL TRY TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON THE REAL EVENTS GOING ON… NOT THE HYPE.

HERE IN SAN DIEGO, WE ARE SURVIVORS… NOT VICTIMS.

Side note: to all the dedicated firefighters, police, my friends, neighbors and others, here in SD; thanks for all the help and kindness shown to all those in need!

God Bless You All!