AS THE WATERS RECEDE

baton rogue
welcome wagon
Apparently, though it's been estimated that Katrina will cost up to 400,000 jobs and devastate the Gulf Coast economy for years to come, it hasn't been bad for everyone. For example, gun dealers in Baton Rogue are doing a brisk business. From the NY Times:

"Many relief workers and volunteers say the worries over crime reflect more wholesale stereotyping of people fleeing a catastrophe than anything based in fact, but safety is a major issue. At the height of the post-storm panic last week, people waited in line for three and a half hours at Jim's Firearms, a giant gun and sporting goods store. Many were people from New Orleans with their own safety issues. But many were local residents jumpy about the newcomers from New Orleans and stocking up on Glock and Smith & Wesson handguns.

Jim Siegmund, a salesman at Jim's recently returned from military service in Iraq, said he did not think there was anything to worry about. Still, holding a cellphone in his hand and comparing it to a 9-millimeter handgun he said: "When push comes to shove, this won't protect you, but a Glock 9 will."

Ah, the profits of paranoia.
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Speaking of which, you knew this would happen but it's despairing to hear anyways: here come the scammers. Nothing like making a buck off of tragedy:

"The earliest online frauds began to appear within hours of Katrina's passing. "It was so fast it was amazing," said Audri Lanford, co-director of ScamBusters.org, an Internet clearinghouse for information on various forms of online fraud. "The most interesting thing is the scope," she said. "We do get a very good feel for the quantity of scams that are out there, and there's no question that this is huge compared to the tsunami."

By the end of last week, Ms. Landford's group had logged dozens of Katrina-related swindles and spam schemes. The frauds ranged from opportunistic marketing (one spam message offered updates on the post-hurricane situation, with a link that led to a site peddling Viagra) to messages said to be from victims, or families of victims.

"This letter is in request for any help that you can give," reads one crude message that was widely distributed online. "My brother and his family have lost everything they have and come to live with me while they looks for a new job."

Meanwhile, in Washington, the blame game is taking its predictable course, with Tom DeLay, always the good GOP attack dog, tries to shield the Feds and goes after local officials even though the evidence continues to mount that FEMA blew this on every level. Seriously, when the New York Post, not exactly known as being the bastion of the "liberal press" writes a headline like, "FEMA Fool Sat On His Hands," that is not a good look for Mike Brown.

Continuing on the political front, the Washington Post ran an interesting article on why Katrina isn't pulling people together the way 9/11 did. And what they conclude: it's Bush.

This goes back to what I was writing about yesterday - that Bush gets blamed for much of this, not only because he owns some culpability as the head of the federal gov't, but also because his leadership skills have so offended around half the public that the hate is automatic. However, this has created a circling of partisan wagons on both sides. I was astounded to hear this:

"A Washington Post-ABC News poll taken last Friday illustrates the point vividly. Just 17 percent of Democrats said they approved of the way Bush was handling the Katrina crisis while 74 percent of Republicans said they approved. About two in three Republicans rated the federal government's response as good or excellent, while two in three Democrats rated it not so good or poor."

I've heard some very prominent conservatives blast the federal response to Katrina but apparently, for random Americans, they're sticking by the party line despite the overwhelming evidence contrary to the affair. I'm not even trying to dog the GOP here but how can 74% of Republicans actually says that Bush has handled Katrina well considering his 1) weak fly-over on Day 3, 2) his piss poor "comfort" speeches since and 3) his insistence on supporting Mike Brown despite FEMA's flat feet?

In any case, what we're left with is this:

"Bush is the most partisan president in modern American history," said William Galston, a professor at the University of Maryland and previously a top domestic adviser to former President Bill Clinton. "As a result, voters in both parties are focusing on him, rather than on the specifics of the policies."

To this degree, both sides bear responsibility because one could argue that the hatred of Bush is so great that it blinds people to finding reasonable bipartisan solutions. But c'mon - what rational, intelligent person can take Bush seriously?

Last but not least, CNN's poll on Katrina had some interesting findings, not the least of which is: "63 percent said they do not believe anyone at federal agencies responsible for handling emergencies should be fired as a result." Looks like accountability isn't what it used to be. Compare that with this: "a resounding 79 percent said they believe gas companies are taking advantage of the situation and charging unfair prices to consumers as a result of the hurricane."

Seems simple: so long as FEMA isn't messing with their commute, they get a pass. Well guess what suckers? $3/gallon isn't about to fade away that fast. Thank god for our Prius, that's all I'm saying.

--O.W.