Louisiana Hurricane Response: Jindal vs. Blanco

The looming catastrophe of Hurricane Gustav dredges up chilling memories of Hurricane Katrina 3 years ago. This time, however, there are major differences in how the state of Louisiana is handling the threat.

When one notes the methodical planning that has gone into the evacuation procedures in anticipation of Gustav, one cannot help but remember the chaos and mass pandemonium that engulfed the region when Katrina threatened the area.

One by one residents of New Orleans have told news reporters this weekend that there is actually no comparison between the orderly process that Governor Bobby Jindal, R-LA, has implemented and the disastrous ineptitude of former Governor Kathleen Blanco, which led to a tragedy of draconian proportions.

Blanco, along with the New Orleans mayor, and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, D-LA, attempted to blame their gargantuan failures on President Bush.

Yet a simple look at Louisiana state law regarding emergency procedures reveals the real culprits. It clearly was NOT the Feds. Blanco did not follow state law in implementing evacuation measures using school buses. Those buses sat in parking lots where they later were totally destroyed by flood waters.

Instead of getting people out of the city, they opened up large shelters that themselves were subject to the ravages of the hurricane, where hundreds perished.

This time, however, more competent heads have prevailed, the main one being the new Louisiana Governor, a GOP rising star, Bobby Jindal.

Jindal has ordered evacuations of the area well ahead of Gustav. Buses are being used to transport people out of the city. Residents are being told that this time, if they do not evacuate as ordered, there will be no refuge within the city of New Orleans. Disastrous measures such as opening the Super Dome will not occur this time around.

These common-sense measures could have been implemented 3 years ago resulting in the saving of thousands of lives.

Thankfully, most of the residents of New Orleans are being compliant with the evacuation orders. And yes, people in a free society have a choice. They can refuse to evacuate and stay behind. But they should not expect any help from government in rising flood waters if they make that choice. We are free to make decisions such as these, but we must also be prepared to live with the consequences of our decisions.

We hope and pray that with Gustav, human life will be spared the ravages of the winds and waters. And we can be thankful that people like Bobby Jindal are in office making rational decisions.