I should be upset about the recent comparisons of the California, San Diego fires to hurricane Katrina. The media would like to take every opportunity to degrade the state of Louisiana and what happened during Katrina. The fact of the matter IS California is one of the richest states in the Union if NOT THE RICHEST state in the United States. Louisiana is rural. It’s largest city is New Orleans. Comparisons between Louisiana and California should be limited to Hollywood fantasy. . They quite simply cannot be made legitimately. Why the media has chosen to bash Louisiana again for hurricane Katrina, I do not know. These media types have been struggling for news stories, have forged journalistic credentials, and are typically dense and careless with their reporting. Of course California would have better emergency planning than Louisiana. They have more money. Those reporting comparitively should be required to donate their personal time in helping rebuild in Mississippi and Louisiana. As for those families in California who have lost everything – they have my condolences.
This post goes into the Clueless Katrina comments file.
And a new catagory – Katrina bashing.
Update: Oct. 27, 2007 – Here are the links to a few comments from LiveJournal in MSGulf Coast Community and New Orleans Community. And this post from an account by “Feets” Binkowski in California link from jdquintette @ LiveJournal.
Louisiana Questions 
October 26, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Agreed.
October 27, 2007 at 4:50 am
Well now you know how Mississippi feels. New Orleans has gotten all the coverage over the past two years while MS is left being over looked as always. HURRICANE KATRINA CAME UPON SHORE IN PASS CHRISTIAN/WAVELAND, MS. I’m not lashing out at you, I’m just saying. MS is overlooked constantly. New Orleans made poor decisions about their leeves b/c of corrupt government, MS was hit by a hurricane.
October 27, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Here are a few comments from the MSGulfCoast Community @ LiveJournal
http://community.livejournal.com/msgulfcoast/163179.html
Not to sounding bashing but…
poeticstrife – I totally agree with that. I was talking with a work associate the other day and was told that on one of the news channels at one time shortly after Katrina that some residents of California were scoffing at those of us who live along the coast with comments such as: “They knew they were going to flood, Hell New Orleans is below sea level and they knew the levees weren’t in good shape so why didn’t they leave…” and such hurtful and obviously not well thought out comments as these and more. OUR response would be, “why live in an area that has earthquakes, mudslides, and forest fires?” Another words, don’t say or do something that’s going to come back to bite you in the ass later on! Karma’s a bitch at times!
Now, on another note in regards to Katrina: Those of us that live on the Mississippi gulf coast got and still get sick of hearing about all the assistance and housing programs that New Orleans get. I’m still not about to afford a place to live. The rent is outrageous! We see stories of celebrities helping out with housing and other things there and we have basically rebuilt this place our selves with the help of some volunteers. I work at The Hard Rock, and hear so many of our guests come in and say how heartbroken they are that our area isn’t getting back up as quickly as New Orleans. I also heard and saw the updated information on the levees there, and get this shit the politicians are saying this: “we have the levees up to the pre-Katrina standards now”
Like that was a GOOD thing huh? Why doesn’t the politicians get it?
WE STILL NEED HELP!
Re: Not to sounding bashing but…
nexusnrg -KARMA IS A BITCH!
I didn’t see a single organization or volunteer effort come from California during Katrina. They were over there saying crap like that while living in their $500,000 dollar homes, high paying jobs, living and partying. Well, now their $500,000 dollar home is destroyed. And KARMA IS A BITCH.
edsam1 – I totally agree with poeticstrife. This is what I posted on the actual article.
“Well now you know how Mississippi feels. New Orleans has gotten all the coverage over the past two years while MS is left being over looked as always. HURRICANE KATRINA CAME UPON SHORE IN PASS CHRISTIAN/WAVELAND, MS. I’m not lashing out at you, I’m just saying. MS is over looked constantly. New Orleans made poor decisions about their leeves b/c of corrupt government, MS was hit by a hurricane.”
I work for a company that does the maintenance on the FEMA trailers, I see it day in and day out, there are many people still in need of so much. Sure there are plenty of people using the system, but that’s the case with anything, anywhere, but there are still 1000’s of people here in need. I think the real difference between us and N.O. is we didn’t ask for help and all they did is whine for it. MS people are strong, obviously, but there’s a time to be strong and a time for need. This was that case, and still is.
All I know is if I talk to one more outsider and they respond to me with “Oh the hurricane hit MS, I thought it hit New Orleans” I’m going to punch them in the face. I’m so sick of hearing about New Orleans…what about ground zero?
24_24_1_1526 – i work at the TRO…yeah…there are still people using and abusing the system. i get disgusted on a daily basis.
Here are a few more from New Orleans Community @ LiveJournal
http://community.livejournal.com/neworleans/2874559.html
sipperphoto – Living in California, and actually 2 miles from the Santiago fire in Orange County, I have to agree with the person that made that post. California has the 7th largest economy in the world (if I remember correctly). Of course CA is going to have better emergency response.
Comparing the fires to Katrina is ridiculous. Both are tragedies, and I believe, could have been prevented, to some extent. There were governmental screw ups during Katrina, and there continue to be screw ups in regards to the fires.
micahra – My mom’s house is two miles as well, Serrano Woods area. I was freakin!
msformaldehyde – I totally agree with this article. San Diego was more prepared this time because of the 2003 Wildfire. The rural part got the worst damage, Ramona.
surabufix – I agree too. I live in LA and yes, it’s a disaster and my heart goes out to anyone who suffered from the fires. But to compare, it’s ridiculous! My fiance and I were just having this conversation last night. There is no way to compare what happened. Not only because of the preparedness and money but because the entire city (or cities as the case may be) infastructure wasn’t destroyed.
It feels like the current administration pushing this viewpoint so they could try to redeem themselves. IDK but just what I’m getting from it.
tjwritter – Yeah, I saw that last night, but then I saw George Bush talking to a nice blond lady and reassuring her that the government was going to do all it could and thought, “…and that is where the similarity ends!”
jdquintette – In present day America, even brushfires are political
http://jdquintette.livejournal.com/143402.html
The quote from Bush that stuck in my mind was something to the effect that ‘in this case, we had leadership at the state level.’ In other words, any human tragedies, no matter how unrelated, are an occasion for this cocksucker to push his partisan bullshit.
bifemmefatale – Completely agreed.
souraples – you do realize the federal goverment can’t do anything until the state goverment lets it do anything. So it would make more sense in blaming the finding father for creating that sort of goverment, that does not allow wide range powers without the okay of the state goverment… So blame Blanco and Nagin for waitiing so long to get there shit in order. So the federal goverment could do something. That is the largest difference I saw. California state officals. got there shit togeather, and got the federal goverment involved. Instead of twindling there thumbs. Sitting in the safety of there saying Oh jeez I don’t know what to do.
drunah – I’m from San Diego originally, my brother and sister in law live in Rancho Bernardo, one of the hardest hit areas. My other sister in law works at the Wild Animal Park.
I awoke monday morning from a phone call from my mom telling me not to freak out. Due to my cell phone not working at work, I left work for a day and a half so I could communicate with my family and check on the status of everything and watched the live feed on the web.
I agree, not the same thing. What is the same, is mass evacuation, in San Diego’s case, half a million people, but not all at the same time.
San Diego learned from two things, the cedar fire and Katrina. Had the cedar fires not happened though, I doubt things would have run as smoothly, Katrina or no Katrina. One of the biggest things they got right was every evacuation center took people AND animals. They learned that people won’t get out unless they can bring their animals.
Cities with large populations of elderly, set up numbers to call to help people with transportation issues, but most folks in California have a car. The city itself was fine, and able to help.
When Katrina happened, everyone compared it to 9/11, which has no comparison at all either, they are all “disasters” though.
I also want to say, that to just write off everyone in California as having money, is completely false. Many of the people that live in fire effected areas, live outside the city because it’s cheaper. I’m very curious to see what happens when the media leaves, with the individual homeowners and renters, FEMA, insurance, and rebuilding their lives.
The tragedy is no comparison to Katrina, in numbers or demographics, or evacuation procedures, etc. but it’s still a tragedy.