I love SF and bet it is still cool from that Pacific breeze.

We have our own drought disaster happening now on the East coast. I would expect that FEMA has a plan for Atlanta but don't see one in the works.
Leonardo | 10.23.07 - 9:39 pm | #

Nagoya is beautiful in October. It's going to be hard to go back next year and spend another fall/winter in Seattle.
Nate | Homepage | 10.23.07 - 11:22 pm | #

I suppose we could hope for a Calvin Coolidge like response. Imagine a world where that could be possible. I want a Calvin Coolidge age, but with cheap trans-atlantic flights and big screen tvs.
Rob | Homepage | 10.24.07 - 12:26 am | #

I reject the premise that the people of Southern California are rich and white. 2005 census San Diego County white(52.3%), hispanic(29.3%), asian(10.2%). etc. LA County, white(29.5%), hispanic(46.8%), asian(13.1%), black(9.7%).
z | 10.24.07 - 11:09 am | #

Were there weather events before an "Inconvient Truth" came out? We act as though no natural disasters have occured in the past 300 years.
Rob | Homepage | 10.24.07 - 2:17 pm | #

Is it just me, or is there an awful lot of "Please help me, Government" eminating from this post (and some of the other comments) for a libertarian leaning blog?

I don't speak for everyone from New Orleans, but from my personal experience, all aspects of recovery - from the immediate, feeding and caring for refugees, to the long term - have occured DESPITE government, not because of it. There's a reason that, when some of my friends needed supplies, they didn't drive to a government depot, but to a mega-church in a relatively untouched area of Metairie. There's a reason that people working down there today to assist with recovery are for the most part working through church and other community groups.

And most importantly, there's a reason that FEMA workers, for the first time, were permitted to work in the community WITHOUT those standard issue government acronym jackets.

The government response was slow, bureaucratic, and monolithic (go figure). The private sector response was, well, responsive.

And while the situation in SoCal certainly at least currently warrants government assistance in PUTTING out the flames, the government should (although of course it won't) stay the hell away from the recovery after the fact, and let the charity of individual Americans funneled through private organizations respond to those in dire need, and let everyone else rebuild their lives in private.

PS - the idea that humans are the major cause of global warming is utterly false, at least according to the scientific evidence. Not to mention, completely and totally arrogant.
Displaced New Orleanian | 10.24.07 - 2:33 pm | #

PPS - the only people who's lives were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina are the 1000 or so who died. Personal property isn't everything.
Displaced New Orleanian | 10.24.07 - 2:36 pm | #

Displaced New Orleanian,

Agreed on all points and I made a brief comment to that point.

As for the blog on a whole. I don't see a real point in having a group blog -- that isn't populated with "expert pundits" mind you -- that agrees 100% on all issues. A general appreciation for a certain ideological framework helps, but I don't make any bloggers/writers pass a libertarian purity test and we certainly don't have any type of editorial oversight or censorship. Shit, try finding a libertarian blogger that doesn’t already have a blog. It’s a tough assignment.

Individual bloggers are responsible for what they write, until I get sued and the responsibility is completely mine. Luckily for everyone else, if we get sued there's about a 95% chance it will be for something I wrote, rather than anyone else. Makes the blame and responsibility game a whole lot easier to deal with.
Rob | Homepage | 10.24.07 - 3:07 pm | #