Kansans should be proud of the resilience and hope displayed by Greensburg residents and of how others reacted so quickly and generously to the tornado. But as Eagle columnist Mark McCormick wrote, we shouldn’t try to build ourselves up by making false comparisons between the Greensburg tornado and Hurricane Katrina, as some Opinion Line comments and Reader Views letters have tried. The scale and circumstances of disasters aren’t comparable. Not even close. And as much as we might enjoy the myth that Kansans pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, the reality is that the federal government is playing a big role in Greensburg, just as it has done on the Gulf Coast.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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33 Comments
Where was Governor Sebelius on Saturday, May 5th, and why didn’t she visit Greensburg sooner? Senator Roberts and Congressman Moran visited Greensburg the day after the storm, but where was Sebelius?
Wichita Eagle, May 6th”Greensburg has 40 National Guardsmen guarding its streets.”
“Tod Bunting, adjutant general of the Kansas National Guard, said rescuers focused on finding people in the rubble, keeping people from drinking tap water and trying to restore power.”
“Soldiers and airmen from the Kansas National Guard are providing security, communications and shelter missions.”
“The Guardsmen are from the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, 891st Engineer Battalion and 184th Air Refueling Wing.”
“The 134th Air Control Squadron is supplying two 120-kilowatt generators to assist in search and rescue operations and 1,500 gallons of water. Eighteen light sets from the 184th have also been sent to Greensburg to provide light for response and recovery operations. The Pratt Kansas National Guard armory has been opened as a staging area.”
Not one truck? Not one humvee? Not one helicopter the day after the storm in Greensburg? They’re all in Iraq? We only have 40 Kansas National Guard troops left in Kansas to help in Greensburg? Why did Sebelius make any comments about the Kansas National Guard when the resources they needed in Greensburg the day after the tornado were being addressed, and MANY more resources were available if necessary.
Why did the Kansas National Guard in Manhattan refuse permission for me to take pictures of dozens and dozens of vehicles in their lot on Wednesday after the tornado? These vehicles were in Manhattan, because they were not needed in Greensburg, but Sebelius shamefully turns this tragedy into politics. The liberal press is incapable of finding facts, and making simple deductive logical conclusions. Why can’t some journalist in Kansas take pictures of ALL the equipment at all the Kansas National Guard armories and conclude there was plenty of equipment available if needed. The unreported truth: more National Guard equipment was NOT needed in Greensburg.
After the Hurricane Katrina, Sebelius blamed the lack of federal response on the tax cuts implemented by President Bush. Can’t the Kansas press do any newspaper searches to find this story and connect these dots about irresponsible political statements by Sebelius?
The Kansas press should demand a full accountability of what the Kansas National Guard provided to Greensburg, and what if anything was missing.
There is NO EVIDENCE that the response to help those in Greensburg was lacking in any way. The Kansas press should DEMAND more accountability from Sebelius. We should demand more responsible journalism from the Kansas press.
News reports on Sunday (before Sebelius’ visit to Greensburg) said this:
“Sebelius praised Kansans for their response to the disaster.”
“The outpouring of emergency response from state and local agencies and volunteers is just tremendous,” Sebelius said. “We as Kansans are pulling together as we always do in times of crisis and adversity, and that’s something we should all be proud of.”
Where was Sebelius on May 5th? Why wasn’t she in Greensburg sooner? Why did she turn this tragedy into politics? Why are facts and logic irrelevant to the Kansas press?
Let’s just leave Florida to their own devices, and Federal aid this year, and donations, and see if they too can pull it off!
Meadowlark,
The Governor made it clear in statements on Saturday that she was going to wait til Sunday to go to Greensburg, feeling that she and her staff would just be in the way on the first day after the storm. It sounds to me like she was being both practical and respectful.
Of course Tiahrt was grandstanding for the cameras first thing Saturday morning, and all through last week, even though it’s not his district, and he has nothing to do there. It’s not like he was clearing rubble, either. Every time I saw him on the local news, he was nice and clean, with his perfect hair perfectly in place.
Of course there is NO comparison with Katrina…compare the statements of the mayors. Greensburg mayor gets the first building permit and says WE are going to rebuild OUR town.
New Orleans mayor brags about how it will remain a chocolate city.
Nope..no comparisons possible.
And, Tiahrt grandstanding? Of course, if he weren’t there, people would lambast him for not caring. The 100% negativity of some people is just amazing.
Raptor,
Why would Tiahrt have been blasted for not going to Greensburg? It’s not in his district, and no one would have noticed. According to your view, should we be blasting Nancy Boyda and Dennis Moore for not going to Greensburg? Like Tiahrt, they are US Representatives from Kansas. Like Tiahrt, Greensburg is not in their districts.
The Governor and her staff could have done more than just roll into town for a look and a press conference. Tiahrt’s wife has family ties to the area and they were actually doing physical work on the clean up. It was not about camera face time.
Sebelius used the disaster for political purposes just as Senator Betts did with his comparison to Katrina. He didn’t roll up his sleeves either to help. It was all about his political agenda.
There was more than the Guard in Greensburg. There are actually regular military there as well with their equipment. So there has not been an issue about being able to take care of Kansas disasters.
One of the things that should be looked at is why did the Kansas Senate refuse the idea of the Kansas House of Representatives when they wanted to set money aside for disasters? Now the legislature will make a big grandstand later this month how they are there to help Greensburg with whatever they need including any amount of money they need. Forget the fact that there is not an emergency fund at all. Where will the money come from?
I am all for helping any community in Kansas and we should make sure that the money and services are spent wisely and not political or emotionally.
The sanctimonious lambasting of the lambastards gets a little tiresome after a while.
Sebelius was doing her job, as were Jerry Moran, Sam Brownback, and Pat Roberts, all of whom were in Greensburg making public statements.
Tiahrt was helping clear rubble??
I’ve helped clear rubble. After just a few minutes, you don’t look like Tiahrt did: Starched shirt, pressed pants, shiny shoes, perfect hair.
Show me one photo op of Tiahrt covered with sweat and grime while clearing rubble in Greensburg.
Show me one photo of Senator Betts grandstanding in Greensburg.
You’re right, no comparison – I didn’t see a single citizen of Greensburg on TV blaming the government for a natural disaster. I also saw a mayor and other city officials helping the citizens of their town, not sitting around claiming that they had done all that they could when it’s obvious that they hadn’t. I’ve lived through hurricanes, blizzards, floods, and tornados myself. At some point you have to take some responsibility for yourself. Greensburg may not have the population numbers or even the financial ruin of Katrina, but they had one thing that few people that I saw during Katrina had and that is class and a willingness to help themselves as much as possible.
The difference between Katrina and Greensburg…hmmm- let’s see.
Oh yeah, the people of Greensburg are already standing up on their hind legs wanting to rebuild.
A majority of New Orleans’ population are still playing the victim role and don’t wish to soil their hands with manual labor of rebuilding. They want Uncle Sam to do all the heavy lifthing.
Of course there are comparisons between N.O. and Greensburg. The only reason some people (McCormick and his ilk) don’t want comparisons is because those in N.O. come out way behind.
Both were disasters, both had a majority of their town destroyed, both had a majority of people who lost everything.
It is the response to those things that make the difference. N.O. played the blame game and had their hands out before the winds even died down. Greensburg had people out clearing the streets to get emergency vehicles into the city. Workers didn’t have to dodge bullets just debris. Seven looters instead of thousands of looters, who came from outside the populous not inside. City officials who didn’t wait for a federal bureaucrats to come and “give” them something. Last but not least people who were “grateful” for what was done for them instead of complaining that what was done wasn’t done fast enough or good enough.
The main difference was a culture that takes responsibly for itself, instead of trying to shift their responsibilities to others as well, as a community that takes action compared to a community saturated with indolence.
Sean, who exactly would be coming to the rescue if ALL the neighboring towns for hundreds of miles were also wiped out too?
Please, get a clue.
A person could WALK from Greesburg to a neighboring town and get help. Another person could WALK from a neighboring town to Greensburg to provide help. That was NOT the case in New Orleans.
A bit less than 1/10 of 1 % of the Kansas population was effected by the Greensburg tornado. About half the population on Lousiana was severly effected by Katrina and all the population at least somewhat effected.
Gonna disagree with you there, Ben. Not all roads into and out of NO were flooded. The entire town was not cut off like they were on an island. The National Guard and Red Cross and Salvation Army were able to drive into the town. Tells me that not all roads were obliterated.
There’s also the fact that many people refused to leave NO even after being given days of warning and the fact that if the mayor of NO had used all of the resources available to him such as busses, there would have been a lot less people stuck in NO.
I generally stay out of the political finger-pointing game simple because it seems to bring out the worst in people of all stripes, types, and philosophies.
That said, I think it’s not practical to compare Greensburg, a town of ~1600 folks, to the entire Gulf Coast area, an area of millions of acres and millions of people.
The nature of the devistation is different, too. While the personal result is mostly the same, no home, no business, no schools or healthcare, the vastness of Katrina’s destruction makes the Greensburg EF-5 tornado pale in comparison. In NOLA, there was no option to send refugees to nearby towns as they were destroyed, too.
In Greensburg, once the storm passed residents weren’t faced with flood waters remaining in their homes, streets, etc for days or weeks.
Greensburg will be able to rebuild because it’s citizens are all pretty much similar. They depend on agriculture, oil and gas production, and small industries for income. A commonality of purpose exists in Greensburg and everyone is pretty much on the same page. Contrast that with NOLA, where the factional fighting creates barriers to speedy recovery. Also, there is *probably* not a huge percentage of the population dependant on various government programs, a higher percentage of family members living nearby, and more organized and responsive state and local government agencies. And the scale and scope is vastly different. Replacing a town the size of Greensburg is trivial compared to rebuilding New Orleans and it’s neighboring cities.
Finally, I don’t understand why some of you get all up about politicians. They are doing what polticians do… grandstand, photo ops, and sound bites. It’s the nature of the slimey beast, and as disgusting and distasteful as it may seem, it’s what they do. That realization doesn’t make the spew any more pleasant, but understanding what comprises the job should take out some of the ’surprise factor’ I read here. Expecting politicians to not politicize something is like expecting your new puppy to not piddle on the floor.
So, what’s next, a nice game of chess, or global thermonuclear war? LOL
LTB (Lions, Tigers, & Bears)
LTB – way off the topic here but I watn your input. I put something over on Opne Thread about this:
http://www.kansas.com/212/story/71205.html
Check my questions over there. Comments from your professional perspective?
New Orleans and Greensburg..Black and White. Spineless and Backbonelazy and proud
The reason for the comparisons is the no class act of our white trash governor. Just as Nagin whined and sniveled and tried to turn a tragedy into a political event, so did Sebelius. What a disgrace to the state to have Kathleen Nagin Sebelius be what people around the country associate with Kansas. Disgusting pig.
Raptor,
Your earlier post that “not all roads out of NO were obliterated” is factually accurate. However, New Orleans citizens were prevented, by law enforcement with guns, from *using* those roads to evacuate the city. One man was even murdered by police – shot in the back – while trying to get out of the flooded areas.
He is right, there are vast difference here.
1. We had competent local citizens to start reacting immediately.2. Competent local Mayor3. Competent Governor (at least more than LA)4. Competent Sen and Congresspersons
Louisiana or New Orleans has NEVER had any of these. Its ran as and if you live there you know , a barely viable 3rd world cluster f***. For gods sake, the folks in Houston are trying to throw the “refugees” back in the ocean. Local precincts are essentially independent fiefdoms.
But there may be a savior on the way in the next election. A young guy from India is going to win what ever election he runs for. His name is Bobby Jindahl. Hopefully LA is embarrassed enough to start cleaning up..or he will do it.
“One of the things that should be looked at is why did the Kansas Senate refuse the idea of the Kansas House of Representatives when they wanted to set money aside for disasters?”
No shits STS. The last time I checked, both of those bodies were controlled by the republics.
Why didnt the republics do it?
Clearly the republics think tiahrt is at risk in the next election. Even Jerry Moran didnt get the amount of camera time that toddy took. Was there an agreement amongst the republics, including god’s senator and bush’s senator, that toddy need the most face time?
heheheheheh. I love the smell of republic fear.
And indeed, why in the hell WOULD Sen. Betts go there and grandstand. He’s not a republican at risk….
Farmgrrl,
The ratio of R’s to D’s in the Senate is 3:1. The ratio of R’s to D’s in the House is only 2:1. Not only is the Senate controlled by the Republicans, but they have a supermajority, unlike their counterparts in the House.
One thing that Katrina and the Tornado have in common. The conservative media just make shit up as they go along. And they figure the more outrageous the lie, the easier the voters will swallow it.
Still to apologies to governor leadership for the quinn and rose lies?
Some things never change. And the cons making stuff up out of thin air is a tradition. Hell, even germie honors the tradition…
And indeed, why in the hell WOULD Sen. Betts go there and grandstand. He’s not a republican at risk….Posted by: ksfarmgrrl | May 16, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Well said.
Ture enough Tom, but if the republics wanted to put aside money for disaster response, they could have done it. They have majorities in both houses.
I second STS motion for an investigation!
ksfarmgrrl your a disgrace to Kansas farm girls everywhere in Kansas. What kind of plants do you grow on that farm anyway. Your brain damaged if you think it’s the conservatives making things up out of thin air. It’s the liberals that have mastered sculpturing facts from fiction. The problem is they spew the lies to each other so much, they start believing it as truth. Quit smoking that stuff.
“It’s the liberals that have mastered sculpturing facts from fiction.”
Kind of like the Senate vote on funding today. The lost 27 to A lot, and call it a victory. Chumps!
I am a New Orleanian. I started reading these comments and had to stop. When did Americans become such an ugly people? I would say more, but I don’t want to get down to the same disgusting level. Sick.
Yeah, Grrl don’t make up stuff like Sebelius getting calls from Howard Dean and Dick Durbin and apologizing to Sam Brownback for politicizing the Greensburg disaster. That would be horrible!!!
Wait. That’s right, Quinn, Rose and Hannity DID make that stuff up.
Sorry, my bad.
Maybe video will make it a little more real to you. We don’t get to turn the video off.http://youtube.com/watch?v=PYR8Lg9IMOE&mode=related&search=
DJ, I watched the video. Like so many others, it brought home the sheer destruction of Katrina and the seemingly hopeless situation in New Orleans.
I sincerely hope that you and yours are well and that you soon return to the relative security of your previous existence.
Thank you for sharing.