Dave,

This argument illustrates just how far the free lunch bunch will go in
exploiting the naivete of the unthinking.

Give it up! Your statement is just abusive. First you call anyone who
disagress with your position "the free lunch bunch". Then you suggest that
anyone inclined to agree with them is naive and unthinking.

If you want anyone to respect your opinion, you've got to show respect
for the right of other people to have differing opinions. Otherwise you're
just trying to start an argument.

Don W.

Dave wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 08:36:03 -0400, krj said:


If we
did not
have the NWS prediction available and had to rely on the other forecast,
the
people of the Gulf coast of Florida may have let down their guard, with
disastrous results.


This argument illustrates just how far the free lunch bunch will go in
exploiting the naivete of the unthinking.

Yes, the guvmint people got it right once and the other guys got it wrong.
But had it not been for the former policy of NOAA in not competing where
private industry is willing and able to provide a forecasting and analysis
service, there would be no alternative sources of analysis and forecasts. We
would indeed have had to rely on a single forecast-- the "official" one --
as the only available forecast.