"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
NOYB wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
October 30, 2005

Many Floridians at risk since Wilma cut power


Knight Ridder Newspapers MIAMI -- Still largely power-less Saturday,
South Florida confronted new issues: storm-related injuries, jammed
emergency rooms and deteriorating conditions for the ill, the frail and
the elderly.

"If the power isn't restored to the high-rises soon, we're going to be
seeing some real medical problems in the elderly, and quite possibly
some dead," said Michael Weston, Broward County fire rescue medical
chief. Scores of frail people have been unable to leave their
upper-level apartments since the storm struck Monday because elevators
are out of service.

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What Katrina and Wilma have shown is that the federal government, four
years after 9-11, is NOT prepared to act properly after a major
disaster, natural or manmade.


Pssst. Hey Harry...
The electric companies are privately owned.


So what? If the private sector cannot cope, then we need a well-equipped
federal emergency agency to step in and take control temporarily.

Perhaps we need federally mandated changes to the building codes that
require all elevator buildings to have sufficient emergency generators.
And obviously those hospitals that have them shouldn't be placing them in
the basement, eh?

It's too bad we waste so much money on our military. It should be obvious
to everyone by now that the mighty US military cannot defend our homeland
from the kinds of attacks we face these days any better than it can defeat
a Moslem insurgency in Iraq. A lot of the money wasted on the military
could be more wisely spent hardening our infrastructure against attacks
from human and natural forces. What's a better buy? A new $4+ billion
dollar aircraft carrier, or spending half that amount beefing up a major
city's subway system?

Being a Californian, we are told we are going to be on our own for up to 5
days after a major quake. There is no way for the Feds or anyone else to
get everything back up in 24 hours.