Notes from a Friend's Town

I'd rather not venture into the political spectrum but Hurricane Gustav made me do it. The storm spared New Orleans a major blow but didn't feel obliged to grant the rest of Louisiana the same courtesy. Millions are still with out power, residential & commercial damages are significant, and food supplies have been interrupted. In the midst of all of this local officials have done a remarkable job making sure that the residents of the city fair better than they did following Katrina. City assisted evacuation points as well as the efforts of non profits in the Metro New Orleans area have done a remarkable job to make sure that as residents rebuild their lives in the city, that emergency preparedness is factored into the process. My complaint is with the National Guard being used as a peace keep force when the peace was never disturbed in the first place. Not the Guardsmen and women themselves, but with Governor Jindal's office & Mayor Nagin's office believing that...