Saturday, September 24, 2005

MISERY POSED ON BEAUMONT BY HURRICANE RITA

Power in Houston is still up and running, at least for now, so I can send a piece sent by Ken. LS

This was sent to me from a friend down in Texas. -K

Beaumont is now majorly threatened by Rita... it is right on the coast, and a pretty poor town. Mostly refineries. People there are always aware of the danger of storms, and also of industrial accidents amongst the pipelines and smokestacks. So a few years back the city contracted for a complete evacuation package... 200 buses and 700 ambulances, to be supplied at instant notice in time of danger to get the good citizens of Beaumont outa there. And the mayor called for them a couple days ago, and they arrived. But before the evacuation could begin, the State of Texas, through proclamation of Governor Goodhair (Governor Rick Perry -K), COMMANDEERED the vehicles, all but twenty ambulances. Took them away to help evacuate Houston. Left the citizens of Beaumont, who had paid for their own evacuation services with their taxes, pretty much on their own. At that late hour, they had to scramble to get everyone (and that meant everyone) out of Beaumont and inland. People were pissed. Republican leadership.

XXX also noticed large lines of enormous tankers taking god-knows- what away from the coast. There are many decades of very bad chemical waste there, in a town which may very well be under Gulf waters in a day or two.

No comments: