Compassion fatigue. This is what the city of Houston is feeling right about now with an estimated 150,000 Katrina evacuees living in the Texas city. The evacuees are putting a burden on the city's health care system, schools, and adding to the city's already high crime rate. In the last six months, since the hurricane, 33 of the evacuees have either been victim or perpetrator in the city's 189 murders. No matter what people may think of mayor Bill White, he's certainly been generous in opening the city up to people who still need a place to stay. At this point, however, graffiti such as F*** New Orleans is showing up on walls. Also the evacuees are begin taunted with by the city's residents. It also didn't help when some leaders of New Orleans said that the hardworking evacuees could return to the Big Easy. In other words, ok, Houston, you keep the people we don't want.
And speaking of Katrina, the leaked videotape from August 2005 that shows Bush being briefed on the potential disaster of Katrina must make Bush want to just put his head in his hands. After the hurricane, he was on the news shows saying that no one anticipated the breaching of the levees. This videotape proves that he at least knew the potential was there. What a mess!
peace out,
paul
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