A (Non-Houseblog) FYI for the Federal Government & Major American Media Outlets
It is apparently a little know fact that one of the 50 states of the United States is Arkansas. It is a moderately sized state that occupies 53,225 square miles of land wedged in between Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Missouri. Relatively speaking, there isn't too much here. The entire population of state would probably fit on a single New York City subway car.
Since Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi, over 79,000 people have found refuge in Arkansas. Only Texas has taken in more people to date. Some folks at The Economist Magazine (a British publication, in London) have taken note of this. CNN and FEMA, as of last week, had not.
Please let me apologize for this tirade, but it has been bugging for over a week. Normally, Arkansas is only singled out for mention when something is wrong. When we manage to do something spectacularly well, we're ignored. It just eats at me that a British economists know more about what is going on in Arkansas than our national media and federal government.
Last week CNN had a map posted on their online site showing where all the refuges had gone. Even though we had 50,000 - 70,000 folks here at the time, we were show as having no Katrina evacuees here. Then, later in the week, our Governor was speaking with FEMA officials trying to obtain federal assistance for all the folks here. The official asked him something along the lines of "Well, do you even have anyone [refuges] in Arkansas?"
Since Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi, over 79,000 people have found refuge in Arkansas. Only Texas has taken in more people to date. Some folks at The Economist Magazine (a British publication, in London) have taken note of this. CNN and FEMA, as of last week, had not.
Please let me apologize for this tirade, but it has been bugging for over a week. Normally, Arkansas is only singled out for mention when something is wrong. When we manage to do something spectacularly well, we're ignored. It just eats at me that a British economists know more about what is going on in Arkansas than our national media and federal government.
Last week CNN had a map posted on their online site showing where all the refuges had gone. Even though we had 50,000 - 70,000 folks here at the time, we were show as having no Katrina evacuees here. Then, later in the week, our Governor was speaking with FEMA officials trying to obtain federal assistance for all the folks here. The official asked him something along the lines of "Well, do you even have anyone [refuges] in Arkansas?"
posted by John | 4:42 PM
4 Comments:
CNN finally posted an article about Arkansas:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/12/katrina.arkansas.ap/index.html
I live in Alabama, and we aren't getting much notice either. The news reports will skip right over Alabama and move on to Georgia.
Thanks for the link, better late than never!
Disappointing, but unfortunately, not too surprising.
The whole thing has been a fiasco. On the news last night, Biloxi MS hadn't even seen FEMA yet. My former employer, who closed a manufacturing plant in Bay St. Louis last summer (the only other employer in that town besides the casinos) is actively trying to locate and help those affected. The volunteer groups are much better organized, the government should just back off and hand over the money allocated by Congress. Thankfully the few evacuees who have come to Cleveland due to family ties seem to be getting lots of help. We were told twice last week to prepare for 500 or so, but apparently no one was interested. We have a very low cost of living, yet they send people to San Diego? Even if they manage to get the $2000 promised, that's a security deposit on an apartment out there! That could be used on a deposit and 2-3 months of rent here or somewhere closer. Okay, so we don't have the best economy in the country, but we have an abundance of affordable housing for people. Thank goodness Brown resigned...who's next??
I personally would like to see these people kept in areas somewhat close to home, like Arkansas,Alabama, Texas, so it's feasible for them to go home someday. But from California? How do they expect people with such limited resources to make it back-ever? Rant done.
PS., I actually ordered an Arkansas tourism guide last summer because I knew so little about the state and a friend had mentioned that it was beautiful.
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