Here's what the Texas Catholic has to say.
[link|http://www.texascatholic.com/default.asp?IsDev=False&NodeId=928|http://www.texascath...=False&NodeId=928]
TOTAL FAILURE:
The State of Leadership In This Country
9-09-05
WHEN ONE first looked at the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, it seemed like a natural disaster of biblical proportions that no one could have predicted or prevented.
But, as the drama unfolded in CNN\ufffds outstanding minute-by-minute coverage, the reality that looms ever larger in our minds is that the state of leadership in this country is a total failure. The vital needs of the American people in this tragedy and in other woes facing the nation have not been met in Washington and state capitols.
Louisiana\ufffds largest newspaper, The Times\ufffdPicayune publishing from a web site, said editorially Aug. 4 in an open letter to President George W. Bush, \ufffd\ufffdour nation\ufffds bureaucrats spent days after last week\ufffds hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city\ufffds stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.\ufffd
The reality of national leadership failures now looms larger than the glimpses that we have seen since terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon three years ago on Sept. 11 and our country\ufffds entire intelligence apparatus failed to prevent any part of it despite information available at lower levels.
The reality of Iraq is more evident today and, if anyone fails to understand why there was chaos and looting for weeks after the American invasion or fails to understand why the violence there continues to grow, let them look at leadership failures in New Orleans.
If anyone does not understand what man-made environmental dangers are and the consequences of them, let them watch as a great American city is turned into a ghostly image on television screens.
If there is anyone in this nation who does not understand what rising poverty rates, declining health care coverage or growing inequity between rich and poor means, let them look at our Southland.
If anyone wants to make an assessment of leadership, let them look at record-high energy costs, the national deficit, trade imbalances, sluggish economy, growing inflation, increasing illegal immigration, deteriorating infrastructure of most American cities and declining public schools.
While the federal government has been playing games with color codes at Homeland Security, appointing ineffective political cronies at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, checking library records at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and shipping poorly equipped state militias to Iraq at the Pentagon, many more fateful events lurked in the shadows of ill-begotten decisions.
When there is poor leadership at the top of the nation, it often sinks to the local levels, in our state governments and in our corporations.
Why else has Halliburton been investigated for price gouging in Iraq and the gasoline in the ground in America suddenly goes over $3 per gallon two days after Katrina? Why else do legislatures and governors fail, as they have in Texas, to address major issues like education and equitable taxation? Why else are there investigations of school board and city council members for misuse of federal funds? Corruption and incompetence seem to be rising in all levels of government.
There was no joy on Labor Day for millions of Americans who have to work longer hours, including this holiday, at lower pay with little or no benefits. The growth of good jobs is not keeping up with needs or the rising cost of living for most Americans.
Time will bring needed change as concerned citizens grow more aware and more alarmed, but before corrective political action can be taken apparently many people will have to suffer.
\ufffdBLH
Where is Peace?
Amy
