Government Leadership Can Solve Problems

I am reading the new Douglas Brinkley book "The Great Deluge" which chronicles the days leading up to Katrina's landfall on the Louisiana / Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the problems we all know occurred in the aftermath of the disaster.

Brinkley's dedication singles out two groups who he believes deserves credit for softening the blow: the United States Coast Guard, and the people of Houston, Texas. According to Brinkley, the Coast Guard's response was immediate, complete, and virtually without error. He believes that thousands of lives were saved by the decisive action of USCG leadership and the heroism of members of the Coast Guard. Many of the USCG personnel who participated in the weeks of search and rescue operations were, like the New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans area residents. In fact, more USCG personnel lost their homes to Katrina than did New Orleans Police officer, however Brinkley reports that zero USCG personnel failed to report for duty as a result. In short, as opposed to NOPD, USCG responded in a heroic manner because of its superb leadership.

Brinkley also praises the City of Houston, Harris County, and the citizens who responded by opening their homes, churches, schools, businesses, and wallets to the hundreds of thousands of evacuees who made their way west in search of shelter. He gives Harris County Judge Robert Eckels and Houston Mayor Bill White credit for exercizing decisive leadership to make things happen, overcoming bureaucratic obstacles where New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, and FEMA Director Michael Brown could not rise to the occasion.

Many lessons for Texans in this catastrophe. First, a CAT 5 hurricane striking Houston directly could be every bit the human disaster as was Katrina on New Orleans. Second, Texans are by nature generous and willing to help their neighbors, and still have the "can-do" attitude for which we have historically been known. Third, we can't expect to be taken care of by Washington DC and should organize ourselves on the assumption that it is our obligation to prepare ourselves for future calamities (natural and man-made). Fourth, leadership and personal courage really do matter.

So far, it's a great book. Hope many of you will read it.