Iowa vs. Louisiana

he still stands

LOL ahahahahha

without even reading much of the thread... (sorry if this has been said)

You cannot compare a flood, which gave WEEKS of warning to the people of the midwest, to a storm that OVERNIGHT devastated an entire city.

If you're on your rooftop in Iowa after you've had 3 weeks to get out, you're a fucking idiot.

If you're on your rooftop in Orleans after being warned you should PROBABLY leave, you are just a little ignorant.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

RainDog wrote:

But, yeah, chainsaws would have solved all our problems. :rolleyes:

you'd be suprised. i havent ran into many problems a chainsaw wouldnt solve.

dmitry

is the uncle sam levee company still in business?

mca47

cincybearcat wrote:

I've been living in Iowa since 2006 (Iowa City)...I can tell you that the community response here has been terrific. Many times, they have to turn volunteers away because they have TOO MANY!!!

The floods have devestated a lot of people's lives. It's been unbelievable to watch. Thankfully, my family has only had to deal with traffic jams from closed roads and didn't experience any loss.

You are right though, I only heard of 1 report of looting, too many people are too busy helping their neighbors and friends to go steal stuff. The other difference, Iowans began to prepare for the worst early...unfortunately their efforts mostly didn;t work (sandbagging was breached, etc.). But it was an entirely different attitude. The attitude was...something's going to happen and I better take care of myself, my family and help whoever I can.

My company sent people out of the plant to help sandbag, they are helping their employees effective recover, with paying for hotels, interest free loans, etc. It's really a community loss and the community is helping itself. That appears to be the Midwest way of life.

Oh, and I've seen ads on TV about contacting FEMA, but I've not seen anyone from FEMA or anything at all.

As far as celebrities go...they hate white people.

I forgot you live in Iowa City...
You are absolutely right about the midwest way of life. I grew up outside of Chicago, moved to Iowa City for college and now live in Scottsdale, AZ.

The people of the midwest are truly good people who look out for one another. Sadly, that is NOT the case here in Arizona. I like living here, but I definitely miss the midwest.

puremagic

Here you are 15 years after the 1993 flooding still without an adequate levee system throughout the Midwest. New Orleans' levee and pumping system was and is still not adequate. For all the comparisons and reaction for Iowa and its citizens, the point is they were in the same boat as Louisiana and people died. The bottom line has still not been addressed, what is the Army Corp of Engineers responsibility? I know the word 'Army' will make you want to defend the people, but get over it. The Army Corp of Engineers is just another bureaucratic federal government agency whose job it is to assess, recommend and make repairs/replace to the infra structure of this country's bridges, waterways, dams, structures, etc.

By the way, just like in Louisiana and Mississippi teams of emergency first responders for disease control and risk management were immediately sent into Iowa, some before the levees were breached. There are still teams within the various affected areas and just like with Louisiana and Mississippi there will be risk management assessments ongoing because with any major flooding of this scale groundwater contamination becomes a possibility. Iowa was not on its own during this event.

cincybearcat

puremagic wrote:

Here you are 15 years after the 1993 flooding still without an adequate levee system throughout the Midwest. New Orleans' levee and pumping system was and is still not adequate. For all the comparisons and reaction for Iowa and its citizens, the point is they were in the same boat as Louisiana and people died. The bottom line has still not been addressed, what is the Army Corp of Engineers responsibility? I know the word 'Army' will make you want to defend the people, but get over it. The Army Corp of Engineers is just another bureaucratic federal government agency whose job it is to assess, recommend and make repairs/replace to the infra structure of this country's bridges, waterways, dams, structures, etc.

By the way, just like in Louisiana and Mississippi teams of emergency first responders for disease control and risk management were immediately sent into Iowa, some before the levees were breached. There are still teams within the various affected areas and just like with Louisiana and Mississippi there will be risk management assessments ongoing because with any major flooding of this scale groundwater contamination becomes a possibility. Iowa was not on its own during this event.

I was here...I saw it, the majority of the sandbagging, palnning, etc was certainly done by normal people like you and me...now after the disaster, especially in Cedar Rapids, etc. I'm sure that there was plenty of help.

Cosmo

You know what else I didn't see?
Dead bodies of elderly American citizens left unattended in the street for 3 days in a large American city.
...
Why is that?

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

if we are comparing states though, i'd much rather live in Louisiana than Iowa. better music, food, plenty of bars...What the fuck is in Iowa?

cincybearcat

MrSmith wrote:

if we are comparing states though, i'd much rather live in Louisiana than Iowa. better music, food, plenty of bars...What the fuck is in Iowa?

Corn...and friendly people...not a whole lot else.

Actually, while I certainly am not very fond of iowa...here are some good thing:

1) Friendly people
2) Iowa City is very "outdoorsy"...people always out biking, walking, etc. Great walking paths, hell in the winter the walking paths are clear long before the roads
3) Farmer's markets...I can get fresh produce, breads, pies, etc every single day of the week in a different location but all very close if I want to.
4) The corn...laugh if you want, I did before I came here, but the frech corn from the farmer's market is the best I've ever had.
5) Iowa City has a great Pedestrian mall (meaning walkway with shopping and restaurants/bars). In fact, the bar scene in Iowa CIty is pretty darn good.
6) University of Iowa female students...who know so many hotties came to Iowa City for school?
7) Casinos...if you want one...you don't have to go far...and they even have a dog track
8) Since the flood, all property is water front!!

Cosmo

i feel that both the recent floods in the Heartland and the devistation of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina are sad natural events.
The saddest thing about both are the sorry ass human beings that compare the two as if they were contests to show whiich people are bwetter or which state 'won'. I am sickened that any American finds sport in tragedy that results in loss of human life and shatter's the lives of other people.
The greatest loss I find in some of these expressed opinions in this thread is the loss of humanity.

cincybearcat

Cosmo wrote:

i feel that both the recent floods in the Heartland and the devistation of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina are sad natural events.
The saddest thing about both are the sorry ass human beings that compare the two as if they were contests to show whiich people are bwetter or which state 'won'. I am sickened that any American finds sport in tragedy that results in loss of human life and shatter's the lives of other people.
The greatest loss I find in some of these expressed opinions in this thread is the loss of humanity.

I don't think anyone is saying 1 state 'won'...I'm just giving my opinion of Iowa as a whole and the response to the disaster that I saw...it was inspiring to see how people helped each other, so when I saw this thread, I thought I'd share.

Cosmo

cincybearcat wrote:

I don't think anyone is saying 1 state 'won'...I'm just giving my opinion of Iowa as a whole and the response to the disaster that I saw...it was inspiring to see how people helped each other, so when I saw this thread, I thought I'd share.

...
Cincy... I wasn't talking about you. I truely respect your opinions because you always speak from a position that is typically fair.
I have nothing against Iowa or Louisiana. I consider both as part of my country and the people living there as my countrymen, so their sorrow is my sorrow.
I just find it on the disgusting side that people will view both of these seperate natural disasters and spin them into a political 'Us vs. Them' game. I am sick of this nation being torn apart by losers who buy into the Red vs. Blue, Liberal vs. Conservative contest that loser talk show hosts and television and radio networks have sold them to boost their sponsorship revenues.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

cincybearcat wrote:

Corn...and friendly people...not a whole lot else.

Actually, while I certainly am not very fond of iowa...here are some good thing:

1) Friendly people
2) Iowa City is very "outdoorsy"...people always out biking, walking, etc. Great walking paths, hell in the winter the walking paths are clear long before the roads
3) Farmer's markets...I can get fresh produce, breads, pies, etc every single day of the week in a different location but all very close if I want to.
4) The corn...laugh if you want, I did before I came here, but the frech corn from the farmer's market is the best I've ever had.
5) Iowa City has a great Pedestrian mall (meaning walkway with shopping and restaurants/bars). In fact, the bar scene in Iowa CIty is pretty darn good.
6) University of Iowa female students...who know so many hotties came to Iowa City for school?
7) Casinos...if you want one...you don't have to go far...and they even have a dog track
8) Since the flood, all property is water front!!

i like friendly people. probably the most important quality a place can have

Cosmo

MrSmith wrote:

i like friendly people. probably the most important quality a place can have

...
You won't find that in L.A.
Which is the main reason I would never want everyone in L.A. to carry a gun. That may fly in Iowa City... but take a drive on the 405 freeway at 4:43 P.M. on Wednesday and take a look around. You'd probably agree with me.

69charger

Cosmo wrote:

i feel that both the recent floods in the Heartland and the devistation of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina are sad natural events.
The saddest thing about both are the sorry ass human beings that compare the two as if they were contests to show whiich people are bwetter or which state 'won'. I am sickened that any American finds sport in tragedy that results in loss of human life and shatter's the lives of other people.
The greatest loss I find in some of these expressed opinions in this thread is the loss of humanity.

Ironically it is the 'loss of humanity' that I am comparing.

Two differnt sets of people experiencing similar events reacting in very differnt ways. One set retaining it's humanity and the other not so much.

Cosmo

69charger wrote:

Ironically it is the 'loss of humanity' that I am comparing.

Two differnt sets of people experiencing similar events reacting in very differnt ways. One set retaining it's humanity and the other not so much.

...
So then... What is the greatest difference in the 'different sets of people' do you feel attributes to these vastly opposite reactions?

69charger

Cosmo wrote:

...
So then... What is the greatest difference in the 'different sets of people' do you feel attributes to these vastly opposite reactions?

Culture. Mainly the sense of personal responsibility that exists in one and not the other.

inmytree

69charger wrote:

Culture. Mainly the sense of personal responsibility that exists in one and not the other.

suddenly you're holding back...come on now, why don't you say what you want to...?

I thought you didn't like PC...

mca47

cincybearcat wrote:

Corn...and friendly people...not a whole lot else.

Actually, while I certainly am not very fond of iowa...here are some good thing:

1) Friendly people
2) Iowa City is very "outdoorsy"...people always out biking, walking, etc. Great walking paths, hell in the winter the walking paths are clear long before the roads
3) Farmer's markets...I can get fresh produce, breads, pies, etc every single day of the week in a different location but all very close if I want to.
4) The corn...laugh if you want, I did before I came here, but the frech corn from the farmer's market is the best I've ever had.
5) Iowa City has a great Pedestrian mall (meaning walkway with shopping and restaurants/bars). In fact, the bar scene in Iowa CIty is pretty darn good.
6) University of Iowa female students...who know so many hotties came to Iowa City for school?
7) Casinos...if you want one...you don't have to go far...and they even have a dog track
8) Since the flood, all property is water front!!

Yep.
I lived in Iowa City for 5 years and I have to say it is an amazing "little" town. Cincy summed it up well.
I definitely miss living there!

MakingWaves

I still think part of the original post is correct. The local government of New Orleans failed its people resulting in what everyone saw on tv. Then everyone blamed the federal government which is bullshit in my opinion.
The people of Iowa were not failed by their local governments. They took the responsibility upon themselves and a larger catastorphe was prevented.

If the local government of New Orleans had acted upon the plans in place in the event of a major hurricane we would not have seen the loss of life and horrible scenes we all saw on tv.