Dropping the Gauntlet

Whenever you hear the government talk about disaster preparedness, you will most likely hear the slogan of “Three Days – Three Ways”

No, they aren’t talking about one hell of an orgy, they’re trying to tell you that if you are prepared to hold our for three days, then mommy government will come and help you.

Now, you know and I know that this is bullshit. Government helps out when it is damn good and ready. Democrat, Republican or Whig, it doesn’t matter. Bureaucracy moves at glacial speed and so does it’s disaster relief. A more accurate slogan, but one you will never hear would be:

Three Weeks – Spread Your Cheeks

And even that is being optimistic and/or naive.

While you’ll regularly read things like this on blogs such as RNS, you don’t really expect to see them to appear in one of the large mainstream Seattle papers. But it did.

Day 4, Help Should Arrive

I can appreciate Eric Holdeman’s impassioned essay on disaster response and personal responsibility (“Disaster’s coming: Get ready” Times guest commentary, July 5). So let’s make a deal: My neighbors and I will make and maintain our three days/three ways disaster kits but, come a disaster, on the fourth day, the King County Office of Emergency Management and all other government and private companies are liable and responsible for providing adequate and reasonable support.

During the many various storms this past year, my entire neighborhood in Duvall was prepared. We had flashlights with new batteries, cases of water, portable outdoor camping stoves, food, first-aid kits and everything else the Department of Homeland Security recommends for every man, woman, child and pet.

So when the Snohomish Valley was flooded in October, cutting off all access to Carnation and Duvall — forcing these areas to become islands with not even emergency access for days — we were ready.

When the spring floods came, cutting everything off again — and sweeping away even more farms with it — we were ready then, as well.

And when the winds and snow came in the winter, we were ready then as well; for three days. Because we were told that, after three days, we would have the support we would need. We had no support for two weeks. No heat, no electricity, no hot water, and no available means for 10 miles for getting food.

There was one shelter in our area at Cedarcrest High School, which was full when we got there and then we were turned away because we had an 8-week old, palm-sized puppy. We were told we would be put on a waiting list or could try somewhere else but would still have to keep our very young puppy at home, in the cold, alone, by himself, in the empty, dark house covered with snow.

We’ve fulfilled our part of the bargain. Is the King County Office of Emergency Management ready to take full ownership of its part?

Jarrah Juarez writes from Duvall.

Mr, Juarez should expect his property to be inspected, ahead of time, for a reassessment of it’s value. The corresponding property tax increase will follow shortly thereafter.

You do not get to question the King County government without consequences, Mr. Juarez.