Can Houston handle it?
The Chronicle has finally discovered Laurence Simon -- he's quoted in this story about Houstonians who are wary of the mass of humanity Houston is taking in:
Amid the overwhelmingly compassionate response to hurricane evacuees in Houston, a less-welcoming undercurrent is developing among people worried about the impact of thousands of needy, desperate people.
[snip]
Laurence Simon, a tech support employee for a local company, has mixed feelings.
"I'm glad that we're putting out a welcome mat. These people have to go somewhere. But I don't know if officials are appreciating the extent of what it's going to take," said Simon.
"You can hold the door open on the elevator for more and more people but, at some point, the elevator gets too full and the cable snaps."
For what it's worth (probably not much), my own thoughts are that local charities, churches, businesses and school districts will do an admirable job of tending to the needs of the thousands of displaced residents. Most of the problems we'll see will require law enforcement solutions and the big question is whether or not HPD, Metro PD and the Harris County Sheriff's department are up to the task. We'll soon find out.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/02/05 08:11 AM | Print |
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