Some "salty language" from a frustrated Mayor Bill White to Georgia-based emergency workers last week at Reliant Park has resulted in a complaint Friday from Georgia's Gov. Sonny Perdue. I say, "too bad, gov," and "well done, Mayor White." It seems Mayor White made the comments to two Georgia Forestry Commission employees at a point-of-distribution site meant to handout water, ice and meals-ready-to-eat to area residents hit hard by Hurricane Ike. Perdue said in a letter to Texas Gov. Rick Perry that White had "verbally and profanely abused" the workers. (Tattletale). A witness said the Mayor told the workers, "You need to be getting these @%& trucks out of here," thereby urging the workers to stop having their morning coffee and discussing strategies or whatever and get going to where they were scheduled to be as thousands of storm victims had lined up waiting for supplies at various locations around the city. Mayor White rolled up his sleeves and took the reins from the hands of state and federal officials earlier in the week when state and federal distribution systems, meant to be in place since Hurricane Katrina devestated New Orleans, did not appear to be well-managed nor effective. At one point, Mayor White tried to tell a deputy that he had just been to a site and about 3,000 people were waiting for supplies. Meanwhile, supply trucks idled at a departure point for no apparent reason. White went on to say that if nothing was delivered soon, they were ''about to be in a @%& riot," the witness said. I am quite sure the Mayor was correct in his assessment of the situation. In a written response to the two governors, White said that he grew frustrated last Tuesday when he visited the distribution sites and found they had nothing to hand out to the thousands of people waiting in line. "I did use words that I have never used in the Sunday school class I teach, but which were closer to the vocabulary General Patton used when he was trying to keep his army moving," White wrote. "I apologize to anyone who believed my anger was directed at them." No need to apologize Mr. Mayor. You did the right thing. Had the emergency aid been appropriately managed (by those who were being paid to ensure that management), you would not have had to step in. On behalf of those thousands in line, I applaude a little cussin' to convey your serious desire to get things moving, and frankly, the "aid workers" should be glad you chose to verbally express frustration instead of talking softly and carrying a big ol' Texas-sized stick.....or a bull whip.
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