I am reeling after one of the coldest nights in Houston, Texas. We were wrapped in old ski clothes, that for some reason, I never tossed, along with mounds of blankets, praying the repair man who is “a friend of a friend” would be able to get the heat back on today. It defaulted when the power went out without warning. In the area, most repairmen are backed up for weeks due to probably the poorest mismanagement in this entire nation. One friend said they are #101 on their plumber’s lists. Most are dealing with busted pipes, flooded houses, no water and shortages of every kind. The 4th largest city in the nation is reeling thanks to bureaucracy. As bad as it seems for us, there are those who are unable to eat, wash or flush, even relieving themselves in buckets instead of packing their homes…, well you can imagine the visual.
Everyone that “I know” has experienced power outages from at least 7 to 48 hours and more. Reports here are to brace for impact, it’s not quite over. Hotels are booked. The COVID-19 factor adds additional risk for those who have been diligent in pandemic protocol and are waiting to be vaccinated. Kudos to Texans like Tray the Truth, Judge Linda Hidalgo, Mayor Turner, Council Woman Martha Castex-Tatum, Joel Osteen, Pastor Rudy Rasmus, and other high-profile residents trying to make lives better. Beyonce, through her BeyGood Impact Fund, sent immediate assistance to Houston. Other famous faces continue to reach out, while Senator Ted Cruz vacationed in warm Cancun, Mexico. I will leave the Governor’s discussion for another time.
My normally positive demeaner has definitely been impacted by the failure of a state that brags about practically everything. Everything is bigger in Texas, but this is “bigness” we could do without. The name and blame game is in full force, but where is real accountability? It behooves me that there was (is) no contingency or emergency plan in “big ole Texas” for cold weather? With the rarity of extreme cold here, there was a lot of free time to make plans should anything like this occur. I was trying to find something to compare Senator Cruz’s trip to, and this is the only thing I could come up with.
It is like someone who is scheduled for major surgery, under anesthesia, on the table, and cut wide open. The surgeon decides in the middle of the procedure that he must take a coffee break. The patient is left, organs exposed, clueless that his life is at stake. The coffee break took priority over the well-being of the vulnerable patient, who remained helpless on the table. Kudos to practically every Houstonian who had to share in this process, while “Cancun Cruz” was vacationing. His egregious choice is unfathomable! I appeal to my fellow Texans, “It is time to put Ted on permanent “Cruz control!” The only way to stop bad behavior is to allow the consequences to fit the actions. If not now when?
