Atlanta’s disastrous snowstorm response is quickly becoming a scandal

[jakeXT]

As Atlanta reels under what was, let’s face it, little more than a flurry, everyone’s still trying to figure out how this could have happened, and, of course, who we can blame.

One to four inches of snow and one-fourth to one-half inch of ice is a lot for a city with only 40 snow plows and 30 sand trucks, but Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (D) are taking flak for the disastrous gridlock that left children stuck at school, commuters stranded on the interstate overnight and caused over a thousand accidents.

Reed’s mistake was tweeting Tuesday morning that Atlanta was ready for the snow. It’s this tweet, from Deal, however, that’s really going to come back to haunt him:

That’s right — the two politicians were at a luncheon right before the gridlock began. Even worse, they were celebrating Reed’s being named “Georgian of the Year.”

Al Roker was particularly harsh about Deal and Reed’s delayed response, calling it “poor planning on the mayor’s part and the governor’s part, pure and simple” on the Today Show and accusing them of being cheap.

http://www.salon.com/2014/01/29/the_governor_and_mayor_were_at_a_luncheon_when_atlantas_snowstorm_hit/

[JustAnotherGen]

1. I hope not

It's nothing compared to Christie's criminal behavior . . .

[riqster]

2. Funny how nobody wants to pay taxes,

...and people still expect the government to have resources to take care of such disasters.

[leftyohiolib]

3. i am wondering if the reptilicans would put those 2together

[exboyfil]

4. I am willing to bet they spent

untold millions on SWAT gear and armored cars (nearly tanks) though.

[former9thward]

9. It was not a disaster.

The Mayor said the problem was that everyone went home at once. Schools, government and business all released their employees/students at the same time. That created an impossible gridlock.

[riqster]

14. Disaster or not, the same scenario applies.

Too many people want low taxes AND excellent government services.

And the mayor's analysis may be correct, but that's hardly exculpatory-good planning and better coordination could have ameliorated much of the gridlock.

[LiberalFighter]

15. That gridlock could had been avoided if schools had been closed

And non essential govt employees had either gone home earlier or not gone to work.

[lame54]

12. This was not a money problem...

they should have closed the schools and advised people not to drive that day - but what if it didn't snow - they were worried about the political fallout

[Thirties Child]

5. Reed is only responsible for Atlanta

And Atlanta, with a population of a little over 430,000, is small part of a large metropolitan area. No one is calling out the mayors and commission chairman of the rest of the 5 million+ area. Most of the blame should lie on Deal's shoulders.

[dipsydoodle]

6. Its also farcical

the harping on about 2" of snow when I think the last time was 2001.

I've got friends in Atlanta who are currently whining incessantly about it on FB. Quite pathetic.

[jakeXT]

7. It was 2011, they had 10 snow plows.. now they got 40

In Atlanta, city leaders are trying to take stock of the lessons learned. Mayor Kasim Reed said the next time a storm threatens, he will recruit more private contractors to supplement Atlanta's meager fleet of 10 snowplows, and he will put them to work sooner. He also said he won't wait for the state to clear main arteries within the city limits.

"We want to send a clear signal that we are working," Reed said at a press conference. "The last few days have been tough ... But we are not hiding. This is a no-excuses situation."

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/41053632/ns/weather/t/should-atlanta-have-been-better-prepared-snow/

[okaawhatever]

16. The whole thing is....that is for Atlanta proper. Those highways and interstates you saw weren't

in Atlanta city limits. Also, it didn't really start until everyone started going home. Traffic in that city is terrible, once everyone got on the highways during rush hour the snow began to accumulate, followed by a temperature drop, ice and sleet. That caused massive accidents which in turn caused the parking lot effect on the highways. The snow plows couldn't help in this situation anyway because all the streets were full.
The biggest issue was the decision to close schools and businesses or put the area under a state of emergency. The focus should be on whether they had enough weather info that a reasonable person would have closed schools, or was the weather report inaccurate in it's timing.

[jakeXT]

17. I thought the jacknifed trucks were causing most problems.

It doesn't really matter how many cars you have, as long as trucks are blocking exits or interstates.

[Arkana]

8. 2.5 inches of snow shut down Atlanta.

Wow. Here in New England we call that "Tuesday". I get why, though--snow down there isn't exactly an everyday occurrence.

[Hosnon]

10. It's similar to Sandy.

I'm sure Floridians were wondering why the hell a Category 1 caused so many problems.

States prepare for what is likely to occur. In the South, it's rare and it's best for us to just all stay home and wait it out.

[lame54]

13. you get snow they get ice...

here in NC we had people ice skating on the streets

[otohara]

11. In 82 - Denver Tried to Recall Fredrico Pena

I enjoyed 3 days off from work.