Commenter Josh Reiter has some second-hand reporting from the Houston evacuee site:

Many of the people while screaming in anger, spitting, and fist pounding while demanding that they receive better food. Note above that my girlfriend has eaten the food there at the convention center and describes it as the same quality that you'd get at a Chili's, Fridays, or at worst a Boston Market. They were angrily demanding McDonalds' value meals to satiate their palates.

One young girl who was pregnant was asked where she was from. She very quietly mumbled something while several people were talking loudly and the buzz of lighting ballasts blared overhead. When asked to repeat herself the girl grabbed the clipboard and pen out of her hand and scribbled a series of indecipherable letters on the form. Then, threw them back down in disgust...

...I understand that anger is one of the natural reponses to a tragic situation. But there is a difference between venting types of anger and those in which someone really shows their true colors. They did nothing but display direct anger at those things and people around them that they truly despise. I think we see here the reason these people are in the situation that they are in for a reason. These people have been giving shelter, comfortable beds, good food, free medical care, free medicine, and money. For which they have little or no consideration for those who are trying to help them or appreciation for what they are being given.

Mark Twain once wrote "...a dog will not bite the hand that feeds him. This is the principal difference between a man and a dog."

I happen to live ten minutes away from "Reliant City" and know some of the volunteers who have worked to succor our temporary guests. I'm rather astonished that Rand would print this semiliterate screed that seems to have taken a couple of isolated examples out of contex and has pretended that they represent the norm. My information is that they do not and that the vast majority of Houston's guests are quite grateful for the help they've gotten.

On the other hand, I just read the entire original text and it is a little bit more fair and balanced than the excerpt that Rand choose to post in order to make some kind of point.

I've no idea whether they're the norm or not. I was simply pointing out that some people don't make good guests. I didn't say they were representative.

No, you didn't say that. But you didn't say they weren't. You took a sample of the original post out of contex to make it seem like the NO refugees were all ingrates. I urge everyone to read the entire post for the full story.

Y'all can go here:
http://thepoliticalteen.net/2005/09/16/abcbias/

To see video of what I would like to think is a more representative response to the whole situation by the N.O. refugees.

I don't need to read the entire comment to know the score. My drive is a bit longer than 10 minutes to Reliant, but still shorter than my drive to work. The fact is some people are behaving this way or worse.

The fact is also that the vast majority are very grateful for the assistance they are receiving. Something that warmed my heart was seeing the ABC interview after the President's Speech. I may not appreciate the vast handouts the President wants to give, but all the Reliant evacuees seemed to be very appreciative of both the President's speech, and especially the people here in Houston. It is a good thing to know that many are keeping their hopes high and are ready to tackle a tough job ahead. I have a great deal of respect for those people.

On another note, bumped into a coworker evacuee from Michoud. We have provided offices and computers for many of the employees that have made it to Houston. They are very kind people. You'd think they were kids receiving candy when you offer them a phone and internet access. They really want to know what is going on and help themselves. It is great!

Leland, you are absolutely right. My point is that the many should not be tarred with the misbehavior of the few. As for Bush's speech, while I found the tone to be FDR, the substance (enterprise zones, vouchersm etc) was pure Reagan.

I fully agree with your views. Pople who are suffering need much more than this. This is just a simple effort. Thank you

Brilliant comment Mr. Whittington. If only Bush could be part FDR and part Reagan, he would surpass Churchill. For my opinion, he does have elements of all three, but falls short of any one.

"...it is a little bit more fair and balanced than the excerpt that Rand choose to post in order to make some kind of point."

Mark, that's why the link exists. As long as that link exists Rand doesn't need to post a statistical analysis along with his comment. The point is that some ARE ingrates. It's sufficient to just point that out. If some get the impression he meant they are all ingrates, the problem is not with the post.

You used one of my favorite Mark Twain quotes. While you got the gist of it dead on, I think the phrasing was something like: "If you take up a starving dog, and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference..." etc.

Well here at in Dallas they have done a pretty good job of getting a lot of the evacuee's into temporary public housing. Probably to good of a job in fact; because, many people that have been on waiting list for public housing that live in Dallas got bumped down to put the people from New Orleans on the top. The ones left over at the Dallas Convention center are mostly the dregs that no one wants to claim -- The Untouchables.

I've got another 3rd person anecdote to hand out. A friend of mine is a high school football coach and at one of his games he was talking to a Dallas police officer working security. The police officer told him that the area around Reunion and the Convention center had 9 confirmed break in alarms the week before the hurricane. The week after the evacuee's were brought in they had 29 break in alarms. I guess they were still needing to loot to survive.