Houston, Texas Mayor In Hot Water Over Comments About Georgia Aid Workers
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Houston, Texas Mayor In Hot Water Over Comments...
In response to natural disasters, FEMA sends workers from all over the country to lend a hand. That's the case in Texas, where Georgia workers are helping with Hurricane Ike recovery efforts. Not...
In response to natural disasters, FEMA sends workers from all over the country to lend a hand. That’s the case in Texas, where Georgia workers are helping with Hurricane Ike recovery efforts. Not everything is going smoothly, though, as the Houston Mayor finds himself in a bit of hot water. Ted Oberg has the story.
Published: September 24, 2008
Houston, TX—Surrounded by trash, living with marginal power, and dealing with the long effects of a storm, can make people angry.
Kenneth Allen: “They ain’t picked up my f***ing trash, yet. #### yeah, I still feel the effects of the storm.“
We’re not proud of it, and it doesn’t sound real nice, but when there’s no AC, heated language is a little understandable…maybe even coming Houston Mayor Bill White.
Last Tuesday morning, Mayor White visited the thousands of people in line at the TSU pod. All the supplies had been sitting overnight at Reliant Stadium. The mayor wasn’t happy…
Mayor Bill White, Houston, TX: “That is not going to happen, again.“
What he didn’t say from that podium is that before the trucks started rolling…some tough words rolled off his tongue. According to a city witness, he told some FEMA workers from Georgia, dispatching trucks, to “get those f***ing trucks moving” and “you better get your f***ing act together.“ Apparently, those Georgia workers’ feelings bruise easier than a Georgia Peach. They tattled on mayor and the Georgia Governor wrote Governor Perry a letter, saying, “I would not tolerate the profane berating of Texas or Georgia volunteers, here…and I trust that you do not, either.“
Texas Governor Perry wrote back, saying he was dismayed, and offered his sincerest apologies.
Kenneth Allen: “Now there’s a feud between Georgia and Texas.“
People who stood in the long TSU lines don’t think the mayor needs to do a thing.
Kenneth Allen: “I commend the mayor, because if someone dropped the ball, he should get on their a**.“
Tonya Wyche: “I think he’s human, I think he’s stressed, and I would’ve said something worse than that.“
Wednesday, in Washington, the mayor explained his words…and isn’t backing down.
Mayor Bill White: “I always feel bad if I hurt someone’s feelings. I was trying to get people moving quicker and trying to provide a little incentive to do so.“
The boss overseeing Georgia’s workers says they’ve been yelled at by plenty of people in Texas, and that the mayor’s words are not a big deal.
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