[StBernard] Knee-Jerk Comment

[Westley Annis]

Henry Rodriguez's "knee-jerk" remark is another example of inappropriate
communication skills for someone in a leadership role.  Mr. Rodriguez
habitually makes off-handed comments that cause embarrassment to the parish.
While I cannot speak for the caliber of his decisions as president of the
parish, I can hear the lack of professionalism in his statements.  

Mr. Rodriguez would do well to develop his talents as a speaker before
making statements of this type.   His lack of both sensitivity and old
fashioned tact is a dangerous combination when speaking for or about people
who have been through so much heartache.  Please remember this when voting
time comes around.

Cindy Meyers

	-----------------------------------------------------
	"St. Bernard Parish President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez called the
pullback
	from coastal areas a "knee-jerk reaction." He predicted residents
eventually
	will be lured back: "People are infatuated with water. They love to
be near
	water." --Junior Rodriguez (The Associated Press). 
	
	**I bet if you poll the majority who were in the storm, I would say
that
	this "truth statement" is false. After Katrina, people have had all
the
	water they needed up until now. Two things reach the minds of those
who
	"love water". One, they love to ski, boat, camp, and collect seafood
(living
	or by food necessity). Secondly, if one is not subject to this
statement,
	they will be labeled "ignorant/stupid" or unable to comprehend
safety or
	perhaps risk financial ruin or increased insurances, etc.
	
	Wanting to live in coastal areas is a risk to many. If one chooses
to do so,
	accepts risk as a way of life. That's because "People" also include
those
	under 18, the elderly and the disabled. Therefore, this statement,
	"knee-jerk reaction" is premature, ludicrous and dumb.
	
	Somehow, some of us chose to continue back as a necessity,
livelihood or
	unable to transplant oneself. That's a personal decision of course.
So, I'll
	qualify why people feel a need to continue. But, loving the "water"
after
	being "force-fed 10-20 feet of swamp/oil water/contamination is not
an
	acceptable condition for returning.
	
	--jer--