As I remember it, Katrina hit on a Monday and the National Guard was really there in force by Thursday. That delay in getting aid to the city was cited as showing prejudice against blacks. People on the news speculated that, if the hurricane had hit a city that wasn't majority black or the state that the President's brother governed, aid would have gotten to the stricken victims much faster. Now that Wilma has hit Florida on a Monday and, by Thursday, tens of thousands still lack power and are waiting for food and ice, can we admit that, surprise of surprises, it takes time to get aid into a hurricane-stricken area? Think of how much more devastated New Orleans was by Katrina and is anyone really surprised that the estimate that FEMA habitually gives stricken areas that it will take at least 72 hours to get federal aid to the victims is true for Floridians as well as those in New Orleans. I admire Governor Bush's frankness in taking responsibility in the delay in getting aid to victims and in reminding people that they should take some responsibility for their own care.

"We did not perform to where we want to be," Bush said.

The governor added, however, that people seeking relief should have done more to prepare for the storm.

"People had ample time to prepare. It isn't that hard to get 72 hours worth of food and water," said Bush, repeating the advice that officials had given days before Wilma hit.

I remember when Hurricane Fran came through Raleigh, NC. I remember that we had no expectation that the hurricane would do major damage so far inland. We were out of power for four and a half days and considered ourselves lucky for getting it back so fast. It never occurred to us that the fault lay with the government or even with the energy company. We all understood that it is difficult to restore power to hundreds of thousands customers when power lines are down across the city and trees block roads.