Someone, some agency, might have prevented it, right? Or at least kept homes from being built so near the fertilizer plant?
Gov. Rick Perry and the mayor of the West say there’s nothing that they could have done. Tod Robberson at the Morning News doubts that’s true:
In essence, everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else. No one wants to declare: The buck stops here.
This is a Republican-controlled state. And if I’m not mistaken, Republicans put enormous stakes on the notion of personal responsibility. That is: I made choices, and I have to live with the consequences of those choices. Well, someone made the decision to build houses, apartments, schools, etc. next to a ticking time bomb. Others in positions of power knew exactly what the explosive potential of that time bomb was. Others in positions of power knew it was their responsibility under federal law to warn local residents of the dangers.
Many, many people failed to execute their jobs properly and, worse, failed to embrace the full spirit of public safety by sharing information so that hundreds or thousands would not be placed in harm’s way. They failed, and now they don’t want to own up to it.
Very impressive, Texas.
