For the past few days, leading up to tomorrow, the airwaves have been filled with 5 year commemorations of Hurricane Katrina. As it should be. It was a national catastrophe and a historic black eye for a once great nation. It was the first time in modern history the United States looked utterly helpless and had to go hat in hand asking for help. I think people will look back in time and see it as the first major sign that America was trending backwards to becoming a banana republic. And it look like come November we'll actually be led by Banana Republicans. But I digress.
One of things that jumped out at me in all the reporting in recent days was that the current population of New Orleans is roughly estimated at 330,000.
That can't be right. That's the same population as Bakersfield!
Even before Katrina, New Orleans population was about the same as Fresno. How can that be? New Orleans has culture. Music and restaurants. Nightlife. Bakersfield has none of those things. I'd always assumed it was so backwards because it was so small. That it lacked the critical mass to achieve the finer things in life. I had no idea a lot of great cities aren't much bigger. I mean, Pittsburgh has even FEWER people. Not that Pittsburgh is any great shakes, but it beats the hell out of Bakersfield.
So why the hell can't this city BE something? It's obviously big enough to achieve something, anything, and lord knows there's plenty of oil and ag money flowing around town. There's only one reason I can think of...
Laziness.
These people just can't be bothered. It's as if once the Outback Steakhouse opened, their cultural mission was complete. Dreaming "big" here doesn't extend much past opening another Target or Walmart. What a waste.
It just confirms my opinion that this isn't so much as city as it is a super sized truck stop.
Stay classy Bako!
