Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

The damage and flooding in New Orleans, LA in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are the yardstick that many people refer to today when evaluating the destruction a large storm can leave behind. How many roads were closed, how many homes were flooded, how high did the water go, and what sort of lasting effect remains to be seen? Those are the questions that are asked, and the severity is frequently compared to NOLA to decide "how bad is it?"

The storm that left areas of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City flooded, is being referred to as "the Katrina of the Midwest." Crops were damaged, neighborhoods were flooded, and many were shocked to discover that yes, it can happen to you- you, too, can lose everything in the blink of an eye.

I flew to Chicago and drove a rented SUV to Iowa City. Along the way, because bridges were out and roads were closed, I was frequently diverted to side roads and at one point, the road was washed out entirely and my vehicle got stuck in a mud hole. It was pulled out by a very polite farmer named Dustin, using a very big, very green, and very noisy John Deere tractor. They did not seem surprised that I was going to Iowa City.

I had to stop in three places to get directions, even with a GPS, because of the roundabout route I was taking. One woman behind the counter told me she was very tired of people showing up as "lookie-loos" and taking pictures of drowned houses. She also fixed me with a withering look that could melt candle wax, when I asked her if she was following the politics in Washington at all.

I received that same incredulous look from three people today, all of whom refused to actually be interviewed. All three, however, told me the same type of answer: No, because what happens in Washington, does not apparently affect them in any way. A woman actually burst into laughter at the question, and added further that there is no reason for either of the candidates to show up in Iowa to show their support, because "what are they supposed to do, stand in front of the TV and emote for us?"

She, and others on the sidewalk that chimed in, agreed that money should not be spent on having either Senator McCain or Senator Obama show up to survey the damage done in Iowa. Iowa needs their money, they said, and Iowa will take care of its own.