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Duct Tape Panic Pays Off

By Christy Harvey on Feb 25th, 2005 at 11:24 am

Duct Tape Panic Pays Off

In 2003, Former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge warned Americans they needed to stock up on duct tape and plastic sheeting if they wanted to stay safe from a terrorist attack. His advice incited panic and inspired a run on the items. Duct tape and sheeting flew off the shelves as Americans flocked to stores to stock up on as much as they could carry.

Ridge resigned as Homeland Security Director last December. So what’s he up to today? It was announced today that Ridge is joining the board of directors of Home Depot … national distributor of duct tape and plastic sheeting.



4 Responses to “Duct Tape Panic Pays Off”

  1. Jon Holland says:

    I can hear the slogan now: “Want some duct tape?”

    But seriously, I like to give these people the benefit of the doubt. As a former Pennsylvanian, I certainly have no love for Tom Ridge. Then again, this Home Depot thing doesn’t neccesarily imply any impropriety on his part. I mean, if YOU were Home Depot, who would you want to come onto your board? They offered, he accepted, qed. Innocent until proven guilty.


  2. Mark Richards says:

    Guilty. Flat out.

    What the duct tape and plastic purchased was, mostly, a re-election. Getting to warm a seat (large one) on the Home Depot board is suitable reward for a snow job well done.

    Makes me want to rip out the cabinets we purchased there several years ago. I’ve never set foot one of their stores since learning they heavily support republican causes. I never will. They can take their cheap paneling, duct tape, and redneck clientele and shove it.

    Ridge is a grim-faced ass. He deserves to go down with the rest of them. I only hope that when the final accounting is made and appropriate criminal justice meted out, those who resigned will be included in the process. Ridge will get top honors for lie dissemination – with special mention for his top ability: doing so on command.

    Guilty as sin. And our young men and women are paying the price, every day.


  3. pzykr says:

    All i want to know is, did he have stock or stock options in Home Depot in 2003? If so, he’s guilty as Dick.


  4. Zach says:

    we now know what orange alert stood for



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