Did New Orleans Catastrophe have to happen?

[DKW 86 7,440]

Watched the MSNBC show with Keith Olbermann last night. Dont you know that there were no shots fired yesterday at all. Keith said so. The people are starving dying of dehydration and the govt is doing nothing....yada yada yada. MSNBC even interviewed their own reporter so he could say over and over that the SuperDome crowd was peaceful and non-violent. Excuse me but you guys were telling us just before about looting, gunfire etc.

And there were no shots fired, all the other media are wrong about this.. or so said Keith.

It is amazing to me the blinders the Left CHOOSE to put on every day.

[AUesquire 1]

My feelings conveyed in my earlier post stand. I find it repulsive while all this is ongoing to politicize this matter and play the blame game while people are literally dying by the hundreds every day.

That being said, I don't think it is "politicizing" by pointing out that this has been botched at all levels since the storm hit. I'm glad to see Bush publically acknowledge as much by stating what has been done to date is unacceptable. Anyone who heard the rant of Mayor Nagin this morning cannot deny that this man is telling it like it is. He's taken off the gloves, stopped with the political rhetoric and said, I don't care whose fault it is, people are dying, get your a$$es down here NOW!

The head of FEMA has no answers and the Governor of the state doesn't know what day it is or when she asked for help or how much help she asked for. We've got the worst natural disaster in US history and our President is just now making an appearance in the area. Now, before you jump in with both feet, realize that it's easy to sit on the outside looking in and make judgments about who is or is not handling this situation correctly. It's the people who are actually in the middle of this mess, who've lost everything, who are being shot at, who are starving and dying that are saying these things.

I am a Bush supporter and a supporter of the Republican party. I'm not suggesting he or anyone else is responsible for the hurricane or the levee breaking or the idiots who heard the warnings, had the means to leave and chose to stay. But if I just HAD to put a political spin on this whole mess, I would have to say that with his approval rating at an all-time low and with the manpower at his disposal to save lives, I would think someone would have advised Mr. Bush to take the bull by the horns, as someone suggested, and lead the charge with help, protection and supplies from day one.

[Jenny AU-92 0]

Okay, if we are purely talking about disaster response here, then the head of FEMA needs to be bullwhipped. This is his PRIMARY PURPOSE IN LIFE. The man could not find his ass with both hands. Control was left in the hands of the local and state officials too long, and then when FEMA FINALLY decided to mobilize, the problems had gotten out of control. Yes, GWB is the Pres and the buck ultimately stops with him, but he also only hears what his people are telling him. If Mr. FEMA Brown is saying "Mr Prez, we have it under control..." then for a little while at least, GWB is going to listen. But when you hear a nurse at Charity Hospital calling in to Larry King because they are desperate, that's when GWB needs to kick ass and take names, and I think, after last night's speech, he is doing just that. Hopefully a little Texas style justice will be meted out on the streets of Orleans Parish, and control will be restored very soon. The military police with automatic rifles is definitely a step in the right direction.

[Wishbone 0]

Cities are flooded and damaged by hurricanes, however N.O. is having the trouble that it is because of the parasitic population that has been nutured by the PC gov't and political weenies that have run our nanny state for the past 40 years.

[Ranger12 46]

Ditto Jenny! Bush was letting those local, state, and FEMA leaders do their jobs at first. Only when it became apparent that the were not doing it good enough is when you have seen Bush step in. He gave the Homeland Secretary a little bit of admonishment during his speech this morning. Now you are seeing a major mobilization and I don't think it is coincidence. To be politicizing this is truly dishonorable. I have actually watched some of the coverage on CNN and it seems like all they are wanting to do is point fingers and politicize it. That Mcafferty a-hole even accused Bush's trip as a political photo-op! Mcafferty is a low-life b*****d IMO. What the heck was Bush supposed to do, stay away? If he did that then the same POS would have accused Bush of not caring. It is one thing to be critical of a government because it is not doing the right thing, but it is another to keep on being critical about everything just because you did not vote for the guy! That is what liberals do TT! The article you linked to wants to politicize the issue by blaming Bush and the Iraq War! CNN just posted a question "Should we bring back all the National Guard and hold a draft for the war?" Can you believe that?! This is not about $%# politics!!! This about getting those people the hell out of NO!

As far as the timeframe in which relief came, I am upset that it has not come quicker. As I heard one Senator say, "they don't teach you how to handle this in Politics 101. I have been involved in an overseas "humantarian" effort before. I understand some of the logistics and delays. First, the supplies have to be got together and moved to wherever they are going to be loaded and shipped from. Well, you are looking at least a day there. You then have to make sure you have the security in place when those supplies get there. That means activating and mobilzing soldiers. That takes a day at least also. If we would have started piling on all those MREs and water without those soldiers there, and relied on local law enforcement to secure and hand those out, it would have been a total mad house and you were looking at potenially more violent situation. It is one of those Catch 22 situations? Do we just start throwing in supplies without a organized security force and distribution plan and risk more violence or do we make these unfortunate people wait until we have everything in place to ensure that nobody hordes any food. I have seen firsthand what happens when you just through relief supplies into a group of desperate people. I have seen armed militia take those supplies and horde them. It may sound coldhearted, but in the end, it is better to make sure everything is in place before you start bringing those supplies in. Of course, that is a hard pill for those struggling to swallow and I don't blame them. It is easy to place blame if one has never seen how the process works or has never seen how low humanity can sink when people of desperate enough. They are talking about rapes in the convention center. Can somebody tell me how the hell that relates to food and water?! It doesn't directly, but when people get that desperate and croweded, very bad things can happen if you do not have the proper security force to handle it.

[TexasTiger 13,016]

Okay, if we are purely talking about disaster response here, then the head of FEMA needs to be bullwhipped.  This is his PRIMARY PURPOSE IN LIFE.  The man could not find his ass with both hands.  Control was left in the hands of the local and state officials too long, and then when FEMA FINALLY decided to mobilize, the problems had gotten out of control.  Yes, GWB is the Pres and the buck ultimately stops with him, but he also only hears what his people are telling him.  If Mr. FEMA Brown is saying "Mr Prez, we have it under control..." then for a little while at least, GWB is going to listen.  But when you hear a nurse at Charity Hospital calling in to Larry King because they are desperate, that's when GWB needs to kick ass and take names, and I think, after last night's speech, he is doing just that.  Hopefully a little Texas style justice will be meted out on the streets of Orleans Parish, and control will be restored very soon.  The military police with automatic rifles is definitely a step in the right direction.

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Here's GWB kicking ass and taking names:

Again, I want to thank you all for -- and, Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job. The FEMA Director is working 24 -- (applause) -- they're working 24 hours a day.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/20...20050902-2.html

I guess he'll be getting the Congressional Medal of Honor soon. And just think-- before being appointed by Bush he was running the International Arabian Horse Association.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationw...ll=chi-news-hed

[Auburn85 432]

may have already been said.....................

Clinton had 8 years to do something about this and Bush has less than 5?

Under Clinton some could speculate and exaggerate that we were a cadillac escalade without the proper insurance

This is just the wrong argument to even specualte. I mean it happened and now we want to focus on the WHAT IF scenarios? come on!!!??

[TexasTiger 13,016]

I am not going to hold Bush responsible yet for the lack of action.  There is a line to be crossed with Federal Government and local/state governments.  I think he did the right thing in letting the locals run things in the beginning.  But now it seems that they are incappable of getting things done right.  From this point on, Bush needs to take control and get things moving.  They need to get supplies in there right away.  Treat it like Afghanistan.  Go in heavily armed.  If people shoot at the supply vehicles shoot back.  That may sound harsh, but you can't let a few miscreants disrupt aid and take control down there.  Get the guard in there and let the NG take control from the Mayors and Governors until order is retored as best as it can considering the conditions.

Until order is restored, you are simply pissing in the wind.  You just drop supplies and run and without order and the supplies will be looted and violence will erupt just as it did in Wal-Mart and convenience stores, etc.

The clock has started for Bush in my eyes.

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According to the Department of Homeland Security, the clock started at the start:

In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility on March 1st for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation. This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort.  The new Department will also prioritize the important issue of citizen preparedness. Educating America's families on how best to prepare their homes for a disaster and tips for citizens on how to respond in a crisis will be given special attention at DHS.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/theme_home2.jsp

[TexasTiger 13,016]

may have already been said.....................

Clinton had 8 years to do something about this and Bush has less than 5?

Under Clinton some could speculate and exaggerate that we were a cadillac escalade without the proper insurance

This is just the wrong argument to even specualte. I mean it happened and now we want to focus on the WHAT IF  scenarios? come on!!!??

177875[/snapback]

It is not a question of speculation-- political decisions, state, local and federal, have been made for decades that resulted in NO being more susceptible to a disaster. One can look back and catalogue those decisions if one wants. As True Blue pointed out:

NO, there could have been a moratorium on building on below sea level land years ago and that would have prevented a lot of the losses.

Building codes could have also been enhanced, e.g. elevate the first floor above sea level. Most decisions have an economic cost and the decisions were consistently made to risk paying later.

[tiger88 934]

I'm sorry but in my eyes the ultimate blame lies on the city of New Orleans. What are they gonna claim?

Well, we knew we weren't getting enough funding from the fed. gov't so we just let the stus quo go on and let our people's lives be in danger.

In this world you have got to take care of #1 first. They didn't do that. If they felt it was such a danger they should have done something ahead of time and not relied on the fed. gov't.

Worst case they should have been screaming from the rooftops that uncle sam wasn't helping them enough. The fact is that all parties involved turned a bit of a blind eye to the impending catastrophe that was coming. Point the finger and three more come back at you.

[Shug2003 1]

After listening to all the comments I would just like to say:

I'm MORE than sick and tired of listening to blacks like Jesse Jackson and the moooooooooooooooost Reverend Al Sharpton moan and groan about racial motives for the Katrina distaster. Truth is.........the Black Mayor of New Orleans was warned 5 days prior to landfall of the impending disaster and did NOTHING for his own people.

Secondly, New Orleans has dodged the bullet so to speak for about 75 years and the law of averages is bound to catch up with anybody sooner or later. They KNEW the levies were inadequate for a cat 4 or 5 hurricane but just SAT THERE!

I'm afraid after its all said and done, the old Remember the Maine, Pearl Harbor, and 9-11 American syndrome is at work again and has NOTHING TO DO WITH this race card all t hese so called black preachers want to play to fill t heir coffers. This syndrome I refer to is called: "Ignore an issue until it bites you on the ass and then react." I'm afraid it will get us again........

[Ranger12 46]

Saw an ex-FEMA chief interviewed on MSNBC today. When he was asked if the relief could have come quicker, he said it could have. He then added that is the fault of the local and state government and not the federal government. He pointed out the different laws and procedures that have to be followed before the feds can move. There are things that that the mayor of NO and the governor of LA failed to do before the hurricane hit and after it hit that would have expediated the National Guard getting there quicker and also federal aid getting there quicker. Because of the local and state inaction, it in effect bottlenecked the federal government. One of the examples he used was that the NO mayor should have had law enforcement placed more strategically and the LA governor should have had National Guard in place better before the hurricane hit. We have to remember, it is the states responsibility to move and activate their National Guard within their own state or ask for other states assitance. Not the federal government. The forecast was for NO to take a direct hit, so the question is, why was the NG and proper supplies not already moved into place by the state of LA? Who knows, but I bet we will eventually find out. IMO, the feds are bailing out the inactions of the NO city and LA state governments.

[CCTAU 3,344]

I think a better question to ask is:  Could New Orleans have continued to dodge bullets, year after year?  Their situation with being below sea level and confined between a lake on one side and the Miss River on the other, pumps needing to be operating 24/7 (and can't operate w/o power or underwater,) and the whole dang countryside slowly subsiding every year was just one substantial-sized hurricane away from the disaster they're now facing.  The Nightmare Scenario has been widely known for many years.  Mostly I've heard it being caused by a direct hit Cat 5 storm.  This storm wasn't the exact scenario but it was pretty close -- the damage is widespread from Mobile to N.O.  New Orleans wasn't even in the NE quadrant (considered to be the worst ) of the storm when it made landfall, and still two separate levees failed -- which makes me wonder if any levee improvements would have made a difference.  It's pretty easy to point fingers at the recent Congressional funding shortfall as the culprit.  However, looking at the Big Easy's Big Picture I see a long-standing precarious situation with one too many fatal flaws evident.

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Since we, as man, have created a horrible ecological disaster in the NO region, we should just blow the remaining levvee and let nature have back what is rightfully hers. Once again the French have left us with their mess to clean up. Why shoudl we continue to pay for this. Buy backt ehland and let it sit. The River will take care of the rest.

P.S. Not sure what I'm talking about? Read a history of NO. They have been flooded every year since it was settled, until the levee was completed.

[TexasTiger 13,016]

Saw an ex-FEMA chief interviewed on MSNBC today. When he was asked if the relief could have come quicker, he said it could have. He then added that is the fault of the local and state government and not the federal government. He pointed out the different laws and procedures that have to be followed before the feds can move. There are things that that the mayor of NO and the governor of LA failed to do before the hurricane hit and after it hit that would have expediated the National Guard getting there quicker and also federal aid getting there quicker. Because of the local and state inaction, it in effect bottlenecked the federal government. One of the examples he used was that the NO mayor should have had law enforcement placed more strategically and the LA governor should have had National Guard in place better before the hurricane hit. We have to remember, it is the states responsibility to move and activate their National Guard within their own state or ask for other states assitance. Not the federal government. The forecast was for NO to take a direct hit, so the question is, why was the NG and proper supplies not already moved into place by the state of LA? Who knows, but I bet we will eventually find out. IMO, the feds are bailing out the inactions of the NO city and LA state governments.

178029[/snapback]

I have no trouble believing that Nagin and Blanco could have done more. Nagin, for example, could have used school buses to get the poor out of town. But the former FEMA guy you heard had operated under old pre-Homeland Security rules. As I mentioned before, they now claim they have "primary responsibility."

In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility on March 1st for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation. This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort.  The new Department will also prioritize the important issue of citizen preparedness. Educating America's families on how best to prepare their homes for a disaster and tips for citizens on how to respond in a crisis will be given special attention at DHS.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/theme_home2.jsp

And there is also this:

Several states ready and willing to send National Guard troops to the rescue in New Orleans didn't get the go-ahead until days after the storm struck -- a delay nearly certain to be investigated by Congress.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state's National Guard last Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn't come from Washington until late Thursday.

...

Bush had the legal authority to order the National Guard to the disaster area himself, as he did after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks . But the troops four years ago were deployed for national security protection, and presidents of both parties traditionally defer to governors to deploy their own National Guardsmen and request help from other states when it comes to natural disasters.

In addition to Guard help, the federal government could have activated, but did not, a major air support plan under a pre-existing contract with airlines. The program, called Civilian Reserve Air Fleet, lets the government quickly put private cargo and passenger planes into service.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard

[Tigermike 3,053]

So let's get this straight, according to TexasTiger and the democrats, all of this catastrophe the storm, the catastrophic damage, the loss of life, the levies being breeched and breaking, the poor planning for three hundred years is all fault of and responsibility of George W. Bush.

[Tigermike 3,053]

September 4, 2005

After Katrina, A Juvenile Blame Game

By Steve Chapman

I'm trying to picture a different aftermath of Hurricane Katrina's destruction of New Orleans: one in which all residents were evacuated in advance, no lives were lost, order was perfectly maintained, emergency supplies were delivered and distributed in ample quantities with flawless precision, and everyone was pleased with how well the government performed.

And you know what? I can't do it.

These things are called disasters for a reason: They have terrible consequences, most unavoidable and some unforeseeable. When nature unleashes its fury, it leaves a mess no amount of human ingenuity can instantly dispel. The images of chaos and death in New Orleans come as a shock, but what would we expect of the worst natural disaster in American history? Yet some people behave as though only incompetence or evil motives could account for anything that went wrong.

Large-scale catastrophes commonly create a shortage of many commodities and a surplus of two: misery and fault-finding. It took no time after New Orleans was flooded for commentators to start ladling out blame by the barrel. Assorted liberals assailed President Bush because he had pushed a cut in funding for the New Orleans Corps of Engineers and had the nerve to send Louisiana National Guard troops to Iraq.

Nancy Lessin of Military Families Speak Out, resentful that 3,000 of Louisiana's 11,000 National Guard troops are fighting overseas, said, "My daughter is in New Orleans in a hotel with no plumbing and no electricity. Meanwhile, the residents of New Orleans -- particularly working and/or poor people -- do not appear to be having the rescue attempts that they desperately need right now."

But by her figures, 73 percent of the troops were still available -- and a total of 30,000 troops were in or on the way to the area ravaged by Katrina. If those 3,000 soldiers had never left the state, her daughter's hotel would still lack water and power.

There were complaints that the president didn't end his Texas vacation sooner, and gripes that when he took a look at the devastation, he did it from the air and not from the sodden ground. But it's juvenile to think that, with modern communications, the federal government cannot function optimally unless the boss is physically in the Oval Office. Parachuting the president and his entourage into a disaster area is a mixed blessing, given the disruption any presidential appearance creates.

I'm no fan of the Iraq war. Still, I find it hard to believe that in the first few days after the hurricane, things would have gone appreciably better if we were not fighting insurgents in Fallujah. When Hurricane Andrew ripped through south Florida in 1992, the United States was at peace -- and yet the first President Bush was criticized for not sending enough troops to help.

When a natural disaster strikes, you're not likely to hear anyone say the president is doing too much, or even that he's doing exactly the right amount. It's always possible to think of something he hasn't done. Yet a Thursday editorial in The Washington Post, which is not a right-wing outpost, concluded that "the government's immediate response to the destruction of one of the nation's most historic cities does seem commensurate with the scale of the disaster."

As for the funding cuts, they don't look brilliantly farsighted. But it's fair to ask whether state and local taxpayers were willing to shoulder their fair share of the burden of protecting New Orleans.

In any case, the levees didn't fail because of money the administration proposed to cut from next year's federal budget. If there's been chronic under-funding of hurricane protection and flood control efforts in Louisiana, as we are told, it's a safe bet the problem originated before George W. Bush took office.

Even relatively measured critiques had the air of rushing to point fingers without adequate information. A news story in Thursday's Wall Street Journal said the storm exposed "serious failures by government leaders" and "flawed execution by relief agencies."

Of course, "flawed execution" is a term you could use about almost any human endeavor, given the intractable imperfection of Homo sapiens. As for whether our leaders seriously failed us, we might want to wait longer than 48 hours to try to assess such a huge and difficult undertaking.

In the coming weeks and months, we can learn a great deal about how to avoid and mitigate future catastrophes -- but only if we put off affixing blame until all the facts are in. Snap judgments, after all, are not synonymous with wise judgments.

http://realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-9_4_05_SC.html

[TexasTiger 13,016]

So let's get this straight, according to TexasTiger and the democrats, all of this catastrophe the storm, the catastrophic damage, the loss of life, the levies being breeched and breaking, the poor planning for three hundred years is all fault of and responsibility of George W. Bush.

178241[/snapback]

It is impossible for a reasonable and intelligent person to conclude that from my succession of posts on this thread. I like to think that you are both reasonable and intelligent, so you may want to read my posts again.

[TexasTiger 13,016]

Contrary to administration claims, the Feds were requested to take action on August 27th :

Tracking Katrina: Blanco Requests Federal State of Emergency

Saturday, August 27, 2005

From the NewsChannel 6 Storm Spotting Team:

Governor Blanco sent the following letter to President Bush:

Dear Mr. President:

Under the provisions of Section 501 (a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206 (Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR § 206.35, I request that you declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing. The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area and the mid state Interstate I-49 corridor and northern parishes along the I-20 corridor that are accepting the thousands of citizens evacuating from the areas expecting to be flooded as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan.

Pursuant to 44 CFR § 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal.

Preliminary estimates of the types and amount of emergency assistance needed under the Stafford Act, and emergency assistance from certain Federal agencies under other statutory authorities are tabulated in Enclosure A.

The following information is furnished on the nature and amount of State and local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the conditions of this emergency:

. Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby.

. Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby.

. Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters.

. Louisiana State Police (LSP): Providing support for the phased evacuation of the coastal areas.

. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Supporting the evacuation of the affected population and preparing for Search and Rescue Missions.

Mr. President

Page Two

August 27, 2005

. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD): Coordinating traffic flow and management of the evacuations routes with local officials and the State of Mississippi.

The following information is furnished on efforts and resources of other Federal agencies, which have been or will be used in responding to this incident:

. FEMA ERT-A Team en-route.

I certify that for this emergency, the State and local governments will assume all applicable non-Federal share of costs required by the Stafford Act.

I request Direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property.

(a) List any reasons State and local government cannot perform or contract for performance, (if applicable).

( Specify the type of assistance requested.

In accordance with 44 CFR § 206.208, the State of Louisiana agrees that it will, with respect to Direct Federal assistance:

1. Provide without cost to the United States all lands, easement, and rights-of-ways necessary to accomplish the approved work.

2. Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the requested work, and shall indemnify the Federal Government against any claims arising from such work;

3. Provide reimbursement to FEMA for the non-Federal share of the cost of such work in accordance with the provisions of the FEMA-State Agreement; and

4. Assist the performing Federal agency in all support and local jurisdictional matters.

In addition, I anticipate the need for debris removal, which poses an immediate threat to lives, public health, and safety.

Pursuant to Sections 502 and 407 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5192 & 5173, the State agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States of America for any claims arising from the removal of debris or wreckage for this disaster. The State agrees that debris removal from public and private property will not occur until the landowner signs an unconditional authorization for the removal of debris.

I have designated Mr. Art Jones as the State Coordinating Officer for this request. He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

Governor

Enclosure

http://www.newschannel6.tv/news/default.as...hownews&id=8601

[Auburn85 432]

The whole city was flooded . The SUPERDOME(shelter) had to be evacuated....this was something that was just incomprehensible.

I know not everybody could physically evacuated, but if an illegal alien can come across the border with nothing and travel many of miles.... then they could have at leeast traveled a bit northward.

And don't forget and Mississippi and Mobile were hit hard too, obviously not as hard but New Orleans wasn't the only place.

[TexasTiger 13,016]

I know not everybody could physically evacuated, but if an illegal alien can come across the border with nothing and travel many of miles.... then they could have at leeast traveled a bit northward.

178412[/snapback]

You mean, like Slidell?

[AURaptor 1,126]

Contrary to administration claims, the Feds were requested to take action on August 27th

Hey, since the Gov sent the proper notification and filled out the required forms, she did her part, right? I mean, persuant to proper guidelines and provisions, and all, right?

[TexasTiger 13,016]

Contrary to administration claims, the Feds were requested to take action on August 27th

Hey, since the Gov sent the proper notification and filled out the required forms, she did her part, right? I mean, persuant to proper guidelines and provisions, and all, right?

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Is that your assertion, because no reasonable person would think it was mine, especially since I've already said more could have been done on the state and local level. This fact merely counters the assertion I've heard that the Feds were somehow waiting for a request.

[AUloggerhead 2,253]

Contrary to administration claims, the Feds were requested to take action on August 27th

Hey, since the Gov sent the proper notification and filled out the required forms, she did her part, right? I mean, persuant to proper guidelines and provisions, and all, right?

178427[/snapback]

Maybe not: Link

Gov. Kathleen Blanco: No State of Emergency

Though her state has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and thousands are believed dead in New Orleans, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco has yet to declare a state of emergency and refuses to cede authority over rescue efforts to the federal government.

"Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans," the Washington Post reported in Sunday editions.  Gov. Blanco's office rejected the request, the paper said - concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. 

The Louisiana Democrat has also failed to declare a state of emergency - in marked contrast to Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who both issued emergency declarations before Hurricane Katrina struck.

State and federal officials also told the Post that Gov. Blanco did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday - more than 24 hours after breaches in New Orleans levee system had flooded the city and killed thousands.

The NO mayor & LA Gov can scream all they want about the fed response & lack of help. In doing so, they are trying to deflect any criticizm of their own pathetic performances. I'd like to see a moratorium on the blame game and a little more focus on maximizing the emergency efforts needed. Now is not the time to be pointing fingers.

[TexasTiger 13,016]

Contrary to administration claims, the Feds were requested to take action on August 27th

Hey, since the Gov sent the proper notification and filled out the required forms, she did her part, right? I mean, persuant to proper guidelines and provisions, and all, right?

178427[/snapback]

Maybe not: Link

Gov. Kathleen Blanco: No State of Emergency

Though her state has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and thousands are believed dead in New Orleans, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco has yet to declare a state of emergency and refuses to cede authority over rescue efforts to the federal government.

"Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans," the Washington Post reported in Sunday editions.  Gov. Blanco's office rejected the request, the paper said - concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. 

The Louisiana Democrat has also failed to declare a state of emergency - in marked contrast to Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who both issued emergency declarations before Hurricane Katrina struck.

State and federal officials also told the Post that Gov. Blanco did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday - more than 24 hours after breaches in New Orleans levee system had flooded the city and killed thousands.

The NO mayor & LA Gov can scream all they want about the fed response & lack of help. In doing so, they are trying to deflect any criticizm of their own pathetic performances. I'd like to see a moratorium on the blame game and a little more focus on maximizing the emergency efforts needed. Now is not the time to be pointing fingers.

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Stunning. Are you going to believe "Newsmax" or your lying eyes? I posted the request for the declaration above. But Newsmax says "no." So you ignore the fact that you've seen the actual request for the declaration. Here's the Post article they reference:

As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5090301680.html

Click on that link and you will now see this:

Correction to This Article

A Sept. 4 article on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina incorrectly said that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) had not declared a state of emergency. She declared an emergency on Aug. 26.

The Post was lied to by a "senior Bush official" in an effort to spin the blame game. Imagine that. And you guys just keep buying it. And, apparently, so does the Post.

[AUloggerhead 2,253]

Stunning.  Are you going to believe "Newsmax" or your lying eyes?  I posted the request for the declaration above.  But Newsmax says "no."  So you ignore the fact that you've seen the actual request for the declaration.  Here's the Post article they reference:

As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5090301680.html

Click on that link and you will now see this:

Correction to This Article

A Sept. 4 article on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina incorrectly said that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) had not declared a state of emergency. She declared an emergency on Aug. 26.

The Post was lied to by a "senior Bush official" in an effort to spin the blame game. Imagine that. And you guys just keep buying it. And, apparently, so does the Post.

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My own "lying eyes?" You're a real charmer there, Tex. Look, Newsmax just reported what the WP wrote. Journalists have been known to print incorrect information before. If I quote an article from the WP or from Newsmax before they have a chance to print a correction, does that make me a liar to your way of thinking? Stunning.

OK, I'll acknowlege the LA Gov requested the state of emergency. What about the other part of that article? How responsible is it for the Gov to refuse federal control of the evacuaton because she feared they might declare martial law? This, mind you when armed gangs of looters are roaming the streets unimpeded by city police, terrorizing the citizens trapped in the city & firing on the rescue workers. For the love of God, if ever a situation presented itself for a martial law declaration in this country, New Orleans in the days following the storm would be it. Whatever emergency plans were in place at the city, parish & state level for a disaster like this, it's evident that they were completely inadequate, or perhaps they were just completely ignored (i.e. like the city's plan to use the buses to evacuate the city.) Who is ultimately responsible for developing these plans & then implementing them at the pertinent moment? FEMA? The President? Or do the Mayor & Gov get absolved of any civil responsiblity on their part because the declaration of a state of emergency was requested on 27 Aug?