Yes, because that's the truth. Unfortunately, it's easy to hook one and one together here. Disenfranchised and dark skin = a racial situation, or so certain luminaries like Jesse Jackson would like to pronounce.

Everyone wants to blame Bush, but the primary emergency planning responsibilities lie with the mayor and the governor. The LA national guard is under the direct control of the governor of LA. If they weren't ready to move in and restore order directly after the storm, it's HER fault.

Bush cannot micromanage the entire country.

Just saw a classic video blurb from Nagin (with righteous indignation) "I don't want to see another newsconference about 40K troops being here until they're on the ground next to me...blah, blah, blah"

Anyone wonder why a better plan wasn't in place before all this happened, and after the city & state were repeatedly warned about this scenario. Or why there were no supplies in the Superdome for the people that he was sending there as the site of last resort? Or a plan in case the power went out? How come the public trans system (whatever they have in NO) wasn't used to bus at least some people inland (anywhere) if people didn't have enough trans to get inland? Plus now the buses are probably flooded and a write-off, when they would have been saved by getting them inland. Rant over. Just tired of hearing all the finger pointing from the people who should have had a plan to start with.

Amen, Peter...but we all need to realize that "CYA" is high on the politician's list of talents...

Personally I would have just walked out of there. I- 10 is around 20 miles from NO and hitched a ride with kids and all rather than waited in the Superdome. I'm 47 and would not have subjected my family to that inhumane mess. I've been through 3 hurricanes 1 in Houston (Alicia) 2 more in Fla plus volonteered relief efforts for Andrew and it ain't no picnic but VERY surviviable IF you act with some common sense. That usually means get out of the disaster area ASAP. Usually relief is closer than you think. I remember that after Andrew, in the middle of hell, only 10 miles north was an open Burger King and service stations and Hotel waiting for refugees.

Blame this: If the people who run NO spent as much time and money on a disaster plan as they do on Mardi Gras, those folks would be at a clam bake instead of in trouble.

I have heard Sheppard Smith on FoxNews say that there is now a checkpoint on I-10, the only road out of NO, and people are not allowed to leave the city on foot anymore. This is higly disturbing, as if I was stuck with thousands of people in a soup of urine, feces and dead bodies, my only goal would be to get the hell out of there on foot. There is no worse situation than waiting in a desperate situation, and not being informed. If the intent was to get rid of them all by letting them die, this is exactly how the governement would have done...

Aurel

If John Kerry (or Clinton for that matter) were President and this were to happen under his watch, the Bush apologists (as wells as I, no doubt) would be crying for impeachment and the jailing of every official involved. Take your "can't do" attitude, switch the leadership, and see if it holds up. Then come back and tell me how Bush can't micro-manage the country. Try this:

- Kerry, after a 6 week vacation in Marthas Vinyard does a flyover in AirForce1 over NO 2 days after the disaster.
- Kerrys Secretary of State is off in Manhattan shopping for shoes and enjoying Broadway.
- No one is put in command of any operations on the ground for 4 days
- All the terrorist / security response mechanisms that Kerry promised to improve as a result of 9/11 and our war on t'error completely fail.
- The Congressional Democrats call for an immediate repeal of the estate tax "to help the victims" while the Republicans send up a measure for immediate funding of operations.

Tell me you wouldn't be angry, frustrated, and ready to throw the bum out.

This makes you realize trusting these folks with anything of importance is a real gamble. The government seems to be a magnet for incompetence and attracts those who are unable or unwilling to make decisions. Until this changes, we will be forced to accept mediocrity. Bush is indeed supreme overload of the entire world , but does he actually have to tell his underlings when to scratch their butt?

It is sad that folks are misrepresenting the facts of the situation to use this disaster as political fodder. The Governor of Missippi activated the National Guard 2 days before the storm. He told law enforcement, guardsmen and state troopers to deal "ruthlessly" with looters. Missippi and Alabama are holding up well in spite of the disaster. New Orleans/Louisiana officials partied before and whined afterwards. The NO police dept mostly went AWOL. It is all about local leadership.

I want to say how proud I am of our mayor here in Houston, Bill White. He's a successful businessman that came in to clean up the mess left by Brown. He's stepping up to help the people of NO even though it's going to cause major problems for himself. He's done more for this city in two years than any mayor I remember.

Ah, yes a curse-laden diatribe...MM, what are you attempting to convey?


125shifter, TX has indeed come up big time. I also think the governments of MS and AL have done really well.

From someone that was there:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/2/161442/0257

In time, tough questions will have to be asked about planning and action by emergency reponse authorities at all levels - local, state, federal.

Hurricane flooding of New Orleans has one of the leading natural disaster risks, these agencies have supposedly been planning for this for decades, and there was at least three days' notice that the storm was headed straight for the city.

I don't understand why the city didn't try to evacuate people who lacked transportation and why it didn't better prepare, stock, and man the designated shelters like the Superdome. Communication seems to have broken down badly, despite emergency response agencies' radio networks. I don't understand why the National Guard didn't enter the city in force much earlier, by helicopter, truck, or boat. It's not clear that the New Orleans police department held together, they seem to have been pretty scarce where the biggest concentrations of refugees were (Superdome, Convention Center). DHS and FEMA didn't seem on top of the situation.

It's really early in this mess. I don't know who failed to do their job, or maybe everyone did their job very well and what's happened was just unavoidable. I see that people are already rushing to push all of the failures downhill to the local and state level, and absolve the federal government of any responsibility. I think it's really premature to be placing blame here or there.

By the way, the Dept of Homeland Security has primary reponsibility for responding to major natural disasters. From the horse's mouth, at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/theme_home2.jsp

"Preparing America
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."

I am really impressed by the response from surrounding states like Texas, the generosity of the country (private relief agencies have raised $200MM so far, and the real fund-raising campaigns haven't even started). The individual rescue and aid workers have been heroic.

Edit: I wasn't too clear, hopefully the edits help.

Putting aside who was at fault, the response was not adaquate.

Now, we had days of forewarning on this one.

What if it had been a major terrorist attack?

Have we really made that little progress?

Well if it had been a major terrorist attack, local authorities would have been able to drive to the aid of residents. This collosal flood storm damage is what makes large scale rescue difficult. It seems people are forgetting how difficult this sitution is to handle.
It seems people are suggesting that somehow food for 100,000 people and 5000 personal helicopters should be located near every coastal city in the US at all times just in case the 1 in 200 year storm rears it's ugly head. And maybe 50 new military hospital ships need to be built and anchored fully staffed in every port. Is this what people mean when they say that our homeland security has failed?

I think this situation probably is being handled a little better than it would have been prior to 9/11. Everyone is *****ing, but really, who here thinks that they have the immediate cure for what has happened in these three states?

Oh yeah, what the hell is wrong with the president overflying the area while traveling back to DC. Should he have instructed the pilot to ditch AF 1 in the lake near the levee break? WTF?

Do people really believe that all the rescue organizations involved thought to themselves.... These people are black so we should let half of them die, then we will go in and help. Give me a break!!!!!!!!

:mad:

The following is a partial transcript of an interview between Garland Robinette of WWL radio in New Orleans and the city's Mayor, Ray Nagin.




Robinette: What do you need right now to take control of the situation?

Nagin: I need reinforcements. I need troops, man. I need 500 buses, man. They're talking about, you know, one of the briefings we had, you know, they were talking about getting uh, uh you know, public school bus drivers to come down here and bus people out of here. I'm like, 'You gotta be kidding me!'

This is a national disaster. Get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans. That's, they're thinking small man, and this is a major, major, major deal. And I can't emphasize it enough, man
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1125797422.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1125797459.jpg

1. Disregarding the point that it was not Bush's job to plan for the disaster response and have the NG ready, do really think that Bush is not working at his ranch? Functionally, it makes no difference if he is at the White House or in Texas. He has all the same info and authority.

2. How is this Rice's responsibility? The Secretary of STATE does not deal with domestic emergencies. That's Chertoff's job. Secretary of States are responsible for international relations. Hence the word "State".

3. Good question. Let's ask the LA governor why she didn't have the national guard ready. No, they weren't all in Iraq.

4. The city was hit Monday, all was well. It flooded Tuesday, the convoy arrived Friday. That's three days to mobilize thousands, pack 8 miles of trucks, and drive down there. Not perfect, but not bad either.

5. Last time I looked, congress unanimously voted an initial relief package of 10.5 billion dollars. There will certainly be more. Only a whiner could complain about getting 10.5 billion.