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OT: 'Katrinagate' fury spreads

Question:

‘Katrinagate’ fury spreads Gabrielle Chwallek Washington – "For God’s sake, are you blind?," a woman shouts at the head of the federal emergency management agency (FEMA), Michael Brown. "You’re patting each other on the back, while people here are dying." The woman is not a victim of Hurricane Katrina. She is a reporter with US television network MSNBC who is so affected by the misery she has witnessed she can hold back no longer. "Katrinagate" is the term being used by the media to describe the biggest challenge facing the political establishment in the US since the Watergate affair in the 1970s toppled Richard Nixon. Not for decades has there been such merciless questioning of the president and his administration by the US media. Even now, as the rescue operation gets underway in earnest and the flood waters in New Orleans are starting to subside, the federal government’s inadequate reaction – in the run-up to the hurricane and directly afterwards – is still being criticized by the media in reports which are anything but detached. Never before, say some observers, have US reporters been so emotionally involved in a story to the point of being enraged. They are not just telling a story, they have become part of it. "Has Katrina saved the US media,?" asked BBC reporter Matt Wells who sees the shift in tone as a potentially historic development. A number of US journalists who cover federal politics, especially television presenters, had become part of the political establishment, says Wells. "They live in the same suburbs, go to the same parties. Their television companies are owned by large conglomerates who contribute to election campaigns." It’s a "perfect recipe" for fearful, self-censoring reportage, he says, but thinks "since last week, that’s all over". The ‘Big One’ But if the Bush administration’s reaction to Hurricane Katrina was slow, so too was the media’s. On Friday, reporters at the scene were still having difficulties establishing the scale of the disaster and the number of dead. Used to reporting on comparatively harmless storms, heroically riding out the storms with windblown hairdos, they were then confronted with the "Big One". The television reporters, particularly, were left scrambling in the first few hours of coverage as they tried to comprehend the scale of the disaster. Then came the emotion. A CNN reporter broke down as she described the cries of help of people stuck on rooftops in Louisiana. Other journalists also related what they saw in broken voices. Then the federal officials rolled into town and the press conferences started, with politicians thanking one another for their tireless efforts. Next came anger. "This isn’t Iraq, this isn’t Somalia, this is our home," one NBC television reporter shouted. The usually stoic ABC television presenter Ted Koeppel lashed out at FEMA head Brown in a interview, when he could not give any details on the number of refugees waiting to be rescued from the Convention Centre. "Don’t you people ever look at television?," the veteran presenter raged. "Don’t you ever hear the radio? We’ve been reporting on the crisis at the Convention Centre for a lot longer than just today." Supplies A CNN journalist also attacked Brown. "How it is possible that we have better information than you? Why aren’t supplies being dropped in (by plane). "In Banda Aceh, in Indonesia, they did it two days after the tsunami." Another CNN reporter interrupted senator Mary Landrieu during an interview in which she was praising congress for passing an emergency aid package. "Excuse me senator, I’m sorry for interrupting. I haven’t heard anything about that, because I was busy these past four days seeing dead people on the street. "And when I hear how one politician congratulating the others…Yesterday there was a corpse on the street which had been eaten by rats because it had been there for 48 hours." If the alarm bells are not already going off in the Oval Office, they should be, because the previously staunchly pro-Bush Fox News is also starting to show signs of disaffection. As one of their reporters was being directed to another area because of the danger caused by looting, he spoke quickly into his microphone, saying: "These people are desperate. "Why shouldn’t they try to steal water and food from us?" – Sapa-dpa _____ <http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Hurricane_Katrina/0,,2-10-1942_176…> Posted via TITANnews – Uncensored Newsgroups Access >>>> at http://www.TitanNews.com <<<< -=Every Newsgroup – Anonymous, UNCENSORED, BROADBAND Downloads=-

Response:

> ‘Katrinagate’ fury spreads > Not for decades has there been such merciless questioning of the president > and his administration > by the US media.

Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn’t fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible — local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana’s governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city’s mayor, Ray Nagin. The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his/her emergency operations center. The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved. In addition to the plans, local, state and federal officials held a simulated hurricane drill 13 months ago, in which widespread flooding supposedly trapped 300,000 people inside New Orleans. The exercise simulated the evacuation of more than a million residents. The problems identified in the simulation apparently were not solved. A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan. Again, they did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not corrected. The New Orleans contingency plan is still, as of this writing, on the city’s Web site, and states: "The safe evacuation of threatened populations is one of the principle [sic] reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan." But the plan was apparently ignored. Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation and supervising the actual evacuation: His office of Emergency Preparedness (not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation. The city’s evacuation plan states: "The city of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas." But even though the city has enough school and transit buses to evacuate 12,000 citizens per fleet run, the mayor did not use them. To compound the problem, the buses were not moved to high ground and were flooded. The plan also states that "special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific lifesaving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed." This was not done. The evacuation plan warned that "if an evacuation order is issued without the mechanisms needed to disseminate the information to the affected persons, then we face the possibility of having large numbers of people either stranded and left to the mercy of a storm, or left in an area impacted by toxic materials." That is precisely what happened because of the mayor’s failure. Instead of evacuating the people, the mayor ordered the refugees to the Superdome and Convention Center without adequate security and no provisions for food, water and sanitary conditions. As a result people died, and there was even rape committed, in these facilities. Mayor Nagin failed in his responsibility to provide public safety and to manage the orderly evacuation of the citizens of New Orleans. Now he wants to blame Gov. Blanco and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In an emergency the first requirement is for the city’s emergency center to be linked to the state emergency operations center. This was not done. The federal government does not have the authority to intervene in a state emergency without the request of a governor. President Bush declared an emergency prior to Katrina hitting New Orleans, so the only action needed for federal assistance was for Gov. Blanco to request the specific type of assistance she needed. She failed to send a timely request for specific aid. In addition, unlike the governors of New York, Oklahoma and California in past disasters, Gov. Blanco failed to take charge of the situation and ensure that the state emergency operation facility was in constant contact with Mayor Nagin and FEMA. It is likely that thousands of people died because of the failure of Gov. Blanco to implement the state plan, which mentions the possible need to evacuate up to one million people. The plan clearly gives the governor the authority for declaring an emergency, sending in state resources to the disaster area and requesting necessary federal assistance. State legislators and governors nationwide need to update their contingency plans and the operation procedures for state emergency centers. Hurricane Katrina had been forecast for days, but that will not always be the case with a disaster (think of terrorist attacks). It must be made clear that the governor and locally elected officials are in charge of the "first response." I am not attempting to excuse some of the delays in FEMA’s response. Congress and the president need to take corrective action there, also. However, if citizens expect FEMA to be a first responder to terrorist attacks or other local emergencies (earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes), they will be disappointed. The federal government’s role is to offer aid upon request. The Louisiana Legislature should conduct an immediate investigation into the failures of state and local officials to implement the written emergency plans. The tragedy is not over, and real leadership in the state and local government are essential in the months to come. More importantly, the hurricane season is still upon us, and local and state officials must stay focused on the jobs for which they were elected — and not on the deadly game of passing the emergency buck. Mr. Williams is president of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a free market public policy research organization in Olympia, Wash. URL for this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112596602138332256,00.html

Response:

> ‘Katrinagate’ fury spreads > Gabrielle Chwallek > Washington – "For God’s sake, are you blind?," a woman shouts at the head > of the federal emergency > management agency (FEMA), Michael Brown. > "You’re patting each other on the back, while people here are dying." > The woman is not a victim of Hurricane Katrina. She is a reporter with US > television network MSNBC > who is so affected by the misery she has witnessed she can hold back no > longer.

http://media.yourdailymedia.com/files/ybkD3PK0Ri0e.swf

Response:

You and the WSJ editorial page can spin yourself nauseous to yor heart’s content, but the fact is: the third-world governments dealing with the recent tsunami acquitted themselves *nobly* compared to ours. Take a break from your 10,000 RPM "blame it on the locals" horseshit and allow yourself to be ashamed of the criminally incompetent regime to which you’ve fastened your kisser. No state or local government could have handled this disaster — this is a national crisis and had to be dealt with via federal expertise and resources. Too bad it’s also a national tragedy and embarrassment — wake up and unbundle the acronym: F(ederal) E(mergency) M(anagement) A(gency) This clearly implies that there are situations that are simply too extensive and/or severe to be dealt with by state and local agencies, and that in such situations the response is to be F(ederally) M(anaged)! Moreover, any failures on the part of state and local officials are strictly the business of those who vote for those offices — but the federal government’s piss-poor performance is the rightful concern of all Americans. An incompetent FEMA (and, for that matter, entire DHS!) endangers all of us, regardless of how good or bad our state and local governments may be! Iow, if you’re not worried, you simply haven’t been paying attention! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> ‘Katrinagate’ fury spreads > Not for decades has there been such merciless questioning of the president > and his administration > by the US media. >Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, >rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am >fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency >response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for >accountability; but what isn’t fair is to dump on the federal officials and >avoid those most responsible — local and state officials who failed to do >their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly >lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana’s governor, Kathleen >Blanco, and the city’s mayor, Ray Nagin. >The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to >the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are >charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to >disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency >personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his/her emergency >operations center. >The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national >disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established >evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot >claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to >evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to >evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people >would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the >plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved. >In addition to the plans, local, state and federal officials held a >simulated hurricane drill 13 months ago, in which widespread flooding >supposedly trapped 300,000 people inside New Orleans. The exercise simulated >the evacuation of more than a million residents. The problems identified in >the simulation apparently were not solved. >A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation >but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result >many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the >hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco >and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan. Again, >they did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane >George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism >were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not >corrected. >The New Orleans contingency plan is still, as of this writing, on the city’s >Web site, and states: "The safe evacuation of threatened populations is one >of the principle [sic] reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency >Management Plan." But the plan was apparently ignored. >Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation >and supervising the actual evacuation: His office of Emergency Preparedness >(not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of >evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging >areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the >National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for >mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the >president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation. >The city’s evacuation plan states: "The city of New Orleans will utilize all >available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas." But >even though the city has enough school and transit buses to evacuate 12,000 >citizens per fleet run, the mayor did not use them. To compound the problem, >the buses were not moved to high ground and were flooded. The plan also >states that "special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to >transport themselves or who require specific lifesaving assistance. >Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as >needed." This was not done. >The evacuation plan warned that "if an evacuation order is issued without >the mechanisms needed to disseminate the information to the affected >persons, then we face the possibility of having large numbers of people >either stranded and left to the mercy of a storm, or left in an area >impacted by toxic materials." That is precisely what happened because of the >mayor’s failure. >Instead of evacuating the people, the mayor ordered the refugees to the >Superdome and Convention Center without adequate security and no provisions >for food, water and sanitary conditions. As a result people died, and there >was even rape committed, in these facilities. Mayor Nagin failed in his >responsibility to provide public safety and to manage the orderly evacuation >of the citizens of New Orleans. Now he wants to blame Gov. Blanco and the >Federal Emergency Management Agency. In an emergency the first requirement >is for the city’s emergency center to be linked to the state emergency >operations center. This was not done. >The federal government does not have the authority to intervene in a state >emergency without the request of a governor. President Bush declared an >emergency prior to Katrina hitting New Orleans, so the only action needed >for federal assistance was for Gov. Blanco to request the specific type of >assistance she needed. She failed to send a timely request for specific aid. >In addition, unlike the governors of New York, Oklahoma and California in >past disasters, Gov. Blanco failed to take charge of the situation and >ensure that the state emergency operation facility was in constant contact >with Mayor Nagin and FEMA. It is likely that thousands of people died >because of the failure of Gov. Blanco to implement the state plan, which >mentions the possible need to evacuate up to one million people. The plan >clearly gives the governor the authority for declaring an emergency, sending >in state resources to the disaster area and requesting necessary federal >assistance. >State legislators and governors nationwide need to update their contingency >plans and the operation procedures for state emergency centers. Hurricane >Katrina had been forecast for days, but that will not always be the case >with a disaster (think of terrorist attacks). It must be made clear that the >governor and locally elected officials are in charge of the "first >response." >I am not attempting to excuse some of the delays in FEMA’s response. >Congress and the president need to take corrective action there, also. >However, if citizens expect FEMA to be a first responder to terrorist >attacks or other local emergencies (earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes), >they will be disappointed. The federal government’s role is to offer aid >upon request. >The Louisiana Legislature should conduct an immediate investigation into the >failures of state and local officials to implement the written emergency >plans. The tragedy is not over, and real leadership in the state and local >government are essential in the months to come. More importantly, the >hurricane season is still upon us, and local and state officials must stay >focused on the jobs for which they were elected — and not on the deadly >game of passing the emergency buck. >Mr. Williams is president of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a free market >public policy research organization in Olympia, Wash. > URL for this article: > http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112596602138332256,00.html

Posted via TITANnews – Uncensored Newsgroups Access >>>> at http://www.TitanNews.com <<<< -=Every Newsgroup – Anonymous, UNCENSORED, BROADBAND Downloads=-

Response:

> allow yourself to be ashamed of the criminally incompetent > regime to which you’ve fastened your kisser. > No state or local government could have handled this disaster

Complete Bull Shit! It was the Emergency Policy of New Orleans that the city would be evacuated. As they found out in a drill a year ago, they needed to update their plan, and they did NOT. If the city had been evacuated there would have been ZERO deaths. ALL of the deaths are on the Mayor & Governor’s hands. Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation and supervising the actual evacuation: His office of Emergency Preparedness (not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation. The city’s evacuation plan states: "The city of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas." But even though the city has enough school and transit buses to evacuate 12,000 citizens per fleet run, the mayor did not use them. To compound the problem, the buses were not moved to high ground and were flooded. The plan also states that "special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific lifesaving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed." This was not done.

Response:

> > allow yourself to be ashamed of the criminally incompetent > regime to which you’ve fastened your kisser. > No state or local government could have handled this disaster > Complete Bull Shit! It was the Emergency Policy of New Orleans that the city > would be evacuated. As they found out in a drill a year ago, they needed to > update their plan, and they did NOT. If the city had been evacuated there > would have been ZERO deaths. ALL of the deaths are on the Mayor & Governor’s > hands.

Maybe nobody would have died (unlikely) and maybe not. But, the fact remains that our federal govenment sat on their hands for days after a national disaster. All the focus is on New Orleans, but Katrina wreaked a lot of damage over a heck of a lot more than just one city in one state.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > ‘Katrinagate’ fury spreads > Gabrielle Chwallek > Washington – "For God’s sake, are you blind?," a woman shouts at the head of the federal emergency > management agency (FEMA), Michael Brown. > "You’re patting each other on the back, while people here are dying." > The woman is not a victim of Hurricane Katrina. She is a reporter with US television network MSNBC > who is so affected by the misery she has witnessed she can hold back no longer. > "Katrinagate" is the term being used by the media to describe the biggest challenge facing the > political establishment in the US since the Watergate affair in the 1970s toppled Richard Nixon. > Not for decades has there been such merciless questioning of the president and his administration > by the US media. > Even now, as the rescue operation gets underway in earnest and the flood waters in New Orleans are > starting to subside, the federal government’s inadequate reaction – in the run-up to the hurricane > and directly afterwards – is still being criticized by the media in reports which are anything but > detached. > Never before, say some observers, have US reporters been so emotionally involved in a story to the > point of being enraged. > They are not just telling a story, they have become part of it. > "Has Katrina saved the US media,?" asked BBC reporter Matt Wells who sees the shift in tone as a > potentially historic development. > A number of US journalists who cover federal politics, especially television presenters, had become > part of the political establishment, says Wells. > "They live in the same suburbs, go to the same parties. Their television companies are owned by > large conglomerates who contribute to election campaigns." > It’s a "perfect recipe" for fearful, self-censoring reportage, he says, but thinks "since last > week, that’s all over". > The ‘Big One’ > But if the Bush administration’s reaction to Hurricane Katrina was slow, so too was the media’s. > On Friday, reporters at the scene were still having difficulties establishing the scale of the > disaster and the number of dead. > Used to reporting on comparatively harmless storms, heroically riding out the storms with windblown > hairdos, they were then confronted with the "Big One". > The television reporters, particularly, were left scrambling in the first few hours of coverage as > they tried to comprehend the scale of the disaster. > Then came the emotion. A CNN reporter broke down as she described the cries of help of people stuck > on rooftops in Louisiana. > Other journalists also related what they saw in broken voices. > Then the federal officials rolled into town and the press conferences started, with politicians > thanking one another for their tireless efforts. > Next came anger. "This isn’t Iraq, this isn’t Somalia, this is our home," one NBC television > reporter shouted. > The usually stoic ABC television presenter Ted Koeppel lashed out at FEMA head Brown in a > interview, when he could not give any details on the number of refugees waiting to be rescued from > the Convention Centre. > "Don’t you people ever look at television?," the veteran presenter raged. > "Don’t you ever hear the radio? We’ve been reporting on the crisis at the Convention Centre for a > lot longer than just today." > Supplies > A CNN journalist also attacked Brown. "How it is possible that we have better information than you? > Why aren’t supplies being dropped in (by plane). > "In Banda Aceh, in Indonesia, they did it two days after the tsunami." > Another CNN reporter interrupted senator Mary Landrieu during an interview in which she was > praising congress for passing an emergency aid package. > "Excuse me senator, I’m sorry for interrupting. I haven’t heard anything about that, because I was > busy these past four days seeing dead people on the street. > "And when I hear how one politician congratulating the others…Yesterday there was a corpse on the > street which had been eaten by rats because it had been there for 48 hours." > If the alarm bells are not already going off in the Oval Office, they should be, because the > previously staunchly pro-Bush Fox News is also starting to show signs of disaffection. > As one of their reporters was being directed to another area because of the danger caused by > looting, he spoke quickly into his microphone, saying: "These people are desperate. > "Why shouldn’t they try to steal water and food from us?" – Sapa-dpa > _____ > <http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Hurricane_Katrina/0,,2-10-1942_176…> > Posted via TITANnews – Uncensored Newsgroups Access > >>>> at http://www.TitanNews.com <<<< > -=Every Newsgroup – Anonymous, UNCENSORED, BROADBAND Downloads=-

If no other good comes out of this, at least the media is starting to show some balls again.

Response:

> Maybe nobody would have died (unlikely) and maybe not.

How on Earth can you say that? If EVERYONE was evacuated as the President requested on Saturday BEFORE the storm, there would have been NO ONE there to die. > But, the fact remains that our federal govenment sat on their hands for > days after a > national disaster.

As one who has received training by FEMA in emergency management and also training by the Department of Defense in consequence management, I believe that the federal response in New Orleans needs clarification. The key to emergency management starts at the local level and expands to the state level. Emergency planning generally does not include any federal guarantees, as there can only be limited ones from the federal level for any local plan. FEMA provides free training, education, assistance and respond in case of an emergency, but the local and state officials run their own emergency management program. Prior development of an emergency plan, addressing all foreseeable contingencies, is the absolute requirement of the local government –and then they share that plan with the state emergency managers to ensure that the state authorities can provide necessary assets not available at the local level. Additionally, good planning will include applicable elements of the federal government (those located in the local area). These processes are well established, but are contingent upon the personal drive of both hired and elected officials at the local level. I’ve reviewed the New Orleans emergency management plan. Here is an important section in the first paragraph. "We coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies which respond to citywide disasters and emergencies through the development and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan. All requests for federal disaster assistance and federal funding subsequent to disaster declarations are also made through this office. Our authority is defined by the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, Chapter 6 Section 709, Paragraph B, ‘Each parish shall maintain a Disaster Agency which, except as otherwise provided under this act, has jurisdiction over and serves the entire parish.’ " Check the plan — the "we" in this case is the office of the mayor, Ray Nagin who was very quick and vocal about blaming everyone but his own office. A telling picture, at left, taken by The Associated Press on Sept. 1 and widely circulated on the Internet shows a school bus park, apparently filled to capacity with buses, under about four feet of water. If a mandatory evacuation was ordered, why weren’t all the taxpayer-purchased buses used in the effort? Who could have predicted the anarchy resulting as a consequence? The individuals who devolved into lawless animals embarrass the entirety of America. (I worked in a U.S. Embassy overseas for a couple years and I can imagine what foreign diplomats are thinking.) What societal factors would ever lead people to believe that this behavior was even remotely acceptable? The folks in New Orleans who are perpetrating the violence and lawlessness are not that way because of low income or of race, but because they personally do not have any honor or commitment to higher ideals. The civil-rights leaders should be ashamed at playing the blame game. The blame is on the individuals. The blame is on the society that allowed these individuals to develop the ideal that the individual is greater than the national pride he is destroying. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was very clear in her comments that she was offended at those who suggested the suffering in New Orleans was prolonged because of race. As a retired Marine, I hang my head in shame to see my fellow Americans degenerate so far. I spent so many years in the Corps helping the citizens of other countries rise to a higher level of personal responsibility to ensure that in case of emergency, anarchy did not necessarily follow. When people are held to a higher standard of personal responsibility and they accept that, then they will do the right thing when the time comes. It seems that the mayor of New Orleans is leading the effort in not taking responsibility for his actions. The emergency managers for the state of Louisiana do not have much to say either. The failure in the first 48 hours to provide direction for survivors is theirs to live with. When FEMA was able to take over, it started out behind and had to develop its plan on the fly. Now the federal government has established priorities — rescue the stranded, evacuate the city, flow in resources and fix the levee. It appears that now there is a plan and it is being systematically executed. Hurricane Katrina was a national tragedy — not just in the number of lives lost or the amount of physical damage, but also in the failure of people to do what is right when no one is looking. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05249/566101.stm

Response:

> If no other good comes out of this, at least the media is starting to > show some balls again.

Some intelligence would be far more welcomed. Check some facts! As one who has received training by FEMA in emergency management and also training by the Department of Defense in consequence management, I believe that the federal response in New Orleans needs clarification. The key to emergency management starts at the local level and expands to the state level. Emergency planning generally does not include any federal guarantees, as there can only be limited ones from the federal level for any local plan. FEMA provides free training, education, assistance and respond in case of an emergency, but the local and state officials run their own emergency management program. Prior development of an emergency plan, addressing all foreseeable contingencies, is the absolute requirement of the local government –and then they share that plan with the state emergency managers to ensure that the state authorities can provide necessary assets not available at the local level. Additionally, good planning will include applicable elements of the federal government (those located in the local area). These processes are well established, but are contingent upon the personal drive of both hired and elected officials at the local level. I’ve reviewed the New Orleans emergency management plan. Here is an important section in the first paragraph. "We coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies which respond to citywide disasters and emergencies through the development and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan. All requests for federal disaster assistance and federal funding subsequent to disaster declarations are also made through this office. Our authority is defined by the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, Chapter 6 Section 709, Paragraph B, ‘Each parish shall maintain a Disaster Agency which, except as otherwise provided under this act, has jurisdiction over and serves the entire parish.’ " Check the plan — the "we" in this case is the office of the mayor, Ray Nagin who was very quick and vocal about blaming everyone but his own office. A telling picture, at left, taken by The Associated Press on Sept. 1 and widely circulated on the Internet shows a school bus park, apparently filled to capacity with buses, under about four feet of water. If a mandatory evacuation was ordered, why weren’t all the taxpayer-purchased buses used in the effort? Who could have predicted the anarchy resulting as a consequence? The individuals who devolved into lawless animals embarrass the entirety of America. (I worked in a U.S. Embassy overseas for a couple years and I can imagine what foreign diplomats are thinking.) What societal factors would ever lead people to believe that this behavior was even remotely acceptable? The folks in New Orleans who are perpetrating the violence and lawlessness are not that way because of low income or of race, but because they personally do not have any honor or commitment to higher ideals. The civil-rights leaders should be ashamed at playing the blame game. The blame is on the individuals. The blame is on the society that allowed these individuals to develop the ideal that the individual is greater than the national pride he is destroying. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was very clear in her comments that she was offended at those who suggested the suffering in New Orleans was prolonged because of race. As a retired Marine, I hang my head in shame to see my fellow Americans degenerate so far. I spent so many years in the Corps helping the citizens of other countries rise to a higher level of personal responsibility to ensure that in case of emergency, anarchy did not necessarily follow. When people are held to a higher standard of personal responsibility and they accept that, then they will do the right thing when the time comes. It seems that the mayor of New Orleans is leading the effort in not taking responsibility for his actions. The emergency managers for the state of Louisiana do not have much to say either. The failure in the first 48 hours to provide direction for survivors is theirs to live with. When FEMA was able to take over, it started out behind and had to develop its plan on the fly. Now the federal government has established priorities — rescue the stranded, evacuate the city, flow in resources and fix the levee. It appears that now there is a plan and it is being systematically executed. Hurricane Katrina was a national tragedy — not just in the number of lives lost or the amount of physical damage, but also in the failure of people to do what is right when no one is looking. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05249/566101.stm

Response:

This should start out – Karl Rove is crafting a brilliant blame the victims and local official media blitz. No surprise there but that dog ain’t gonna fly. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> ‘Katrinagate’ fury spreads > Not for decades has there been such merciless questioning of the president > and his administration > by the US media. > Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, > rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am > fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency > response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for > accountability; but what isn’t fair is to dump on the federal officials and > avoid those most responsible — local and state officials who failed to do > their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly > lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana’s governor, Kathleen > Blanco, and the city’s mayor, Ray Nagin. > The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to > the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are > charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to > disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency > personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his/her emergency > operations center. > The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national > disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established > evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot > claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to > evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to > evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people > would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the > plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved. > In addition to the plans, local, state and federal officials held a > simulated hurricane drill 13 months ago, in which widespread flooding > supposedly trapped 300,000 people inside New Orleans. The exercise simulated > the evacuation of more than a million residents. The problems identified in > the simulation apparently were not solved. > A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation > but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result > many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the > hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco > and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan. Again, > they did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane > George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism > were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not > corrected. > The New Orleans contingency plan is still, as of this writing, on the city’s > Web site, and states: "The safe evacuation of threatened populations is one > of the principle [sic] reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency > Management Plan." But the plan was apparently ignored. > Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation > and supervising the actual evacuation: His office of Emergency Preparedness > (not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of > evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging > areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the > National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for > mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the > president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation. > The city’s evacuation plan states: "The city of New Orleans will utilize all > available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas." But > even though the city has enough school and transit buses to evacuate 12,000 > citizens per fleet run, the mayor did not use them. To compound the problem, > the buses were not moved to high ground and were flooded. The plan also > states that "special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to > transport themselves or who require specific lifesaving assistance. > Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as > needed." This was not done. > The evacuation plan warned that "if an evacuation order is issued without > the mechanisms needed to disseminate the information to the affected > persons, then we face the possibility of having large numbers of people > either stranded and left to the mercy of a storm, or left in an area > impacted by toxic materials." That is precisely what happened because of the > mayor’s failure. > Instead of evacuating the people, the mayor ordered the refugees to the > Superdome and Convention Center without adequate security and no provisions > for food, water and sanitary conditions. As a result people died, and there > was even rape committed, in these facilities. Mayor Nagin failed in his > responsibility to provide public safety and to manage the orderly evacuation > of the citizens of New Orleans. Now he wants to blame Gov. Blanco and the > Federal Emergency Management Agency. In an emergency the first requirement > is for the city’s emergency center to be linked to the state emergency > operations center. This was not done. > The federal government does not have the authority to intervene in a state > emergency without the request of a governor. President Bush declared an > emergency prior to Katrina hitting New Orleans, so the only action needed > for federal assistance was for Gov. Blanco to request the specific type of > assistance she needed. She failed to send a timely request for specific aid. > In addition, unlike the governors of New York, Oklahoma and California in > past disasters, Gov. Blanco failed to take charge of the situation and > ensure that the state emergency operation facility was in constant contact > with Mayor Nagin and FEMA. It is likely that thousands of people died > because of the failure of Gov. Blanco to implement the state plan, which > mentions the possible need to evacuate up to one million people. The plan > clearly gives the governor the authority for declaring an emergency, sending > in state resources to the disaster area and requesting necessary federal > assistance. > State legislators and governors nationwide need to update their contingency > plans and the operation procedures for state emergency centers. Hurricane > Katrina had been forecast for days, but that will not always be the case > with a disaster (think of terrorist attacks). It must be made clear that the > governor and locally elected officials are in charge of the "first > response." > I am not attempting to excuse some of the delays in FEMA’s response. > Congress and the president need to take corrective action there, also. > However, if citizens expect FEMA to be a first responder to terrorist > attacks or other local emergencies (earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes), > they will be disappointed. The federal government’s role is to offer aid > upon request. > The Louisiana Legislature should conduct an immediate investigation into the > failures of state and local officials to implement the written emergency > plans. The tragedy is not over, and real leadership in the state and local > government are essential in the months to come. More importantly, the > hurricane season is still upon us, and local and state officials must stay > focused on the jobs for which they were elected — and not on the deadly > game of passing the emergency buck. > Mr. Williams is president of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a free market > public policy research organization in Olympia, Wash. > URL for this article: > http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112596602138332256,00.html

Response:

> > Maybe nobody would have died (unlikely) and maybe not. > How on Earth can you say that? If EVERYONE was evacuated as the President > requested on Saturday BEFORE the storm, there would have been NO ONE there > to die.

That’s a nice utopian thought, but it’s not reality. The chance of every single person in any major city being evacuated – voluntarily or not – is slim to none. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> But, the fact remains that our federal govenment sat on their hands for > days after a > national disaster. > I’ve reviewed the New Orleans emergency management plan. Here is an > important section in the first paragraph. > "We coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies > which respond to citywide disasters and emergencies through the development > and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan. All requests for > federal disaster assistance and federal funding subsequent to disaster > declarations are also made through this office. Our authority is defined by > the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, Chapter 6 > Section 709, Paragraph B, ‘Each parish shall maintain a Disaster Agency > which, except as otherwise provided under this act, has jurisdiction over > and serves the entire parish.’ " > Check the plan — the "we" in this case is the office of the mayor, Ray > Nagin who was very quick and vocal about blaming everyone but his own > office. A telling picture, at left, taken by The Associated Press on Sept. 1 > and widely circulated on the Internet shows a school bus park, apparently > filled to capacity with buses, under about four feet of water. If a > mandatory evacuation was ordered, why weren’t all the taxpayer-purchased > buses used in the effort?

According to Nagin, he was calling out to every agency he could yet days after, there was still no action. Nagin didn’t perform perfectly, but at least he was doing *something* which is more than I can say the federal government did… for *days.* I’m not totally disagreeing with you, John; I think there is fault at all levels. But when I was watching the news last week and not seeing food dropped in or at least some troops brought in to maintain peace in the city, I just kept wondering why the hell some sort of help wasn’t being brought long after the hurricane hit.

Response:

courageously avow: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->You and the WSJ editorial >page can spin yourself >nauseous to yor heart’s >content, but the fact is: >the third-world governments >dealing with the recent >tsunami acquitted themselves >*nobly* compared to ours. >Take a break from your >10,000 RPM "blame it on the >locals" horseshit and allow >yourself to be ashamed of >the criminally incompetent >regime to which you’ve >fastened your kisser.

If terrorists had blown the holes in the two levies these fuckwads would still be blaming the mayor, solely because he’s a small d Democrat. Ken Wilson Proud Owner of Lord Valve, PMG, John Wheaton, Claude Lucas, Freep the Xenophobe, Chuck, the rest of the Union of Rightwing Idiots Needing Explanations (URINE) and, at his own request, Karl Rovershank (aka Lars from Mars) Supporting the Troops at http://www.resisters.ca http://www.criticalhistory.com/

Response:

> > But, the fact remains that our federal govenment sat on their hands for > > days after a national disaster.

Days? The Evacuation order only came AFTER the President called and requested it on the Saturday BEFORE the storm. All along the way the Governor PREVENTED the Feds from taking over. " The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR200…

Response:

>> Maybe nobody would have died (unlikely) and maybe not. >How on Earth can you say that? If EVERYONE was evacuated as the President >requested on Saturday BEFORE the storm, there would have been NO ONE there >to die.

Then why didn’t the Presentdink lend Airfarce One to assist in the pre-hurricane evacuation. Ken Wilson Proud Owner of Lord Valve, PMG, John Wheaton, Claude Lucas, Freep the Xenophobe, Chuck, the rest of the Union of Rightwing Idiots Needing Explanations (URINE) and, at his own request, Karl Rovershank (aka Lars from Mars) Supporting the Troops at http://www.resisters.ca http://www.criticalhistory.com/

Response:

courageously avow: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > Maybe nobody would have died (unlikely) and maybe not. > How on Earth can you say that? If EVERYONE was evacuated as the President > requested on Saturday BEFORE the storm, there would have been NO ONE there > to die. >That’s a nice utopian thought, but it’s not reality. The chance of >every single person in any major city being evacuated – voluntarily or >not – is slim to none. > > But, the fact remains that our federal govenment sat on their hands for > > days after a > > national disaster. > I’ve reviewed the New Orleans emergency management plan. Here is an > important section in the first paragraph. > "We coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies > which respond to citywide disasters and emergencies through the development > and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan. All requests for > federal disaster assistance and federal funding subsequent to disaster > declarations are also made through this office. Our authority is defined by > the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, Chapter 6 > Section 709, Paragraph B, ‘Each parish shall maintain a Disaster Agency > which, except as otherwise provided under this act, has jurisdiction over > and serves the entire parish.’ " > Check the plan — the "we" in this case is the office of the mayor, Ray > Nagin who was very quick and vocal about blaming everyone but his own > office. A telling picture, at left, taken by The Associated Press on Sept. 1 > and widely circulated on the Internet shows a school bus park, apparently > filled to capacity with buses, under about four feet of water. If a > mandatory evacuation was ordered, why weren’t all the taxpayer-purchased > buses used in the effort? >According to Nagin, he was calling out to every agency he could yet >days after, there was still no action. Nagin didn’t perform perfectly, >but at least he was doing *something* which is more than I can say the >federal government did… for *days.* >I’m not totally disagreeing with you, John; I think there is fault at >all levels. But when I was watching the news last week and not seeing >food dropped in or at least some troops brought in to maintain peace in >the city, I just kept wondering why the hell some sort of help wasn’t >being brought long after the hurricane hit.

It kind of amazes you, the omnipotence of the media. They were crawling all over New Orleans searching out stories from day one and everybody in charge of actually rescuing anybody is claiming they couldn’t get rescue personnel in. Ken Wilson Proud Owner of Lord Valve, PMG, John Wheaton, Claude Lucas, Freep the Xenophobe, Chuck, the rest of the Union of Rightwing Idiots Needing Explanations (URINE) and, at his own request, Karl Rovershank (aka Lars from Mars) Supporting the Troops at http://www.resisters.ca http://www.criticalhistory.com/

Response:

> This should start out – Karl Rove is crafting a brilliant blame the > victims and local official media blitz.

Response:

>> If no other good comes out of this, at least the media is starting to > show some balls again. >Some intelligence would be far more welcomed. Check some facts! >As one who has received training by FEMA in emergency management and also >training by the Department of Defense in consequence management, I believe >that the federal response in New Orleans needs clarification.

I’d be surprised if you were even paper trained let alone had training of any substance and use to somebody. Ken Wilson Proud Owner of Lord Valve, PMG, John Wheaton, Claude Lucas, Freep the Xenophobe, Chuck, the rest of the Union of Rightwing Idiots Needing Explanations (URINE) and, at his own request, Karl Rovershank (aka Lars from Mars) Supporting the Troops at http://www.resisters.ca http://www.criticalhistory.com/

Response:

> This should start out – Karl Rove is crafting a brilliant blame the > victims and local official media blitz. > No surprise there but that dog ain’t gonna fly.

A Political Tempest? It was inevitable, we suppose. Less than a week after hurricane Katrina, the first poll came out to measure its political impact. The results, which ABC News released Sunday, will be highly disappointing to the Angry Left: 55% of those polled do not blame President Bush for the storm’s devastation, and although 67% think the federal government wasn’t "adequately prepared," 75% say the same thing about state and local government If Katrina’s aftermath was, or is seen to have been, a government failure, state and local officials in the affected states–especially Louisiana–are likely to pay a price. And Katrina may change Louisiana politics for another reason: demographics. The storm forced a mass exodus from New Orleans and vicinity, and many residents surely will resettle out of state. The political effect will depend on whence the emigrants turn out to have come. New Orleans’s Mayor Ray Nagin is up for re-election in February 2006, Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu in November 2007, and Sen. Mary Landrieu in November 2008. All four are Democrats. When they point the finger at the federal government for whatever went wrong in the Katrina response, remember that they are fighting for their political lives. http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110007217

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> If no other good comes out of this, at least the media is starting to > show some balls again. > Some intelligence would be far more welcomed. Check some facts! > As one who has received training by FEMA in emergency management and also > training by the Department of Defense in consequence management, I believe > that the federal response in New Orleans needs clarification. > The key to emergency management starts at the local level and expands to the > state level. Emergency planning generally does not include any federal > guarantees, as there can only be limited ones from the federal level for any > local plan. FEMA provides free training, education, assistance and respond > in case of an emergency, but the local and state officials run their own > emergency management program. > Prior development of an emergency plan, addressing all foreseeable > contingencies, is the absolute requirement of the local government –and > then they share that plan with the state emergency managers to ensure that > the state authorities can provide necessary assets not available at the > local level. Additionally, good planning will include applicable elements of > the federal government (those located in the local area). These processes > are well established, but are contingent upon the personal drive of both > hired and elected officials at the local level. > I’ve reviewed the New Orleans emergency management plan. Here is an > important section in the first paragraph. > "We coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies > which respond to citywide disasters and emergencies through the development > and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan. All requests for > federal disaster assistance and federal funding subsequent to disaster > declarations are also made through this office. Our authority is defined by > the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, Chapter 6 > Section 709, Paragraph B, ‘Each parish shall maintain a Disaster Agency > which, except as otherwise provided under this act, has jurisdiction over > and serves the entire parish.’ " > Check the plan — the "we" in this case is the office of the mayor, Ray > Nagin who was very quick and vocal about blaming everyone but his own > office. A telling picture, at left, taken by The Associated Press on Sept. 1 > and widely circulated on the Internet shows a school bus park, apparently > filled to capacity with buses, under about four feet of water. If a > mandatory evacuation was ordered, why weren’t all the taxpayer-purchased > buses used in the effort? > Who could have predicted the anarchy resulting as a consequence? The > individuals who devolved into lawless animals embarrass the entirety of > America. (I worked in a U.S. Embassy overseas for a couple years and I can > imagine what foreign diplomats are thinking.) What societal factors would > ever lead people to believe that this behavior was even remotely acceptable? > The folks in New Orleans who are perpetrating the violence and lawlessness > are not that way because of low income or of race, but because they > personally do not have any honor or commitment to higher ideals. The > civil-rights leaders should be ashamed at playing the blame game. > The blame is on the individuals. The blame is on the society that allowed > these individuals to develop the ideal that the individual is greater than > the national pride he is destroying. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was > very clear in her comments that she was offended at those who suggested the > suffering in New Orleans was prolonged because of race. > As a retired Marine, I hang my head in shame to see my fellow Americans > degenerate so far. I spent so many years in the Corps helping the citizens > of other countries rise to a higher level of personal responsibility to > ensure that in case of emergency, anarchy did not necessarily follow. When > people are held to a higher standard of personal responsibility and they > accept that, then they will do the right thing when the time comes. > It seems that the mayor of New Orleans is leading the effort in not taking > responsibility for his actions. The emergency managers for the state of > Louisiana do not have much to say either. The failure in the first 48 hours > to provide direction for survivors is theirs to live with. When FEMA was > able to take over, it started out behind and had to develop its plan on the > fly. Now the federal government has established priorities — rescue the > stranded, evacuate the city, flow in resources and fix the levee. It appears > that now there is a plan and it is being systematically executed. > Hurricane Katrina was a national tragedy — not just in the number of lives > lost or the amount of physical damage, but also in the failure of people to > do what is right when no one is looking. > http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05249/566101.stm

Yes, some intelligence *would* be welcomed. What the hell does this same article that you keep posting over and over in reply to everything have to do with my statement about the media finally asking hard questions?

Response:

> Yes, some intelligence *would* be welcomed. What the hell does this > same article that you keep posting over and over in reply to everything > have to do with my statement about the media finally asking hard > questions?

The problem is that the media is NOT asking the hard questions. 1) "A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan." Why wasn’t a better plan implemented? Why wasn’t ANY plan implemented? No one would have died if the city had been evacuated. Louisiana disaster plan, pg 13, para 5 , dated 01/00 ‘The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating’… http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050901/480/flpc21109012015 2) Why do the locals blame the Feds, when the Governor wouldn’t give the Feds permission? "The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR200… 3) The 10th Ammendment does NOT allow the Feds to just march in. Why didn’t Blanco declare a state of emergency? 4) There was ZERO communication. Why? "WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nine stockpiles of fire-and-rescue equipment strategically placed around the country to be used in the event of a catastrophe still have not been pressed into service in New Orleans, five days after Hurricane Katrina, CNN has learned. Responding to a CNN inquiry, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Marc Short said Friday the gear has not been moved because none of the governors in the hurricane-ravaged area has requested it. A federal official said the department’s Office for Domestic Preparedness reminded the Louisiana and Mississippi governors’ offices about the stockpiles on Wednesday and Thursday, but neither governor had requested it."

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> allow yourself to be ashamed of the criminally incompetent > regime to which you’ve fastened your kisser. > No state or local government could have handled this disaster >Complete Bull Shit! It was the Emergency Policy of New Orleans that the city >would be evacuated. As they found out in a drill a year ago, they needed to >update their plan, and they did NOT. If the city had been evacuated there >would have been ZERO deaths. ALL of the deaths are on the Mayor & Governor’s >hands. > Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation >and supervising the actual evacuation: His office of Emergency Preparedness >(not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of >evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging >areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the >National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for >mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the >president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation. >The city’s evacuation plan states: "The city of New Orleans will utilize all >available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas." But >even though the city has enough school and transit buses to evacuate 12,000 >citizens per fleet run, the mayor did not use them. To compound the problem, >the buses were not moved to high ground and were flooded. The plan also >states that "special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to >transport themselves or who require specific lifesaving assistance. >Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as >needed." This was not done.

The mayor didn’t have the "resources" in question, John — that’s why the federal help was crucial. It was duly requested and was not forthcoming until well after the disaster had become the national disgrace it is today. No city of comparable size has every become unhabitable so quickly — you have to go back to the Galveston Flood, the Chicago Fire and the Great San Francisco Earthquake to find anything close. The is no city in the country with the resources to evacuate complete in a 1-2 day timeframe, even with state help. I reiterate, any bitch you have with local and state officials is moot — they will answer to the voters who elected them. The failure at the federal level is my (and your!) rightful concern, and your inability to face that blatant, egregious failure while looking for scapegoats that are none of your business anyway speaks volumes. Posted via TITANnews – Uncensored Newsgroups Access >>>> at http://www.TitanNews.com <<<< -=Every Newsgroup – Anonymous, UNCENSORED, BROADBAND Downloads=-

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Yes, some intelligence *would* be welcomed. What the hell does this > same article that you keep posting over and over in reply to everything > have to do with my statement about the media finally asking hard > questions? > The problem is that the media is NOT asking the hard questions. > 1) "A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an > evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As > a result > many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the > hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco > and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan." > Why wasn’t a better plan implemented? Why wasn’t ANY plan implemented? No > one would have died if the city had been evacuated. > Louisiana disaster plan, pg 13, para 5 , dated 01/00 > ‘The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School > and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by > volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who > lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating’… > http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050901/480/flpc21109012015 > 2) Why do the locals blame the Feds, when the Governor wouldn’t give the > Feds permission? "The administration sought unified control over all local > police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana > officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned > that such a move > would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials > in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. Louisiana did > not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until > Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco > still had not declared a state of emergency" > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR200… > 3) The 10th Ammendment does NOT allow the Feds to just march in. Why didn’t > Blanco declare a state of emergency? > 4) There was ZERO communication. Why? "WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nine stockpiles > of fire-and-rescue equipment strategically placed around the country to be > used in the event of a catastrophe still have not been pressed into service > in New Orleans, five days after Hurricane Katrina, CNN has learned. > Responding to a CNN inquiry, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Marc > Short said Friday the gear has not been moved because none of the governors > in the hurricane-ravaged area has requested it. > A federal official said the department’s Office for Domestic Preparedness > reminded the Louisiana and Mississippi governors’ offices about the > stockpiles on Wednesday and Thursday, but neither governor had requested > it."

What do you mean they’re not asking hard questions? Where did you pull your sources from? Looks like a newspaper and an AP photo to me.

Response:

John is an apoligist for the Bush Administration. He only quotes from "official" newspapers. Never mind that the governor’s leter requiesting help on the 28th has been posted all over the internets. Come on Bush didn’t find it. AND not only that by those FEMA guys don’t read anything but headlines, especially the one that went "New Oleans Missed by Hurricane, Sigh of Relief Heard. Unfortunately it was a a scream for relief and they didn’t hear it for days and days.

Response:

> The mayor didn’t have the "resources" in question,

If he had evactuated everyone on Saturday when the President called there wouldn’t have been anyone there to die. The buses sat, and the poor ended up trapped at the Dome, and the infirmed, trapped at the Hospitals. > John — that’s why the federal help was crucial. It was duly requested > and was not forthcoming until well after the disaster had become the > national > disgrace it is today.

The Governor had control over the National Guard, yet they were not implemented, and as I have posted ad naseum, the Governor didn’t sign the Emergency co-operation pact until Wednesday night, and as of the end of last week, she still had NOT declared a state of emergency. See ya, John

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> What do you mean they’re not asking hard questions? Where did you pull > your sources from? Looks like a newspaper and an AP photo to me.

CNN, Wash Post, Yahoo, AP, and Louisianna Emergency Plan. See ya, John

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