Quote :

" Governor Blanco requested $9,000,000 and a federal state of emergency declared Saturday. She 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). (b) 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"

The governor requested Federal help from Bush last Sunday 8-28 before the storm hit.

http://www.newschannel6.tv/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=8601

9/7/2005 2:30:17 PM

Quote :

"The governor requested Federal help from Bush last Sunday "

You realize the hurricane hit on Monday, right?

9/7/2005 2:34:23 PM

Yeah, and how long was it before any help arrived? 5 days?

9/7/2005 2:46:59 PM

9/7/2005 3:00:26 PM

Well, since we're accusing people of murder, let me ask you about these things that the state of Louisiana were doing:

Quote :

". 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. "

Why were there no generators and why was there no food or water in the Superdome?

Quote :

". 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."

Why wasn't everyone evacuated?

9/7/2005 3:04:52 PM

^^ Oh yeah, I forgot. Hurricanes and white people are racist.

9/7/2005 3:06:32 PM

^ Yep.

9/7/2005 3:26:43 PM

pryderi your hatred of Bush and Republicans continues to amaze me. You seem to think that the Democrats in the state legislature and Mayor Nagin do not share any of the blame. While Bush fucked some things up the blood is more on the hands of Blanco and Nagin for acting like complete morons, but then i guess thats what Democrats are for a Strong Central Government that does everything for them and holds their hands like a 2 year old.

9/7/2005 4:08:14 PM

you people amaze me

no, i take that back. it's pretty much par for the course up in this bitch

9/7/2005 4:13:21 PM

GGMon:

Quote :

"Anything out of Moores mouth is a lie."

Says the man who posted an Ann Coulter article awhile back


This country could fall into the Atlantic Ocean and these Bush lovers would still be saying "oh you dont get it, hes doing great things right now". If this is true, by all means, why arent we hearing about this?

OMG LIBERAL MEDIA CONSPIRACAAAYYYYY!!!1111

[Edited on September 7, 2005 at 4:16 PM. Reason : .]

9/7/2005 4:14:28 PM

well, he might admit she's a liar too.

9/7/2005 4:15:37 PM

Quote :

"Why were there no generators and why was there no food or water in the Superdome? "

I can answer this one. Believe it or not, the NO emergency evacuation plan says that no food or water will be provided at shelters by the government and that the citizens are responsible for their own food. Read that again, and once more to let it sink in, and then realize that yes the blame falls on the state of Louisiana

9/7/2005 4:24:45 PM

ALL OF THE BLAME

ALL OF IT

9/7/2005 4:25:16 PM

not all of it of course

but with great power comes great responsibility

9/7/2005 4:27:46 PM

remember this guy?

what a dick

9/7/2005 4:30:28 PM

I wouldn't say all of it falls on Lousiana but a majority does, the rest on FEMA which was swallowed by homeland security which had a friend who wasn't qualified running it which falls back to Bush, but the way the media and the liberal talking heads are spinning it, its all Bush and FEMA's fault.

9/7/2005 4:38:38 PM

I'd say, 80-90% of the blame falls on the local and state governments. The remainder falls on both FEMA and Bush. On FEMA for not having a contingency plan to manage a disaster in the event that the state and local governments are completely incompetent and on Bush for not having some oversight in that.

9/7/2005 4:44:57 PM

completely incompetent underwater

9/7/2005 4:49:48 PM

i just want to say: i'm with the president on this one

( )

there's plenty of blame to go around, but we should worry about that later.
(i'm pretty sure i heard him saying something to that effect.)

i don't know if the democrats are trying to use the issue for political gain...there are a lot of republicans criticizing the response as well...but all of them need to put this argument on the table and focus on helping all the displaced people get on with their lives and making sure the impacted areas get taken care of...it's not over yet...it'll take years. after that, then we can sort out who fucked up.

[Edited on September 7, 2005 at 6:14 PM. Reason : it's WAAAAYYYY to early for congressional hearings]

9/7/2005 6:13:07 PM

Quote :

"pryderi your hatred of Bush and Republicans continues to amaze me. You seem to think that the Democrats in the state legislature and Mayor Nagin do not share any of the blame. While Bush fucked some things up the blood is more on the hands of Blanco and Nagin for acting like complete morons, but then i guess thats what Democrats are for a Strong Central Government that does everything for them and holds their hands like a 2 year old."

Bigpapa, your continued blind loyalty of Bush and Republicans continues to amaze me. You seem to think that local and state officials had the resources to evacuate an entire city. The federal gov't is supposed to help when localities are overwhelmed. There is more blood on the hands of Michael Brown and the George Bush for incompetence, but I guess a strong central government that invades the bedroom and and women's wombs is more important than doing their job and saving lives.

9/7/2005 8:18:05 PM

Katrina vs Bush timeline:
http://www.basetree.com/articles/katrina-versus-bush.html

Quote :

"FEMA director waited to seek Homeland help Documents: Brown waited five hours after storm’s landfall to get agency aid"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9233396/

Quote :

"negligent homicide : homicide caused by a person's criminally negligent act"

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?db=mwlaw&q=homicide

9/7/2005 8:20:49 PM

Quote :

"The governor requested Federal help from Bush last Sunday 8-28 before the storm hit."

well she should have given FEMA control and told her homeland security to shove it

9/7/2005 8:31:14 PM

http://edition.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2005/09/05/obrien.nagin.walk.talk.cnn

watch and learn, buddies.

Dems need to STFU and start looking at the Governor of LA.

9/7/2005 8:52:21 PM

Blanco's response:

Quote :

"S. O'BRIEN: Twenty-four hours. Is that right? Was that what came out of that meeting on the tarmac with the president? BLANCO: Soledad, the mayor was not in my meeting. And it was -- I'll tell you, it was a meeting that did not affect what was going on out in the field. They were talking about paper organizations, nothing else. Nothing more. And they gave me a very complicated proposition to look at. It didn't help our effort in that instant moment. I needed a little time to understand exactly what it meant. We went forward, all of us. All the resources were there. Nothing stopped. We ended up coming to terms and agreements. And I think that the effort's going great. S. O'BRIEN: Coming to terms, meaning that you rejected after that 24-hour window, that you didn't have any interest in federalizing the troops or turning power over to the president. Why not hand it over, Madame Governor, when the first five days -- and I think that meeting was on Friday, so the first several days of the recovery were clearly disastrous? BLANCO: The first five days of the recovery were heroic. We had -- we were the people who took control. The National Guard took control of the city, brought order out of chaos, because we have law enforcement authority. The federal troops do not. I was very concerned about giving up law enforcement authority. S. O'BRIEN: Heroic, but by a very small number of people who were on the ground. In fact, I believe it was Friday morning when I was talking to the FEMA director, who had only just seen that there were tens of thousands of people at the convention center. So at least by Thursday, let's say the first four days, those people at the convention center were actually not getting anything. If it was not coordinated... BLANCO: Soledad... S. O'BRIEN: Yes, ma'am? BLANCO: Soledad, the mayor and I were both asking for the same thing. We wanted troops, we wanted food, we wanted water, we wanted helicopters. We asked for that early in the week. I asked for everything that we had available from the federal government. I got it from the National Guard. I got as much as possible. And the federal effort was just a little slow in coming. I can't understand why. You know, those are questions that are yet to be answered. "

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/06/ltm.04.html

9/7/2005 9:13:55 PM

Quote :

"WASHINGTON - The three top jobs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Bush went to political cronies with no apparent experience coping with catastrophes, the Daily News has learned. Even if Bush were to fire embattled and suddenly invisible FEMA Director Michael Brown over his handling of Hurricane Katrina, the bureaucrat immediately below him is no disaster professional, either. While Brown ran horse shows in his last private-sector job, FEMA's No. 2 man, deputy director and chief of staff Patrick Rhode, was an advance man for the Bush-Cheney campaign and White House. He also did short stints at the Commerce Department and Small Business Administration. Rhode's biography posted on FEMA's Web site doesn't indicate he has any real experience in emergency response. In addition, the agency's former third-ranking official, deputy chief of staff Scott Morris, was a PR expert who worked for Maverick Media, the Texas outfit that produced TV and radio spots for the Bush-Cheney campaign. In June, Morris moved to Florida to become FEMA's long-term recovery director."

More here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/344004p-293718c.html

9/7/2005 9:21:04 PM

i think rolling FEMA into the hsa and cutting jobs hurt them more than the horse guy

again... sorry for being logical

9/7/2005 9:25:16 PM

sounds like FEMA sabotaged LA.

9/7/2005 9:30:20 PM

Here's an editorial from a state legislator who dealt with Mt. St. Helens:

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB112596602138332256-IVjf4NilaJ4nZupaoGGa6uBm4,00.html

He makes some good points about how local, state and federal governments are supposed to work.

9/7/2005 9:30:43 PM

Quote :

" WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing. The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. Representing FEMA, Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Department of Homeland Security, named William Lokey as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-27-2005/0004095161&EDATE=

Quote :

"Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sought the approval from Homeland Security Secretary Mike Chertoff roughly five hours after Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29. Brown said that among duties of these employees was to “convey a positive image” about the government’s response for victims."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9233396/


This is why you don't hire Arabian Horse officials to run FEMA.

9/7/2005 9:37:23 PM

how is fema going to mobilize when la's hsa is stopping trucks?

9/7/2005 9:43:13 PM

^Can you cite a source?

Quote :

"Frustrated: Fire crews to hand out fliers for FEMA By Lisa Rosetta The Salt Lake Tribune Firefighters endure a day of FEMA training, which included a course on sexual harassment. Some firefighters say their skills are being wasted. (Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune) ATLANTA - Not long after some 1,000 firefighters sat down for eight hours of training, the whispering began: "What are we doing here?" As New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded on national television for firefighters - his own are exhausted after working around the clock for a week - a battalion of highly trained men and women sat idle Sunday in a muggy Sheraton Hotel conference room in Atlanta. Many of the firefighters, assembled from Utah and throughout the United States by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thought they were going to be deployed as emergency workers. Instead, they have learned they are going to be community-relations officers for FEMA, shuffled throughout the Gulf Coast region to disseminate fliers and a phone number: 1-800-621-FEMA. "

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0509070233sep07,1,2047669.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

[Edited on September 7, 2005 at 9:51 PM. Reason : linnnn]

9/7/2005 9:50:26 PM

Quote :

"You seem to think that local and state officials had the resources to evacuate an entire city."

They did. See exhibit A where there are many busses currently under water. See exhibit B where it says that those busses and other government vehicles are supposed to be used to evacuate the city in the event of a mandatory evacuation according to the NO emergency plans.

Quote :

"S. O'BRIEN: Coming to terms, meaning that you rejected after that 24-hour window, that you didn't have any interest in federalizing the troops or turning power over to the president. Why not hand it over, Madame Governor, when the first five days -- and I think that meeting was on Friday, so the first several days of the recovery were clearly disastrous? BLANCO: The first five days of the recovery were heroic. We had -- we were the people who took control. The National Guard took control of the city, brought order out of chaos, because we have law enforcement authority. The federal troops do not. I was very concerned about giving up law enforcement authority. "

Do you read your own sources? She clearly says right there that she was interfering with emergency management. Again, FEMA is supplemental.

9/7/2005 10:10:41 PM

Quote :

" United States National Response Plan RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS The "basic premise of the NRP is that incidents are generally handled at the state and local level." (NRP, 15). However, the plan specifically recognizes the possibility that the FEDERAL government bears primary responsibility: When an incident or potential incident is of such severity, magnitude, and/or complexity that it is considered an Incident of National Significance, the Secretary of Homeland Security initiates actions to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the incident." (NHP, 15) Additionally, the NRP explicitly gives the President a fiduciary duty in the handling of a disaster: "The President leads the Nation in responding efficiently and ensuring the necessary resources are applied quickly and effectively to all Incidents of National Significance." (NHP, 15)"

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Democrat_calls_on_Congressional_Research_Service_to_reviewlaw_around_disaster__0907.html

To learn more about who's responsible;

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0566.xml

9/7/2005 10:36:42 PM

So was Katrina declared an Incident of National Significance?

9/7/2005 10:52:58 PM

Quote :

"Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing. "

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

Quote :

""ALL PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES UNDER THE STAFFORD ACT ARE CONSIDERED INCIDENTS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE." (NRP, 7) "

9/7/2005 11:07:37 PM

Cute, but lacking context:

Quote :

"¦ For Incidents of National Significance that are Presidentially declared disasters or emergencies, Federal support to States is delivered in accordance with relevant provisions of the Stafford Act (see Appendix 3,Authorities and References). (Note that while all Presidentially declared disasters and emergencies under the Stafford Act are considered Incidents of National Significance,not all Incidents of National Significance necessarily result in disaster or emergency declarations under the Stafford Act.)"

Quote :

"The NRPbases the definition of Incidents of National Significance on situations related to the following four criteria set forth in HSPD-5: 1. A Federal department or agency acting under its own authority has requested the assistance of the Secretary of Homeland Security. 2. The resources of State and local authorities are overwhelmed and Federal assistance has been requested by the appropriate State and local authorities. Examples include: ¦ Major disasters or emergencies as defined under the Stafford Act;and ¦ Catastrophic incidents (see definition on page 43). 3. More than one Federal department or agency has become substantially involved in responding to an incident. Examples include: ¦ Credible threats,indications or warnings of imminent terrorist attack,or acts of terrorism directed domestically against the people,property,environment,or political or legal institutions of the United States or its territories or possessions;and ¦ Threats or incidents related to high-profile,large-scale events that present high-probability targets such as National Special Security Events (NSSEs) and other special events as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security,in coordination with other Federal departments and agencies. 4. The Secretary of Homeland Security has been directed to assume responsibility for managing a domestic incident by the President"

So the question becomes, did this fall under the stanford act? Furthermore, almost everything in the NRP talks about federal agencies acting within the authority or jurisdiction they have. IOW since LA refused to transfer control to federal authority, they have very limited jurisdiction.

[Edited on September 8, 2005 at 12:02 AM. Reason : dsfg]

9/7/2005 11:59:36 PM

Quote :

"Federal Register Notice Billing Code 9110-10-P DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA-3212-EM] Louisiana; Emergency and Related Determinations AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, Department of Homeland Security. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This is a notice of the Presidential declaration of an emergency for the State of Louisiana (FEMA-3212-EM), dated August 27, 2005, and related determinations. EFFECTIVE DATE: August 27, 2005. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Magda Ruiz, Recovery Division, Federal Emergency Manage¬ment Agency, Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-2705. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that, in a letter dated August 27, 2005, the President declared an emergency declaration under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206 (the Stafford Act), as follows: I have determined that the emergency conditions in certain areas of the State of Louisiana, resulting from Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing is of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant an emergency declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206 (Stafford Act). Therefore, I declare that such an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana. You are authorized to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act to save lives, protect public health and safety, and property or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas. Specifically, you are authorized to provide debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A and B) under the Public Assistance program, including direct Federal assistance, at 75 percent Federal funding. This assistance excludes regular time costs for subgrantees’ regular employees. In addition, you are authorized to provide such other forms of assistance under Title V of the Stafford Act as you may deem appropriate. In order to provide Federal assistance, you are hereby authorized to allocate from funds available for these purposes such amounts as you find necessary for Federal disaster assistance and administrative expenses. Further, you are authorized to make changes to this declaration to the extent allowable under the Stafford Act. "

http://www.fema.gov/news/dfrn.fema?id=4489

9/8/2005 12:09:26 AM

And FEMA was moving on aug 28.. The hurricane didn't dissipate until Aug 29. Aug 30 FEMA makes a request for federal troops to assist. How much faster should they have acted? Note that Katrina was making land fall on the 29th.

9/8/2005 12:26:40 AM

Blanco’s Louisiana State Homeland Security. BEFORE THE FLOOD.


I was watching up on the corner television in my studio, and it’s headlined that the Red Cross was blocked from delivering supplies to the Superdome, Major Garrett. Tell us what you found out.

MG: Well, the Red Cross, Hugh, had pre-positioned a literal vanguard of trucks with water, food, blankets and hygiene items. They’re not really big into medical response items, but those are the three biggies that we saw people at the New Orleans Superdom, and the convention center, needing most accutely. And all of us in America, I think, reasonably asked ourselves, geez. You know, I watch hurricanes all the time. And I see correspondents standing among rubble and refugees and evacuaees. But I always either see that Red Cross or Salvation Army truck nearby. Why don’t I see that?

HH: And the answer is?

MG: The answer is the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security, that is the state agency responsible for that state’s homeland security, told the Red Cross explicitly, you cannot come.

HH: Now Major Garrett, on what day did they block the delivery? Do you know specifically?

MG: I am told by the Red Cross, immediately after the storm passed.

HH: Okay, so that would be on Monday afternoon.

MG: That would have been Monday or Tuesday.

***

HH: I also have to conclude from what you’re telling me, Major Garrett, is that had they been allowed to deliver when they wanted to deliver, which is at least a little bit prior to the levee, or at least prior to the waters rising, the supplies would have been pre-positioned, and the relief...you know, the people in the Superdome, and possibly at the convention center, I want to come back to that, would have been spared the worst of their misery.

MG: They would have been spared the lack of food, water and hygiene. I don’t think there’s any doubt that they would not have been spared the indignity of having nor workable bathrooms in short order.

HH: Now Major Garrett, let’s turn to the convention center, because this will be, in the aftermath...did the Red Cross have ready to go into the convention center the supplies that we’re talking about as well?

MG: Sure. They could have gone to any location, provided that the water wasn’t too high, and they got some assistance.


Clearly Bush’s fault

9/8/2005 7:44:39 AM

Quote :

"What we would need to do is amend the federal constitution to put the states in their place of servitude."

When it comes to national defense, we don't need to "amend the constitution," the states have always been beneath the federal government.

We don't expect the states to raise minutemen militias to defend against foreign invading powers, do we?

So why do we (YOU) expect them to provide the bulk of emergency response when their major cities are destroyed? The only difference is the immediate nature of the threat, but the impact on the nation is basically the same.

Again: please don't argue "state's rights" if you don't know what the phrase means.

9/8/2005 7:48:23 AM

Quote :

"And FEMA was moving on aug 28.."

Quite obviously well before that (when the Hurricane was portentous, not just actually demolishing the city). You're failing to see the forest for the trees here.

So if terrorists hit every city in North Carolina simultaneously (I figure that's enough to make someone notice us), would you like to sit around and wait for Mike Easley (of all people) to decide when we should get federal assistance?

Again, it has been Bush's whole responsibility since 9/11 to decide how this system is set up. Now we know: we have to let putz state officials decide how much damage is done to the national economy before the federal government can step in.

Why do we pay federal taxes, again?

9/8/2005 8:04:55 AM

Quote :

"Blanco’s Louisiana State Homeland Security. BEFORE THE FLOOD. I was watching up on the corner television in my studio, and it’s headlined that the Red Cross was blocked from delivering supplies to the Superdome, Major Garrett. Tell us what you found out. MG: Well, the Red Cross, Hugh, had pre-positioned a literal vanguard of trucks with water, food, blankets and hygiene items. They’re not really big into medical response items, but those are the three biggies that we saw people at the New Orleans Superdom, and the convention center, needing most accutely. And all of us in America, I think, reasonably asked ourselves, geez. You know, I watch hurricanes all the time. And I see correspondents standing among rubble and refugees and evacuaees. But I always either see that Red Cross or Salvation Army truck nearby. Why don’t I see that? HH: And the answer is? MG: The answer is the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security, that is the state agency responsible for that state’s homeland security, told the Red Cross explicitly, you cannot come. HH: Now Major Garrett, on what day did they block the delivery? Do you know specifically? MG: I am told by the Red Cross, immediately after the storm passed. HH: Okay, so that would be on Monday afternoon. MG: That would have been Monday or Tuesday. *** HH: I also have to conclude from what you’re telling me, Major Garrett, is that had they been allowed to deliver when they wanted to deliver, which is at least a little bit prior to the levee, or at least prior to the waters rising, the supplies would have been pre-positioned, and the relief...you know, the people in the Superdome, and possibly at the convention center, I want to come back to that, would have been spared the worst of their misery. MG: They would have been spared the lack of food, water and hygiene. I don’t think there’s any doubt that they would not have been spared the indignity of having nor workable bathrooms in short order. HH: Now Major Garrett, let’s turn to the convention center, because this will be, in the aftermath...did the Red Cross have ready to go into the convention center the supplies that we’re talking about as well? MG: Sure. They could have gone to any location, provided that the water wasn’t too high, and they got some assistance. Clearly Bush’s fault"

GGMon is looking like salisburyboy.
GGMon, why didn't you cite your source? Maybe because you copied it off of http://wizbangblog.com/archives/007010.php ?

9/8/2005 8:19:04 AM

Quote :

"We don't expect the states to raise minutemen militias to defend against foreign invading powers, do we?"

exactly what do you think the national guard is?

9/8/2005 8:31:06 AM

Quote :

" Blame Amid the Tragedy By BOB WILLIAMS September 6, 2005; Page A28 As the devastation of Hurricane Katrina continues to shock and sadden the nation, the question on many lips is, Who is to blame for the inadequate response? As a former state legislator who represented the legislative district most impacted by the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, I can fully understand and empathize with the people and public officials over the loss of life and property. 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."

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB112596602138332256-IVjf4NilaJ4nZupaoGGa6uBm4,00.html

9/8/2005 8:32:42 AM

Quote :

"exactly what do you think the national guard is?"

A federally-trained, equipped, and prioritized military unit?

You did happen to notice that the NATIONAL GUARD is currently serving in IRAQ, right?

9/8/2005 9:04:02 AM

i think these confederates keep forgeting that we live in the UNITED States of America

9/8/2005 9:06:00 AM

Quote :

"You did happen to notice that the NATIONAL GUARD is currently serving in IRAQ, right?"

don't even try to front like the entire national guard is in iraq. not even the majority of it is in iraq.

9/8/2005 9:11:37 AM

^

Dude. Are you stupid? I didn't say the entire national guard is in Iraq.

You can read, right? Do I have to spell everything out for you? Here:

The National Guard is not a group of minutemen militia under the exclusive control and authority of the states. They are a federally-trained, equipped, and prioritized military unit. As evidence of this, some of them are serving in Iraq.

9/8/2005 9:14:42 AM

WHAT IS THEIR MAIN DUTY? WHO DO THEY TAKE ORDERS FROM? WHO MUST THE PENTAGON ASK PERMISSION FROM PRIOR TO ACTIVATING GUARD UNITS?

ARE YOU STUPID?

9/8/2005 9:27:06 AM

Quote :

"The United States National Guard is a significant component of the United States armed forces military reserve. The Militia Act of 1903, also known as the Dick Act, organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system. Because the National Guard remains under the authority of the states (unless called into federal service), it should not be confused with the reserves of the various services which serve primarily as training units for replacements to active component forces."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Guard

9/8/2005 9:34:25 AM