Yeah, let's blame the whole thing on Bush. Blame the slow response on Bush. Blame the levee break on Bush. Blame the hurricane itself on Bush. In fact, blame ALL bad weather on Bush. No, further, blame EVERY BAD THING that has ever happened on Bush. In fact, blame the tan stain in KSCoyote's shorts on Bush.
There's really only three things you guys need to learn:
1) The job of the military is to kill people and break things...not hand out MREs and Aquafina. The liberals would prefer the military do none of the former and only the latter.
2) A bureaucracy by its very structure does not perform tasks quickly. The government is a bureaucracy, and so is the military. You want quick responses to future disasters? Then hire Federal Express or Wal-Mart to do the job.
3) I guess I missed the memo explaining that the Constitution's "promote the general welfare" should be interpreted as "protect the foolish." I'm still trying to dope this out...you don't leave the city when ordered to do so, you don't have flood insurance, you don't have ANY insurance, and you have stocked up about zero supplies...and this now is my problem, needing my tax money to rectify. I might as well quit working -- hell, ALL of us should -- so that we can forever be taken care of by the munificent, magnificent Federal Government. I shall even demand that the Feds pay for my Mustang mods...
Utter nonsense, you guys. Snap the freak out of it.
__________________
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Yeah, let's blame the whole thing on Bush. Blame the slow response on Bush. Blame the levee break on Bush. Blame the hurricane itself on Bush. In fact, blame ALL bad weather on Bush. No, further, blame EVERY BAD THING that has ever happened on Bush. In fact, blame the tan stain in KSCoyote's shorts on Bush.
There's really only three things you guys need to learn:
1) The job of the military is to kill people and break things...not hand out MREs and Aquafina. The liberals would prefer the military do none of the former and only the latter.
2) A bureaucracy by its very structure does not perform tasks quickly. The government is a bureaucracy, and so is the military. You want quick responses to future disasters? Then hire Federal Express or Wal-Mart to do the job.
3) I guess I missed the memo explaining that the Constitution's "promote the general welfare" should be interpreted as "protect the foolish." I'm still trying to dope this out...you don't leave the city when ordered to do so, you don't have flood insurance, you don't have ANY insurance, and you have stocked up about zero supplies...and this now is my problem, needing my tax money to rectify. I might as well quit working -- hell, ALL of us should -- so that we can forever be taken care of by the munificent, magnificent Federal Government. I shall even demand that the Feds pay for my Mustang mods...
Utter nonsense, you guys. Snap the freak out of it.
Can't be said any better!!
__________________
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'91 GT Conv.
BBK shorty hdrs., BBK Hi Flow H Pipe, Flowmasters, BBK CAI, underdrive pullies, and 17in cobra rims.
They dont decide how much they recieve, but they do decide how they spend it.
My sister works for HazMat (1st responders) and her boss' boss writes up what her dept needs, uses predetermined codes set up by Homeland Security, and the equipment is purchased in the snap of a finger(relatively speaking, this is Govt) , no questions asked. in fact most vehicles purchased at her Dept are used by Administrators and are never used by inspectors or hazmat specialists, they get stuck with the old junkers.... point being, there is a paper trail, the State/county spends it how they feel necessary, the Federal Govt has little oversight. Id like to see how they spent that money.
No, they have to write grants that are approved by the House and Senate, and the GAO looks into whether or not it's being spent appropriately.
If you wan tto know how the HS funds were spent you can find the information on the GAO.gov website.
The grant monies for maintaining and upgrading the dams and levees were taken by the executive branch to fund the war in Iraq.
__________________
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Yeah, let's blame the whole thing on Bush. Blame the slow response on Bush. Blame the levee break on Bush. Blame the hurricane itself on Bush. In fact, blame ALL bad weather on Bush. No, further, blame EVERY BAD THING that has ever happened on Bush. In fact, blame the tan stain in KSCoyote's shorts on Bush.
There's really only three things you guys need to learn:
1) The job of the military is to kill people and break things...not hand out MREs and Aquafina. The liberals would prefer the military do none of the former and only the latter.
2) A bureaucracy by its very structure does not perform tasks quickly. The government is a bureaucracy, and so is the military. You want quick responses to future disasters? Then hire Federal Express or Wal-Mart to do the job.
3) I guess I missed the memo explaining that the Constitution's "promote the general welfare" should be interpreted as "protect the foolish." I'm still trying to dope this out...you don't leave the city when ordered to do so, you don't have flood insurance, you don't have ANY insurance, and you have stocked up about zero supplies...and this now is my problem, needing my tax money to rectify. I might as well quit working -- hell, ALL of us should -- so that we can forever be taken care of by the munificent, magnificent Federal Government. I shall even demand that the Feds pay for my Mustang mods...
Utter nonsense, you guys. Snap the freak out of it.
1) the Louisiana National Guard's job is to respond to emergencies affecting the State of Louisiana. Bush, for some reason, wanted the Gov'nr to declare Martial Law, giving him control of the National Guard. No one has said why.
The US military is what's used for warfare. The National Guard operates under the control of the Governor and IS FOR natural disasters, in the main.
2) Look at the fifference in response to Hurricanes AFTER 1992. Bureaucracies are only inefficient when run by friends of the president. FEMA's job is EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. It's run by someone who determines whether or not ARABIAN STALLIONS are beautiful or not.
Talk about Affirmative Action.
3) Where would you go? You have no money for hotels, you don't have a car, you don't have money for gasoline. The PLAN was to have everyone who couldn't leave go to the dome, where supplies would be waiting.
If the supplies showed up, AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, none of those people would have died. FEMA cut communications lines, turned away gas trucks, and kept the Coast Guard out, for reasons unknown. It was a collossal blunder.
What do you suppose would have happened if this guy was head of FEMA during 9/11? Homeland Security is a joke. And if you think after SEVERAL DAYS of warning, this mess was the result, what do you think would happen in a biological attack?
I guess YOU think the federal gov't is there to give hand outs to friends of Bush.
__________________
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Yeah, let's blame the whole thing on Bush. Blame the slow response on Bush. Blame the levee break on Bush. Blame the hurricane itself on Bush. In fact, blame ALL bad weather on Bush. No, further, blame EVERY BAD THING that has ever happened on Bush. In fact, blame the tan stain in KSCoyote's shorts on Bush.
There's really only three things you guys need to learn:
1) The job of the military is to kill people and break things...not hand out MREs and Aquafina. The liberals would prefer the military do none of the former and only the latter.
2) A bureaucracy by its very structure does not perform tasks quickly. The government is a bureaucracy, and so is the military. You want quick responses to future disasters? Then hire Federal Express or Wal-Mart to do the job.
3) I guess I missed the memo explaining that the Constitution's "promote the general welfare" should be interpreted as "protect the foolish." I'm still trying to dope this out...you don't leave the city when ordered to do so, you don't have flood insurance, you don't have ANY insurance, and you have stocked up about zero supplies...and this now is my problem, needing my tax money to rectify. I might as well quit working -- hell, ALL of us should -- so that we can forever be taken care of by the munificent, magnificent Federal Government. I shall even demand that the Feds pay for my Mustang mods...
Utter nonsense, you guys. Snap the freak out of it.
Things must have changed ALOT . I thought the job of the millitary was to
Take And Follow Orders . George W can spend millions of dollars fighting his daddys fight . Spend millions protecting his and his friends interest . He should Have gave the order to help his own people sooner . I couldn`t care less if any military personal liked or disliked it . That is there JOB , takeing orders .
Yes , many stayed when was told to leave . Ever wonder why . Maybe it was because they didn`t have money to stay in a hotel several days . Or even transportation for that matter . Maybe it was to try to protect what ever they had . How many millions here in the US are liveing one or two paychecks from proverty .
One last question , You were lucky enough not to have family there I take it from your opinions .
I guess maybe instead of worrying about other countries all the time the federal goverment should worry about her own people
__________________
1998 3.8 mustang , orange , cobra hood , wings west body kit , clear diamond cut head lights - side lights , GT fog lights , H pipe - new GT exhaust , CAI , UDP
1) the Louisiana National Guard's job is to respond to emergencies affecting the State of Louisiana. Bush, for some reason, wanted the Gov'nr to declare Martial Law, giving him control of the National Guard. No one has said why.
The US military is what's used for warfare. The National Guard operates under the control of the Governor and IS FOR natural disasters, in the main.
2) Look at the fifference in response to Hurricanes AFTER 1992. Bureaucracies are only inefficient when run by friends of the president. FEMA's job is EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. It's run by someone who determines whether or not ARABIAN STALLIONS are beautiful or not.
Talk about Affirmative Action.
3) Where would you go? You have no money for hotels, you don't have a car, you don't have money for gasoline. The PLAN was to have everyone who couldn't leave go to the dome, where supplies would be waiting.
If the supplies showed up, AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, none of those people would have died. FEMA cut communications lines, turned away gas trucks, and kept the Coast Guard out, for reasons unknown. It was a collossal blunder.
What do you suppose would have happened if this guy was head of FEMA during 9/11? Homeland Security is a joke. And if you think after SEVERAL DAYS of warning, this mess was the result, what do you think would happen in a biological attack?
I guess YOU think the federal gov't is there to give hand outs to friends of Bush.
I think you go a little overboard when you say none of the people would have died if FEMA showed up when they were supposed to, you are talking about half a million people here.
Having said that, I think the Head of FEMA should be fired and will be fired especially when the news reports that he waited until after the disaster to do anything about it when they had a few days notice.
__________________
2006 GT Tungsten Grey 5 spd, Xcal2/Pipeline CAI, Powerhouse tune. Spoiler delete. Front Speakers:Infinity 6812CF;Blaupunkt GTc652. Rear:Infinity Kappa 682.7CF. H/U:Alpine CDA-9885. Alpine MRP-F250 amp. Sequentials. President of the Splash guard registry. On Deck: Motoblue UDP's.
I think you go a little overboard when you say none of the people would have died if FEMA showed up when they were supposed to, you are talking about half a million people here.
Having said that, I think the Head of FEMA should be fired and will be fired especially when the news reports that he waited until after the disaster to do anything about it when they had a few days notice.
All of those people in the astrodome? All of the folks who died in hospitals? All of the folks who died looking for food & water? All of the people who got sick from the heat & unsanitary conditions?
In a normal natural disaster, people fly overhead, telling people where to go to get food, water, power, generators are set up, and there is order.
That's what FEMA is supposed to do. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, because state and local gov't are overwhelmed by dealing with communications, and are NOT equipped or trained to deal with it.
Where do the supplies come from? Other states. who coordinates the effort? FEMA, Who knows where the roads are that are passable? FEMA. Who manages Federal resources, such as S&R, railroads, and other interstate trade & commerce resources? the FEDERAL Gov't.
The agency? FEMA
The sad thing is even if you fired Brown, the two people under him are lackeys with no experience either.
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Blame Amid the Tragedy Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin failed their constituents.
BY BOB WILLIAMS Wednesday, September 7, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT
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 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. <SECTION:CONTENT_FOOTER>
</SECTION:CONTENT_FOOTER>
__________________
I Hate GM, deal with it.
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Ibanez guitars, S&W revolvers, Glock Semi's
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Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Blame Amid the Tragedy Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin failed their constituents.
BY BOB WILLIAMS Wednesday, September 7, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT
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 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. <SECTION:CONTENT_FOOTER>
</SECTION:CONTENT_FOOTER>
Bob Williams is a political hack who knows nothing about how disasters are handled. I worked in the Red Cross as a volunteer.
And he repeats a LIE, saying Blanco did not declare a state of emergency, which is ON RECORD.
__________________
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
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.
"The Bush administration has apparently transformed FEMA from a professional, world-class emergency responder into a dumping ground for former campaign staff and political hacks," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan).
It appears I have more experience than these guys.
__________________
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
The National Response Plan (NRP) is an all-discipline, all-hazards plan that incorporates best practices from a wide variety of incident management disciplines to include fire, rescue, emergency management, law enforcement, public works and emergency medical services. It uses the comprehensive framework provided by the National Incident Management System (NIMS) to provide the structure and mechanisms for the coordination of federal support to state, local and tribal incident managers and for exercising direct federal authorities and responsibilities.
From FEMA's OWN SITE!!!
THe National Incident Management System is RUN BY FEMA, not State and Local Gov't.
__________________
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Blame Amid the Tragedy Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin failed their constituents.
BY BOB WILLIAMS Wednesday, September 7, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT
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 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. <SECTION:CONTENT_FOOTER>
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P.S. You'd probably better put a link to whereever you got this story, elso you can be prosecuted for copyright infringement.
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Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
