Comments about the hurricaine
I don't care how you slice it, the primary responsibility for the disaster response lies with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, and other local officials. Cut and dried. This fact, which needs to be repeated and remembered, is that in our country state and local governments are charged with the primary responsibility with dealing with local disasters.
New Orleans Plan for Hurricanes
The city plan acknowledges its responsibility in the document:
Quote:
Originally Posted by City of New Orleans
As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness.
Again, the City document makes clear that decisions involving a proper and orderly evacuation lie with the Governor, Mayor and local authorities. Nowhere is the President or federal government even mentioned:
Quote:
Originally Posted by City of New Orleans
The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.
It is clear the city also recognized it would need to move large portions of its population, and it would need to prepare for such an eventuality:
Quote:
Originally Posted by City of New Orleans
The City of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When specific routes of progress are required, evacuees will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed. . . .
Evacuation procedures for small scale and localized evacuations are conducted per the SOPs of the New Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police Department. However, due to the sheer size and number of persons to be evacuated, should a major tropical weather system or other catastrophic event threaten or impact the area, specifically directed long range planning and coordination of resources and responsibilities efforts must be undertaken.
The City of New Orleans knew that a major hurricane was approaching them hell, they had 48 hours notice, they had a outline how to prepare for it, how to deal with it, and from the Mayor right up to the Governor, screwed that up.
Yes, Federal relief was not as fast as it should have been, but Christ, the leaders of the city weren't blindsided by this storm they knew was coming. The initial responsibility of taking care of the residents in the city of New Orleans rests on the Mayor. Not the President of the United States.
And the good ole' media has focused on the first 48 hours of federal response, and has not uttered a word about the fact that New Orleans had 48 hours of warning that a major category 4 or 5 would make landfall near the city, yet apparently did little to prepare.
The city's leaders did almost nothing to evacuate a population having no transportation, and in failing to follow their own evacuation plan, they did nothing to pre-position food, water and personnel to deal with the aftermath (read above where I included the city's hurricane plan).
Now, let's get this misconception cleared up, State National Guards answer first to the governor of each state, not to the President. The National Guard exists not to defend one state from an invasion by another state, but primarily for emergencies like we have witnessed in New Orleans and in the areas impacted by Katrina.
Now with regard to the budget cuts for the levee's. The major studies about them being woefully inferior, were in the 90's when Clinton was in office. If you are going to throw the blame on GW, might as well throw it on him. It's pathetic to even launch claims like that against a singular President when it's been known that a city, built on a sandy, sinking delta, was screwed from it's inception. Let's go all the way back through every President who ever presided over that land and blame them.
God, even some of the news reports are pulling the race card. They all spout how great N.O. was and the history, the people, the food.. blah blah blah, but they don't really touch how shitty it was there.
And just now a news reporter said how Bush went to Iraq and visited soldiers there, but never went near the Superdome. No shit. It's not just about "just going there", it's about finding places to land 3 or more helicopters, troop (secret service) placement, defensible positions (reported snipers) and so many other contingencies and crisis management it would be a serious risk to visit there. Although it would bolster his position by doing so. Personally if I was president, I would have gone. But sometimes it is not up to the President when it comes to security risks.
The reporter who said that was black, btw. Who knew.
And as an afternote. I am not a Bush puppet. I hate all politicians and politics. I don't even vote.
New Orleans Plan for Hurricanes
The city plan acknowledges its responsibility in the document:
Quote:
Originally Posted by City of New Orleans
As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness.
Again, the City document makes clear that decisions involving a proper and orderly evacuation lie with the Governor, Mayor and local authorities. Nowhere is the President or federal government even mentioned:
Quote:
Originally Posted by City of New Orleans
The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.
It is clear the city also recognized it would need to move large portions of its population, and it would need to prepare for such an eventuality:
Quote:
Originally Posted by City of New Orleans
The City of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When specific routes of progress are required, evacuees will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed. . . .
Evacuation procedures for small scale and localized evacuations are conducted per the SOPs of the New Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police Department. However, due to the sheer size and number of persons to be evacuated, should a major tropical weather system or other catastrophic event threaten or impact the area, specifically directed long range planning and coordination of resources and responsibilities efforts must be undertaken.
The City of New Orleans knew that a major hurricane was approaching them hell, they had 48 hours notice, they had a outline how to prepare for it, how to deal with it, and from the Mayor right up to the Governor, screwed that up.
Yes, Federal relief was not as fast as it should have been, but Christ, the leaders of the city weren't blindsided by this storm they knew was coming. The initial responsibility of taking care of the residents in the city of New Orleans rests on the Mayor. Not the President of the United States.
And the good ole' media has focused on the first 48 hours of federal response, and has not uttered a word about the fact that New Orleans had 48 hours of warning that a major category 4 or 5 would make landfall near the city, yet apparently did little to prepare.
The city's leaders did almost nothing to evacuate a population having no transportation, and in failing to follow their own evacuation plan, they did nothing to pre-position food, water and personnel to deal with the aftermath (read above where I included the city's hurricane plan).
Now, let's get this misconception cleared up, State National Guards answer first to the governor of each state, not to the President. The National Guard exists not to defend one state from an invasion by another state, but primarily for emergencies like we have witnessed in New Orleans and in the areas impacted by Katrina.
Now with regard to the budget cuts for the levee's. The major studies about them being woefully inferior, were in the 90's when Clinton was in office. If you are going to throw the blame on GW, might as well throw it on him. It's pathetic to even launch claims like that against a singular President when it's been known that a city, built on a sandy, sinking delta, was screwed from it's inception. Let's go all the way back through every President who ever presided over that land and blame them.
God, even some of the news reports are pulling the race card. They all spout how great N.O. was and the history, the people, the food.. blah blah blah, but they don't really touch how shitty it was there.
And just now a news reporter said how Bush went to Iraq and visited soldiers there, but never went near the Superdome. No shit. It's not just about "just going there", it's about finding places to land 3 or more helicopters, troop (secret service) placement, defensible positions (reported snipers) and so many other contingencies and crisis management it would be a serious risk to visit there. Although it would bolster his position by doing so. Personally if I was president, I would have gone. But sometimes it is not up to the President when it comes to security risks.
The reporter who said that was black, btw. Who knew.
And as an afternote. I am not a Bush puppet. I hate all politicians and politics. I don't even vote.