posted on September 9, 2005 09:23:08 AM new
TRUE AMERICANS SHOULD BE OUTRAGED THAT THE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS AND GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA ARE STILL ALLOWED TO MAKE DECISIONS!
THEY SHOULD RESIGN NOW!
THEIR ALLOWING OF THIS CATASTROPHE TO HAPPEN IS AN OUTRAGE TO ALL TRUE AMERICANS EVRYWHERE!!
posted on September 9, 2005 10:14:31 AM new
Ron, i'm positive it will all come out in the investigation and then we'll see what will happen. I bet they never accept any responsibility for the disaster they caused.
posted on September 9, 2005 11:17:37 AM new
So, exactly what should they have done differently? FEMA heads national disaster relief, the president should have had his butt in DC working day and night preparing for the disaster, but where was he? playing guitar, getting a tan, riding his bike? how about Condi Rice? shoe shopping, watching Spam-a-lot? Dick Cheney? He finally showed his ugly head after all this time. The governor of LA, and the mayor of NO did exactly what they were required to do and stayed to work. Where was their backup? Where was FEMA? Why weren't they dispatched sooner, why were trucks of supplies from Wal Mart turned away? Not because of the governor or mayor, but because of the disorganization that we have become familiar with from the Bush camp.
FEMA Chief Relieved of Katrina Duties By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer
18 minutes ago
Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown is being removed from his role in managing the Bush administration's Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and is returning to Washington.
Brown, who has been under fire for the federal government's slow response to the storm that devastated much of the Gulf Coast region, will be replaced by Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad W. Allen, who was overseeing New Orleans relief and rescue efforts.
Asked if he was being made a scapegoat for a federal relief effort that has drawn widespread and sharp criticism, Brown told The Associated Press after a long pause: "By the press, yes. By the president, No."
posted on September 9, 2005 11:29:25 AM new
The Feds cannot just walk into a sovereign state or city, they have to be REQUESTED by the governor and mayor.
The governor controls the National Guard unless it is Federalized by the President, which is rarely done.
posted on September 9, 2005 11:38:42 AM new
Not only that fact....but the head of the Red Cross said they were ready to go in immediately...and the governor wouldn't let them. She stated it was extremely hard to be sitting there, ready to deliver the supplies they had all ready...but the governor nixed that being allowed.
Yes, she should be recalled. Hopefully she will be when things are more settled and she can try to explain just why she wouldn't let ANY help in.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
[ edited by Linda_K on Sep 9, 2005 11:39 AM ]
posted on September 9, 2005 12:01:42 PM new
There are many, many instances of the gov. and mayor hindering the relief efforts. This is certainly consistent with La.'s long history of corrupt and mismanaged govt.
I find it interesting that local/state govt. made no effort to get the po folks out of N.O. before the storm. They just announced that everyone should leave. Yet they are furiously complaining about the speed of the feds in getting the same people out AFTER the storm. So typical of incompetents to try to attach blame anywhere but themselves.
posted on September 9, 2005 12:35:38 PM new
Rusty - you say the President should have been working day & night preparing for this disaster?
Ummm - do you think it was his job to put together an evacuation plan for New Orleans? Do you think he should be preparing for a disaster in Anytown, USA?
No, the job for that is the Mayor and Governor. Both of whom are Democrats, by the way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on September 9, 2005 12:40:01 PM new
What i find most interesting on this whole issue is that most Liberals are acting on emotion rather than looking at the facts. While most Conservatives are looking at the facts and keeping their emotions in check.
posted on September 9, 2005 12:45:43 PM new
Don't worry Ron there is plenty of blame to go around from top to bottom and bottom to top. Just remember the CON-servatives now are talking about the storm only.
I noticed Con-servatives don't mention the levy studies that warned of this disaster. I noticed the CON-servatives don't mention the proposed funding to fix the levies that Bush and the republican controlled canceled.
Ron and Karl Rove are now in charge of damage control for this White House and the CON-servative movement in regards to the New Orleans mess. "BRING IT ON" CON-servatives "BRING IT ON" YES!!!
posted on September 9, 2005 01:02:04 PM new
"the Corps of Engineers says that even the levee project they were working to complete was not designed to withstand a storm of Katrina's force."
posted on September 9, 2005 01:39:40 PM new
Caroline- "Ummm - do you think it was his job to put together an evacuation plan for New Orleans? Do you think he should be preparing for a disaster in Anytown, USA?"
Absolutely 100%. The Presidents job is to administer the necessary resources that unavailable at the state level. Besides the fact that he already removed a third of the National Guard and their equipment from those states affected.
Instead, he was busy wanking his time away on vacation, as did Condi, and as did Cheney. Though I now truly believe that Cheney wasn't so much on vacation as I previously believed. He was actually hard at work finding loopholes to take further advantage of the poor by removing the minimum wage for the reconstruction, meeting with Haliburton to offer more no bid contracts, and the oil companies to further gouge Americans.
So, to answer your question, Absolutely 100% yes. The President should have been overseeing the evacuation, he should have been organizing the response, and he should have had his entire staff in Washington looking for all of the necessary resources available so that this relief effort would have been organized. That is what every other President would have done. That is what any other respectible human would have done who has the power that he does.
posted on September 9, 2005 01:55:49 PM new
Rusty - do you not know basic government process? The STATE requests assistance from the Federal government - the Feds just don't trounce into any state at any time. They are requested.
It's a little thing called Sovereignty of the State - it's the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution - it's only what this country was founded on.
So Bush should ignore the Constitution and take over all the U.S. states?
Tenth Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively,
or to the people.
posted on September 9, 2005 02:09:59 PM new
Report: Louisiana blocked Red Cross Relief trucks were positioned to assist Superdome evacuees
The Louisiana Department of Homeland Security blocked a vanguard of Red Cross trucks filled with water, food, blankets and hygiene items from bringing relief to the thousands of hungry and thirsty evacuees stranded in the New Orleans Superdome after Hurricane Katrina struck, according to a Fox News Channel report.
The state agency responsible for Louisiana's security "told the Red Cross explicitly, you cannot come," said Fox News reporter Major Garrett in a radio interview.
Garrett told nationally syndicated talk host Hugh Hewitt that according to the Red Cross, the delivery was blocked immediately after the storm passed Monday.
The Louisiana governor's office of Homeland Security explained to the Red Cross that they didn't want the relief supplies, because they wanted the evacuees to leave, according to Garrett.
"At the very moment that Ray Nagin, the Mayor of New Orleans, was screaming where's the food, where's the water, it was over the overpass [nearby], and state officials were saying you can't come in," Garrett said.
Garrett acknowledged that floodwaters made access to the Superdome and nearby convention center difficult, but he pointed out that supplies could have been delivered before the levee broke. After that, the National Guard or military could have assisted.
In addition to its determination to remove the evacuees from the Superdome, the state also told the Red Cross the toxic floodwaters were not safe and they did not have the security situation under control.
Garrett said the decision was made and communicated to the Red Cross by the state department of Homeland Security and the state National Guard, both of which report to Gov. Kathleen Blanco.
The Red Cross has posted a "Disaster FAQ" on its website which explains, "Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders."
The private charity says, "The state Homeland Security Department had requested -- and continues to request -- that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."
Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?
* Acess to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.
* The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.
* The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of thousands of New Orleans residents in some 90 shelters throughout the state of Louisiana and elsewhere since before landfall. All told, the Red Cross is today operating 149 shelters for almost 93,000 residents.
* The Red Cross shares the nation’s anguish over the worsening situation inside the city. We will continue to work under the direction of the military, state and local authorities and to focus all our efforts on our lifesaving mission of feeding and sheltering.
* The Red Cross does not conduct search and rescue operations. We are an organization of civilian volunteers and cannot get relief aid into any location until the local authorities say it is safe and provide us with security and access.
* The original plan was to evacuate all the residents of New Orleans to safe places outside the city. With the hurricane bearing down, the city government decided to open a shelter of last resort in the Superdome downtown. We applaud this decision and believe it saved a significant number of lives.
* As the remaining people are evacuated from New Orleans, the most appropriate role for the Red Cross is to provide a safe place for people to stay and to see that their emergency needs are met. We are fully staffed and equipped to handle these individuals once they are evacuated.
posted on September 9, 2005 03:38:04 PM new
Hey all, Brown's head just rolled today. His is just the beginning of many heads that will roll over the New Orleans MESS.
In a conference call between Bush and republican Senators about the New Orleans MESS. Some Senators brought up their worries for their re-election because of the New Orleans MESS. The subject of the conference call was about help for New Orleans not their re-election in 2006.
ITS FUNNY HOW CON-SERVATIVES GIVE CREDIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE WHEN BUSH GETS A BILL PASSED. THEN IF THAT WHITE HOUSE BACKED BILL FAILS SOMEHOW THE SAME CON-SERVATIVES BLAME ITS FAILURE ON CONGRESS.
I wonder if they learned that from Linda_K or Karl Rove. HA HA HA!!!
posted on September 9, 2005 03:49:06 PM new
A friend turned me on this.
This guy is into Conspiracies and a mile or too to the left but the article seems to be true.
My name is Jason Robideaux, I am an attorney from Lafayette Louisiana and have dealt with all of the various law enforcement agencies in Louisiana during the past 18 years. Although I have had a positive relationship with law enforcement personnel throughout the State for many years, I regretfully have a story to share that will shake your head in disbelief about the La. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries.
A group of approximately 1,000 citizens pulling 500 boats left the Acadiana Mall in Lafayette this morning (Weds.) and headed to New Orleans with a police escort from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department. The "flotillia" of trucks pulling boats stretched over five miles. This citizen rescue group was organized by La. State Senator, Gautreaux from Vermilion Parish. The group was comprised of experienced boaters, licensed fishermen and hunters, people who have spent their entire adult life and teenage years on the waterways of Louisiana.
The State Police waved the flotillia of trucks/boats through the barricades in LaPlace and we sped into New Orleans via I-10 until past the airport and near the Clearview exit. At that time we were stopped by agents of the La. Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries. A young DWF agent strolled through the boats and told approximately half of the citizens that their boats were "too large" because the water had "dropped during the night" and that they should turn around and go home.
We were pulling a large (24ft) shallow draft aluminum boat that can safely carry 12 passengers and had ramp access which would allow the elderly and infirm to have easier access to the boat. We politely informed the DWF agent that the local and national media had consistently reported that the water level had "risen" during the night which contradicted his statement to us that the water "was dropping" and no boat over 16ft. in length would be allowed to participate in rescue operations.
We then specifically asked the DWF agent that we (and other citizens in the flotillia) be allowed to go to the hospitals and help evacuate the sick and the doctors and nurses stranded there. We offered to bring these people back to Lafayette, in our own vehicles, in order to ensure that they received proper and prompt medical care.
The DWF agent did not want to hear this and ordered us home. We complied with the DWF agent's orders, turned around and headed back to Lafayette along with half of the flotillia. However, two of my friends were pulling my other boat, a smaller 15ft alumaweld with a 25 hp. The DWF agents let them through to proceed to the rescue operation launch site.
My two friends were allowed to drive to the launch site where the La. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries were launching their rescue operations (via boat). They reported to me that there were over 200 DWF agents just standing around and doing nothing. My friends were kept there for approximately 3 hours. During that time they observed a large number of DWF agents doing nothing. After three hours had passed they were told that they were not needed and should go home. They complied with the DWF's orders and turned around and went home to Lafayette.
Watching CNN tonight, there was a telephone interview with a Nurse trapped in Charity Hospital in New Orleans. She said that there were over 1,000 people trapped inside of the hospital and that the doctors and nurses had zero medical supplies, no diesel to run the generators and that only three people had been rescued from the hospital since the Hurricane hit!
I can't come up with one logical reason why the DWF sent this large group of 500 boats/1000 men home when we surely could have rescued most, if not all, of the people trapped in Charity Hospital. Further, we had the means to immediately transport these people to hospitals in Southwest Louisiana.
On Tuesday afternoon, August 30, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee asked for all citizens with boats to come to the aid of Jefferson Parish. A short time later Dwight Landreneau, the head of the La. Depart. of Wildlife and Fisheries, got on television and remarked that his agency had things under control and citizen help was not needed. Apparently, Sheriff Lee did not agree with that assessment and had one of his deputies provide the Lafayette flotillia with an escort into Jefferson Parish.
Sheriff Lee and Senator Gautreaux - 1000 of Louisiana's citizens responded to your pleas for help. We were prevented from helping by Dwight Landreneau's agency, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. When I learned that Charity Hospital has not been evacuated and that no one has been there to attempt a rescue, I became angry.
The "turf-marking" by some minor state agency should never take priority over the lives of citizens!
posted on September 9, 2005 06:12:57 PM new
Bear, since I had a little time before auctions end I thought I would reply. Below is an example why often CON-servatives like you make me laugh.
In the last few days you made 10 new posts to my 3. In your last 10 posts you had a average of 6 replies. 13 of your replies were from your Mother Linda_K.
posted on September 11, 2005 03:31:42 AM new
colin-
I read your article and believe there were probably thousands trying to help that were sent away when they were needed the most. (I picture that DWF agent as "Barney Fife", posturing and hiking up his pants.)
Caroline