Bush laughing off New Orleans

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by esskreemr

Ummmm, no, not exactly. The majority of the poor aren't elected officials tasked with the duty to protect American lives. The majority of the poor aren't, as single persons, making billions of dollars off of policy change. The majority of the poor don't have the ability to change the lives of thousands to millions with the stroke of a pen. The majority of the poor aren't intricately involved in the security of our nation. We can criticize Bush and the Republicans because their actions (or lack of actions) can literally mean life or death for thousands or millions.

The merits of the bill were not my point; rather it was the attitudes which underpin the process of criticism. Apparently, criticising the Administration et. al. demonstrates an admirable courage of spirit, a justifiable, even expected, show of critical perspicacity. But at the same time there appear to be other groups which should for some reason remain off limits in this respect; they can only ever be victims, never to have their faults mentioned in polite company...

Bit of a double standard, no?

You can criticize the poor all you want.

Thanks, I will do so, for those among them who make stupid, costly decisions...

It isn't going to change the fact that glaring errors were again made by a President (and his admin) whose approval rating was 40% before Bush Disaster of 2005.

Nor should it, nor was that my intent. What's good for one ought to be good for all.

It merely strikes me as curious that if one attacks those on the approved villains' list one is applauded, or at least is argued with civilly; but venture to raise an eyebrow at the behavior of the wrong sacred cow and let the fishwife scolding begin...

[Sciurus-Rex]

Folks, Inquartata is the victim here. He's invoked the "sacred cow" inverse-defense rule. So, please, back off. Soothe his pain.

[mrbiggs]

I don't agree with Inquartata, but I don't think that "you think this so you must be rich, you're rich so you have no perpective on the issue" is really a valid argument.

As far as blame is concerned, I don't really think it could have gone all that much worse. (They in the following being "any given part of the government): They failed to evactuate enough people. They put the rest in the superdome, then had no way to evacuate them later. There is not enough food for the people still there. Sure, there's plenty of aid going there now, but the #1 nation on earth in terms of technology and military should be able to do better than taking people out using helicopters. Which, of course, reminds me that many of the evacuees were not provided with a place to go , or were provided, but then turned down. No wonder there's anarchy in New Orleans, the government left them on their own. (Then, of course, the goverment has now sent down the army, and it's basically horrible for everyone involved.)

I'm seriously wondering, is there anything that was done well with the hurricane and its aftermath?

[ThatReallyHurt]

Originally Posted by mrbiggs

I'm seriously wondering, is there anything that was done well with the hurricane and its aftermath?

This has probably been posted here somewhere already, but check out

http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/

From the only data centre in NO to stay up throughout the whole thing. Some good anecdotes and information, and lots of pictures (zillions of good pictures, hundreds of great pictures, some incredible ones).

[Maeve_Mari]

This is a terrific article with a very witty perspective on just how clueless and insensitive people can be...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...ck=1&cset=true

Mother's remark puts silver foot in Bush's mouth
Published September 7, 2005

I was all set to defend President Bush as a guy who really doesn't want poor black people in Louisiana and Mississippi to die of starvation and disease, no matter what the Democrats say.

But then Barbara Bush, the president's mom, went and dusted off the Bush family silver foot Monday. And she used it.

While touring the Houston Astrodome, where thousands of Hurricane Katrina refugees have been huddling, Barbara Bush said they didn't have it so bad because, heck, they were poor to begin with.

"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas," she was quoted as saying in an interview on National Public Radio.

Thousands of hurricane refugees were sitting on or near their green army cots, perhaps thinking of lunch, presumably waiting to be fed something hearty.

Anything but cake.

"Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality," Barbara Bush said. And here comes the fastball over the middle of the Democratic plate:

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them."

At least she didn't ask them to sing and dance. But I'm sure it's working out very well for them. How often does something nice like a hurricane come by and change your life so you can hang out with thousands of others in the Astrodome and have Barbara Bush say it wasn't so bad, because you were poor anyway?

By my calculations, Barb's foot is about a 10 1/2 EE, but by the time you read this on Wednesday, after Leno and Letterman get through with her, she'll have an EEEE at least. There should be some back teeth stuck to the pinky toe when the surgeon general finally pulls it out.

You've got to figure that somewhere, former Texas Democratic Gov. Ann Richards is smiling. It was Richards, or perhaps one of her pointy-headed ghostwriters, who came up with the devastating line about former President George H.W. Bush.

Richards said the former president couldn't be blamed for his misstatements, because he was born with a silver foot in his mouth. Now it turns out Barbara was in charge of the silver. She polished it up good and shiny. And in political terms, she put her foot in her son's mouth and knocked loose a few teeth.

I'm sure Barbara won't be able to fix things up just by bringing a lime Jell-O mold (with floating chunks of pineapple) over to the White House at suppertime.

"Son?"

"What, Ma?"

"I'm sorry what I said about those people. However, I did make Jell-O to cheer you up."

"With the chunks?"

Most of us have moms, but if we're lucky, they never made Jell-O with or without the hideous chunks. But most of us don't have moms who could start a war with China or overturn the Republican's Southern Strategy with a few choice words, like Barbara Bush just did.

Please don't get it into your head that my constant exposure to people in the mainstream media--many of whom are still peeved that Al Gore isn't president--has changed my political views. It hasn't.

But what Barbara Bush said can't be ignored. She's the former first lady, the current first grandmother, and she's no political cream puff.

Even though she's got that soft white hair and those crinkly blue eyes, she also has that deadly string of pearls and probably rattled them at Laura Bush when they first met, and Laura got flustered and blurted out that her two hobbies were reading and smoking.

Who wouldn't get flustered? I'm scared of her, too, and I've only seen her on TV.

Like the president, my mom's a Republican, so I called to warn her about what Barbara Bush said.

"No!" she said. "That can't be true."

I could hear her fingers typing on her laptop, frantically trying to get to The National Review Online, where she could find ammunition to refute such a heinous story created by the liberal mainstream media.

But it is true and she knows it now, and I had to remind her of something that all reporters and editors remind their families, particularly moms: Don't talk to reporters, ever.

It has nothing to do with journalists thinking we're famous or popular or that anyone cares what we say. It does have to do, however, with the ancient fear held by most humans (except for the Jerry Springer set) that anything our moms say may be embarrassing, that the women who brought us into the world can take us out of it with one foolish statement, a la Barbara Bush.

And, besides, we're reporters. We know what we're like.

So, what did I say about reporters?

"Never to talk to them, ever?" said my mom, who was a reporter once, but repeated this to humor me.

Exactly.

[esskreemr]

Hmmm... good plan. He appointed a man (several men) with no disaster management experience to head FEMA. Why not lead an investigation when you don't have experience.

Here are some possible areas to investigate:

• Why was FEMA reduced from a Cabinet-Level agency particularly considering the increase in the hurricanes and storms that have reached landfall lately.
• Where did FEMA's funds go once it was placed under the USDHS?
• What IDIOT chose someone with no disaster management experience to head FEMA?
• Why did FEMA repeatedly turn down offers of aid from other states and countries?
• Why were aid workers subjected to Red Tape and held up while trying to rush in during the critical 72 hours after the emergency?
• Why did FEMA cut emergency communications?
• Why hasn't your buddy Brownie been sacked?
• Why did the cries of scientists, Army Corp of Engineers, and FEMA (when it was a cabinet-level agency go unheeded.
• Where did Louisiana's National Guards and their heavy equipment go? Why has recruitment for these units decreased drastically ( hint: most young men don't want to join if they are going to be shipped to a warzone).
• Why did your administration repeatedly ignore vital budget requests for levee strengthening and then cut those funds by nearly 80%?
• How many more bungled National level disasters are there going to be during the remainder of your presidency?
• Is it really a good idea to remain on vacation for two days after such a devastating event occurred. I mean, from the PR standpoint alone, it just looks horrible.
• Are you happy because this is one tragic event that the media can't trace to the Saudis?
• There's oil in Lousiana, why didn't you just declare war. We could have secured the state in a couple of hours.
• Do you think we could have spent the $200,000,000,000 that we threw at the Iraqi war on creating a disaster agency that can actually respond effectively to...well... disasters?
• Do you think they should move New Orleans, or just build another Sicily after pumping the waters of Lake George out of New Orleans? Perhaps your just planning on bulldozing the whole town and turning it into a giant resort...
• Has your mom been smoking weed to help with her 'glaucoma'?

I hope this isn't just another ploy to delay a true investigation. You're not trying to roll the **** to the bottom of the hill and make sure it stays there are you? I mean, don't you have some golfin' and huntin' to do? Wouldn't a special investigator be more apt to handle such a daunting task? I understand there is already one hounding your staff...

[Have At You]

This guys makes my point much better than I did. Important tidbits of info here for those wishing to point fingers at federal, rather than state, authorities.

===

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.

[mlr2fence]

Ever hear the saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemon-ade?" I'm sure that for some, as horrible as all of this is, will end up, in the long run, making 'lemon-ade'. In other words, they will have the opportunity (forced, as it is) to make a fresh start in a new community. Many people will be bending over to give them opportunities they may not have had access to, nor availed themselves of, for whatever reason. If they take advantage of these new opportunities and 'better' their lives, then cannot one make the argument that this was 'a blessing in disguise', at least for those few?

In a situation like this there are few absolutes. Yes, some had no transportation out; likewise, yes, some refused transportation out. Yes, some followed warnings to gather a stock of food, water, etc (standard hurricane prepardness stuff); likewise, yes, there were some that 'blew' it all off expecting someone else to take care of them. We've all seen the numerous interviews/reports on this.

Bottom line: Misery for everyone, regardless of their 'status' in life.

[esskreemr]

President Bush on declaring his self-led investigation:

"What I intend to do is lead an investigation to find out what went right and what went wrong," Bush said. "We still live in an unsettled world. We want to make sure we can respond properly if there is a WMD (weapons of mass destruction) attack or another major storm."

Sounds like someone's annoyed that they can't pin this on Al Queda or Iran...

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by ThatReallyHurt

This has probably been posted here somewhere already, but check out

http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/

From the only data centre in NO to stay up throughout the whole thing. Some good anecdotes and information, and lots of pictures (zillions of good pictures, hundreds of great pictures, some incredible ones).

Oh now you've done it! Don't you know that ignorant little boy can't stand first hand knowledge? He only goes by anecdotal evidence he's collected from his manager to make up his mind once and for all about things which he knows nothing about. Now you'll just raise his ire and he'll declare you irrelevent because you have emotions and opinions that are backed with first hand evidence.

[pigeonmeister]

Poverty affects perceptions. If you are poor then not only have you lesser means to evacuate but you also have differnet perception of how to defend your long term aspirations. In this way if all you have is your house, your cats and the photos of your long dead family then you will stay till the bitter end. The idea that they can rebuild and start again is not as strong as those who have probably moved out of the house they were born to some nice suburb with a nice big car. It come down to hope, if you are poor you generaly have less of it. There is also a strong feeling that these people have lived a life of discomfort and hardship, as have their parents and granparents. There is more of sense that they have a greater abiltity to survive and less to live for if they dont. It wasn't white middle class people who were commiting suicide by jumping off bridges.

If the danger had been stressed strongly enough and early enough, if the grave need to evacuate in case of storm was indoctrinated into all New Orleans citizens on all levels. If facilties were available to do this, like the thousands of coaches seen lieing moribund underwater, then the situation would probably have been better. Because it wasn't the economic casualties of a 'winner takes all' society were exposed.

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by Have At You

This guys makes my point much better than I did. Important tidbits of info here for those wishing to point fingers at federal, rather than state, authorities.

===

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?...

Ok That's a nice bit of Fiction. Here's an actual timeline of events WITH DOCUMENTATION. For people to claim that no one at the local and state levels asked for help is just STUPID! Particularly when the evidence doesn't take a private eye to dig up.

http://www.thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline

Maybe, just maybe you've bitten on the "Distract them from what actually transpired so we don't get impeached hook."

[esskreemr]

Originally Posted by Drifter

Ok That's a nice bit of Fiction. Here's an actual timeline of events WITH DOCUMENTATION. For people to claim that no one at the local and state levels asked for help is just STUPID! Particularly when the evidence doesn't take a private eye to dig up.

http://www.thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline

Maybe, just maybe you've bitten on the "Distract them from what actually transpired so we don't get impeached hook."

You'll have to speak louder. Both the mayor New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana are democrats. You'll have to talk louder so people can hear you over the Repulican shills and apologists attempting to point the blame away from them.

[esskreemr]

Hey, for fun and games, let's start the Conspiracy Theories.

Let's look at the actions of FEMA ( Federal Emergency Mismanagement Aberration):

• FEMA won't accept Amtrak's help in evacuations.
  http://news.ft.com/cms/s/84aa35cc-1d...00e2511c8.html
• FEMA turns away experienced firefighters.
  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/na...erland&emc=rss
• FEMA turns back Wal-Mart supply trucks.
  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/na...erland&emc=rss
• FEMA prevents Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel.
  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/na...erland&emc=rss
• FEMA won't let Red Cross deliver food.
  http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05246/565143.stm
• FEMA bars morticians from entering New Orleans.
  http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...id=68561&rfi=6
• FEMA cuts emergency communications lines in New Orleans.
  http://www.resonant.org/20050904-fem...nication-lines
• FEMA blocks 500-boat citizen flotilla from delivering aid.
  http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/3/171718/0826
• FEMA fails to utilize Navy ship with 600-bed hospital on board (USS Bataan)
  http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=19798
• FEMA to Chicago: Send just one truck.
  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...l=chi-news-hed
• FEMA turns away generators.
  http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG.ac3fcea.html
• FEMA: "First Responders Urged Not To Respond".
  http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18470
• FEMA tries to use 1,000 firemen volunteering as emergency workers to hand out pamphlets as community-relations workers.
  http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3004197

Feel free to add the many I have missed.

[esskreemr]

Let's now look at the local and state response to the crises:

• August 26th - GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA.
  http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Rel...ail.asp?id=973
• August 27th - GOV. BLANCO ASKS BUSH TO DECLARE FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA
  http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Rel...ail.asp?id=976
  

  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.

• August 28th - MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES FIRST EVER MANDATORY EVACUATION OF NEW ORLEANS
  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,167289,00.html
  note: 50,000-100,000 remained in New Orleans (pop. near 500,000)
• Sept 1 - MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES “DESPERATE SOS” TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/st...561314,00.html

[Have At You]

Plenty of blame to go around, but it is no "fiction" that the local folks