Katrina Victims

[satellite66]

Yes Ike did but only as a last resort because the local dem officials failed to excersise their duties under the law. Are you saying that the local dem officials once again let down minorities? After Ike did that the Posse Commitatus law was reaffirmed because of the fear that creating exceptions would undermine states rights. I believe the dems of the time were quite upset that Ike did that. It is all about the Bush bash to you.

[satellite66]

Don, as a follow up for future reference. Are you saying that Bush should be allowed to send in troops to states or wherever he sees fit? Should the federal government be the ones who decide what actions are taken and needed even on the local level?
I'm just curious because I don'hear the same thing coming out of Mississippi about federal help. It is my understanding that they were hit harder. Could it be that the officials there had better prepartions and plans? Could it be that perhaps they were more decisive than their counterparts in LA and NO? I'm sure somehow that you will find a way to blame Bush for that also.

[quicksilverdon]

quote:Originally posted by satellite66

Don, as a follow up for future reference. Are you saying that Bush should be allowed to send in troops to states or wherever he sees fit? Should the federal government be the ones who decide what actions are taken and needed even on the local level?
I'm just curious because I don'hear the same thing coming out of Mississippi about federal help. It is my understanding that they were hit harder. Could it be that the officials there had better prepartions and plans? Could it be that perhaps they were more decisive than their counterparts in LA and NO? I'm sure somehow that you will find a way to blame Bush for that also.

Could it be that Mississippi isn't below sea level and the water receded shortly after the storm?
Nah, that couldn't be it.

[satellite66]

Don your response is at least a start. You did not mention Bush being a t fault in it. Maybe there is hope for you yet.
The LA gov and NO mayor ordered evacuation of the area but failed to provide any means of doing it. Had they enforced their own evacuation order people would not have been in the area when the levee broke.
The other states govs also asked for and authorized federal assistance long before the LA gov did.

[satellite66]

Had the mayor and gov followed their owns evac plans the severity of this would be a lot less in terms of loss of life. Their plan called for mand evac 72 hrs before a cat 3 hurricaine. Katrina was a cat 5.

[robinjoe]

Here is an interesting article:
http://tinyurl.com/ctq3x
Here is an excerpt:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mr. Bush met privately first with Mrs. Blanco (Louisianna's Governor), then called Mr. Nagin in for a meeting.
"He called me in that office," Mr. Nagin said. "And he said, 'Mr. Mayor, I offered two options to the governor.' I was ready to move. The governor said she needed 24 hours to make a decision."
That decision was a request by Mr. Bush to allow the federal government to take over the evacuation of New Orleans, which had been marked by chaos for days. The Democratic governor, who has clashed behind the scenes with the Bush administration since the storm hit, refused.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

This is what happens when politicians get involved. Ms. Blanco aparently had some axe to grind with the President and refused to hand over power to the Federal Government.

BTW, Mayor Nagin is a Democrat and he recognizes the failures of the Democratic Governor.

Like I've said several times before, the beurocrats just need to hand over the money and get out of the way.

[coolvanillagt]

I've got $20 that says the mayor will be in the running for v.p. with Hillary. It's all about positioning, soundbites...making selfish gain over others despair.

[nehope]

It's getting even better - the mayor ordered a forced evacuation and the governor says she's not convinced it's necessary and wants to wait. WTF is the matter with these people [V]

[quicksilverdon]

It seems facts are pointless. What I see is "belief" - the same as "belief" in Creationism - the evidence is dismissed. You can't shake someone's beliefs with facts and logic. They believe what they want to believe.

There are those that treat a political party as nearly a religion - they accept the line as gospel, and spread the word. There are Democrats equally guilty, and I think that to believe that one party is all good and the other is all bad is silly. There is good and bad in both parties. I don't think it is in America's best interests to have 2 diametrically opposed camps. I like John McCain - I think he could be a unifier, which I think is better than divisiveness.

I dislike the Bush regime based on conduct and performance. Conduct, as in smearing McCain in primaries, performance as in running up the largest deficit ever while granting the rich tax breaks; getting us into an illegal, pointless, mismanaged war in Iraq.

Bush's blame in Katrina was not bothering to visit until Friday, for appointing a bozo buddy head of FEMA and patting him on the back for doing a dismal job. The spin is already beginning to try to lay the blame for the piss-poor response on the locals, but I think there should have been air-drops of food and water to stranded folks starting Tuesday after the storm - which clearly only the feds could arrange. Why wasn't there?
There should have been troops in the streets rescuing people and maintaining order MUCH sooner. Why wasn't there?
I think it's clear to an objective observer (not a true believer) that FEMA, the federal administration headed by Bush, failed miserably. More people could have been saved, and that pisses me off.
Forget the politics and view the performance.

We're in trouble if we faced a major terrorist attack that would come without warning and are counting on FEMA to help. That is a fact.

[satellite66]

FEMA can't do anything until the gov asks. That is the law. She delayed her requests and then her people held FEMA off. Even the incompetent mayor of NO is saying that.