Katrina Victims

[thegoldpt]

I agree with that, and it maks sence.[?]

[Retro]

We have friends from New Orleans. Some have been staying with my sister. They put a lot of blame on the Levee Board, who wasted the federal money they got building casinos, private marinas and buying airplanes instead of fixing the levees. Everybody around here and who lives in Louisiana knows it has been a cesspool of corrupt politics for years and the mayor and Governor behaved disgracefully in this crisis. Also, what was up with a third of the police force bailing and the remainder having to organize themselves to do the work?? Then, when the feds were finally allowed/forced to come in and save their butts, the mayor then starts giving the remaining cops free trips to Vegas and time off in the middle of the crisis because they had been under STRESS for six whole days! Please. I kind of thought that was what cops DID in an emergency??! Hello. I am sure it was rough, but look at the NYPD and NYFD frantically working nonstop for WEEKS at Ground Zero four years ago. Something besides the dead bodies is smelling here, and the smell isn't coming from Washington.

[thegoldpt]

[quote]quote:Originally posted by Hooligan

Read below & make up your own minds!!!!


A SAD STATE OF CORRUPT LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOOKING FOR A HAND OUT.

Politics over duty



This is a post from a fellow over in Merritt Is, FL, a reporter who's been researching what went on before the storm hit

I think all of Nagin's pomp and posturing is going to bite him hard in the near future as the lies and distortions of his interviews are coming to light.

On Friday night before the storm hit Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center took the unprecedented action of calling Nagin and Blanco personally to plead with them to begin MANDATORY evacuation of New Orleans and they said they'd take it under consideration. This was after the NOAA buoy 240 miles south had recorded 68' waves before it was destroyed.

President Bush spent Friday afternoon and evening in meetings with his advisors and administrators drafting all of the paperwork required for a state to request federal assistance (and not be in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act or having to enact the Insurgency Act).

Just before midnight Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call up.

He was told that they didn't think it necessary for the federal government to be involved yet. After the President's final call to the governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.

Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Blanco and Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal assistance , that they declare the state an emergency area, and begin mandatory evacuation.

After a personal plea from the President, Mayor Nagin agreed to order an evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers requesting and authorizing federal action.

In frustration the President declared the area a national disaster area before the state of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some advanced preparations. Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal government can move into state with troops - but that had not been done since 1906 and the Constitutionality of it was called into question to use before the disaster.

Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to New Orleans for levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a marina and support the gambling ships.

Toss in the investigation that will look into why the emergency

preparedness plan submitted to the federal government for funding and published on the city's website was never implemented and in fact may have been bogus for the purpose of gaining additional federal funding as we now learn that t he organizations identified in the plan were never contacted or coordinating into any planning - though the document implies that they were.

The suffering people of New Orleans need to be asking some hard questions as do we all, but they better start with why Blanco refused to even sign the multi-state mutual aid pack activation documents until Wednesday which further delayed the legal deployment of National Guard from adjoining states.

Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to his own emergency plan and documents he claimed t

[quicksilverdon]

Well, the facts were so overwhelming that they could spin their way out. Bush actually accepted some responsibility! I am shocked!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9324891/
It's a first! I didn't know he knew the word "responsibility".
Seriously, it's a good sign.
Now, if he'd just come clean about Iraq....

[robinjoe]

From NewsMax.com:

Critics say President Bush's personal response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster was too little, too late - with an Air Force One flyover the day after New Orleans' levees broke and a trip to Baton Rouge two days later.

President Clinton, on other the other hand, got glowing reviews for responding to his administration's biggest disaster, the Oklahoma City bombing - even though he took a day longer to arrive on the scene than Bush did last week.

New Orleans' levees broke on a Tuesday - and Bush had his own boots-on-the-ground just three days later on Friday.
When the Alfred P. Murrah Building exploded on Wednesday morning, April 19, 1995, President Clinton didn't travel to the scene for four full days.

And when he finally arrived, there was no grumbling by troubled pundits about the delay. In fact, Clinton's response to Oklahoma City is remembered to this day as the turning point of his political fortunes.

[satellite66]

Robinjoe could that have been because Clinton enjoyed a fawning media as opposed to the hostile media Bush has had to contend with?
Taking responsiblity does not mean Bush is to blame.
All you Bush bashers here is a question. If your unlicensed teen drives your PT without your permission and rearends another vehicle does that make you to blame? No it means your reponsible because its your car, your insurance and your kid but your kids driving is to blame.
I think that it is the sign of a true leader and a real man when you take responsiblity for the actions of those you supervise. Unlike the perjurer blaming the vast right wing conspiracy everytime he got caught lying.

[quicksilverdon]

quote:Originally posted by satellite66

Robinjoe could that have been because Clinton enjoyed a fawning media as opposed to the hostile media Bush has had to contend with?
What? The media didn't go after Clinton? C'mon...
Taking responsiblity does not mean Bush is to blame.
You may be in denial, but the majority of THE WORLD knows it.
All you Bush bashers here is a question. If your unlicensed teen drives your PT without your permission and rearends another vehicle does that make you to blame? No it means your reponsible because its your car, your insurance and your kid but your kids driving is to blame.
The comparison should be continued - your teen is injured in the accident so you take your sweet time to call for help because he shouldn't have been driving? You're attitude seems to be - screw those people? Which is it? The response was good, or it was bad because they didn't deserve help?
I think that it is the sign of a true leader and a real man when you take responsiblity for the actions of those you supervise.
IF Bush hadn't appointed unqualified cronies AND if he HAD supervised, he might have been a real man.
Unlike the perjurer blaming the vast right wing conspiracy everytime he got caught lying.

As to Clinton, sure he was a liar - Duh! I voted for Perot twice.
If we want to discuss liars - so Clinton lied about things that didn't impact the well being of my country - compare that to Bush Sr. who lied about selling arms to Iran while they had our embassy hostage. That disgusts me. Even the Nazis respected diplomats - it's how some Jews were saved - then Iran breaks a fundamental rule of civilization, and we do a business deal with them, and Bush Sr. denies it up until it's proven he knew - and NOTHING HAPPENED.
We seem to be comfortable with our leaders lying to us - the truth is too uncomfortable. Look at Goldwater vs Johnson - Goldwater said what he'd do in Vietnam, Johnson lied and did more in 'Nam than Goldwater would've. McGovern vs Nixon - McGovern said let's just get out of Vietnam, Nixon lied, and we just got out of Vietnam...

I think the difference between us is you seem to think all Democrats suck, and there are no bad Republicans. I think both parties suck in that they both favor special interests over the average voter, but I feel there are good and bad Republicans, and good and bad Democrats.
I would still have contempt for Bush if he were a Democrat, and I think you'd hate Bush if he were a democrat.

I don't hate Bush Jr, I just feel contempt for him. Interesting to me that only fanatic Republicans defend him - I can't think of any independent voter I know that defends everthing Bush is doing - the deficit, Iraq, pushing religion, and this FEMA mess - like the Grand Ole Party folks.
It's like religion - facts don't come into religion, or party politics.

[satellite66]

I would like to point out that Brown was confirmed when the dems controlled the senate. I guess he must have been pro choice. It seems to me that Brown's biggest mistake was in thinking that the locals were competent.
I love all those people who say they are independent but then parrot DNC talking points like Howie Dean.

[quicksilverdon]

quote:Originally posted by satellite66

I would like to point out that Brown was confirmed when the dems controlled the senate. I guess he must have been pro choice. It seems to me that Brown's biggest mistake was in thinking that the locals were competent.
I love all those people who say they are independent but then parrot DNC talking points like Howie Dean.

Nah, forget it.
Pointless.[xx(]

[satellite66]

quote:Originally posted by quicksilverdon

Nah, forget it.
Pointless.[xx(]

Whats the matter Don run out of talking points?
For the record I don't think Bush has made no mistakes but unlike you I don't believe that every ill of the world is Bush's fault.
Bush has not cut spending or closed the borders as he should. He has spent far to much time and effort in trying to work with the left when they have no interest in compromise. Bush should take the bipartisan olive branch and beat them over the head with it.