Posted on 05/07/2007 3:32:36 PM PDT by jdm
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius says a shortage of trucks, helicopters and other equipment - all sent to the war in Iraq - has hampered recovery in a US town obliterated by a tornado.
"There is no doubt at all that this will slow down and hamper the recovery," Governor Sebelius, a Democrat, said in Kansas, where officials said the statewide death toll had risen to 12.
"Not having this equipment in place all over the state is a huge handicap."
The tornado that devastated Greensburg, 175 kilometres west of Wichita, started a weekend of violent weather in Kansas, a state in the heart of the central United States region known as "Tornado Alley."
Ten died in Greensburg, a town of 1,600 people. An 11th died in nearby Pratt County and a 12th in a separate tornado in Ottawa County.
The twisters were accompanied by widespread flooding on Sunday and Monday (local time) that required more than 200 water rescues and closed many roads and shuttered several schools in another part of the state.
"We're getting pounded in Kansas. We have the need for National Guard in two different parts of our state now. This is really going to be a problem," Governor Sebelius said.
She and other Democratic governors earlier this year assailed the Republican Bush administration for the strains they said the war had placed on their states' National Guardsmen, who are frequently mobilised for state emergencies.
GEORGE BUSH HATES WHITE PEOPLE!!!!!!
and meteorites.
In the face of desperate odds, they always manage to.
I don` believe it, actually I do...I was half kidding saying to my father when this happened “How many milli-seconds passed before they blamed Bush”..Then he said “I guess this means Bush doesn`t like white people” And here we are, once again it`s Bushs fault.
Are you kidding? There is no bottom for these people.
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/
The Blanco School of Crisis Management
It appears to be a new axiom of American politics and crisis leadership. If you live in a state that’s suffered a natural disaster—and you have a Democratic governor—be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
Consider this observation from Kathleen Sebelius, the Democrat who has served as Kansas’ governor since 2002. After touring the tornado-ravaged town of Greensburg over the weekend, Governor Sebelius stated that the recovery effort will be hampered, because so much of the needed equipment is in Iraq.
Sebelius said much of the National Guard equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is gone. She said not having immediate access to things like tents, trucks and semitrailers will really handicap the rebuilding effort...The Kansas National Guard has about 40 percent of the equipment it is allotted because much of it has been sent to Iraq.
Needless to say, that equipment report is a gross over-simplification. Any modern military organization—including the National Guard—with only 40% of its equipment (in all categories) would be rated as C-5, a ranking usually assigned to new units, or those that have been decimated in combat. My guess is that the Kansas Guard is short of equipment in some categories, but it has needed stockpiles of other hardware. But, you’ve got to give Ms. Sebelius some credit for resurrecting one of her party’s post-Katrina talking points, and applying it to a disaster in her own state.
Here’s a little challenge for KWCH, KAKE, KSN, The Wichita Eagle, and other media outlets that have been covering the storm. Contact the Kansas Guard Adjutant General’s office or his PA staff, and request readiness assessments (C-ratings) for the guard as a whole, and for units in areas affected by the storm. Then, compare those assessments to Governor Sebelius’ blanket indictment, and we’ll see if she’s right, or simply blowing smoke (my money is on option #2).
But, for the sake of fairness, let’s suppose that Kansas guard is short of equipment needed to cope with the disaster. That leads us to the leadership question of the day for Governor Sebelius; what are you doing to alleviate the problem? Your state is home to a number of major military installations, including Ft. Riley and McConnell AFB. Both have engineering units that could provide some of the equipment and material needed in Greensburg. And, if those organizations are also tied up in Iraq, how about a formal request to neighboring states? In the aftermath of Katrina, guardsmen from Florida and Texas (among other states) played a key role in relief operations in Louisiana and Mississippi. Guard units from Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska or Oklahoma have engineering, security and medical skills that could be tapped with a simple phone call. Neighboring states are also home to other active duty installations that could provide equipment and support, if Sebelius would only make the call.
Finally, what ever happened to good, old-fashioned enterprise and innovation? Need some heavy equipment to clear away rubble? This may come as a shock to Governor Sebelius, but there are plenty of companies—including some in Kansas—that will rent backhoes, front-end loaders, dump trucks, cranes and the other tools needed for the job. Yes, that might mean shifting funds away from one of the governor’s pet projects, but I think most Kansans would agree that the situation in Greensburg takes precedent right now.
Sebelius, on the other hand, seems to be taking a page from the playbook of Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, who (after Hurricane Katrina) waited for the federal government to ride to the rescue, with disastrous results. Judging from her remarks over the weekend, it looks like Sebelius is already in the “blame Washington” mode—hardly a surprise, since Sebelius is chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association. But, you’ve got to wonder how well that strategy will play in a state that has always valued self-reliance and helping neighbors. Luckily for Sebelius, she won re-election in 2006. Unfortunately for citizens of Kansas, they’ve got to put up with her for three more years. In the interim, local leaders in southwestern Kansas would do well to work with their Congressional delegation, and keep the number for Sunbelt Rentals on speed dial. Only three days after the Greensburg tornado, Governor Sebelius is already throwing up her hands in despair.
Labels: Disaster relief; Kansas tornado; Kathleen Sebelius
# posted by Spook86
Stupid Blanco-wannabe. And not a role model any serious woman should ever follow. A bunch of Kansas politicians had a new sconference today, and said that FEMA, the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and the American people were all helping enormously, and that there were people all over the State standing by with shovels and dumptrucks ready to start removing the debris. Damn dems; never pass up any chance whatever to try to bash Pres. Bush no matter how stupid and whiney it makes them look.
We're just fighting the wrong war, that's it!
In the words of the venerable Les Nessman, "The unfeeling, treacherous and diabolical Communist killer tornadoes are attacking!"
Tornadoes cannot be stopped my humankind however terrorist attacks on our homeland can be stifled.
Let me guess she's a Democrat...
This governor better not be playing fast and loose with the facts. Otherwise the media will pounce and bury the accurate information where only conservative blogs will find it.
There has to be!
Where else could they stow their heads?
From here.Ok. I live in Kansas and know personally of two National Guard Companies I drive past. They have enough trucks and equipment to clean and rebuild the town three times over.
Plus, Half the state’s equipment means the other half is sitting there.
So there you have it. Personal testimony plus simple logic.
41 posted on 05/07/2007 8:36:47 AM EDT by IrishCatholic (No local communist or socialist party chapter? Join the Democrats, it's the same thing.)
Starting to sound like the clown Blanco from Louisiana.
Watch it or you too will be out of a job.
A democrat. Why am I not shocked? She and Louisiana can get together and complain, complain, complain.
March 20, 2003
War Message from Governor Kathleen Sebelius
Every so often, we, as Americans, are called on to unite behind our young men and women who put themselves in harm's way to defend freedom. With the President's decision to make a strategic strike last night, it is clear that this time has come again.Over the past century, our nation has time and again shouldered the burden of defending human liberty when it is threatened. Although this threat surfaces in different forms, there should be no doubt that today's threat-from an aggressive, murderous tyrant-is the same in essence as it has always been. This nation will not shrink from this responsibility, but will accept it with resolve and unity.
Continues at the link above.
How far are you willing to follow to watch?
Looks like Kansas elected this nitwit. Time for them to LIVE with their decision.
I could NEVER vote for a democrat woman for any elected office. They REALLY do make ALL women look stupid.
Took longer than I expected.
Do a complete screen cap of that page. I bet it disappears down the memory hole, soon.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.