Posted on 09/01/2005 8:22:59 PM PDT by nj26
Before 9/11 the Federal Emergency Management Agency listed the three most likely catastrophic disasters facing America: a terrorist attack on New York, a major earthquake in San Francisco and a hurricane strike on New Orleans. "The New Orleans hurricane scenario," The Houston Chronicle wrote in December 2001, "may be the deadliest of all." It described a potential catastrophe very much like the one now happening.
So why were New Orleans and the nation so unprepared? After 9/11, hard questions were deferred in the name of national unity, then buried under a thick coat of whitewash. This time, we need accountability.
First question: Why have aid and security taken so long to arrive? Katrina hit five days ago - and it was already clear by last Friday that Katrina could do immense damage along the Gulf Coast. Yet the response you'd expect from an advanced country never happened. Thousands of Americans are dead or dying, not because they refused to evacuate, but because they were too poor or too sick to get out without help - and help wasn't provided. Many have yet to receive any help at all.
There will and should be many questions about the response of state and local governments; in particular, couldn't they have done more to help the poor and sick escape? But the evidence points, above all, to a stunning lack of both preparation and urgency in the federal government's response.
Even military resources in the right place weren't ordered into action. "On Wednesday," said an editorial in The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss., "reporters listening to horrific stories of death and survival at the Biloxi Junior High School shelter looked north across Irish Hill Road and saw Air Force personnel playing basketball and performing calisthenics. Playing basketball and performing calisthenics!"
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Must .. resist ... urge ... to ... loot ... NYTimes ... building.
Why is anyone shocked when government is inept?
Barking F'ing Moonbats.
Apparently, Krugman believes that those Air Force personnel would have better been suited for sitting on rooftops.
Doesn't the Government of New Orleans and Louisiana bear responsiblity for taking care of it's citizens? AND aren't most of that state and city governemnt DEMOCRATS?!
Alternative Headline: "Cowboy Bush Strikes Again, Orders Military Into Disaster Zone Without Consulting Local Officials"
We are not allowed to be disgusted by any of this stuff. I was just told so on another thread. Thank you NY Times for blaming the President for this. I am so sure he must have cause the Hurricane. /sarcasm
The NYT needs to save the "expert" analysis until after the remaining citizens of New Orleans have been secured. The political posturing while people are living in "hell" is preposterous.
How would this psycho feel if the Feds had taken over on Monday(which I thought they should)?
He would be claiming that Bush "invaded" Louisiana
Yes. Bush's main mistake was assuming that the Democrat-controlled government of Louisiana and New Orleans was up to the task, when they clearly are totally incompetent.
Is there a disaster preparedness agency in New Orleans? If so, did they ever do disaster scenario drills alone, in concert with state and federal emergency response agencies?
Why, oh why can't we still tar and feather these charlatans??
Katrina hit 5 days ago....I've lost a day somewhere....help me!
Doesn't the Government of New Orleans and Louisiana bear responsiblity for taking care of it's citizens? AND aren't most of that state and city governemnt DEMOCRATS?!
Thank you zzen01
Paul is right. Bill Clinton would have made sure that 100 ft. section of the levee would have held. It would have been his first priority. If it wasn't for that bad man Ken Starr.
http://louisianahistory.ourfamily.com/lagovernors.html
Alexandre Mouton
Democratic
1843-1846
Isaac Johnson
" "
1846-1850
Joseph Wlaker
" "
1850-1853
Paul O. Hebert
" "
1853-1856
Robert C. Wickliffe
" "
1856-1860
Thomas O. Moore
" "
1860-1864
Federal Gov't Rule
Federal Gov't Rule
1862-1864
Henry W. Allen
Democratic
1864-1865
Michael Hahn
Republican
1864-1865
James M. Wells
" "
1865-1867
Benjamin Flanders
" "
1867-1868
Joshua Baker
" "
1868
Henry C. Warmoth
" "
1868-1872
P.B.S. Pinchback
" "
1872-1873
John McEnery
" "
1873
William P. Kellogg
" "
1873-1877
Francis T. Nicholls
Democratic
1877-1880
Louis A. Wiltz
" "
1880-1881
Samuel D. McEnery
" "
1881-1888
Francis T. Nicholls
" "
1888-1892
Murphy J. Foster
" "
1892-1900
William W. Heard
" "
1900-1904
Newton C. Blanchard
" "
1904-1908
Jared Y. Sanders
" "
1908-1912
Luther E. Hall
" "
1912-1916
Ruffin G. Pleasant
" "
1916-1920
John M. Parker
" "
1920-1924
Henry L. Fuqua
" "
1924-1926
Oramel H. Simpson
" "
1926-1928
Huey P. Long
" "
1928-1932
Alvin O. King
" "
1932
Oscar K. Allen
" "
1932-1936
James A. Noe
" "
1936
Richard W. Leche
" "
1936-1939
Earl K. Long
" "
1939-1940
Sam H. Jones
" "
1940-1944
Jimmie H. Davis
" "
1944-1948
Earl K. Long
" "
1948-1952
Robert F. Kennon
" "
1952-1956
Earl K. Long
" "
1956-1960
Jimmie H. Davis
" "
1960-1964
John J. McKeithen
" "
1964-1972
Edwin W. Edwards
" "
1972-1980
David C. Treen
Republican
1980-1984
Edwin W. Edwards
Democratic
1984-1988
Buddy Roemer
Republican/Democratic
1988-1992
Edwin W. Edwards
Democratic
1992-1996
Murpy J. "Mike" Foster, Jr
Republican
1996-
But didn't the citizens of LA and New Orleans elect BOTH of these clowns
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