Posted on 09/02/2005 6:53:26 AM PDT by Jarhead1957
New Orleans Mayor Fumes Over Slow Reponse
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, left, Councilman Oliver Thomas and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco speak during a news conference about Hurricane Katrina, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2005. Residents of low-lying coastal communities were told Saturday to pack up and head for higher ground before Hurricane Katrina strengthens and takes a ``possible direct hit'' on southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber)
A day before President Bush headed to the hurricane-ravaged South, Mayor Ray Nagin lashed out at federal officials, telling a local radio station "they don't have a clue what's going on down here."
Federal officials expressed sympathy but quickly defended themselves, saying they, too, were overwhelmed by the catastrophe that hit the Gulf Coast region on Monday.
Nagin's interview Thursday night on WWL radio came as President Bush planned to visit Gulf Coast communities battered by Hurricane Katrina, a visit aimed at alleviating criticism that he engineered a too-little, too-late response.
Bush viewed the damage while flying over the region Wednesday en route to Washington after cutting short his Texas vacation by two days.
"They flew down here one time two days after the doggone event was over with TV cameras, AP reporters, all kind of goddamn excuse my French everybody in America, but I am pissed," Nagin said.
Nagin said he told Bush in a recent conversation that "we had an incredible crisis here and that his flying over in Air Force One does not do it justice ... I have been all around this city and that I am very frustrated because we are not able to marshal resources and we are outmanned in just about every respect."
In an interview Friday on NBC's "Today," Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown stood behind the massive federal relief effort that's under way.
"I understand the mayor's frustration. ... We have been having a continuous flow of commodities into the Superdome, there were five trucks arriving last night to feed well over 50,000 people.
"We're also diverting supplies to the convention center which I learned about yesterday and that area. ... This is an absolutely catastrophic disaster," he said.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who like Nagin is a Democrat, was less confrontational than the mayor.
"When the system goes down, this is pretty much what you get," she said on CBS' "The Early Show." "We don't get into the blame game. We just work with what we got."
Really?!
I truly didn't know that.
Where did you hear that the DNC told Chiles not to accept the aid?
Bush should have gotten on TV when the accusations started flying about him being too slow and said "Well, perhaps you'll want to ask Gov Chiles about why he turned down my offer of immediate aid".
That's the problem that the GOP has - and will continue to have. We don't understand (nor does it seem that we want to understand) that politics can be cut-throat.
In an environment of throat-cutters, you'd better be armed with a knife - or better. Bush has got to get out ahead of this as much as he possibly can.
Absolutely!!!
then minute President Bush told NOLA to EVACUATE(and they didn't) the MAYOR should of made sure that ALL the buses were FULL OF FUEL, then when the Governor said to leave(and they didn't) he should of had them all prepositioned and facing OUT of the city so when HE FINALLY knew he screwed up... make the call for them to load up and head out. drive to the County/State FairGrounds / RaceTracks to the north/west and set up TENT CITY!!!
Why didn't he take all the school buses in New Orleans last Friday and load them up and get people out of the city?
He is incompetent!
Meanwhile, these school busses in NO which lie ruined by the flood waters, could have been used by the Mayor to get people out of the city BEFORE the hurricane hit.
That's just insane. I heard the congressional Black Congress insinuate that people aren't getting help because of racism. Unbelievable.
PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING HELP BECAUSE THE LOCAL OFFICIALS MADE NO PLANS TO HELP THEM BEFORE THE STORM HIT. New Orleans HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DISASTER LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN- THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD PLANS IN PLACE. Also- the damage area is 90,000 square miles.
Tell you what: If they keep this up, blaming Bush , stirring up anger , insinuating that people are racists, because help hasn't been able to get to everyone who needs it, while Americans are seeing that the rescue workers are being shot at, even when they try to rescue those in hospitals,- it's possible that it will have a chilling effect on donations for help.
What they are doing- attempting to divide the country, playing the race card, during this catastrophe- is absolutely CRIMINAL. It is hurting the people WHO NEED THE MOST HELP.
Well, while a speaker of the Black Caucus was on TV complaining about everything .... the other side of the screen was showing the convoys pouring into the city along with Fire Trucks all the way from Los Angeles. School buses, Trucks, Semi Trucks with boats, cars and those big air conditioned tour buses as well. Positive help but guess people would rather complain.
It's beyond the pale. Just beyond the pale.
No it is not and the attackers on all sides including the dopes in the media are contributing to it big time.
.... "we gots no helicopter power droppin' food to the starvin' peoples, cuz Bush has dim all in Iraq. .....blah, blah,........Bush makes his father and Clinton the OVERSEERERS of the fundraising, but we needs some BLACK voice on the committee to represent our peoples"....... He goes on to rattle off various Afro-American Congressmen in Miss. and Ala. and Louisiana.
I am suspect of his race-baiting with the word "Overseerers".
This is Ole Southern Plantation Lingo designed to stir-the-pot-to-boil.
I was watching...only FOX had the split screen though. The other two cable channels devoted full screen to his venomous spew.
Exactly.
No it won't. People dont like piling on. People know Bush is doing all he can do here and that no one is perfect. Bush has been good so far and will get better. He is the main in crisis situations. Believe me, Bush will come out looking like a star. He is a modern day Harry Truman -- easy to rip on, but will historically be recognized as one of our top presidents.
NY = Giuliani
New Orleans = . . . uh, what was that guy's name again?
It is hard to hear the truth for all the Liberal BS.
Have you heard that Bush caused the great depression? I'm sure it's coming.
I know, i'm just so sick of all the politics here. I am not a fan of the mayor there but i understand him being angry as his city is in ruins. i dont like us beating up on blanco or the dems beating up on bush. i though tfor a second that maybe this country could unify again but too many people are making race and politics out of it.
freaking ridiuclous.
i pray for bush everyday. 9-11. shuttle disaster. iraq. now this.
amazing...
Wow. Both doom and gloom. You've got the complete set there, doncha?
I hate the politics, but the Rats decided they were going to try to make political hay out of this, by linking it to Iraq, Global Warming....etc. They forced our hand.
No wonder it's so hard to find the 800 # for CNN, castigating nasty nattering nabobs of negativism that they are.
More like the decline of the Mayor, thus the squealing.
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