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It has never been a secret that the political leadership throughout LA is corrupt and inept. They have been so since the days of Huey Long and have been from members of both parties. However, for a municipal government to coordinate an evacuation of a million people in less than 48 hours along two viable roads is an achievement that had never been done before in the history of the United States.

As for the buses you have to remember that members of the police force are only paid $10.00 and hour and the school bus drivers are paid even less. Furthermore, civil workers have families and own property and were likely more concerned about their own self-interests than they were their ten dollar an hour job.

Finally, the people that stayed in their homes choose not to leave knowing they would be looted by neighbors or because they may not have known the real consequences of the storm.

A million people evacuated in less than 48 hours will be seen as the great sucess of the local governments.

Lastly, on what basis do you free the US Army Corps of Engineers of responsibility of the Levees?

As for the buses you have to remember that members of the police force are only paid $10.00 and hour and the school bus drivers are paid even less.

Finally, the people that stayed in their homes choose not to leave knowing they would be looted by neighbors

Well, looks like you guys got your money's worth. Sometimes people (like policemen and school bus drivers) just have to do the right thing. Or at least should. Apparently that's an impossibility in New Orleans. The pay rate of school bus drivers is irrelevant since your mayor never ordered the buses be used. A nineteen year old kid took a bus, filled it with victims and drove it to Houston. When he was asked "why" he said he couldn't just sit there and do nothing. That kid did the right thing. Apparently many in your local police force and your bus drivers couldn't, or more likely, wouldn't.

BTW, that same corrupt leadership that has existed in Louisiana for years fought tooth and nail to keep the Feds out. What a difference a few days make. Now they're bi!ching that the Feds didn't get there soon enough. And I've never mentioned political parties in any of my posts.

Lastly, on what basis do you free the US Army Corps of Engineers of responsibility of the Levees?

I never said that. I said a local levee commission, in my opinion, misused funds on nonessentials and all you did was chastise me for calling it by an incorrect name and telling me that in all the years you've lived in New Orleans you'd never heard of it. In fact you implied that I apparently did not know how to use Google. When I corrected myself, and used the proper name, you never responded to my original allegation.

And finally...

A million people evacuated in less than 48 hours will be seen as the great sucess of the local governments.

Perhaps that's true but that will be revisionist history when looked at in the context of how many more could have gotten out but didn't because of poor planning.

I mentioned earlier that local authorities knew that even though the Superdome was a place of last resort, there would be thousands showing up there. You've never answered why they didn't think to put any provisions there whatsoever during the days leading up to the storm hitting.

Perhaps it was because the truck drivers don't make enough money either.