Many Evacuated, but Thousands Still Waiting(still no state of emergency in LA)

Washington Post ^ | 9-4-2005 | By Manuel Roig-Franzia and Spencer Hsu

[aft_lizard]

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

A senior administration official said that Bush has clear legal authority to federalize National Guard units to quell civil disturbances under the Insurrection Act and will continue to try to unify the chains of command that are split among the president, the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor.

Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

"The federal government stands ready to work with state and local officials to secure New Orleans and the state of Louisiana," White House spokesman Dan Bartlett said. "The president will not let any form of bureaucracy get in the way of protecting the citizens of Louisiana."

[aft_lizard]

"Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency,"

Well if not now, then when Governor?

[pure_capitalist]

enough already - there must be 550 threads on this.

Seriously, search before you start a new thread.

[aft_lizard]

funny because mine is the only one that come up in search

[Peach]

Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680.html

[Enchante]

"As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency," "

This declaration should have been made the moment the Governor knew the levee had broken, if not sooner. The 'Rats and the MSM want to blame the response on the Bush administration, but the Gov. has taken full responsibility on herself.... the federal government has no legal right to take over the rescue and relief efforts, so the Governor and the Mayor are RESPONSIBLE for the issues that the MSM has been raising so nastily.

[Polybius]

"Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency,"

Well if not now, then when Governor?

"We Demecrats don't need no steenkin' state of emergency. It's not our problem. IT'S BUSH'S FAULT!!"

[TShaunK]

Quote of the Day

"When we get back to the states... ,"
-- NBC news anchor Brian Williams,
forgetting he was in the United States

[SeaBiscuit]

Blanco went blank.

[antaresequity]

This declaration should have been made the moment the Governor knew the levee had broken, if not sooner.

Bush declared a state of emergency 2 days BEFORE the storm made landfall...Blanco 3 days AFTER...

ITS ALL BUSH'S FAULT...GO BACK TO YOUR CUBICLE!

[jennyjenny]

Why do you keep posting that? If you're so upset about the there being too many threads, why on earth do you keep opening and responding to them?

[dandelion]

I haven't seen it yet - and I've been scanning this forum all day. Maybe I'm just blind, but this information is news to me.

And from the Washington POST, no less...

[kenth]

Dear God, what is wrong with that woman? If I hadn't been here witnessing it, I'd never believe it. While some incompetence or even bad decisions can be made in any disaster, this has passed that to the willful.

It is looking like she's making every bad decision on purpose, knowing the results they would make. It's hard to imagine mere incompetence being the problem. Others would realize that they are overwhelmed and either do what's right or remove themselves from the role of responsibility.

[vox humana]

The president will not let any form of bureaucracy get in the way of protecting the citizens of Louisiana.

Translation: The president will not let the Governor get in the way of protecting the citizens of Louisiana.

[Socratic]

Thanks for this post, because I don't know how to look up topics I don't even know exist. Thread police become quite tiring.

[deport]

She needs to be finding other locations to house her constituents as it seems that Texas is about absorbed its limit......

About 18,500 survivors were housed in Houston's Astrodome and an adjacent meeting hall. More than 120,000 refugees were in 97 shelters in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and dozens of smaller cities across the vast state, Perry's office said, with another 100,000 in hotels and motels. Uncounted more were in churches or private homes.

Buses continued to arrive at the Astrodome, where many were redirected to other evacuation centers after people were processed and evaluated for medical conditions.

"We have notified FEMA and Louisiana officials that we are nearing capacity," said Robert Black, a spokesman for Perry.

Gov. Perry warns Texas running out of room (Katrina Refugees) ^

[Texasforever]

Is that you Mayor Nagin?

[slyfoxvirden]

Wake up folks to what is really going on here. The Democratic power structure in Louisiana and New Orleans realizes that the massive evacuation means that New Orleans will not have the population (and the voters) it had a week ago for decades. People evacuated from NO will resettle and put down roots elsewhere. Businesses that get back in business elsewhere is mostly stay there.

New Orleans will be a town of the French Quarter, Garden District, Irish Channel, and Uptown. Gone will be the 9th Ward, Treme, Bywater, Central City, City Park, Lakeview, Bucktown, Gentilly. Give it 150,000 to 200,000 people at most. There just won't be the population there to produce those massive, lop-sided vote totals for the Democrats. There are some members of the Louisiana State Legislative that won't have any constituents to represent or vote in the next election. (How they handle that one will be interesting).

This has the Democrat power structure (of which Harry Connick Jr.'s family is part) scared ****less. That explains the charges of racism, the anti-Bush attacks, the refusal of the Governor to let the feds take over. Their backs are against the levees, and the water is rising.

[tbird5]

PLEASE stop complaining about these threads! Enough already, you are everywhere complaining.

[RedMonqey]

"...Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency,"

We wouldn't want to "unduly" alarm the good citizens of Lousianna, now would we Madam Governor?

[bjcintennessee]

aft_lizard --- Thank you for posting this. I don't always live at my computer and apparently missed earlier postings.

pure_capitaist --- would you mind providing me with a link to the other thread as it would save me a lot of time searching.