I hate to disagree, but Blanco declared a State of Emergency last Friday when the weather service told her that the hurricane had taken a turn and was headed towards NO.
http://gov.louisiana.gov/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=973
Friday, August 26
NOW THEREFORE I, KATHLEEN BABINEAUX BLANCO, Governor of the state of Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the state of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows:
SECTION 1: Pursuant to the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act, R.S. 29:721, et seq., a state of emergency is declared to exist in the state of Louisiana as Hurricane Katrina poses an imminent threat, carrying severe storms, high winds, and torrential rain that may cause flooding and damage to private property and public facilities, and threaten the safety and security of the citizens of the state of Louisiana;
SECTION 2: The state of Louisiana's emergency response and recovery program is activated under the command of the director of the state office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to prepare for and provide emergency support services and/or to minimize the effects of the storm's damage.
SECTION 3: The state of emergency extends from Friday, August 26, 2005, through Sunday, September 25, 2005, unless terminated sooner.
But the disagreement is only to part of the assertion, that part being a declaration of emergency. THere is another part of the assertion.
"Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday ..."
That part is true. And while the state has requested federal aid (moeny, material, clean-up effort), the state is clinging to the responsibility to control and direct the relief efforts.