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They could've stocked the Convention Center and the Superdome. Or brought them to shelters further north. The governor could've made that happen. But, what am i thinking. The governor can't make anything happen.

The bottom line is that fear of what the ACLU would say has likely resulted in the deaths of thousands

Thanks, ACLU

When the announcement went out about seeking shelter at the Super Dome, it said to bring enough food and water for 3 days. Since they began arriving on Sunday night, IF they followed instructions, their supplies would have lasted until some time Wednesday. It's not like this was supposed to be a hosted affair. N.O. was merely supplying the locale in which to safely ride out Katrina.

Wouldn't regular people show up at the Convention Center with a few groceries and extra bottles and diapers? Or was it the crowd that expected the government was going to take care of them. Sounds like a CRASH of the welfare system. Someone needs to review, that poor choices do have consequences. So laying out under the bridge on the Mississippi River, and going out at night to turn tricks and do crack or sucking bourbon may not be a wise way to spend a living.

Superdome and convention centers are not evacuation sites they are deemed, "A last resort refuge." Distinction is very important and should be stressed because without Red Cross approval of evacuation shelters the Red Cross will not stock or help in those areas because they are within the Category 4 storm zone and were prone to flooding. It is a professional standard put in place by the Red Cross to ensure the public safety needs are met.

Found a link for a 2001 North Carolina transportation board that showed New Orleans provided transportation for hurricane evacuees at least up until that study was completed in Decemer 2001.

2001 NC Transportation Board Hurricane Study

During the recommended phase, it has been determined that the storm has a high probability of causing a significant threat to people living in the areas of risk. Government authorities will recommend that persons at risk evacuate. Staging areas are designated for persons needing transportation. Specific procedures during this phase are: (1) the City of New Orleans EOC is staffed for 24-hour operation, (2) local transportation will be mobilized to assist persons who lack transportation, (3) bus routes and locations of staging areas for those needing transportation to shelters in or out o the Parish, will be announced via radio and television, and (4) relative and neighbors should help family and friends who need transportation and other assistance. Lastly, during the mandatory phase, authorities put maximum emphasis on encouraging evacuation and limiting entry into the risk area. This is the most serious phase of evacuation.

This plan called for taking people to shelters not last resort refuges, with the following exceptions, they decided not to evacuate voluntarily or if they waited to long.

While we are on transportation, here is a cute wittle nugget from Nagging Nagin. Denver Post

Conceding that as many as 100,000 inner-city residents didn't have the means to leave and an untold number of tourists were stranded by the closing of the airport, the city arranged buses to take people to 10 last-resort shelters, including the Superdome. Nagin also dispatched police and firefighters to rouse people out with sirens and bullhorns, and even gave them the authority to commandeer vehicles to aid in the evacuation.

Same news article from above - Estimates have been made of tens of thousands of deaths from flooding that could overrun the levees and turn New Orleans into a 30-foot-deep toxic lake filled with chemicals and petroleum from refineries, and waste from ruined septic systems.

Found available National Guard Numbers released by the Pentagon on August 29th at Live Five News (South Carolina Hurricane channel)

Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said the states have adequate National Guard units to handle the hurricane needs, with at least 60 percent of the guard available in each state. He said about 6,500 National Guard troops were available in Louisiana, about 7,000 troops in Mississippi, nearly 10,000 in Alabama and about 8,200 in Florida. The First U.S. Army, based at Fort Gillem near Atlanta, has 1,600 National Guard troops that were there training to go to Iraq, and they will be available to assist the states or evacuate Camp Shelby in Mississippi, if necessary.

Last link from Shreveport Times August 28th

Patricia Brach, public information officer for FEMA, said Saturday that her agency has prepositioned emergency service teams already posted away from the coast so they can rush aid to where it is needed. Stocked at the sites are ice, water and medical teams, including veterinarians. "With a catastrophic storm, we need all types of medical teams. But we don't do anything until the state requests and an emergency is declared," she said in an interview at the OEP facility.

What did Nagging and Blank-0 do?.

True they could have and should have stocked supplies at the Superdome....didn't NO and Louisiana get millions of dollars for Homeland Security? Where did the money go if not for supplies, etc.

I think the problem is that a lib gov can't and won't say please help!