Don't Blame Bush for Katrina

Newsmax.com ^ | Christopher Ruddy

[truthfinder9]

Don't Blame Bush for Katrina Christopher Ruddy Monday, Sept. 5, 2005

George Bush and the federal government are not to blame for the disaster we have witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In fact, the primary responsibility for the disaster response lies with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, and other local officials.

Yet, leading Democrats and their allies in the major media are clearly using this disaster for political purposes and ignoring one obvious fact.

This fact, which needs to be repeated and remembered, is that in our country state and local government have primary responsibility in dealing with local disasters.

The founding fathers devised a federal system of government – one that has served us remarkably well through great disasters that have befallen America over more than two centuries.

But if we believe all the major TV networks, George Bush, FEMA, and the Republicans in Congress are all to blame for the current nightmare.

Let's remember that FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – was only formed in 1979. It was formed to coordinate and focus federal response to major disasters – as an "assistance" to local and state government.

Common sense suggests that local and state government are best able to prepare and plan for local disasters.

Is a Washington bureaucrat better suited to prepare for an earthquake in San Francisco, a hurricane in Florida, or a terrorist act in New York?

When the Sept. 11th attacks took place against the World Trade Center, no one suggested that the Bush administration should have been responsible for New York's disaster response or that federal agents should have been involved in the rescue of those trapped in the buildings.

Last year, four major hurricanes slammed into Florida. Governor Jeb Bush led the disaster response, and did a remarkable job with nothing happening like we have seen in New Orleans.

The primary response in disasters has always come from the local community and state government.

First responders and the manpower to deal with emergencies come from the local communities: police, fire, and medical. Under our federal system, these local departments answer to local authorities, not ones in Washington. These first responders are not even under federal control, nor do they have to follow federal orders.

In addition to local responders, every state in the Union has a National Guard.

State National Guards answer first to the governor of each state, not to the president. The National Guard exists not to defend one state from an invasion by another state, but primarily for emergencies like we have witnessed in New Orleans and in the areas impacted by Katrina. (See: http://www.arng.army.mil/about_us/organization/command_structure.asp)

Tim Russert and the Blame Game

The media would have you believe that this disaster was worsened by a slow response by President Bush and his administration, though the primary responsibility for disaster response has always laid with local and state government.

It is true that federal response was not as fast as it could have been. The president has acknowledged that himself.

But the press has focused on the first 48 hours of federal response, and has not uttered a word about the fact that New Orleans had 48 hours of warning that a major Category 4 or 5 would make landfall near the city. Yet local officials apparently did little to prepare.

Obviously, Gov. Blanco did not effectively deploy her state's National Guard.

And New Orleans' city leaders did almost nothing to evacuate its population having no transportation. In failing to follow their own evacuation plan, these officials did little to pre-position food, water and personnel to deal with the aftermath.

I was surprised Sunday to watch Tim Russert on his show "Meet the Press" tear into Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff. Russert once did not suggest local government had any role to play in dealing with the disaster during his encounter with Chertoff. Russert also asked for Chertoff's resignation.

It took Russert 29 minutes into his show – 29 minutes – to raise the question of local responsibility. And when he did so with Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard, he did so in a passing way. Broussard brushed off his question with a non-answer.

Broussard began his interview claiming that the American nation had "abandoned" New Orleans.

That is nonsense and a lie.

Broussard, who was never identified by "Meet the Press" as a Democrat, spent much of his time attacking the Bush administration, as has Democratic New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. Broussard then ended his performance as he collapsed in tears with a demand: "For God's sake, just shut up and send us the money!"

His tears didn't wash with me. My sympathies lay with the tens of thousands of people who have suffered or died because local officials like Broussard, Mayor Nagin, and Governor Kathleen Blanco, also a Democrat, failed at their jobs in a monumental way.

As the former New Orleans mayor Marc Morial told Russert, the disaster in New Orleans was "foreseeable." In fact, New Orleans has long known that such a disaster could take place if a major hurricane hit the city. The municipality even prepared its own "City of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan." It is evident by reading their plan that the city knew evacuation of the civilian population was its primary responsibility – not the federal government's.

The city plan acknowledges its responsibility in the document:

As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness.

Again, the City document also makes clear that decisions involving a proper and orderly evacuation lie with the Governor, Mayor and local authorities. Nowhere is the President or federal government even mentioned:

The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.

It is clear the city also recognized it would need to move large portions of its population, and it would need to prepare for such an eventuality:

The City of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When specific routes of progress are required, evacuees will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed. . . .

Evacuation procedures for small scale and localized evacuations are conducted per the SOPs of the New Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police Department. However, due to the sheer size and number of persons to be evacuated, should a major tropical weather system or other catastrophic event threaten or impact the area, specifically directed long range planning and coordination of resources and responsibilities efforts must be undertaken. [You can read New Orleans' Emergency Plan for hurricanes at their web site: http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26]

The city's plan also specifically called for the use of city-owned buses and school buses to evacuate the population. These were apparently never deployed, though the Parish of Plaquemines just south of the city evacuated its population using school buses.

The plan, written well before Katrina was even a tear drop in God's eye, was obviously never heeded or implemented by local leaders.

So why should the New Orleans mayor and Governor Blanco take responsibility when they can blame George Bush and the Republicans in Washington? With Congressional elections fast approaching, Democrats who are out of power in every branch of the federal government know they need to change the tide quickly.

They have apparently seized on the Katrina disaster to harm the President politically.

Criticism of the federal government's response is fair and warranted. But putting full responsibility for this disaster on the Bush administration is way over the top.

Primary responsibility for this disaster remains with local officials like Nagin and Blanco, not President Bush.

[John Jamieson]

I see several lies --

#1 "That race has something to do with this" .... I believe that the tens of thousands of people helping here couldn't have anything further from their minds.

#2 "That the response has been too little to late" ..... I believe that time will tell that this has been the most massive, fastest relief and rescue response in history.

#3 "The Bush has not responded quickly and someone else could have done better." It's a very fortunate that Bush was in the WH at a time when his clout in Texas and Florida could bring help to these poor people. No one else would have been able to pull the support together so fast. Texas now has 250,000 evacuees. Where are the Blue states?

I think I see a much broader picture than most people. I also think I know what can and can't be done.

I just can't understand the emotional need some people have to lash out at the people who are working day and night to help them.

There will be alot of heroes when this is over and just a few goats. Most of the goats will be in local LA government.

PS. Evacuees at our local city (Athens, Texas) now 800, or 8% of the town. They being well taken care of, and we hope many will stay.

[CAWats]

Don't forget W also caused the War of 1812.

[sydbas]

Great job by Chris Ruddy and he didn't even mention that President Bush declared it a disater area on Saturday and told them to evacuate immediately.

[sydbas]

Don't forget W also caused the War of 1812.

And the Faulklands. Even though that was the British you know behind the scenes it was W's fault.

[Bommer]

NAGIN: I need reinforcements, I need troops, man. I need 500 buses, man. We ain't talking about -- you know, one of the briefings we had, they were talking about getting public school bus drivers to come down here and bus people out here.

I'm like, "You got to be kidding me. This is a national disaster. Get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans."

That's -- they're thinking small, man. And this is a major, major, major deal. And I can't emphasize it enough, man. This is crazy.

Louisiana disaster plan, pg 13, para 5 , dated 01/00

'The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating'...

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

small thinking man! small thinking man!

[Reagan Man]

>>>>Common sense suggests that local and state government are best able to prepare and plan for local disasters.

In this case Mayor Nagin and GovBlanco showed no common sense whatsoever. However, they did exibit a high level of emotional incompetence.

[beyond the sea]

Great post!

[beyond the sea]

Most of the goats will be in local LA government.

Yes, for instance...... post # 18.

[There's millions of'em]

Agree with your points.

I see two "agendas" being pushed by the libs:

1. Control the dialogue with their typically absurd bs.

2. Lay the foundation for a 9-11 type payment to the relatives of those who died in the storm and the aftermath.

Course, I could be wrong.

[brytlea]

I just can't understand the emotional need some people have to lash out at the people who are working day and night to help them.

I think alot of people were angry, which is a common part of the grieving process. What makes me angrier than the fact that some people lash out is the fact that the media (and yes, even Fox, which I finally had to turn off) puts a microphone in everyone's face and tries to get them to tell how angry they are with leading questions. I noticed that people who were thankful and happy got much less air time than those who had something bad to say. So, I blame the media.

susie

[John Jamieson]

You're so right!

[Travis McGee]

Add this bus picture to the others!

[John Jamieson]

US Hurricanes
1851-1900 cat1=39 cat2=31 cat3=22 cat4=5 cat5=0 total=97 major=27
1901-1950 cat1=37 cat2=24 cat3=26 cat4=7 cat5=1 total=95 major=34
1951-2000 cat1=29 cat2=15 cat3=21 cat4=5 cat5=2 total=72 major=28
2001-2004 cat1=4 cat2=2 cat3=2 cat4=1 cat5=0 total=9 major=3

Global warming increasing hurricane numbers and intensity ….. afraid the data doesn’t show it!

154 years of National Hurricane Center Data show otherwise.
Total number of hurricanes per year was down about 25% in the 50 years from 1951-2000 compared to the 100 years before. Total number of major hurricanes per year was down about 10% in the 50 years from 1951-2000 compared to 100 years before.

2000 to 2004 data indicate a possible return to 1851-1950 levels but it is much to early in to draw any significant conclusion.

[LiteKeeper]

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