I'll give it a shot.
1. Why didn't the mayor follow the Louisiana Evacuation plan?
Because he failed to follow his own emergency evacuation plans, which called for the use of public transportation equipment to get people out. Abt. 2,000 city buses and school buses could have taken abt. 60,000 people out in one trip. See 6b.
2. Why were there so few National Guardsmen at the Superdome?
Ask the Governor. She is the CIC of the Lousiana National Guard. Ask her how many NG Troops she requested from other States. Ask the Mayor if he asked for NG Troops, how many and when?
3. Why were there no porta-johns taken to the Superdome?
Beats me. They might have been stored in the same area where those buses were under water. I doubt they were stored in the French Quarter. Find suppliers and ask them where they are.
4. Why did the New Orleans police department have only one working boat?
http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1878012005
[Jefferson Parish]
For miles along Highway 10, which leads to Baton Rouge, 50 miles to the west, buses are arriving in convoy. Hundreds of volunteers with small boats wait in a line stretching at least a mile for the word to get on to the water to rescue people, but they are being turned back after the first boat was shot at."
"For now, we are holding the boats back until we know it is safe to send more out there. We are trying to do our job here but we can't if they are shooting at us," said Major Joey Broussard of the Louisiana State Fisheries and Wildlife Division. Some of his team are now wearing body armour.
Ken Dunnen and his fellow volunteers from the Ville Platte Fire Department are out on a cutter and report surreal scenes. "Houses are totalled, animals are dead and floating in the water. We are riding level with the tops of the street lamps. There are cars under the water and you can just about see their roofs in places," says Mr Dunnen.
"It's one hell of a mess - one hell of a mess."
5. Why was the New Orleans police department so poorly equipped that officers had to buy their own guns?
See this story: New Orleans, Boston, Detroit and Alameda County, Calif., are suing gun manufacturers and dealers for distributing what they deem a dangerous product -- and then turning around and selling guns themselves.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/07/13/guns/print.html
5b. Where did all the FEMA money in Louisiana go? How much was taken by James Lee Witt and Wesley Clark, and why is Witt now being hired to review the same plan?
Go to this link for the goods on Mr. Witt. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477043/posts?page=596#596
6. Where did the money the levee board had go? Did it fund a casino?
Four months before its lease with the Orleans Levee Board expires, Bally's Casino New Orleans' financially troubled lakefront casino is seeking a renegotiated deal that would slash future payments to the flood control agency by nearly $900,000 a year.
-- NOLA - Tuesday July 1, 2003
http://www.politicsla.com/archives/2003/July.htm
6b. How come those buses never went to pick people up?
See Number 3. And this. http://www.loep.state.la.us/evacinfo/no_contraflow.htm
7. Why won't Governor Banco cede authority? What is she trying to hide?
Hide?? Here are the major actions she has taken to date. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1476864/posts?page=160#160
Oddly enough this is one place where they followed the LA Emergency Operations Plan. They repeatedly called the Superdome a place of "Last Resort," not a shelter. Some pre-storm statements referred to it as such and to other places as "shelters." The difference was predefined and important, but little understood by the media or most of those who were fleeing to the Superdome.
PART VI: STAGING AREAS / LAST RESORT REFUGE
A. Staging Areas
The definition of a staging area is a central location, easily accessible to those ambulatory people who are in need of transportation to a shelter.
1. Residents who have no means of transportation will be directed to the staging areas.
2. Transportation vehicles will be pre-positioned to transport residents to shelters.
3. Once the evacuation routes are closed, the staging areas will become Last Resort Refuges.
4. After the storm has passed and the evacuation order is rescinded, transportation will be provided to return people dropped off at shelters to the staging area.
B. Last Resort Refuge
The definition of Last Resort Refuge is a place for persons to be protected from the high winds and heavy rains from the storm. Unlike a shelter, there may be little or no water or food and possibly no utilities. A Last Resort Refuge is intended to provide best available survival protection for the duration of the hurricane only.
1. Once evacuation routes are closed, people who were unable to evacuate the risk area will be directed to last resort refuge and /or staging areas.
2. When it is determined that weather conditions permit, rescue teams will be sent into areas designated for Last Resort Refuge to transport evacuees to designated shelters.
They only intended people to be in the Dome while Katrina was overhead. Once it blew past they'd clear any dangerous wind damage then let everyone out. They didn't anticipate a flood trapping people there for so long. IIRC one post said the guard delivered enough food and water to the Dome before the storm for 15,000 people for one day.
As a side issue (and I just woke so this may be answered down-thread} are you telling me that the argument between Blanco and the feds over ceding control did not happen? I am assuing that the argument took place this past Friday. If it has been settled, or the argument did not take place, I will quit being curious about it.
Thanks for the documentation about the loans to the Casino. I really appreciate that!
Bump. Thanks for the info.