"I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance,..."This sentence specifically asks for help to save lives.
Are you saying she was just not clear enough in what kind of help to save lives? That it was still just asking for money to save lives?
If I can jump in here, you can check the "Enclosure A" to the request and you will find a list of the specific items requested and how Gov Blanco wanted to allocate the money she was asking for. Here it is in full:
ENCLOSURE A TO EMERGENCY REQUESTIt's pretty obvious from reading this that she was requesting specific monetary assistance only. Note that $0 is to go "Coordination" and $0 is to go to "Distribution of emergency supplies" -- the two things people are claiming FEMA did not provide. Under the terms of the Stafford Act, if she did not request it, she wouldn't have received it. The part where she is requesting "Emergency Protective Measures" is broken out in the list and is budgeted at $9,000,000. You say that "This sentence specifically asks for help to save lives" but as you can see both "Coordination" and "Distribution of emergency supplies" are not a part of "Emergency Protective Measures."
Estimated requirements for other Federal agency programs:
• Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby. Costs estimated at $500,000 per week for each in operation.
• Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby. Costs estimated at $500,000 per week for each in operation.
• Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters. Costs estimated to range from $250,000-$500,000 to support (6) Shelter generator operations.
• Louisiana State Police (LSP): Costs to support evacuations - $300,000 for a non-direct landfall.
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Costs to support evacuations - $200,000 for a non-direct landfall.
• Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD): Costs to support evacuations - $2,000,000 for a non-direct landfall.
Totals: $ 9,000,000
Estimated Requirements for assistance under the Stafford Act:
Coordination: $0
Technical and advisory assistance: $0
Debris removal: $0
Emergency protective measures: $ 9,000,000
Individuals and Households Program (IHP): $0
Distribution of emergency supplies: $0
Other (specify): $0
Totals: $ 9,000,000
Grand Total: $ 9,000,000
Thanks for your post. I'm just now back on the computer and read it.
As I said previously, I'm just trying to get the facts straight, so it's nice to have people who understand the government "procedures" to explain it here at FR.
Estimated Requirements for assistance under the Stafford Act:
Coordination: $0
Technical and advisory assistance: $0
Debris removal: $0
Emergency protective measures: $ 9,000,000
Individuals and Households Program (IHP): $0
Distribution of emergency supplies: $0
Other (specify): $0
Let's put this in perspective.
Total aid askef for: Nine Million Dollars. With an "M", not a "B".
That total requested probably would not even clean up the SuperDome.
It probably would not do for even two weeks worth of graft for the NO metro area.
Prayers for ALL !