Posted on 09/04/2005 7:22:25 PM PDT by chet_in_ny
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday that the federal government's handling of Hurricane Katrina has been "inadequate," and said more aid, including police officers and firefighters, was en route to Louisiana.
The Republican mayor, who usually treads carefully when it comes to commenting on the Bush administration, told reporters that the president himself was aware of the government's failings.
"It would appear, and I think the president acknowledged, that the federal government's response has been inadequate," Bloomberg told reporters at City Hall.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said 150 police officers, plus support vehicles, were to leave for the region Monday, in addition to 172 officers sent on Saturday. The mayor said some police officers will be federalized, which gives them the same powers as local authorities "to provide much needed law enforcement to keep people safe in and around New Orleans."
Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sunday requested 300 New York firefighters. They were to leave Monday to help fight fires and search for survivors. He said hundreds of firefighters had already volunteered before they were asked.
"We received many inquiries from our people about what they could do and could they volunteer," Scoppetta said.
The new wave of rescue workers joins an urban search and rescue team of police, firefighters and city emergency personnel already sent to the South, plus three Fire Department chiefs highly trained in disaster management.
Transit workers and buses were also dispatched to help move survivors from New Orleans to Dallas and Little Rock, Ark.
Bloomberg, who was elected to his first term less than two months after the Sept. 11 attack as fires still raged in the World Trade Center ruins, said New York officials have much to offer — not only in aid, but also experience.
"Some things they probably haven't thought about, but they're things that we know you might need," he said.
One lesson New York has learned, he said, is that officials should be tending to victims at the same time as they are collecting information about the disaster, and not afterward. Those who respond to disasters should be well-trained and able to respond immediately based on what they encounter, he said.
Bloomberg said he has reached out to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, but has not been able to get in touch. He did speak with Mayor Bill White of Houston, where thousands of refugees are being sent.
Bloomberg said he is confident in New York City's disaster preparedness because of "highly motivated, highly skilled people that cooperate, that practice and that have the communications and tranportation facilities that they will need."
"New York's level of sophistication in terms of planning and the ability to deal with crises I think is excellent, and we're always trying to make it better."
Et tu Bloomberg?
Let's hear from Rudy.
What a RINO lowflife. He's from Massachussetts and he is just a nebbishy douche bag.
Wrong. The president said the response has been inadequate. He did not say whether it was Federal/State/Local.
Citizen: Mayor an incompetent boob.
End of response.
Like all good NY's hates President Bush.
Bloomberg deserves New York and New York deserves Bloomberg.
I have noticed that dems don't tend to eat their own, but repubs do. What the heck is wrong with these people?
susie
It would appear, Mr. Bloomberg, that you are an idiot. While the President said the response was unacceptable, he meant (and was kind enough to not name names) that Louisiana officials were standing in the way of relief efforts - BLOCKING relief is unacceptable, wouldn't you agree Mr. Bloomberg?
I detest these creeps.
NYC deserves Fernando Ferrer. I hope they get him! :-)
The hell with Bloomie. He's so insignificant, Ragin hasn't answered his calls.
Now you're crossing the line:)
Nagin, not Ragin. I'm raging.
Bush himself said the same thing, didn't he?
Can it be posted as it's own thread? It has lots of specific information, as well as pointing out the unnecessary complexity in this recovery, caused by the concentration of thugs in NOLA.
Neither one of them could hit their ass with both hands.
Pres. Bush is too much of a gentleman to point fingers. He'll let the facts come out as the city dries out.
And Bloomberg failed to see the real problem; expect something to happen and "Bloomberg" will end up eating his own words ...
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