Top federal officials left out of loop (Well wha-da-ya know)

The Washington Times ^ | 09-05-05 | Audrey Hudson

[smoothsailing]

State and local officials did not inform top federal officials early on of the deaths and lack of food among hurricane victims in the Superdome or convention center, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday.

Mr. Chertoff said neither he nor Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown was told of the deteriorating situation in New Orleans until Thursday night.

[ohioWfan]

I think most evacuation plans assume that at least most people can return in a matter of days.

The time of evacuation is irrelevant (I'm not talking about relocation). There was clearly no plan to get people who didn't have their own transportation out of the city AT ALL...........and the mayor has even admitted that he only ordered the evacuation reluctantly, and was afraid of the repercussions.

The people stuck there stayed either because they wanted to, or because they had no choice.

And they needed to have a choice, but there was no plan to give that to them.

[Let's Roll]

Rumor, allegation, over the top shep/rivera coverage?

[got_moab?]

I'm not surprised that Linc' is on this committee he knows quite a bit about evacuations. Chaffee evacuated his entire family to Virginia within days of winning reelection in 2000.

[traumer]

Waiting for the heads TO ROLL....

[McGavin999]

I thought the Super Dome was never meant to be used as a shelter either

The Super Dome was a designated "Shelter of Last Resort" in the State and City emergency plan filed with the federal government. Therefore, the feds made the unfortunate assumption that there would be adequate provisions. There was no mention in any plan of the convention center being used as any kind of shelter.

Check out the emergency plan the city filed in order to get their FEMA funds (that was obviously spent on other things over the years)

[GladesGuru]

"Big Daddy Bush" didn't own all that emergency mobile kitchen equipment, trucks full of supplies, etc. and Bush most ASSUREDLY DIDN'T FORBID the religious organizations from entering the city.

The religious aid was on the scene very early after the winds died down. But they were not let into the city in a timely manner.

The Louisiana Governor failed to request help probably because she was too busy emoting and playing CYA.

The local goobers in what passes for a gooberment in Louisiana simply were too corrupt and incompetent to do anything productive or useful.

[George W. Bush]

If FEMA was doing anything like it been charged it was probably because the local organization had fallen apart. If they did attempt to cut his lines it may have been that they were harming more than helping.

The phone lines that were cut were those for the parish forces who were repairing the biggest levee break in NOLA. They spent over two days fixing it.

I don't blame FEMA for everything by any means. But these accusations will have evidence and witnesses. We'll find out.

[traumer]

"Mr. Chertoff said neither he nor Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown was told of the deteriorating situation in New Orleans..."

They don't watch the CNN/FoxNews !??

[jennyjenny]

I watched the coverage the entire time and I didn't realize there were people in the convention center until later in the week also. I thought they were all in the Superdome. I'm not sure how I missed, but apparently I did. I heard on Fox last night that the people who went to the convention center did that on their own. It was not one of the designated areas, according to what was reported on Fox.

[mabelkitty]

Actually, I consider myself pretty clued in to news, and I didn't know they were there either.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Those doing the logistics are not watching TV for their coordination efforts I"m sure. If you're Firefighter and the city is ablaze, do you get your dispatch info from radio or do you turn on the friggin TV?

Those who are running the minute by minute logistics are supposed to be getting the info from those on the ground; i.e. the mayor and his ass clowns. If you don't find out about the people then you're not going to send supplies to them.

[Not A Snowbird]

Apparently Chertov does not have a radio, televison, or computer.

That's "Chertoff", and do you honestly think he's sitting in front of a TV while this is going on?

[Tribune7]

Is every elected official in Louisiana and idjit?

The other senator, a Pub, has been keeping his mouth shut so it is possible that he is not.

[Maigrey]

More than likely, they were threatened by one (or two) of the gangs in there that if they didn't pay up, they were going to be harmed. SO, they got the heck out of dodge.

But they can't admit that they ran in the face of danger, now can they?

[lawdude]

"If they were watching the coverage, one would say that they could have easily seen that the situation was worse than expected and acted unilaterally to head the problem off at the pass."

Ah...the wonderful "IF", "THEY" "EASILY" and the always popular "HEAD IT OFF AT THE PASS"!

A statement conceived in ignorance and born of stupidity.

In matters of the states, the President cannot act unilaterally.

[WHBates]

"The phone lines that were cut were those for the parish forces who were repairing the biggest levee break in NOLA. They spent over two days fixing it."

Now that is the funniest thing I've heard yet. Your are right that we will eventually know the facts but even on the face of it that is ridiculous. Parish forces should have been doing what they were suppose to do and that wasn't one of them. That early in a crisis FEMA does not control that kind of asset if they ever even would which I doubt unless the local ERO fell completely apart.

Please do a little reading for yourself to try to understand how all of this is suppose to work.

[PhiKapMom]

It is a fact -- Oklahoma's Lt Governor was NEVER asked by LA to help and she had to declare an emergency to send out NG there under FEMA. FEMA made the request.

But of course, you who hate Bush will never admit it wasn't the Administration's fault. :(

[jdhljc169]

Doesn't DHS or FEMA have access to CNN or Fox?

****

Well, I just heard they are in Baton Rouge and Baton Rouge didn't have electricity.

[RasterMaster]

Yea, we want all the Feds to be sitting around watching Whoraldo like Nagin and Blanco, instead of doing their jobs.

[Not A Snowbird]

They don't watch the CNN/FoxNews !??

Why should they, in time of emergency, turn on the TV and get filtered, slanted, reporting? They're supposed to get the situation directly from the state and local people on the ground, not Geraldo.