State & Local Politicians Must Share Blame For The Tragedy In New Orleans

joinedafterattack ^ | 9-5-05 | joinedafterattack

[joinedafterattack]

A Letter To The Elected Politicians Of The State of Louisiana and The City of New Orleans and to Louisiana Journalists

YOU, The New Orleans Elected Politicians, Parish Elected Officials, and State Elected Politicians Must Share Blame For The Tragedy In New Orleans

In addition to looking at the 5 days after the hurricane, we must examine your actions in the 5 days leading up to its landfall.

Why were poor citizens left behind in the path of certain flooding of the city? Can any Louisiana politician claim the flooding was not highly likely from a Cat 4/5 Hurricane? This

flooding was predicted well in advance by Louisiana's own universities and governmental institutions. No one knew better than YOU that the levy system was would break, yet you left these

people in its path. Shame on you for such calous and reckless disregard for these citizen's lives.

There must be a full investigation into how this tragedy unfolded. To be complete it must examine the federal response BUT also the local and state planning, execution, and response. Here

are a few questions I would like to see answered in writing and some partial information that supports the final answer to these questions. Yes, a 911 type commission makes a ton of sense.

1. What support did City & State Politician's ask for from the Federal Government in the days leading Up To Katrina's landfall? Here is what the Governor asked for as listed on her

website: 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 SOURCE: Governor Blanco Press Release Date: Saturday, 8/27/2005

Senator Landrieu said the state was prepared for Hurricane Katrina: "I would like to commend both Governor Blanco and all of the local leaders who have done a tremendous job helping the people of Louisiana prepare for Hurricane Katrina." SOURCE: Landrieu Press Release Sunday 8-28-05

2. The City and State had a plan - But was it implemented fully. Why did the City not bus out the poor and sick who had no other transportation. It was in the plan but not implemented. You had the buses sitting idle, why not use them? Politicians lobbied for years for Federal dollars to stop New Orleans from flooding during a major Hurricane because it had the potential to kill thousands. Knowing the risks, why then did these same politicians not use city and state resources (buses) to get the poor out of the bowl?

As Matt Drudge Reported WHY DIDN'T YOU DEPLOY THE BUSES DURING THE MANDATORY EVACUATION, MAYOR?... Louisiana's disaster plan states, 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...."

Insert AP Picture of Buses Under Water.

4. What was the minute by minute timeline leading up the very tardy decision to order a mandatory evacuation of the city? Why did the President have to plead with the Governor to get New

Orleans evacuated. Why did the National Hurricane Director have to call Mayor Nagin at home Saturday night to plead: "Get people out..." The mandatory evacuation order was given less than

24 hours before the storm hit the shores of Louisiana. That is unforgivable. Shame on you Mayor.

"Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding." SOURCE: http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?base/news-18/1125239940201382.xml&storylist=louisiana "MAYOR CRITICIZED EVEN BEFORE LEVY BREAK... National Hurricane Center Director had to call Nagin at home Saturday night to plead: "Get people out of New Orleans." "The criticisms of Nagin came from above as well. Numerous officials urged him to evacuate the city, but he worried about the legality of ordering people out when New Orleans has few safe hurricane shelters. Also,

National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield in Miami called Nagin at home Saturday night and told him: Get people out of New Orleans. "I could never sleep if I felt like I didn't do

everything that I could to impress upon people the gravity of the situation,'' Mayfield said."

5. Why did the city fail to adequately stock the Superdome with food and water for thousands for days. City leaders knew after Hurricane Ivan they would have to use the Superdome for the

next major hurricane. Why was this "shelter of last resort" not properly stocked to receive those most in need. The Mayor said bring your own food and water. Figuring out you need water

and rations for 4-5 days should not have been difficult to foresee. Hey Mayor, if you invite them, they will come and you have the responsibility to have water there for them.

Unbelieveable!!!!!!!!!!!!

6. How come the newspapers BEFORE Katrina landed did not ask these same questions? You could have put the Mayor, Senators, and Governor on the hot seat before the tragedy and forced them

to respond to these issues. Louisiana’s journalists failed in their duty to ask hard questions – then and now.

[joinedafterattack]

In addition to looking at the 5 days after the hurricane, we must examine your actions in the 5 days leading up to its landfall.

[popdonnelly]

They don't need to share the blame, they need to accept the blame and stop pointing fingers at everyone else.

[freekitty]

I thought it was always up to the state government.

[MNJohnnie]

They don't need to share the blame, they need to accept the blame and stop pointing fingers at everyone else

[spanalot]

ALL GOVT FAILS IN DISASTER.

Homeland Security had their big chance to shine with a 4 day notice.

Do you think the Terorists will give us the same warning?

[tet68]

I would say also the month after, who knows what they
are capable of shredding.

[dila813]

I half laughed, half cried upon hearing that it was Bush's fault due to him not supporting the wet lands by supporting Kyoto.

All they had to do was get the people out, and they didn't do the obvious.

[ckilmer]

The Southern Louisiana Evacuation Plan specifically stated that people without private transportation were to be transported on public buses.

There were not just "200 buses". There were 200 buses in just one photo and Freepers studying the post-Katrina satellite images have counted over 400 buses altogether at other city parking.

At 70 people per bus that is 28,000 people per round trip that could have been taken out of the storm surge area in the 48 hours prior the Katrina striking.

After the storm hit, what makes you think that buses sent from outside of New Orleans could drive through the flooded mess any better than the 145 New Orleans city buses that were parked 1.2 miles away from the Superdome?

Was Scotty supposed to beam the outside buses to the Superdome and them beam them back out so that they would not have to drive through impassable roads?

The time to evacuate those 200,000 low-income people on public buses OUT OF THE STORM SURGE ZONE was BEFORE the Category 4 storm struck.

That was what the Southern Louisiana Evacuation Plan for New Orleans specifically called for.

The Democrat Governor and the Democrat Mayor did NOTHING to carry out that portion of the plan. They left 200,000 low-income resident abandoned and they now blame the Federal Government for not having Scotty beam down a massive logistics effort after a human disaster of their own making.

[Coldwater Creek]

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[libertylover]

I believe you, but from where did you get this information. If the plan really calls for that, then the mayor and possibly the governor may bear CRIMINAL responsibility for not carrying out the plan. (I'll not hold my breath.)

[Keith in Iowa]

State & Local Politicians Must Share Blame For The Tragedy In New Orleans

Share my arse. The federal Government is not the first responder. The local and state governments are. It is as obvious as Hillary is ugly that NOLA's Mayor and LA's Governor are miserable failures.

[Alexis the Bengal Kitty]

They don't need to share the blame, they need to accept the blame and stop pointing fingers at everyone else.

I agree 100%. But I doubt they will do that, after all it is always someone elses fault.

[RTINSC]

"Attention fellow New Orleansians:

There is a Category 5 storm going to hit here in 2 days. Winds of over 145 MPH. Could flood the entire city. Gonna kill you if you stay. Get out, now. For your future safety, we are going to put all our buses in storage to protect them from the storm. If you are old, in a nursing home, crippled, infirm or unable to evacuate on your own, you will need to call a taxi or hitchhike to safe ground."

Good luck....Mayor Nagin, the Voters Choice

[Prophet in the wilderness]

The things is ? no matter how much proof and evidence ( facts, evidence, proof does no matter to liberals, that is ? if it's against Republicans/Conservatives ) you have, the MSM, Liberals/Democrats won't let you know, or admit their own incompetence.

[danamco]

ALL GOVT FAILS IN DISASTER.


Not true! We had four (3) major hurricanes here last year and the fed. government did extremely well, because we had a highly competent governor who knew how to work together with FEMA, the same quality Rudy showed of leadership in N.Y. at 9/11!! It all comes down to leadership which was lacking in NOLA!!!

[spanalot]

"the same quality Rudy showed of leadership in N.Y. at 9/11!!"

The first 3 days at the WTC was ALL VOLUNTEERS.

The next time you are in a disaster and if you are not prepared to wait for a week, you better count on your friends and yourself ONLY.

[lawdude]

"Senator Landrieu said the state was prepared for Hurricane Katrina: "I would like to commend both Governor Blanco and all of the local leaders who have done a tremendous job helping the people of Louisiana prepare for Hurricane Katrina." SOURCE: Landrieu Press Release Sunday 8-28-05"

And this cu*t had the balls to suggest violence to the President?

[frannie]

Have you not been read, almost any place on the Internet, the copy of the rules, no laws, of what to do to PREPARE for a hurricane?

I have read it and read it over and over.

Please check for it. It is so plain I can even understand what it calls for the LOCAL AND STATE officials to do.
[I am 82 years of age.]

[Black Tooth]

They don't need to share the blame, they need to accept the blame and stop pointing fingers at everyone else.

Not quite.

They not only need to accept responsibility, they need to resign, and realistically, they should be prosecuted on every charge possible.