Posted on 09/06/2005 5:35:28 AM PDT by OESY
...Notably, the New Orleans mess improved only after the Pentagon got involved. Though the military is normally barred from domestic law enforcement by the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, Defense officials have been doing a lot of creative thinking about what they can do and what the public now expects post-September 11....
Mr. Bush will also need to guide the rebuilding choices for New Orleans and the Mississippi delta.... But clearly there is an issue of how much federal money to pour into a city that is below sea-level and would still be vulnerable to another Category Four or Five storm.
Mr. Bush should name one or more people, in or out of his Administration, to sort through the ideas and avoid what will be the liberal/GOP Congressional impulse to throw money at everything....
Which brings us to Mr. Bush's broader domestic agenda. The President has admirably refused to give up on Social Security, but Katrina makes reform impossible in the near term. The more urgent Presidential priority now is to take steps to keep the U.S. economy growing. Last week's regulatory moves on fuel emissions and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are already helping on gasoline supplies, and the price shocks are an opportunity to prod Congress to remove obstacles to more oil and natural gas drilling.
Economic leadership also means instructing Americans on the link between tax cutting and the economic vitality needed to fund both Katrina relief and the war on terror. Predictably, the Bush tax cuts are under attack for denying revenue to the government.... But the truth is that federal revenues are rising by an estimated $262 billion--or roughly 14%--this year thanks to the growth that followed the 2003 tax cuts. Republicans have been far too defensive on tax cuts....
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
"We're hearing a lot these days about the need to restore barrier marshlands, often from the same people who have long hated the Army Corps of Engineers that would help restore them." -- WSJ, September 6, 2005 (above)
"Anyone who cares about responsible budgeting and the health of America's rivers and wetlands should pay attention to a bill now before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The bill would shovel $17 billion at the Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and other water-related projects — this at a time when President Bush is asking for major cuts in Medicaid and other important domestic programs. Among these projects is a $2.7 billion boondoggle on the Mississippi River that has twice flunked inspection by the National Academy of Sciences.... This is a bad piece of legislation." -- New York Times, April 13, 2005, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477494/posts
Bush will be blamed for people getting sick from cleaning up the sludge left behind.
Mayor Nagin: Gov. Blanco Delayed Rescue
After days of blaming the federal officials for not responding quickly enough to the Hurricane Katrina crisis, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin praised President Bush on Monday - and charged that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco had delayed federal rescue efforts by 24-hours.
"I'm so happy that the president came down here," Nagin said of Bush's Friday visit to Louisiana in an interview with CNN. "He came down and saw it, and he put a general on the field. His name is General Honore. And when he hit the field, we started to see action."
But Nagin had harsh words for his state's leaders, telling CNN: "What the state was doing, I don't frigging know. But I tell you, I am pissed. It wasn't adequate." The New Orleans Democrat said he urged Bush to meet privately with Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco during the visit. The meeting took place aboard Air Force One, he said.
After reviewing the crisis with Gov. Blanco, Bush summoned Nagin for a private chat - where, according to Nagin, Bush explained: "Mr. Mayor, I offered two options to the governor. I said . . . I was ready to move today. The governor said she needed 24 hours to make a decision."
Reacting to the governor's footdragging, Nagin lamented: "It would have been great if we could of left Air Force One, walked outside, and told the world that we had this all worked out."
"It didn't happen, and more people died."
Read this and tell me who was at fault:
Closer scrutiny reveals the lies surrounding Katrina evacuation and recovery
By Linda Prussen-Razzano
web posted September 5, 2005
Having lived on Long Island for most of my life, I weathered only the most minor effects of hurricanes. Typically, their devastating strength drained along the coastline as they churned northwards. When I was a child, my father comforted me through Hurricane Belle; not by holding me and telling me everything would be alright, but by his activity in securing our house, his purchase of supplies and preparations, and his explanations of hurricanes and their threats.
While the storm whipped overhead, my piqued curiosity prompted me to ask about all different kinds of natural disasters. We passed the time discussing typhoons, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods. I never thought I would use this information, but I did; twice.
At 19, my passenger and I found ourselves caught in the only flash flood in the history of Long Island. What started as a heavy rain became an overwhelming downpour within minutes. Not unlike the City of New Orleans, the patch of road on which I traveled was nestled in a natural funnel. In the space of minutes, we experienced more rain in that small bit of road alongside Eisenhower Park than all of Long Island had received in a year. With traffic surrounding me, I had not choice but to inch forward to the overpass that would take me to higher ground. Just moments before my car cleared the water now pouring in under my doors, the engine stalled, and my Monte Carlo sank back down the embankment, eventually to be completely submerged.
We had to wait until the water rose inside the car and the pressure stabilized before we could get out.
The gas pumps at the corner station began bubbling up, turning the water so black you couldn’t see your hand just two inches under the surface. An elderly man, trapped in his car, didn’t want to leave. Plodding through chest deep water, my passenger and I managed to get his door open and help him slog back to safety.
Everyone caught in that mess experienced a loss, but it is nothing compared to Katrina.
The second time I used my father’s sage advice came when I moved to Texas. In the bottom tip of the tornado belt, I knew what to do when the sky turned an ominous shade of green, the clouds started rotating above my head, and where to seek shelter to maximize my potential for living. It was in those few moments, when the doors and windows rattled and I imagined that my new house would be reduced to kindling around me, that all my priorities changed…forever.
The folks in Louisiana and Mississippi experienced wide scale devastation during Katrina. New Orleans, and other parts of the coast, experienced a second, even more devastating blow from the horrible flooding. One is bad enough, but both? It’s a catastrophe beyond comprehension, and our fellow Americans need our compassion, our generosity, and our understanding as they rebuild their entire lives.
We should be coming together, as we did after other catastrophic events in the last decade, to help and heal.
Sadly, that is not the case.
What I find astonishing is the almost immediate response from Bush Bashers to blame everything that happened, from the actual hurricane itself, to the anarchy that quickly erupted, on the President and his administration. When they do so, they not only distort the truth, they outright lie to the public, and they are doing so daily through any media venue that will give them the opportunity.
Lie #1: President Bush doesn’t care about the people of New Orleans.
This outrageous lie is thoroughly debunked by the fact that it was President Bush who pushed for a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans.(1) Governor Blanco issued only a voluntary evacuation order, but admitted that she received a call from the President on August 27, 2005, urging her to make it a mandatory one. He wanted as many people as possible out of the path of the storm.
So much for the President not caring.
Despite the fact that New Orlean’s own Emergency Response Guidelines call for a mandatory evacuation of the City if a strike by a Category 3 Hurricane is projected, with 72 hours advance notice to all residents, Mayor Nagin didn’t order a mandatory evaluation until Sunday. Further, he only did so after Max Maxfield, the National Hurricane Director, called Nagin at his home to plead that he empty the City. (2)
Why did Nagin wait so long? He was worried about the legalities. If people want to affix blame, perhaps they can look at lawyers.
How ironic, that The Drudge Report (3) and Free Republic (4) have pictures of dozens of New Orleans’ submerged and now useless school buses, buses that could have been used to transport residents out of the City prior to the storm, bring in supplies after the storm, and help evacuees escape the flooding. Meanwhile, Governor Blanco issued a request to the State of Louisiana to provide her with buses from local school districts.
According to a Washington Post report on Sunday, September 4, “Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.”
Bush’s offer to have the federal government aid in the evacuation was rejected. (5)
Lie #2: The Bush Administration was slow in coordinating help.
Mike Brown, Under Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for Emergency Response and Preparedness, received the order from President Bush on August 27, two full days before the storm hit the region, to prepare for Katrina disaster relief. (6) The President also declared the entire region under a State of Emergency, so that FEMA could coordinate efforts at the request of the Governors. (7) Under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the Federal Government and FEMA are not allowed to interfere with local operations unless they are authorized by state and local leaders.
Blanco did not authorize this until September 1, 2005.
Further, according to an Association Press report on August 30, “The federal government began rushing baby formula, communications equipment, generators, water and ice into hard-hit areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, along with doctors, nurses and first-aid supplies. The U.S. Defense Department sent experts to help with search-and-rescue operations.” (8) FEMA was there and helping, in the capacity that was allowed by local officials, but could not swing into full gear until after Blanco gave them permission.
Lie #3: The Bush Administration did nothing to control the anarchy.
The local and state governments have control over law enforcement activities in their state, and such activities could only be coordinated through the federal government with their permission. It was not until terrible reports of rapes and violence, videos of looting, and reports of shoots being fired at rescue workers did Governor Blanco relinquish any claim of control on an out-of-control city.
An August 31, 2005 Fox News Report reveals, “The looting prompted authorities to send more than 70 additional officers and an armed personnel carrier into the city. One police officer was shot in the head by a looter but was expected to recover, authorities said. Blanco said she will ask President Bush for military troops to help keep looting under control.” (9) Almost immediately thereafter, FEMA, the military, and the Bush Administration began to restore order.
Further, on September 2, 2005, the Bush administration “sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law.” (10)
Lie #4: The Bush Administration did nothing to prevent the flooding.
Predictions of wide spread devastation have been known since Hurricane Camille in 1969. Despite these, it was local officials who reportedly appropriated funds designated for levee improvements towards such necessary purchases as a casino, hotel, and other projects.
Amazing, isn’t it?
From the carnage inside the Superdome, to the massacre of the truth on television, this is a sad time for all of America.
Just don’t forget who helped all this to happen….because despite what the media wants you to believe, it wasn’t President Bush.
Linda Prussen-Razzano is frequent contributor to Enter Stage Right and a number of other online magazines.
Footnotes:
1. Associated Press, “Mandatory Evacuation Ordered for New Orleans,” August 28, 2005, 10:48 a.m. CT.
2. Knight Ridder Newspapers, “National Hurricane Director had to call Nagin at home Saturday night to plead: "Get people out..." by Marc Caputo, David Ovalle, and Erika Bolstad, August 28, 2005
3. www.drudgereport.com
4. www.freerepublic.com
5. Washington Post, “Many Evacuated, but Thousands Still Waiting, White House Shifts Blame to State and Local Officials,” Manuel Roig-Franzia and Spencer Hsu, Washington Post Staff Writers, Sunday, September 4, 2005; Page A01
6. FEMA Press Release, “Emergency Aid Authorized For Katrina Emergency Response In LA” August 27, 2005
7. Associated Press, “Bush Declares Emergency in Louisiana,” August 27, 2005
8. Associated Press, “Federal Government sent emergency supplies to Louisiana as early as Tuesday,” August 30, 2005
9. Fox News.com, “It’s Not Safe In New Orleans,” August 31, 2005
10. Washington Post, Ibid
This is also pertinent to the discussion:
Livingston: I pressed La. gov. for martial law
By Jeff Dufour
Like thousands of other Washingtonians worried about family and friends in New Orleans after Katrina struck the Crescent City, former Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) and his wife, Bonnie, had some uneasy moments last week.
Livingston, the former Appropriations Committee chairman turned successful lobbyist, said his 83-year-old mother escaped to Shreveport with his sister and brother-in-law. His wife’s mother, also 83, fled the city just in time.
Livingston had to wait for word of the fate of his oldest son’s in-laws. On Friday, he received word that they were safe.
Livingston represented the New Orleans metro area for more than 20 years. He owns a condominium and two rental properties there and feared they were damaged or destroyed.
He was particularly critical of Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) for failing to declare martial law promptly to deter widespread looting.
“I raised hell with the governor for not declaring martial law,” he said Thursday. “I told her last [Wednesday] night I was going on ‘Hannity & Colmes’ and criticize her for not doing that, and 20 minutes later, she did.”
Governor Blankity-Blank can only open the door when she's finished flushing the evidence down the toilet.
Yes.
Let's have an accounting of how those funds were spent.
....what about the marina that was also purchased?
How true! Someone needs to make this a sign, frame it and hang it in the President's office to remind him everyday to be more visible and seen as more proactive. And he ought to wear a flak jacket because just like terrorists, the MSM & the dems will try everything in their power to harm him.
HELLLLLLLLLLLOOOO! John McCain!!!!!!!!! Are you listening??!!!????
TAX CUTS=ECONOMIC GROWTH
Continuing the disturbing trend of incidents which demonstrate that the military is about the only institution left in American government that still lives up to its billing.
I was watching Greek Sat TV.
The foreign press is picking up on either landrew or blanco saying that Bush did not care and was incapable of having the mental power to understand the situation. (bush is stupid theme)
They are reporting on the idea that EVERYONE wants out but people are dying for lack of effort. They had some many crying on the air about his "momma" drowning because nobody got her. They are also picking up on the racism accusation of Rep. Maxine Walters to push the USA as a racism tinderbox.
It is sick. Much of the video is comming from BBC feeds which are being translated into Greek.
IOW the BBC is pushing their anti-america and anti-bush sentiment out into the world.
Gas prices in europe are now being blamed on GWBush's Katrina response.
(the usual stufff. blah blah blah, haliburton, blah blah blah oil friends blah blah blah. Stupid blah blah blah)
There was an anonymous quote in another thread from an out-of-state paper to the effect that Landrieu and Blanco were concerned that if Blanco declared an emergency and asked FEMA for help, federalizing the disaster management, then somehow Bush and Rove would find a way to use that against them politically.
They can't have reneged just to keep Bush from reaping some political recognition of his management ability? Surely they can't have been political dogs-in-the-manger to the tune of 10,000 dead?
Total CYA by Gov. Blanco. Declaring martial law means that people looting and disturbing the peace MUST be arrested, and shot if they are shooting, and it requires full attention of local and state law enforcement. Blanco did not want the responsibility for criminals being killed and for having to put them someplace if they were arrested. She also did not want Louisiana State troopers to have to go into the city and do the shooting. She preferred to sit on her ass and wait for the National Guard to come in with armed troops so she could blame them for anyone being killed.
Oh yeah, like after 9/11 when Hillary got upset about the air quality around Ground Zero.
people never cease to amaze. They want the swiftest action while throwing up hundreds of roadblocks.
In cases like these less govnernment is a good thing. Split FEMA out of DHS. Heck disband a good majority of DHS. it was a democrat invention to begin with, no wonder it is such a mess.
Remember New Orleans should be the conservative battlecry against socialism and big government in the 2006 mid-terms. We need to elect congresspersons and senators that will take on a new Contract with America.
Gen Honore should be offered the top post of FEMA, or someone along his lines. Chertoff should be fired, we should have gone with Giuliani's Police Commissioner, he was the right man for the job, but the Democrats and Media viciously attacked him in their voraciaous anti-bush crusade.
Both good questions. Too bad Dan Rather wasn't interested in investigating stories like these.
BTTT
Leftists are complaining about the 'slow' response of the Federal government to intervene in the crisis. This is prohibited by the Posse Commitatus Act.
But Leftists--and a lot of the Libertarian Right--will howl against "federal oppressors" and the risk of a military coup if the Posse Commitatus Act is revoked.
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