Posted on 09/08/2005 5:18:52 AM PDT by Embraer2004
In New Orleans, those in peril and those in power have pointed the finger squarely at the federal government for the delayed relief effort.
But experts say when natural disasters strike, it is the primary responsibility of state and local governments — not the federal government — to respond.
New Orleans' own comprehensive emergency plan raises the specter of "having large numbers of people … stranded" and promises "the city … will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas."
"Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves," the plan states.
When Hurricane Katrina hit, however, that plan was not followed completely.
Instead of sending city buses to evacuate those who could not make it out on their own, people in New Orleans were told to go to the Superdome and the Convention Center, where no one provided sufficient sustenance or security.
'Lives Would Have Been Saved'
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said "80 percent" of the city was evacuated before the storm hit, but Bob Williams says that's not good enough.
Williams dealt with emergency response issues as a state representative in Washington when his district was forced to deal with the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
"If the plan were implemented, lives would have been saved," Williams said.
There's no question the federal government plays a major role in disaster relief. But federal officials say in order to get involved, they must first be asked to do so by state officials.
As one FEMA official told ABC News, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco failed to submit a request for help in a timely manner.
Shortly before Katrina hit, she sent President Bush a request asking for shelter and provisions, but didn't specifically ask for help with evacuations. One aide to the governor told ABC News today Blanco thought city officials were taking care of the evacuation. Nonetheless, some experts argue that the federal government should have been more proactive.
"If the city and the state are stumbling or in over their head, then it's FEMA's [Federal Emergency Management Agency's] responsibility to show some leadership," said Jerry Hauer, director of public health preparedness at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Both the president and Congress have vowed to investigate questions of blame. It may already be safe to conclude that there will be plenty of it to go around.
ABC News' Dan Harris filed this report for "World News Tonight."
Gov. Kathleen Blanco's Bureaucrats Blocked Food and Water
The Red Cross was reportedly ready to deliver food, water and other supplies to flood-ravaged refugees who were sweltering inside New Orleans' Superdome last week - but the relief was blocked by bureaucrats who worked for Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco.
Fox New Channel's Major Garrett reported Wednesday that the Red Cross had "trucks with water, food, hygiene equipment, all sorts of things ready to go . . . to the Superdome and Convention Center."
Story Continues Below
But the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security, Garrett said, "told them they could not go."
"The Red Cross tells me that state agency in Louisiana said, 'Look, we do not want to create a magnet for more people to come to the Superdome or Convention Center, we want to get them out,'" he explained.
"So at the same time local officials were screaming where is the food, where is the water? The Red Cross was standing by ready [and] the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security said you can't go."
These two would be hysterical...if people weren't dying because of their incompetence.
BLanco and Nagin are going to pay for this!! The polls are already implying this...and CNN, ABC News and Washington Post are going ballistic because America is not blaming President Bush!
My guess is that Blanco and Nagin think each other are far easier targets than the Administration will be. I suspect they're right...this will turn into a LA blamefest and criticism of Bush will soon be forgotten.
Blanco and Nagin are as incompetent as the day is long. But then again, the voters got EXACTLY what they voted for.
I love when rats eat their own.
Pass the popcorn.
Should settle this with a PPV "Steel Cage Death Match" with proceeds going to relief efforts.
I do think that Nagin bears most of the blame for failure to implement the emergency plan. But Blanco bears the blame for the delayed Nat. Guard response. She refused to turn control of the Nat. Guard over to Bush.
Per Junkyard Blog:
BLANCO: LET THEM EAT CAKE
So the Queen of Denial, Obstruction and Delay, Kathleen "Antoinette" Blanco, made multiple decisions to deny the Refugees of New Orleans the security, food and water they needed.
Video link above. More from Major Garrett here.
I think at least one of Gov Blanco's decisions was made right about the time that "cannibalism" was being reported in the Huffington Post. Remember, she would actually believe what she reads in the Huffington Post. I'm sure Arianna will be concerned about this report now and call for her impeachment, just as Bryan, and now I have.
President Bush failed now in one way. He failed to ascertain that he was dealing with a governor who was a clear and present danger to the people of Louisiana. That's a tough nut to crack in a crisis, so I don't blame him. Taking military control over Louisiana to save Blanco's subjects from her sociopathic leadership style would have been helpful to some individuals for sure, but the problem is that such a move may have done more serious long-term damage than the Democrats have already done to the United States in this crisis. Can you say "military dictator?" Can you say "ethnic cleansing?" Oh yeah. Those charges would have come right from Hillary herself. Hmm...now that I think about it, maybe there was a political method to Blanco's madness.
So for the record, the JYB is 100% unified on the Blanco impeachment call on behalf of the remaining citizens of Louisiana. We've been discussing her role for several days and now I firmly believe she's the rosetta stone for decoding the post-hurricane NOLA Nightmare. And we still don't even know the half of it. I want to see all her communications with her lawyers, political advisors, Sen. Mary Landrieu, James Lee Witt (Hillary?), et al.
Her ethically-challenged Homeland Security Office should have been on top of the New Orleans Evac Plan too. Did Mayor Nagin have state emergency preparedness experts telling him they loved his bus-free DVD plan? Probably so.
They need to remember that when you point your finger, you have three others pointing back at yourself!! (Try it.)
I think all of Nagin's pomp and posturing is going to bite him hard in the near future as the lies and distortions of his interviews are coming to light.
On Friday night before the storm hit Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center took the unprecedented action of calling Nagin and Blanco personally to plead with them to begin MANDATORY evacuation of NO and they said they'd take it under consideration. This was after the NOAA buoy 240 miles south had recorded 68' waves before it was destroyed.
President Bush spent Friday afternoon and evening in meetings with his advisors and administrators drafting all of the paperwork required for a state to request federal assistance (and not be in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act or having to enact the Insurgency Act). Just before midnight Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call up. He was told that they didn't think it necessary for the federal government to be involved yet. After the President's final call to the governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.
Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Blanco and Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal assistance, that they declare the state an emergency area, and begin mandatory evacuation. After a personal plea from the President Nagin agreed to order an evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers requesting and authorizing federal action. In frustration the President declared the area a national disaster area before the state of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some advanced preparations. Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal government can move into state with troops - but that had not been done since 1906 and the Constitutionality of it was called into question to use before the disaster.
Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to NO for levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a marina and support the gambling ships. Toss in the investigation that will look into why the emergency preparedness plan submitted to the federal government for funding and published on the city's website was never implemented and in fact may have been bogus for the purpose of gaining additional federal funding as we now learn that the organizations identified in the plan were never contacted or coordinating into any planning - though the document implies that they were.
The suffering people of NO need to be asking some hard questions as do we all, but they better start with why Blanco refused to even sign the multi-state mutual aid pack activation documents until Wednesday which further delayed the legal deployment of National Guard from adjoining states. Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to his own emergency plan and documents he claimed to have over 500 busses at his disposal to use between the local school busses and the city transportation busses - but he never raised a finger to prepare them or activate them.
This is a sad time for all of us to see that a major city has all but been destroyed and thousands of people have died with hundreds of thousands more suffering, but it's certainly not a time for people to be pointing fingers and trying to find a bigger dog to blame for local corruption and incompetence. Pray to God for the survivors that they can start their lives anew as fast as possible and we learn from all the mistakes to avoid them in the future.
Maskil
I really do believe that thousands have died because these Louisiana democrats were busy trying to show that they could handle things without the man they hate with a passion.
Precisely. They'll turn on each other.
The above quote is almost clear....but not quite. It should point out that it is ILLEGAL for the fed to get involved without and invitation from state and local officials.
For Dems to say that the feds should have been "proactive" is to say that the feds should have ignored the law.
Now that's an interesting position.
I noticed last night that the networks are beginning to change their tune a bit and put blame on the state and local gov't.
"When Hurricane Katrina hit, however, that plan was not followed completely."
BTW ABC, it wasn't followed at all.
A statement with no meaning. The undeniable fact is that SOP's were not followed, by the mayor and governorette until it was way too late
Experts? Who are their experts? Hillary? Jesse Jackson?
Yes, Bush should have been more "proactive". He could have prevented the entire hurricane, like Slick Willie would have done if he were still President.
These people make me sick.
The thing that gets me is that the louder the Rats try to smear/blame Bush, the more the country is paying attention to this, and its not going to turn out like the Rats expect. They are going to get massacred in public opinion.
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