New Orleans Public Schools just admitted they put their employees ahead of NO citizens

email response from Alvarez and Marsal | Sept 08, 2005 | Taxrelief

[TaxRelief]

I sent an email to Alvarez and Marsal (business managers of New Orleans Public Schools) and asked them why they did not make the school buses available to evacuate the citizens of New Orleans.

Their answer:

Thank you for your question. School buses were not used as all the NOPS transportation employees were also individuals who evacuated the city. Thanks.

The answer is cryptic, but to the point.

[johnb838]

Why the congress? Why not a team of prosecutors? A lot of people need to hang for this and I don't mean that metaphorically. A lot of someones have got to pay, and I think it needs to start with that wicked, rotten, corrupt mayor. I think he gave orders that the refurgees were not to be given aid, not even water and I think he needs to spend a good long time in the pen for that. Blanco I think is just clueless. I don't think she meant to get anybody killed, it just worked out that way.

[bk1000]

"Like only employees could drive the buses. What a crock! "

If they (City of NO) let anyone other than certified school bus drivers operate those vehicles, they could have(and would have)been sued. Thank shyster lawyers and bureaucrats for that conditioned response. IMO, people should have helped themselves by organizing and driving the busses. Isn't there a photo going around of just such a citizen? And wasn't he arrested for his act of humanitarian kindness?

[Rutles4Ever]

I'd like to know if the Bus Drivers Union contract has anything about being emergency evacuation participants in it.

This, to me, is the issue with them. If the city didn't have this in the contract, then I can't blame the drivers. It's not like the police force quitting. I'd LIKE to think they would have done the job if it was expected of them, but we don't know. At any rate, the city was unprepared. A designated group of off-duty police could have been tapped to drive these buses even if it's not in the labor contract. They had 48 hours to get it done, even if they couldn't drive all the buses at once.

[Constitution Day]

Great job! BTTT.

[johnb838]

That young man had that bus packed to the roof and was the first bus to the Astrodome!

Then they didn't want to let him in. Must have had the misfortune of running into a Red Crescent volunteer.

[hlmencken3]

You are correct. And they probably hated Nagin for not being leftist enough.

I guess the governor and the legislature in La didn't care enough to step in during the year of negotiations.

Ultimately, people can't be saved from themselves.

[johnb838]

It isn't like you need to graduate from Bus Driving 101 to operate one,

If you can't find'em, grind'em.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[LWalk18]

The evacuation was during the weekend, so they would had to call the bus drivers in to drive the buses. I can't blame the school board, it falls on the mayor to make the decision so that arrangements can be made.

[massgopguy]

The Evacuation section of the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan doesn't even mention the buses.

[RichInOC]

Anybody happen to save a copy of Nagin's original evac proclamation? I remember there was a good-sized list of exceptions made for essential employees of city agencies. I'm trying to remember whether the school district was included.

[johnb838]

Note that the f**kin' a-rats want to have the commission before all the facts like these can be gathered, hell, they want to have it before the crisis is over, with a report by February.

[the Deejay]

Then they didn't want to let him in.

Yep. Can you imagine them not wanting to allow that busload into the Astrodome, no matter HOW they got there!?

Way I saw it, it doesn't matter HOW they arrived, or WHO drove the bus, all that mattered was, they got out of NOLA!

[Presby Conservative]

In an earlier thread I recall reading that the School District buses are owned and operated by the State of Louisiana. Is my recollection correct?

[GOP_1900AD]

That's what happens with unionized systems. Union members first, kids second.

[TaxRelief]

How do I contact Hugh Hewitt?

[RJL]

School buses were not used as all the NOPS transportation employees were also individuals who evacuated the city. Thanks.

Liberals love mass transit and can't wait to get us out of our own cars and evil SUV's, but when we really need the mass transit... they're out of town!

[TaxRelief]

They are just employees, they didn't take an oath or anything. I would take care of my family first, also. I would not subject my family to being in a school bus with 60 strangers, for an unknown amount of time either.

Perhaps you would not have, but maybe 30%, or even 50%, of the drivers would have been willing to make a few runs if they had been given the opportunity.

[Grut]

Don't think your headline is justified: the drivers ran away, but that doesn't mean the schools had a policy of not allowing the busses to be used, only that the drivers' absconding made it 'impossible'.

I agree with all the comments here about finding other drivers, though.

[dfwgator]

It's starting to sound ominously like the State/Local government drew up plans for such disaster, then simply filed them away without telling anybody else about them. ;

And why not? They could just blame it on Bush.