Posted on 09/11/2005 1:57:58 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
President Bush ought to be visibly angry that storm victims in and around New Orleans continued to die in isolation days after the water stopped rising. The nation need not wait for Bush to have the vice president investigate or for Congress to hold hearings. Major accusations of mismanagement are consistent with news reports live from the scene. The closer everyday people are to the disaster, the angrier they seem.
Bush needs to hold key leaders accountable right now.
``We've got 28 miles of coastline here that's absolutely destroyed, and the federal government, they're not here,'' retired Air Force Capt. William Bissell told a reporter in Biloxi on Monday.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune, whose staff regrouped on higher ground and continued covering the rapid deterioration of the city on the Web (www.NOLA.com), called for every official of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be fired.
The newspaper noted that reporters were exploring all the flooded neighborhoods, Wal- Mart trucks were bringing in supplies, and still ``the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid, were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach.''
Michael Brown, undersecretary for emergency preparedness and response, was over his head in the job before the flood was a foot deep. He should have the decency to resign. His public comments have been bewildering; he seemed to know less about what was happening than did the average TV viewer.
Instead of simply reassuring everyone that everything was fine, he should have explained why aid was delayed and when it would get there. Miracles weren't expected, only simple honesty and competence.
The 50-year-old lawyer from Oklahoma once was in charge of emergency services for Edmond, Okla., a town of 71,000. After losing a race for Congress in 1988, he worked in the 1990s as rules enforcer for a horse association. When Bush became president, Brown got a job as lawyer for the emergency agency and soon rose to the top position.
Brown has presided over an agency in decline that has become, as the Washington Post aptly described it, a ``bureaucratic backwater.''
Bush should replace Brown with someone experienced in disaster management who can restore the agency's reputation, funding and spirit. And FEMA should be made independent of the Department of Homeland Security.
But Brown isn't to blame for all that went wrong around New Orleans.
Instead of getting the nation ready for a major urban disaster, Congress has treated disaster grants as gifts to be shared equally, regardless of need.
While the huge federal Department of Homeland Security was being created and money spent with abandon, no one had a plan for how to control a lawless city. After Hurricane Katrina hit, a third of the New Orleans police force disappeared. Federal authorities hesitated, as did state and local authorities, who had responsibility for the initial evacuation orders.
Now some observers are calling for Washington to take charge sooner and rule with a heavy hand. Clearly federal aid must be better managed and more quickly deployed, but states and cities should beware giving away too much authority too soon.
No mayor would want the Defense Department deciding when to evacuate or how to do it. But moving, feeding, housing and, in some cases, medicating 250,000 people is far beyond the capacity of cities and states.
Until the federal government is ready to do that, and do it fast, the homeland cannot be considered secure.
Bush needs to take leadership and talk turkey. This event is going to touch every single one of us in many ways. We are going to be reminded of it every day, whether or not it's politicized.
This area of the country is vital to our shipping and energy needs, it isn't just a local problem. Rebuilding will create shortages in other areas of the country. It needs to be addressed and with no sugar coating.
He needs to get in front of this.
We're Americans We can take it and deal with it.
From the editorial:
.....While the huge federal Department of Homeland Security was being created and money spent with abandon, no one had a plan for how to control a lawless city. After Hurricane Katrina hit, a third of the New Orleans police force disappeared. Federal authorities hesitated, as did state and local authorities, who had responsibility for the initial evacuation orders. ...
The editorial addresses that. See Post #22.
Talk to your UNRETIRED comrades. They were 'there' but the state RATS would not let them go in.
I don't think the President has the power to fire mayors and governors.
NOAA: August 2005 Update to Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook Issued: 2 August 2005
Realtime monitoring of tropical Atlantic conditions
Realtime monitoring of tropical East Pacific conditions
Atlantic Hurricane Outlook & Seasonal Climate Summary Archive
SUMMARY
NOAA is calling for a 95% to 100% chance of an above-normal 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, according to a consensus of scientists at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC), Hurricane Research Division (HRD), and National Hurricane Center (NHC). This forecast reflects NOAA’s highest confidence of an above-normal hurricane season since their outlooks began in August 1998.
The updated outlook calls for an extremely active season, with an expected seasonal total of 18-21 tropical storms (mean is 10), with 9-11 becoming hurricanes (mean is 6), and 5-7 of these becoming major hurricanes (mean is 2-3). The likely range of the ACE index for the season as a whole is 180%-270% of the median.
The predicted seasonal totals include the considerable activity that has already occurred prior to this update (7 tropical storms and 2 major hurricanes). Therefore, for the remainder of the season, we expect an additional 11-14 tropical storms, with 7-9 becoming hurricanes, and 3-5 of these becoming major hurricanes. The expected ACE range during August-November is 110%-200% of the median. These very high levels of activity are comparable to those seen during August-November 2003 and 2004. Given the forecast that the remainder of the season will be very active, it is imperative that residents and government officials in hurricane-vulnerable communities have a hurricane preparedness plan in place.
The predicted nearly 100% chance of an above-normal season is higher than the 70% likelihood indicated in NOAA’s pre-season outlook issued May 16th. This increased certainty reflects the fact that the atmospheric and oceanic conditions favoring hurricane formation that were predicted in May are now in place. These conditions, combined with the high levels of activity already seen, make an above-normal season nearly certain.
No he doesn't. But he has the power of his own voice. If he'd show some outrage, it would be the natural and empathetic thing to do!
Yes! They had warning.
The facts don't make the results any prettier.
Bush can be outraged for the people.
The military was there, when they were allowed to be there.
I know this idea makes a lot of conservatives, including me, slightly uncomfortable, but in light of NO we really need to make it easier for the military to look at a bunch of bumbling morons like Blanco and Nagin and say "Okay, that's it. We're taking over."
Bureaucracy and rules have probably killed a lot of people in this incident.
Exactly. And that's not any more surprising than Democrats taking political pot shots.
Bush needs to use the bully pulpit. The polls show the people don't blame him but the unanswered drip, drip, drip by political hacks isn't good for those of us who want to bury LIBERALS.
I can just imagine ... if the military came in quickly they would not be able to come in with food and water as well because of the condition of the roads. Can you just imagine the caterwauling sobsisters of cable tv like Whoraldo or Tululah Shephead: "They came in with guns. They did not bring water." Or "They came in with guns but they didn't bring food." Or "They came in with guns but they didn't bring medicine."
(Cut to the gathering crowd) "Do these people look like they need food and water and medical care" (cut to elderly person in wheelchair) "or do they look like they need the military to hold guns on them?"
"George Bush sent in the military to hold these poor black people at gunpoint when all they need is food, medicine and water. And a way out. Did the military come to give them a way out of this flooded city (cut to shot of water level)? No!!! They want to point their guns at these poor suffering people and make them suffer even more. If that is possible!"
The media will b*tch no matter what, we should at least do the right thing while getting trashed. Sure, the media will probably ignore the secured supply lines, and the water-faring transports bringing attention to the most isolated areas, but at least the right thing was done.
THAT'S WHY HE NEEDS TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE. He can explain how it works, what did work and what didn't work and what needs to be done. He needs to get time on primetime TV and lay it out there.
Our ancestors didn't ask the government to save them. They knew better. They had the skills and common sense to take care of themselves. What they didn't have is modern satellite weather forecasts of hurricanes and television sets to warn everyone.
I can only imagine our ancestors' opinions after realizing we were clearly warned as to what was coming and thousands did nothing to escape the slow-moving storm. After those thousands ignored such disaster warnings, they sat paralyzed and helpless and waited for somebody else to do something to ease their plight.
Able-bodied men refused to help their grandmothers and children to evacuate a city clearly in the path of a killer hurricane. If necessary, thousands of these people could have easily outwalked the approaching storm while it was hundreds of miles away.
This is a national failure of self-reliance on a massive scale.
Our society does not have much of a future when huge numbers of our people cannot save themselves from dangers known well in advance.
This story is not about government at all. It is about generations of sloth and irresponsibility.
A country founded on self-reliance and independence has become a nation shamed by a massive, helpless and ungrateful underclass who apparently cannot wipe their own rear ends without government's help.
I'm not asking the government to save us.
But we're paying BIG BUCKS for national security.
If you can't deliver the product because of problems in the line of delivery, you need to fix it.
I include national defense w/ national security.
Whaooo,Hold on to your hat folks, you ain't seen nothin yet with the blame game, these political hacks are about to get their mitts on billions of bucks to 'rebuild" LA. and NO. and Blanko and Nagin ain't about to ask for no outside help spending it.
I doubt Blanco and Nagin are going to be around long.
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