What I find appauling is that there was no provision for a non mandatory evacuation prior to the mandatory one. Why couldn't buses have been provided beginning 48 hours before the projected land fall for anyone wanting to leave but with no private means of transportation. I think the mayor should have at least had the authority to declare a volunary evacuation and started using the school and transit system buses. Both the city and state had a plan to use transports that they owned to evacuate vulnerable areas. Why didn't they execute those plans.
Well Nagin said there were no drivers for the buses. They were unavailable. Makes sense, since there was no plan or call to make them available, and even if called, many would have not shown up. They were out of town already I suspect. That is why we need a tough, butt kicking, order giving, won't take no for an answer, US army general, with absolute authority, to manage the whole thing, particularly when dealing with getting massive numbers of folks out BEFORE the storm, when you have about 48 hours to do it all. If Bush wants to redeem himself, he needs to get a law passed to do precisely this.
"I think the mayor should have at least had the authority to declare a volunary evacuation and started using the school and transit system buses"
He did have this authority, according to the southeast Louisiana emergency evacuation plan that has been posted to FR several times.