Jeff Parish Sheriff Lee commandeers Wal-Mart from FEMA

Times-Picayune ^ | Sept. 11, 2005

[Revel]

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee commandeers Sam's Wal-Mart stores Sunday, 10:30 a.m.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee said he has "commandered" the Sam's and Wal-Mart stores in the parish and ordered them to open as soon as possible.

Lee said he took the action after he learned that a Wal-Mart store wanted to open recently but was told by FEMA officials that it could not.

"I am upset with FEMA and some of their regulations," Lee said.

After talking about the situation concerning the Wal-Mart on Thursday, Lee said he briefly talked to Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans on Friday. He asked her to check on the situation and find out if there was a legitimate reason to keep the store closed.

But because of communication difficulties, he did not hear back and took the situation in his own hands.

Lee said he gave handwritten notes to Wal-Mart stores in Harvey and Kenner saying they were ordered to open as soon as possible. Lee said Parish President Aaron Broussard agreed with the decision.

Lee said anyone from FEMA who tries to close either store will be arrested by deputies.

"We're encouraging the businesses to get up and going."

On other topics, Lee said he had 40 deputies who didn't report for duty for the storm. One who tried to return was told not to waste his time.

"As far as I am concerned (he) will never get a job in law enforcement again," Lee said.

[thegreatbeast]

I wish there was more clarification on this. There might be a good reason for FEMA not wanting the store open.

Thank you for pointing this out. Someone has to be in charge. You can't have the right hand working against the left hand and you don't shoot your mouth off about arresting your partners. Is there anybody in LA that doesn't have to act like a prima donna?
Geezus, grow up.

[jwpjr]

I have just returned from a week shooting pictures along the Gulf Coast from Pascagoula to Jefferson Parish. I see no reason for the stores in Jefferson Parish to be open, there is not supposed to be any residents there for three weeks while the clean up is going on. The disaster contractors who are there doing the clean up bring everything they need with them. There should be no customers for the Wal-Mart stores. They need to get their stories straight! There is virtually no power in the parish which means no traffic lights, etc. Most of the streets are blocked by fallen trees. You can get a feel for some of the damage from my website: http://www.jwparker.com . You will have to sift through the pictures to find the ones of storm damage. I was shooting for one of the disaster contractors and there are lots of pictures of their employees at work. The site is not intended to be for showing storm damage, so I would ask viewers to bear with the unrelated images that are there.

[spinestein]

[After talking about the situation concerning the Wal-Mart on Thursday, Lee said he briefly talked to Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans on Friday. He asked her to check on the situation and find out if there was a legitimate reason to keep the store closed.]



Let's see if I've got this straight.

Most Democrats despise WalMart because they supposedly exploit workers and represent the archetypal greedy big corporation. Democrats usually want to shut down WalMart because for this reason.

FEMA, which is part of the Executive branch and currently controlled by a Republican, is trying to keep WalMart from reopening after a natural disaster, I assume because of safety issues (though this inadequate article doesn't explain why, or even think the question is important enough to ask).

Now a bunch of Democrats are using the state of Louisiana's law enforcement to coerce WalMart to be open for business in defiance of FEMA.

I can only conclude that when times are tough and the voting public NEEDS THINGS, even Democrats will eagerly embrace raw capitalism to see that they get it, and screw the hypocrisy.

[Mike Darancette]

With FEMA getting this type of cooperation up and down the line is it any wonder they had problems?

Every Mayor, Councilman, Police Chief, Governor and bureaucrat thinks he knows better and should be the exception.

[IronMan04]

I always thought he was Korean. I stand corrected.

[Bush 100 Percent]

Lots of things don't add up in this story.

1) As far as I understand it, the whole point is that FEMA
does not have this type of power or authority. It
resides with State officials unless they have given
it to a the federal government specifically .... (NOT
FEMA).

2) Not even Sheriffs should be making this up as they go
along. There should be a PLAN. Once an area has been
given the go ahead to have people come back in and stay,
businesses are free to reopen. If this has not happened,
where will the Walmart employees come from?

3) I can't imagine what authority a Sheriff has to command
that a business open immediately ....

P.S. Funny how these authorities wanted the Federal Government to take over and take all the blame when things weren't going well in the beginning, now, they want to just over-rule anything that they don't like and do it their way ....

[spinestein]

[...because for this reason.]


I speak well good.

:^)

[swheats]

That's what I was thinking if Landrieu didn't make a big deal of it.

[claudiustg]

---After talking about the situation concerning the Wal-Mart on Thursday, Lee said he briefly talked to Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans on Friday. He asked her to check on the situation and find out if there was a legitimate reason to keep the store closed.---

He goes to the boss of bosses, the lady in charge, the lady responsible...

[Paleo Conservative]

The only Chinese-American sheriff in America.

Until I read your post I thought there was a chance he was related to Robert E. Lee.

[StevieB]

Several years ago there was an FR article on Sheriff Lee and his program to hunt down and kill the Nutria on the levees in his parish. He came across as a no-nonsense type of guy ... someone who is more concerned with getting the job done than with being "correct and proper".

[McGavin999]

I don't know. We're only hearing one side of the story here. I heard some doctor on Greta tonight smashing FEMA because they didn't come pick up a body at his office. He removed it after they told him to leave it where it was and now he's complaining because they won't come to pick it up.

The only thing I can think of is they have a grid worked out and are working it from one point to the other in order to make sure they don't leave anyone behind.

In six months, these people are going to be filing lawsuits against the government for not protecting them from some weird disease that breaks out because of the flood water. They need to just get out of there until they get all the water pumped out, pick up the bodies and get the cleanup underway.

[BurbankKarl]

This is more New Orleans area B.S.

It is also the same parish that claimed that FEMA stole their radio antenna.

[Revel]

I can see possible arguments on both sides. More facts would be in order. At first glance I am rather pleased to see the sherrif keeping some checks and balances in the system. I like his guts. He may not be justified...I don't know. But then again he is the Sherrif!

[Revel]

"He goes to the boss of bosses, the lady in charge, the lady responsible..."

If it is any consolation...I don't think he much cared what she thought since he did no wait for her reply.

[HAL9000]

1) As far as I understand it, the whole point is that FEMA does not have this type of power or authority. It resides with State officials unless they have given it to a the federal government specifically .... (NOT FEMA).

There are plenty of Executive Orders for such actions by FEMA.

[BurbankKarl]

The reason FEMA doesnt allow an "everything goes" type response, is that all these rescue squads and relief companies usually submit bills afterward to FEMA.

I have no idea what is going on with the Walmart and Sams Club, other than that story has been around a week already....there must be more to it than what the Jeff Co. people are saying. We already have heard one side of many stories they have gone to the media with....

[claudiustg]

Isn't it odd though that he would look to her. She's not part of his chain of command. I can see that he might seek a federal office holder's help as a private citizen, but he's not acting as a private citizen. He's jumping outside the normal chain of command, unless folks down their just naturally defer to Mary Landrieu.

[MississippiMan]

Now THIS is exciting, my friends. As far as I'm concerned, THIS is the spirit that made this country great, and it's high time it was revived, high time someone used plain old GUMPTION and overruled some goofy federal bureaucrats. HUGE CHEERS for this man!

MM

[Antonello]

Several years ago there was an FR article on Sheriff Lee and his program to hunt down and kill the Nutria on the levees in his parish.

Wasn't there a nutria recipe book involved in that program?