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Kathleen Blanco: Beyond Gross Public Dumb
Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 24 September 2005 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

Posted on 09/20/2005 11:35:05 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob

The US military has categories of stupidity. The highest is “gross public dumb.” But a higher category is needed for moments like the “bus interview” by Louisiana Governor Blanco. It is spectacularly stupid. You’ve got to see this to believe it.

Interview of Governor Blanco by John Hill of Louisiana Gannett News, 19 September, 2005

“GANNETT: In hindsight, what would you have done differently in the first response?

“BLANCO: Well, I would have placed less confidence in a structure elsewhere (the Federal Emergency Management Association) and depended more on ourselves. As an example, when buses were not delivered in a timely fashion, we had already started gathering school buses ... and buses of any kind ...

“We gave ourselves a false sense of confidence when we were counting on 500 buses that FEMA had ordered that did not come in until Wednesday night. So ...we would depend more on our own resources.”

Is this a stupid statement? To quote Elizabeth Browning, “Let me count the ways.”

Louisiana and New Orleans were supposed to use their OWN buses. So says the Southern Louisiana Evacuation Plan, 1 January, 2000. Was Governor Blanco aware of the Plan? Apparently not. But for any Governor of Louisiana, isn’t dealing with the occasional hurricane part of the job?

She refers to “confidence in FEMA.” Did she think FEMA had magic buses which would run with their engines under water? Did she think people could board those buses from the attics of their houses, hiding from flood waters? Hasn’t she seen the aerial photographs of 500 local buses flooded where they were parked before Katrina hit? Hellooo.

In the past she knew how to roll the buses. When she was running for Governor, she got the buses rolling in New Orleans Parish, with signs and Dixieland bands to turn out voters for Blanco. Which is the higher priority – getting votes for Blanco, or saving lives? Hellooo.

Was FEMA “late” in helping New Orleans? Let’s review. Katrina is the worst hurricane measured by square miles of territory wiped out. The second worst was Hurricane Floyd in 1999. It lingered over North Carolina, wiping out roads, electricity, gas lines, letting loose millions of gallons of sewage and agricultural waste on the eastern third of that state.

In 1999, the Governor did not retire to his fainting couch to “think about it” for 24 hours as Floyd approached. Yet FEMA’s response to Floyd (a smaller destroyed area) was slower than its response to Katrina now. Blanco has to know this, because her hired gun for the political aftermath of Katrina is James Lee Witt, Director of FEMA in 1999. Hellooo.

Asked about her comment which CNN taped that she “should have specifically asked for more troops," she said:

“BLANCO: Well, that was at a point in time when we were wondering if we were getting any significant federal aid. I guess because of the dynamics of the situation, when I asked for help, then I started getting bombarded with, ‘Did you ask specifically for this, that or the other.’ .... When people ask me for help, I know what kind of help I can get to them, and I can get it to them pretty quickly... Nobody bothered to ask me those questions.”

Note that last sentence. If nobody asks her a question, she doesn’t even think about that subject. Should any executive in or outside government ever act like this in an emergency? Hellooo.

Asked about the “breakdown... between state, federal and local people,” she replied,

“BLANCO: “I think the breakdown was at the point of not being able to get (buses) there on time. ... We had one mission in those early days, and it was search and rescue. Get people out of the water.”

No, Mrs. Blanco, the FIRST mission was to get the people out BEFORE the water got there. Hellooo. This woman is unfit to run a lemonade stand. She would have a gross lack of sales because she thought someone else was bringing the lemons.

I’m not picking on Governor Blanco as a Southern woman and Democrat. In three generations of women in my family, most are/were Southerners and Democrats. None of them, in a crisis, ever dithered or worked themselves into a swivet. They sized up the situation and did the best they could. No one was harmed because they couldn’t act..

But people did get harmed, people did die, because Blanco became Governor, clueless of her duties whenever the next major hurricane hit New Orleans. That goes beyond the high standard of gross public dumb.

About the Author: John Armor is a First Amendment attorney and author who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: evacuationplan; fema; gannett; governorblanco; grosspublicdumb; hurricanefloyd; incompetence; jamesleewitt; katrina; katrinafailures; neworleans; publicbuses
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To: Little Ray
The categories run from "Simple Dumb" up to "Gross Public Dumb." A Gunny Sgt. contributed the list to a book entitled, "The Official Explanations," by Paul Dickenson. Long out of print, but I recommend it highly. Either that, or its predecessor, "The Official Rules," contains one of my all-time favorites:

The First Rule of Wingwalking

Never let go of anything until you have hold of something else.

John / Billybob

21 posted on 09/20/2005 11:53:09 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob (This Freeper was linked for the 2nd time by Rush Limbaugh today (9/13/05). Hoohah!)
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To: Congressman Billybob
Kathleen Blanco: Beyond Gross Public Dumb

Yep, no doubt about it, this woman is a true 'mental midget' with the intelligence and common sense of a 5 year old. Actually, that is an insult to my 5 year old great grand daughter but it was all that would come to mind.

22 posted on 09/20/2005 11:55:40 AM PDT by Dustbunny (The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist)
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To: Congressman Billybob
But Mayor Guiliani...er I mean Nagain wanted nothing but nice Greyhounds with air conditioners and bathrooms.
23 posted on 09/20/2005 11:58:02 AM PDT by lormand (George W. Bush is saving your ass, whether you like it or not.)
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To: Galactic Overlord-In-Chief

[Great work pointing out the idiocy of my governor. The sooner she is bumped from office, the better.]


http://www.impeachblanco.org/


24 posted on 09/20/2005 11:59:04 AM PDT by CajunConservative ("Dem's can bus people to the polls but can't bus them out of danger to save their lives.")
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To: Congressman Billybob
...ashamed that she is of Cajun blood
25 posted on 09/20/2005 11:59:20 AM PDT by lormand (George W. Bush is saving your ass, whether you like it or not.)
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To: Red Badger

Kathleen Blanco is the Plastic Pansy hanging from the ski jacket of life.


26 posted on 09/20/2005 11:59:39 AM PDT by TexanToTheCore (Rock the pews, Baby)
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To: Congressman Billybob
As always, a terrific analysis, Congressman, and wonderfully written as well.

But people did get harmed, people did die, because Blanco became Governor.

Very unfortunately for them, people of Louisiana and New Orleans had and still have the government they wanted.

27 posted on 09/20/2005 12:00:05 PM PDT by ExitPurgamentum
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To: Congressman Billybob

I think someone has spelled her name wrongo...should be BLANKO...


28 posted on 09/20/2005 12:02:45 PM PDT by shield (The Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God!!!! by Dr. H. Ross, Astrophysicist)
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To: Congressman Billybob

Very well done!


29 posted on 09/20/2005 12:10:19 PM PDT by meema
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To: Congressman Billybob

Very well done!


30 posted on 09/20/2005 12:10:21 PM PDT by meema
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To: Congressman Billybob
I always like reading your stuff. Thank You!

In a related matter, Snopes.com says that it is not Blanko's fault. Perhaps someone here with more time can take a closer look at this:

http://www.snopes.com/katrina/politics/blanco.asp
31 posted on 09/20/2005 12:11:11 PM PDT by rightsmart
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To: Congressman Billybob

...she just got the "vapors"


Doogle


32 posted on 09/20/2005 12:13:39 PM PDT by Doogle (8th AF...4077thTFW....408thMMS....Ubon Thailand "69"..Night Line Delivery ..AMMO)
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To: Doogle

Congress will investigate the Federal response to Katrina. Who will investigate the State and City fiasco?


33 posted on 09/20/2005 12:16:06 PM PDT by golfisnr1 (Democrats are like roaches, hard to get rid of.>)
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To: Congressman Billybob
The US military has categories of stupidity. The highest is “gross public dumb.” But a higher category is needed for moments like the “bus interview” by Louisiana Governor Blanco. It is spectacularly stupid. You’ve got to see this to believe it.

Blanco ranks as Stupidity of Mass Destruction with oak leaf clusters.

34 posted on 09/20/2005 12:17:32 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (We need a strict constructionist - not someone who plays shadow puppet theater with the Constitution)
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To: Congressman Billybob

Great post.


35 posted on 09/20/2005 12:21:38 PM PDT by WasDougsLamb (I haven't lost a damn thing in New Orleans)
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To: rightsmart
As I understand it, Blanco's early declaration was solely for the purpose of eliminating the liability of public officials and agencies (police, etc.) for steps they took in an emergency.

It was NOT the kind of declaration which would permit federal agencies like FEMA and the US Military to come into Louisiana. The State exclusion early on also applied to the Red Cross which, though private, is assigned some of the specific duties which FEMA oversees.

I went on the Snopes website, but I could not find how to contact them with regard to a specific entry.

John / Billybob

36 posted on 09/20/2005 12:23:03 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob (This Freeper was linked for the 2nd time by Rush Limbaugh today (9/13/05). Hoohah!)
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To: Congressman Billybob

bump


37 posted on 09/20/2005 12:23:20 PM PDT by RobFromGa (Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran-- what are we waiting for?)
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To: rightsmart
Where, prey tell, did she think all those busses would come from? If she wanted buses quick, she should have asked the Ed superintendant to get them from schools in their state. Otherwise, they would come a fer piece. I have seen that they kept upping the request for busses to 1100 and finally to 1300. Can you visualize that one? 1300 busses streaming towards New Orleans? The press would have had a heyday.

And don't forget that they were carrying people to the busses in boats. If Bush had not come up with a better plan, we would still be watching them load 1300 busses.

38 posted on 09/20/2005 12:24:55 PM PDT by ClaireSolt (.)
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To: Congressman Billybob

Blanco and Nagin are public menaces.

How does our Constitution work again? Can we impeach them on the fly?- before the land is dry? - or must other people die?

sp


39 posted on 09/20/2005 12:25:18 PM PDT by sodpoodle (Newbie, PhD. Tenure allows you to stay put - NOT evict others.)
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To: lilylangtree

The poor Mayor didn’t have no drivers because they all left when they heard a hurricane was a comin!


40 posted on 09/20/2005 12:31:14 PM PDT by Rock N Jones
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