Posted on 02/02/2006 2:24:48 PM PST by WestTexasWend
A congressional committee wants to know why many nursing home residents were left behind before Hurricane Katrina hit, and Louisiana's governor was called upon to answer the committee's questions this morning.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco finished her testimony before the committee just before noon.
According to the state's emergency plan, the Department of Transportation and Development was responsible for the evacuation of the state's most vulnerable residents, like nursing homes and hospital patients. At least 140 patients at New Orleans area hospitals and nursing homes died during the storm and its aftermath.
On Capitol Hill today, two senators told Blanco they were disappointed in the testimony given previously by DOTD Secretary Johnny Bradberry, who said he didn't think nursing home and hospital patient evacuation was an appropriate responsibility for his agency to bear.
Committee Chairwoman Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Blanco what the state was doing to fix the problem.
"We certainly agree with you that the Department of Transportation should have planned the evacuation of the most needy citizens," Blanco said. "Let me say that that will never happen again."
Blanco said in the future nursing home evacuations will fall under the Department of Health and Hospitals. She also said nursing home owners have a personal responsibility to follow their evacuation plan.
Thursday marked the second time the governor has answered questions in Washington, D.C., about the response to Hurricane Katrina. Committee members will also take testimony from Mississippi Gov. Hailey Barbour.
During the hearings, Governor Blanco said she would take responsibility for improving New Orleans.
The White House has told congress to expect requests for another $18 billion more for hurricane relief.
http://www.klfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=4447240
Easy... they are dims!
LLS
Feb 2, 2006 KATC-3 Lafayette, LA
Financial reports, Blanco and her husband earn $200,000
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Governor Kathleen Blanco and her husband, earned about 200-thousand dollars in salaries last year. That's according to financial disclosure records filed with the state.
The governor is required to disclose her business interests, income, real estate holdings, stock transactions and liabilities. She files a disclosure form with the state ethics board that lists money in ranges.
Blancos salary of 95-thousand dollars a year is set by law.
Her husband is the vice president of student affairs at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and has a higher salary.
In 2005, the Blancos bought 550 shares of stock and sold 676 shares.
The majority of their stock transactions were less than five-thousand dollars.
The only liability listed is 50-thousand to 99-thousand dollars owed to Iberia Bank in Lafayette.
http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=4445239
"We certainly agree with you that the Department of Transportation should have planned the evacuation of the most needy citizens," Blanco said. "Let me say that that will never happen again."
AGAIN?
Next week, Blanco will be claiming that it was actually the Federal Department of Transportation that failed to evacuate those patients.
"We certainly agree with you that the Department of Transportation should have planned the evacuation of the most needy citizens," Blanco said. "Let me say that that will never happen again."
Blanco said in the future nursing home evacuations will fall under the Department of Health and Hospitals. She also said nursing home owners have a personal responsibility to follow their evacuation plan.
----Tell that to the victims families. See if they buy it. All of this should have ALREADY been planned out in the event of an emergency. Telling people "oops! my bad. It won't happen again" just doesn't seem enough. What exactly do they pay her and Nagin to do? They don't know their a** from a hole in the ground about ANYTHING.
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