Posted on 09/01/2005 9:05:22 PM PDT by M. Espinola
FEMA is getting an earful from the man heading New Orleans' emergency operations.
Terry Ebbert says the federal agency's response to Katrina is "a national disgrace."
Ebbert says FEMA has been in the city for three days, but he says that has yet to result in any command and control. He says Mayor Ray Nagin has been "pushing and asking, but we're not getting any supplies."
The emergency chief says the evacuation of thousands from New Orleans to Texas has been "almost entirely" a Louisiana operation -- saying he hasn't seen "a single FEMA guy."
"Why aren't Ebbert/Nagin assuming any command-and-control functions?"
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Because they don't want to be the ones to make the real political tough decisions, even though it is Naglins and Blanco's job.
They want to be covered from unpleasant decisions
And we saw on TV rows and rows of flooded school buses that could have been used prior to the hurricane to evacuate many of those who didn't have transportation and couldn't get out. It seems there was no plan at all. Just get out, you're on your own.
It is the responsibility of the States and local governments to plan for disasters. FEMA is invited in and is really only suppose to serve as a back up not first source of aid. Poor evacuation planning is not the fault of the Federal Gov't. How are they suppose to know the needs of every community?
I wonder what this guy's background is. He sure does not seem to know the ins and outs of Emergency Management.
I love how all of these people are blaming Bush, yet he is the only one doing anything. Where is the mayor? Where is the governor? Too busy giving interviews blaming Bush for everything I guess.
The ones who are screaming at people to take care of them are making me sick. VOLUNTEERS are doing their damn best to save their lives and the best they can do is scream at people like savages. They have a half dozen kids each it seems and they refused to leave a category 5 hurricane. They could have gotten on one of the buses taking them to shelters instead of being smart*sses before the storm.
I'm sorry they are suffering. Sometimes it takes personal responsibility for having all those kids in the first place. Sitting on their *sses all day breeding like rats and don't even know who the fathers are isn't exactly a life, IMO. Government has been the "daddy" to too many kids in this country for way too long. And we wonder where all those thugs are coming from?!
I understand some of the elderly and sick couldn't have gotten out. Those are the people the rescue units should be taking care of instead of dead beats who refuse to listen to anyone. Now, who are the ones *itching the loudest?!!!
The MSM has really done their job , when we have old time FReepers blaming Bush. Unbelievable
Elected officials to doing their jobs, do you have to take such an extremist position? ;)
Pretty much is exactly what is happening.
" ...Capt. John Pallerre of the Texas Air Force National Guard told the crowd on public address:
"We can't have people fighting. I have kids here who are crying and frightened and can't find their parents. Be adults. We're going to get you out of here. It takes a while. I'm not God. If I was, you'd all be home with your family."
" Be adults " does not appear to be the motto of the leadership in Louisiana- from the statehouse on down.
Governor Blank was apparently unaware that
deployment control of the Louisiana National Guard was at her discretion.
She could have mobilized her Guard units at any time last week.
Don't they get the Weather Channel in Baton Rouge ?
She's been quasi catatonic and bewildered all week.
And that was a nice non Giuliani touch by the mayor this afternoon-
throwing in the towel at the Superdome and calling out SOS.
And Ebbert is inexplicable.
Louisiana once had Huey Long, now they have Huey , Dewey and Louie.
After I posted I looked up his info. Actually he does have an impressive C.V. he is ex military and I saw nothing to indicate he would not be qualified. However it does seem he dropped the ball big time. His blasting away at FEMA is one way of taking focus off his very major lack of ability to deal with Katrina and the aftermath.
Uh, where is the NO police department in all this? I hear that some of them are actually participating in the looting. One of those reports comes directly from a relative, who was trapped for awhile in the French Quarter.
New Orleans should get their own act together before whining about FEMA.
"Louisiana once had Huey Long, now they have Huey , Dewey and Louie.
Maybe Rudy should take over the whole operation and get things coordinated.
Gee. Is the head of FEMA a George Bush appointee?
Valid point. In this case both city management and the feds have made major blunders.
I said it before and shall say it again. Living under sea level is not the smartest thing and thinking 'it won't happen here' has hopefully taught other areas to fix problem, instead of shoving them under the rug and squandering tax dollars on pork projects which do not protect the public.
Saying that still does not let the feds off the hook.
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