Posted on 09/01/2005 9:33:54 PM PDT by PhilipFreneau
Tonight on Nightline, during an inteview with the FEMA director, Ted Koppel demanded to know why the Bush Administration did not send fleets of buses into New Orleans to evacuate those too poor to evacuate themselves -- PRIOR TO KATRINA HITTING NEW ORLEANS.
For previous hurricanes the Federal Government did not participate in evacuations, only in clean up and recovery. That did not seem to matter much to Koppel since he obviously knew that Mike Brown was too much of a gentleman to smack him for attempting to deceived the American people.
However, Koppel does have a point, in a way. The Bush Administration should have known the Louisiana and New Orleans governments would be too incompetent to do anything right, and should have planned for it.
I giess the president knew just where the storm would hit a day before ..Ted's an idiot. I can't believe he got away with that one.
:-) Thanks! I needed that.
;And that fact is becoming clearer and clearer to just about anyone paying the slightest attention. I can be critical of the federal response, but trying to blame the federal government for not having a 20/20 crystal ball is just plain stupid.
I saw Koppel and heard the statement he read from Terry Ebbert, New Orleans' head of Homeland Security. It's not like that area did not get federal money to prepare for a disaster-found this on the net at cityofno.com:
...since February 2003, the Office of Homeland Security & Public Safety has secured over $21.7 million in state and federal funding. New Orleans won a $13.3 million Urban AreaSecurity Initiative (UASI) grant for 2003/2004. This grant will boost overall preparedness in Orleans,Jefferson, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes.The City also won a $7.3 million Interoperability Grant to link voice, video, and data communications across 8 parishes (Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. James, and St. Tammany). New Orleans was one of only 14 cities to receive this grant, and was the only city to attempt the project over a large region.Other grants include a $675,000 State Homeland Security Grant Program, a $269,000 Domestic Preparedness Equipment Grant, and a $176,000 Final Four Reimbursement. (end of city of NO blurb)
The above was for Homeland Security money that was given to NO for 2003/2004. I would guess they got more money since then. IMHO, it's not like the fed's were throwing peanuts at New Orleans to come up with a plan. What happened to the plan, the money, the equipment? Did they use the reverse 911 system to notify people to get out? I was really angry when I saw the NO Director of Homeland Security was blaming FEMA for all the problems.
That's one of the best 'splanations of the New Orleans situation I've seen so far.
The failure was guaranteed decades ago, when Democrats in Baton Rouge and in New Orleans (all Democrats) decided to build the system for a Category 3 storm. What is happening now, was guaranteed from the moment that Katrina came ashore, when the Mayor of New Orleans had failed to urge all citizens to get in their cars or on the buses and trolleys that were still running, and GET OUT OF TOWN.
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Congressman Billybob
Latest column: "Tide of Lies Swamps NY Times: Employees Riot and Steal Office Supplies"
Katrina was a Category 1 storm when it hit south Florida. Nobody expected it to get as big or as strong as it did. Andrew almost completely petered out after it crossed Florida and caoused little damage when it hit land again. It's ridiculous to suggest that anyone had more than about 36 hours to prepare for a Cat 4/5 hurricane hitting New Orleans. New Orleans is home to over 500,000 people. Where is FEMA supposed to get 15,000 buses?
The guy's a carpenter,,,,
Hit the nail on the head!
Do you have a link to it? something to toss in some editors' faces.
Nam Vet
Think about it, Mayor denies he has authority to declare an evac order. Why? Was he denied the authority by someone with more authority? Possibly. The Gov is next up the chain of command. Why did the Gov delay the evac order? Who denied her the authority to give the evac order? Next up the chain is Senator Mary L. Sen Mary L. was on TV the day of Katrina, front and center to blame GWB for the use of troops in Iraq being responsible for greivous injury to Dim voters.
Who could coerce Mary L. to delay the evac order? The shadow of the shrew is all over this farce of "responsible" govenment of the people. It may seem a bit convoluted, but it has motive (Blame W).
The only other explantion is TOTAL INCOMPETANCE in which case the Bunko Blancos should step aside
and let the competant take charge to prevent any more loss of life, and property!The again maybe both incompetance and treason!
Kill A Commie For Mommie
Seven Dead Monkeys Page O Tunes
LOL.
You guys lost, get over it.
Somebody said if those school buses were diesels, they might still start. I wonder if anyones tried? Think it's worth making a fuss about it? Emailing it to media like Fox?
That's exactly what yesterday's editorial in the NYTimes criticized him for NOT doing. It basically said he was too stupid to understand the enormity of what happened.
Thank you for posting that picture. I think that is the one picture that infuriates me the most about this whole situation.
Where were all the democrat "Get out the Vote" Buses? The Democrats who run the city let down their own people.
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