Posted on 09/03/2005 9:13:46 PM PDT by LittleRedRooster
Governor Blanco Announces Executive Order
Baton Rouge, LA— Governor Blanco today announced the following Executive Order:
Executive Order NO. KBB 2005- 31- provides that pursuant to the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act, R.S. 29:721, et seq., grants emergency powers to the governor, where, she has in consultation with school superintendents, utilized public school buses for transportation of Hurricane Katrina evacuees. As you are aware most public school districts will not begin school until Tuesday, September 6th 2005.
The full text of the above mentioned proclamation is available on the Internet at www.gov.state.la.us.
You left off that the document is dated September 1. Door ... Barn ... Closed.
She's trying to take complete control?
Good!
Typical. a week late and woefully unprepared.
Executive Order NO. KBB 2005- 31- provides that pursuant to the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act, R.S. 29:721, et seq., grants emergency powers to the governor, where, she has in consultation with school superintendents, utilized public school buses for transportation of Hurricane Katrina evacuees. As you are aware most public school districts will not begin school until Tuesday, September 6th 2005.
What can I say?
1.Horse escapes.
2. Barn door closed.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. KBB 2005 - 25
________________________________________________________________________________
EMERGENCY EVACUATION BY BUSES
________________________________________________________________________________
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act,
R.S. 29:721, et seq., confers upon the governor of the state of Louisiana emergency powers to deal with emergencies and disasters, including those caused by fire, flood, earthquake or other natural or man-made causes, to ensure that preparations of this state will be adequate to deal with such emergencies or disasters, and to preserve the lives and property of the citizens of the state of
Louisiana;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Proclamation No. 48 KBB 2005, a state of emergency was declared and is currently in effect;
WHEREAS, R.S. 29:724(D)(4) provides that the governor, subject to any applicable requirements for compensation, may commandeer or utilize any private property if she finds it necessary to cope with the disaster or emergency;
WHEREAS, there is an immediate need for mass transportation to move citizens to shelters and other safe locations from disaster areas; and
WHEREAS, given the current exigent circumstances, buses are the most reasonable and practical mode of mass transportation to move our citizens to safety;
NOW THEREFORE I, KATHLEEN BABINEAUX BLANCO, Governor of the state of Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the state of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows:
SECTION 1: Each Superintendent of Education for each school district in Louisiana that remains substantially operational following the passage of Hurricane Katrina shall contact the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at 225-925-3916 and provide an inventory of school buses and bus drivers in their district;
SECTION 2: As determined by the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, such buses shall be made available to be used as necessary for the mass transportation of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, accompanying law enforcement personnel, and necessary supplies to and from areas of concern to areas of safety;
SECTION 3: The Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is hereby authorized to commandeer and utilize such buses for such purposes;
SECTION 4: Each Superintendent of Education for each school district in Louisiana that remains substantially operational following the passage of Hurricane Katrina shall coordinate with local law enforcement agencies and eace officers to ensure that at least one peace officer ride in each bus and at least two marked law enforcement vehicles accompany every ten buses;
SECTION 5: The Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness shall make efforts to work with the superintendents and local boards of education to minimize interruption of regular transportation of students;
SECTION 6: La. R.S. 17:158, relative to parish and city school boards providing free transportation to students, is hereby suspended until Sunday, September 25, 2005, unless reinstated sooner; and
SECTION 7: La. R.S. 32:402, relative to the requirement for drivers to secure commercial driver’s license (CDL), is hereby suspended until September, 25, 2005, unless reinstated sooner. Notwithstanding the above suspension, such driver’s must have a valid Louisiana or other valid driver’s license of their state of residence.
SECTION 8: Executive Order No. KBB 2005-31, issued on August 31, 2005, is hereby rescinded and terminated.
SECTION 9: This Order is effective upon signature and shall continue in effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the governor, or terminated by operation of law.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the city of Baton Rouge, on this 2nd day of September, 2005.
/S/ Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA
ATTEST BY
THE GOVERNOR
/S/ Al Ater
SECRETARY OF STATE
In a spirit of cooperation, West Baton Rouge Parish and its school bus provider, First Student Inc., "loaned" their buses to the state Wednesday night for what they thought would be one run to New Orleans to help evacuate trapped residents from the flooded city.
Superintendent David Corona thought the buses would be back before classes resumed Thursday, after three days of closure as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
About 4 a.m. Thursday, Corona received a call saying that Gov. Kathleen Blanco had issued an executive order turning his buses over to the authority of State Police. The buses would not be available to take children to school.
"We were in a complex situation," Corona said. "A lot of parents planned to send their kids to school, and wouldn't have day care."
There was no forewarning of the bus commandeering. The order caused West Baton Rouge Parish and Zachary school systems to cancel classes until Tuesday. Baker held classes Thursday, but is canceling today.
Among Baton Rouge-area school systems, only West Feliciana Parish schools, where most bus drivers are independent contractors, is holding school today.
"I don't have the power to tell my bus drivers that they have to go to New Orleans," Superintendent Lloyd Lindsey said.
Most other local systems, still trying to regain electrical power, are waiting until Tuesday to resume classes, but it's not clear whether they'll be able to.
Every superintendent interviewed expressed support for the evacuation, and said they were helping the refugees already by preparing meals, collecting donations and finding uniforms. A few, though, were concerned about Blanco's order and are seeking more guidance about how long the evacuations will last.
"I'm praying that they bring our buses back," East Baton Rouge Parish School Superintendent Charlotte Placide said.
The state Department of Education learned about the governor's plan Wednesday night, giving the agency little time to alert affected school systems, said Meg Casper, interim communications director.
Blanco's surprise executive order is far reaching. It calls for all Louisiana school systems to make their buses available "as necessary" and to continue doing so until as late as Sept. 25. The order also specifically suspends a state law requiring free transportation for students.
In West Baton Rouge, there was no free school transportation Thursday and it showed.
Superintendent Corona called radio and television stations to say that school would be held, but that no buses were available. Children who could not make it to school would not be considered absent.
Corona said about 100 students made it to class at each of the system's 10 schools. Normal school enrollment is just under 3,500.
Corona said school officials spent Thursday afternoon making sure that those who did make it to school got home safely.
Classes are canceled today, though he hopes to resume Tuesday.
"That's assuming that we have our buses back and that we can get gasoline," Corona said. "Nobody really knows."
Officials in Zachary, which also uses First Student, also loaned buses, 23 of them, for the rescue effort Wednesday night only to find out around dawn that they would not be back in time to take kids to school. Superintendent Warren Drake made a quick decision. He canceled school Thursday and today.
Zachary administrators and teachers frantically were calling students to tell them to stay home. A few children already were standing at bus stops, but they were located and directed home, Drake said.
Drake, who volunteered to help during the cleanup after 1969's devastating Hurricane Camille, understood Blanco's move, though he wishes he had more notice.
"I'm all for it, because we have to help this human tragedy," he said.
He said he still plans to have school Tuesday.
"I have no guarantee that they'll have my buses," he said. "But I think they'll have everybody out by Monday."
Have you seen this?
How many are there? I tried counting, but kept losing my place.
A week late and a billion dollars short.
Those buses will probably all need to be replaced.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
Ouch!!! That's gonna leave a mark.
What the heck is she talking about?
These buses are under water and are going nowhere!
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. KBB 2005 - 25 ________________________________________________________________________________ EMERGENCY EVACUATION BY BUSES ________________________________________________________________________________ WHEREAS, the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act, R.S. 29:721, et seq., confers upon the governor of the state of Louisiana emergency powers to deal with emergencies and disasters, including those caused by fire, flood, earthquake or other natural or man-made causes, to ensure that preparations of this state will be adequate to deal with such emergencies or disasters, and to preserve the lives and property of the citizens of the state of Louisiana;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Proclamation No. 48 KBB 2005, a state of emergency was declared and is currently in effect;
WHEREAS, R.S. 29:724(D)(4) provides that the governor, subject to any applicable requirements for compensation, may commandeer or utilize any private property if she finds it necessary to cope with the disaster or emergency;
WHEREAS, there is an immediate need for mass transportation to move citizens to shelters and other safe locations from disaster areas; and
WHEREAS, given the current exigent circumstances, buses are the most reasonable and practical mode of mass transportation to move our citizens to safety;
NOW THEREFORE I, KATHLEEN BABINEAUX BLANCO, Governor of the state of Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the state of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows: SECTION 1: Each Superintendent of Education for each school district in Louisiana that remains substantially operational following the passage of Hurricane Katrina shall contact the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at 225-925-3916 and provide an inventory of school buses and bus drivers in their district;
SECTION 2: As determined by the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, such buses shall be made available to be used as necessary for the mass transportation of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, accompanying law enforcement personnel, and necessary supplies to and from areas of concern to areas of safety;
SECTION 3: The Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is hereby authorized to commandeer and utilize such buses for such purposes; SECTION 4: Each Superintendent of Education for each school district in Louisiana that remains substantially operational following the passage of Hurricane Katrina shall coordinate with local law enforcement agencies and peace officers to ensure that at least one peace officer ride in each bus and at least two marked law enforcement vehicles accompany every ten buses;
SECTION 5: The Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness shall make efforts to work with the superintendents and local boards of education to minimize interruption of regular transportation of students...
etc. etc. etc.......
I probably should exercise more caution in piling on the Governor. But no....nevermind. The way her party is piling on Bush and FEMA, the governor and the mayor of New Orleans deserve our critical attention.
Are emails from state officials public record in Louisiana?
I'm sure we'll find that emails were probably sent to get the ball rolling to use school buses and transit buses to get evacuees out.
However, given the Tammany Hall attitude of New Orleans I'm sure the unions that own the school bus drivers and the public buses probably flat out refused.
Which is why you see the buses parked.
More along the lines of: a WEEK late, and thousands of lives and some billions of dollars short.
Pathetic.
This is actually a good example of one of the many problems with depending on government. The Governor had to get a lawyer to do paperwork and it took two days after the storm before she could sign an executive order giving her the right to take COUNTY (parish) school buses and use them for evacuations.
Also, if you are looking for humor, think about the line where she reminds everybody that school doesn't start until tuesday (presumably to make sure people aren't upset about taking the buses).
How many school systems will be opening in Louisiana on September 6? How many buses in La will have a supply of gas to transport children on that day?
Just wondering. I know that there are parts of La that were not hit too bad, but aren't a lot of schools being used as housing for refugees? Aren't a lot of places still without power, and aren't they having a gas supply problem?
I should think by now an announcement of a statewide delay of 1 week for school would have been made.
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