Governor Blanco's Letter To President Bush 8/27/05

8/27/05

[rit]

August 27, 2005

The President The White House Washington, D. C.

Through: Regional Director FEMA Region VI 800 North Loop 288 Denton, Texas 76209

Dear Mr. President:

Under the provisions of Section 501 (a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206 (Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR § 206.35, I request that you declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing. The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area and the mid state Interstate I-49 corridor and northern parishes along the I-20 corridor that are accepting the thousands of citizens evacuating from the areas expecting to be flooded as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan.

Pursuant to 44 CFR § 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal.

Preliminary estimates of the types and amount of emergency assistance needed under the Stafford Act, and emergency assistance from certain Federal agencies under other statutory authorities are tabulated in Enclosure A.

The following information is furnished on the nature and amount of State and local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the conditions of this emergency:

. Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby.

. Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby.

. Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters.

. Louisiana State Police (LSP): Providing support for the phased evacuation of the coastal areas.

. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Supporting the evacuation of the affected population and preparing for Search and Rescue Missions.

. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD): Coordinating traffic flow and management of the evacuations routes with local officials and the State of Mississippi.

The following information is furnished on efforts and resources of other Federal agencies, which have been or will be used in responding to this incident:

. FEMA ERT-A Team en-route.

I certify that for this emergency, the State and local governments will assume all applicable non-Federal share of costs required by the Stafford Act.

I request Direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property.

(a) List any reasons State and local government cannot perform or contract for performance, (if applicable).

(b) Specify the type of assistance requested.

In accordance with 44 CFR § 206.208, the State of Louisiana agrees that it will, with respect to Direct Federal assistance:

1. Provide without cost to the United States all lands, easement, and rights-of-ways necessary to accomplish the approved work.

2. Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the requested work, and shall indemnify the Federal Government against any claims arising from such work;

3. Provide reimbursement to FEMA for the non-Federal share of the cost of such work in accordance with the provisions of the FEMA-State Agreement; and

4. Assist the performing Federal agency in all support and local jurisdictional matters.

In addition, I anticipate the need for debris removal, which poses an immediate threat to lives, public health, and safety.

Pursuant to Sections 502 and 407 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5192 & 5173, the State agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States of America for any claims arising from the removal of debris or wreckage for this disaster. The State agrees that debris removal from public and private property will not occur until the landowner signs an unconditional authorization for the removal of debris.

I have designated Mr. Art Jones as the State Coordinating Officer for this request. He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Governor

[Wil H]

These are two different letters, under different sections of the Stafford Act (401 Major Disaster Assistance Programs) and (501 Emergency Assistance Programs).

They both ask for financial assistance but the first letter requests NO federal resources and the second only requests help with debris removal after the storm.

[carlr]

From the Governors website http://gov.louisiana.gov/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976

Towards the bottom is a description of "Enclosure A" that was requested.
Unless I am misreading it it is an estimate and request for financial assistance.

[hlmencken3]

Actually, #1 letter requests $9 mil and letter #2 requests #130 mil.

No requests for direct evac help or for distribution of supplies. As you pointed out, she did request direct help for debris removal.

[marblehead17]

ping

[LA Woman3]

Ping!

[LA Woman3]

Check out this thread....it was the live discussions during Katrina....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1471729/posts?q=1&&page=201

Start around post 166....

[Ellesu]

Press Releases

Date: 9/9/2005

Contact: Denise Bottcher or Roderick Hawkins at 225-342-9037


Governor Blanco's Statement Regarding Vice Admiral Thad Allen

"I look forward to working with Vice Admiral Thad Allen in his new role as principal federal officer of recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Yesterday, he gave a comprehensive report to Vice President Cheney and me and demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of our situation. I welcome him and know that we must have a long-term relationship in order to alleviate the suffering and frustration of our people."

[Ellesu]

http://www.gov.state.la.us/workonkatrina%20.asp

[Ellesu]

http://www.gov.state.la.us/

[LOC1]

First a basic physics lesson: kinetic energy = i/2 times mass times velocity squared. That means the energy imparted to a stationary object by wind speed (and the resulting damages) go up with the square of the wind speed. That is why a category four/five hurricane is maybe ten times more damaging than a category three hurricane.

Hurricane emergency plans at the local, state, and federal level were apparently based on a category three hurricane, which statistically was much more likely than one as strong as Katrina.

It is like we took a knife to a gun fight. Forget about the obvious incompetence at many levels. We were just out gunned by a hurricane not just a little stronger, but perhaps ten times as strong, as the emergency planners had set themselves up to handle.

Preparing for a category four/five hurricane requires maybe ten times the resources, and much stronger, and more expensive, structural designs than were in place.

The real failure was allowing statistics of probable storm strength to get in the way of good sense.

[Cboldt]

I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments (read: unprepared) ...

Some events are of a magnitude that the affected state is reasonably unprepared. It's a beauty of our system of state and federal cooperation, in principle.

Blanco's requests of 8/27 and 8/28 were for federal money, and that too is not unreasonable. But what she exhibited was denial. Denial that the storm was of biblical proportion (Bush and the NWS told her to order mandatory evac); denial of loss of civil order (rejection of Federal offer to restore order, after the storm and when order was clearly lost); denial that her forces did not have the force required to restore order; denial that they didn't follow their own plans.

The state could have pulled off an evacuation w/o federal help, had they done so before the storm hit. But even it all had gone off the best you can imagine, if LA had executed their plan and "been prepared," the state of LA would deserve federal assistance for recovery.

[drpix]

Aug 27 letter:

I certify that for this emergency, the State and local governments will assume all applicable non-Federal share of costs required by the Stafford Act.

I request Direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property.

(a) List any reasons State and local government cannot perform or contract for performance, (if applicable).

(b) Specify the type of assistance requested.

---

Aug 28 letter:

Due to the...................
....... I certify that for this major disaster, the State and local governments will assume all applicable non-Federal share of costs required by the Stafford Act.

I request Direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property.

(a) We do not anticipate State and local resources to be able to accomplish the volume of debris removal anticipated for this disaster.

(b) We are requesting a direct debris removal mission assignment for Hurricane Katrina.

---

Above are the "certification" and "direct work and services" portions of both letters. It looks to me that on the 27th Blanco's office left the instructions for section (a) & (b) in the 1st - without even completing it.

When the boobs redo it on the 28th (so as to complete the missing portions) ALL they request is "a direct debris removal mission assignment". The rest of both letters, true to democrat form, only request money and more money. The letter of the 27th specifies the money in "Enclosure A" (see post # 42) and the letter of the 28th in the text.

How can citizens of LA not impeach this incompetant clown?

[drpix]

Blanco: "...he gave a comprehensive report...and demonstrated a comprehensive understanding..."

Sounds like a elementary school teacher's notes on a report card!

[Wil H]

Correct, The Federal forces were held at arm's length by the governor until friday.

So any criticism of the "late arrival of the military" can be laid squarely at Blanco's door.

[Wil H]

Correct, The Federal forces were held at arm's length by the governor until friday.

So any criticism of the "late arrival of the military" can be laid squarely at Blanco's door.

[RGSpincich]

I have designated Mr. Art Jones as the State Coordinating Officer for this request. He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.

Mister Jones?...Paging Mister Jones.

[stocksthatgoup]

Aides to Ms. Blanco said she was prepared to accept the deployment of active-duty military officials in her state. But she and other state officials balked at giving up control of the Guard as Justice Department officials said would have been required by the Insurrection Act if those combat troops were to be sent in before order was restored.

Did Ms Blanco ever give up control of the guard?

[stocksthatgoup]

Gov Blanco singing "Me and Mr. Jones"

[jdhljc169]

Bump

[rit]

Did Ms Blanco ever give up control of the guard?

Not that I am aware of.