Uh, NO, Mr. Bush

[filkertom]

One of the biggest disasters to face our nation, ever, and BushCo is still playing politics and trying to avoid blame. The most recent talking point is that it's the locals' fault, both for not declaring an emergency until Sunday and for not requesting help, and even if they did ask for help not specifying what was needed.

This, of course, would be bullshit.

Here is the official declaration by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babnieaux Blanco of a state of emergency starting on Friday, Aug. 26, until Sunday, Sept. 25.

Here is a four-page letter, dated Aug. 28, laying out in ridiculous detail the assistance Louisiana wanted.



Thanks to The Democratic Daily for this one.

Comments

[romlc475.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, I seem to recall that Bush declared Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as disaster areas BEFORE the storm even made landfall, freeing up FEMA funds for support as they KNEW the damage was going to be devastating. I know my memory isn't what it used to be, but I remember before Katrina hit thinking "Good move, Mr. President...probably the smartest thing you've done in your terms in office".

Four days later, I wondered if I had somehow imagined that every media outlet that announced that had been a hallucination.

I also seem to recall an interview with a truck driver for FEMA stating to the media that he had been loaded and ready to go from Texas to deliver aid supplies on Monday, the 29th, but was "held up", oddly enough, until "W" made his tour of the devastated areas on Thursday, the 1st.

[patoadam]

See http://www.livejournal.com/users/karisu_sama/224813.html.

[patoadam]

Also see this post.

[anansi133.livejournal.com]

It's beginning to cross my mind, that where two hinky elections, bungled 9/11 handling, and a highly suspect Iraq invasion have all been unable to unseat this administration, Katrina may be the banana peel that the camel finally trips over, breaking its back.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I needed that information.

9/11 and Katrina - A failure of Bush, HS and FEMA - rant

[mstrhypno.livejournal.com]

We're coming up on the 4th anniversary of 9/11 and what do we have to show for it? Aside from a national debt that is larger than any in history, a social security situation that is basically being dealt with via a "deal with it yourselves" attitude from the White House, a Medicare system that is essentially out of money already that no one is addressing, a war in Iraq that amounts to returning fire at the wrong target (like bombing China for Pearl Harbor), we have FEMA and Homeland Security.

The Bush administration trumpeted the idea of this new bureaucratic boondoggle from the rooftops. "It will centralize and improve national security in the event of a terrorist attack or other national disaster."

Four years later, we have Katrina. Did we have any contingency plans in place?

No.

Did we have any centralized command and control programs ready to go?

According to the Vice Admiral they just replaced Mr. Brown with, NO.

Did we have any plans in place to move relief assets into the area in a coordinated fashion?

According to the Vice Admiral they just replaced Mr. Brown with, NO.

In other words, the Bush team that put Homeland Security together along with FEMA, which is directly tasked with disaster planning and relief, FAILED to fulfill their mandate to be prepared for a disaster that had already been discussed and argued in budgetary meetings over the last six years or more with regard to the levees.

Congress met in ONE DAY to deal with Terry Schiavo's case. It took them FIVE days to meet to deal with the aftermath of Katrina. So much for their vaunted "belief in the sanctity of life."

Every last one of them, on both sides of the aisle, should be hanging their heads in shame, but most especially, Bill Frist who, when Congress reconveined, wanted to put the tax relief bill for the rich AHEAD of the emergency flood relief bill for the victims of hurricane Katrina!

And remember, folks, the President, at one time, actively campaigned on the idea that FEMA was unnecessary - that disaster relief could be handled just as well, or better by "faith based relief organizations." The same organizations that were kept out of the region by State officials, earlier this week.

Their efforts have been herculean and should be commended, but they should not be tasked with command and control functions for which they have neither the training nor the equipment. Groups like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, the United Way and others have poured massive relief into the region, but without the assistance from federal, state and local government, much of those efforts would have been wasted. God bless them, every one for their efforts.

Remember the Constitution? To "insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare" being part of that wonderful document? Well, it seems that the people at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, at FEMA and at Homeland Security forgot bout that when it came to planning for the aftermath of something like a major crisis in a US city - a big part of the job they were created to do.

They dropped the ball long before Katrina was even a rainstorm. And they should all be held accountable, because this response would have been essentially the same if it had been New Orleans with the flood, or Chicago or Minneapolis or San Jose and whether the disaster had been a flood, tsunami or a dirty nuke.

So much for all those tax dollars, folks. We got lots of cool words, but when the poop hit the ventilator system, these plans were nowhere to be seen.

Lee Darrow, C.H.
Chicago, IL