All you who think bush isn't doing anything for the hurricane stuff. READ!

[towup]

Politics over duty

This is a post from a fellow over in Merritt Is, FL, a reporter who's
been researching what went on before the storm hit


I think all of New Orleans' (NO) Nagin's pomp and posturing is going
to bite him hard in the near future as the lies and distortions of his
interviews are coming to light.

On Friday night before the storm hit Max Mayfield of the National
Hurricane Center took the unprecedented action of calling Mayor Nagin
and Governor Blanco personally to plead with them to begin MANDATORY
evacuation of NO and they said they'd take it under consideration.
This was after the NOAA buoy 240 miles south had recorded 68' waves
before it was destroyed.

President Bush spent Friday afternoon and evening in meetings with his
advisors and administrators drafting all of the paperwork required for
a state to request federal assistance (and not be in violation of the
Posse Comitatus Act or having to enact the Insurgency Act). Just
before midnight Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco
and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal
government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call
up. He was told that they didn't think it necessary for the federal
government to be involved yet. After the President's final call to the
governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political
ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they
allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed
so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.

Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Blanco and
Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal
assistance, that they declare the state an emergency area, and begin
mandatory evacuation. After a personal plea from the President Nagin
agreed to order an evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory
evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers
requesting and authorizing federal action. In frustration the
President declared the area a national disaster area before the state
of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some advanced preparations.
Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the
ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional
requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal
government can move into state with troops - but that had not been
done since 1906 and the Constitutionality of it was called into
question to use before the disaster.

Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to NO for
levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a
marina and support the gambling ships. Toss in the investigation that
will look into why the emergency preparedness plan submitted to the
federal government for funding and published on the city's website was
never implemented and in fact may have been bogus for the purpose of
gaining additional federal funding as we now learn that the
organizations identified in the plan were never contacted or
coordinating into any planning - though the document implies that they
were.

The suffering people of NO need to be asking some hard questions as do
we all, but they better start with why Blanco refused to even sign the
multi-state mutual aid pack activation documents until Wednesday which
further delayed the legal deployment of National Guard from adjoining
states. Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should
have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to
his own emergency plan and documents he claimed to have over 500
busses at his disposal to use between the local school busses and the
city transportation busses - but he never raised a finger to prepare
them or activate them.

This is a sad time for all of us to see that a major city has all but
been destroyed and thousands of people have died with hundreds of
thousands more suffering, but it's certainly not a time for people to
be pointing fingers and trying to find a bigger dog to blame for local
corruption and incompetence. Pray to God for the survivors that they
can start their lives anew as fast as possible and we learn from all
the mistakes to avoid them in the future.

[RA]

Good article. Move it to the political forum.

[CRUISECONTROL]

I thought I was going to have to go off on someone

[SwoleCat]

Took long enough...........


~SC~

[Puffader]

Damn right it's the local and state governments fault.

Doesn't take much to see that.

[doctorherb]

two words....




BUCK FUSH


Georgie boy

[CRUISECONTROL]

two words....




BUCK FUSH


Georgie boy

I'll have to kick your Ass for that In FFB

[Kärnfysikern]

If that is true that blanco guy should be lynched.

[towup]

Good article. Move it to the political forum.

Didnt even know we had a political forum. I am an AR addict thats all i get on here to type in.

[Jdawg50]

two words....




BUCK FUSH


Georgie boy

These were put to good use here

[SwoleDave]

If that is true that blanco guy should be lynched.

Blanco is a female. Louisiana's first female gov. Every time she comes on TV it looks like she's gonna have a meltdown, and just start bawling. Cant take the pressure.

Ray Nagin on the other hand is the man. He did everything in his power to encourage the people in the city to get out, but the Gov. is the only official with the power to make an evacuation manditory. I sense some political bias in that article...

[Puffader]

I agree about Blanco but both should be removed. They both screwed up.

Blanco is a female. Louisiana's first female gov. Every time she comes on TV it looks like she's gonna have a meltdown, and just start bawling. Cant take the pressure.

Ray Nagin on the other hand is the man. He did everything in his power to encourage the people in the city to get out, but the Gov. is the only official with the power to make an evacuation manditory. I sense some political bias in that article...