World wide Embarassment !

[gordontravels]

The Governor of Louisiana is in charge of the National Guard of her state. She also has written agreements with other states around her (north too) that will send National Guard troops without any word from the Federal Government.

There was a written disaster plan for New Orleans. The area was under mandatory evacuation orders on the state and local level 48 hours before Katrina hit. Why didn't the Mayor order AT THE LEAST seniors, nursing homes and hospitals evacuated and pony up the transportation to do it. He only offered to transport to the Superdome. That was within the madatory evacuation area he and the Governor had declared.

Those who continue to blame our own government for this and not realize that other administrations have done worse have one narrow thing on their mind. President Bush and using him to try to bolster their party or person. I come from an era when this country pulled together without whiners and media that only wish to exploit this, the greatest country on earth. If anyone wants to blame anyone, look at yourself when you blame anyone and just try to see the damage you do.

The New Orleans Saints don't even know what they are going to do for sure and that's a team. Team folks. That's what this country used to be. Sorry some don't remember that. :duel

 

[gordontravels]

You guys keep blaming this on the local authorities, this was a national disaster, not just some tornado that ran through a Louisiana trailer park. Leaving it up to the local authorities to handle a disaster of this magnitude is like me trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose. Only the federal government has the resources to deal with a disaster like this. When you have people dieing of cholera in New Orleans 5 days after the Hurricane, it’s a failure of the Federal Government. With all the lies and misinformation coming out of the radical right to try to cover for their man’s incompetence, I feel like I am just continually repeating myself here in my efforts to relay the facts.

The City of New Orleans made mistakes, but they still managed to evacuate some 80% of the people from a major city. No small feat in of and of itself. They did this while our President was riding his bike, clearing brush, attending photo opps in front of friendly crowds, and making a few calls to his “Homeland Security Man” and his “FEMA Man”.

In times of impeding crisis, you would think that the leader of the free world would get his as into the office yet President Bush did not even bother cutting his vacation short until after the hurricane. On Monday, the day of the Hurricane, Bush had two rallies in front of friendly crowds designed to boost his abysmal poll ratings, in one, he was playing a guitar in San Diego, then another one in Colorado.

On Tuesday, one day after the hurricane struck, Bush delivered a speech on the 60th anniversary of V-J Day, determined to stick to his agenda. Nothing would interrupt his schedule. Not even a catastrophe.

“New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state's National Guard last Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn't come from Washington until late Thursday.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_national_guard

On the BBC it was reported: “Northern Command was in position, waiting for Presidential orders.”

The Louisiana government wrote a letter to the president on Sunday. The letter is found here:

http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster ... Request.pdf

The following text is contained in the letter:

“I have determined that this incident will be of such a severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments and that supplementary Federal assistance will be necessary.”

They got that Federal Assistance, THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY. Of course, what do you expect, when the president’s “FEMA Man’s” former job was the president of the International Arabian Horse Organization. I mean if a job like that doesn’t qualify you to head the United States Emergency Management Agency, I don’t know what does. Then again, that FEMA Man didn’t even know until Thursday night that there were problems at the convention center.

It is now speculated that as many as 10,000 may be dead in New Orleans, most of them having died in the days after the hurricane while waiting for federal assistance. You can try to spin all you want, but you cant polish a turd.

What don't you understand about a hurricane disaster. This is not a National Disaster until the State Government turns over the wheel to the Feds. Then the Governor has to specifically ask for the aid they need. That still hasn't been done.

The earthquakes in Southern California were taken care of by private corporations working with the State of California. Complete freeway systems were rebuilt by the private sector.

How many of those 80% that were evacuated are dying of disease? Remember? There was a mandatory evacuation order and enough buses both city and school to evacuate everyone left in the city. Instead the city took them to the Superdome breaking it's own mandatory evacuation orders. Why?

Why not blame the local and state governments for not doing their jobs. What makes you an expert on logistics that you think the Federal Government can just start reconstruction immediately? 25% of the New Orleans Police have quit.

Why not just blame everyone like I do from the President to the Mayor of New Orleans. Everyone is wrong here and that includes you if you give anyone a pass. It only shows how narrow minded you are that you wouldn't blame the Governor of the State of Louisiana for not doing her job. Wonder what you'd say if it was a Republican like Arnold. :duel

 

[scottyz]

It's nice how you dismissed things from your own source!

Huh? I repeated the same basic information twice. FEMA got moved under the DHS umbrella and now no longer acts without DHS approval. The idea behind DHS was to achieve better communication among our federal agencies.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

What don't you understand about a hurricane disaster. This is not a National Disaster until the State Government turns over the wheel to the Feds. Then the Governor has to specifically ask for the aid they need. That still hasn't been done.

The earthquakes in Southern California were taken care of by private corporations working with the State of California. Complete freeway systems were rebuilt by the private sector.

How many of those 80% that were evacuated are dying of disease? Remember? There was a mandatory evacuation order and enough buses both city and school to evacuate everyone left in the city. Instead the city took them to the Superdome breaking it's own mandatory evacuation orders. Why?

Why not blame the local and state governments for not doing their jobs. What makes you an expert on logistics that you think the Federal Government can just start reconstruction immediately? 25% of the New Orleans Police have quit.

Why not just blame everyone like I do from the President to the Mayor of New Orleans. Everyone is wrong here and that includes you if you give anyone a pass. It only shows how narrow minded you are that you wouldn't blame the Governor of the State of Louisiana for not doing her job. Wonder what you'd say if it was a Republican like Arnold. :duel

I do blame the mayor, and the governor. What I am saying though is that they made requests to the federal government that they did not recieve for almost a week. If the mayor of New Orleans did not choose to end his vacation until after the huricanne hit and did nothing but photo opps for 5 days later, then I would say that most of the blame here lies with him. However, only the federal government has the resources to even begin to deal with a disaster of this magnitude, and the federal government not do anything adequate for almost a week. Its a failure of massive proportions.

 

[Stinger]

You guys keep blaming this on the local authorities, this was a national disaster, not just some tornado that ran through a Louisiana trailer park. Leaving it up to the local authorities to handle a disaster of this magnitude is like me trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose.

They are the front line, they are the administrators, they are the planners, the Federal government is there to assist.

Only the federal government has the resources to deal with a disaster like this.

And those resources were put on the fasttrack two days before when Bush issued the disaster declaration.

When you have people dieing of cholera in New Orleans 5 days after the Hurricane, it’s a failure of the Federal Government.

Why when it is a fact many did and still do refuse to leave and the state and local government won't do anything about it and it is THEIR job unless they turn it over to the Fed's which Blanco REFUSES to do.

With all the lies and misinformation coming out of the radical right

Sorry but the lies and misinformation is coming from the you and the left.

The City of New Orleans made mistakes,

HUGE mistakes and failed to implement the plan they had in place and failed to provide for their citizens.

but they still managed to evacuate some 80% of the people from a major city.

After Bush finally talked them into do it and only after the Fed's came in to rescue them.

They did this while our President was riding his bike...............

First it was not his job to evacuate people nor get them into shelters, PERIOD. That is the job of the state a local government. And the state and local government did not ask for the Federal help to do it. So while he was WORKING at his ranch calling them up to tell them they better get on the ball the state and local governments dropped the ball.

In times of impeding crisis, you would think that the leader of the free world would get his as into the office yet President Bush did not even bother cutting his vacation short until after the hurricane.

There was nothing he couldn't do while working in Texas that he could do in Washington so why waste the time flying up there and then back down for his first viewing? He was closer to that action in Texas than in Washington.

On Monday, the day of the Hurricane, Bush had two rallies in front of friendly crowds designed to boost his abysmal poll ratings, in one, he was playing a guitar in San Diego, then another one in Colorado.

OK so was he suppose to go down and stand on the levy and demand the hurricane turn around? It was the govenor and the mayors who were in charge not him.

On Tuesday, one day after the hurricane struck, Bush delivered a speech on the 60th anniversary of V-J Day, determined to stick to his agenda.

OK and why weren't the govenor an mayor doing thier job?

“New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state's National Guard last Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn't come from Washington until late Thursday.”

Well on Sunday we didn't know where it would hit or where the troops would be most needed. And Blanco had no plans for thier use and later refuse to authorize thier use for police action. Out of state troops are never to be expected until 72 to 96 hours afterwards in the first place. The local authorities have primary responsibility until the situation can be evaluated and the troops sent where they need to go. At most they may have rushed it up 12 hours, but then the Governor was refusing to turn it over to federal control anyway.

On the BBC it was reported

I could care less what the BBC says, they have no idea how things work here in just such a disaster.

The Louisiana government wrote a letter to the president on Sunday. The letter is found here:

http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20...%20Request.pdf

The following text is contained in the letter:

“I have determined that this incident will be of such a severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments and that supplementary Federal assistance will be necessary.”

Yes asking that loans for after the fact be made available and help on debris removal and crisis counseling. She did not ask for medical assistence, she did not ask for evacuation assistence, she did not ask for troops, she did not ask for security assistence.

They got that Federal Assistance, THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY.

Because she did not ask for it until then when she wrote her next letter asking for assistence. Her first letter was as you stated on 8/28 she did not make her next request until 9/2.

Of course, what do you expect, when the president’s “FEMA Man’s” former job was the president of the International Arabian Horse Organization.

Actually his former job was Deputy Director of FEMA and before that he served as an assisintant city manager.

Then again, that FEMA Man didn’t even know until Thursday night that there were problems at the convention center.

Had the local authorities told him there was and that they needed help? If not why not?

It is now speculated that as many as 10,000 may be dead in New Orleans, most of them having died in the days after the hurricane while waiting for federal assistance. You can try to spin all you want, but you cant polish a turd.

Who told them to wait for federal assistence? Why weren't the local governments doing thier job to get them out?

 

[Stinger]

I do blame the mayor, and the governor. What I am saying though is that they made requests to the federal government that they did not recieve for almost a week. If the mayor of New Orleans did not choose to end his vacation until after the huricanne hit and did nothing but photo opps for 5 days later, then I would say that most of the blame here lies with him. However, only the federal government has the resources to even begin to deal with a disaster of this magnitude, and the federal government not do anything adequate for almost a week. Its a failure of massive proportions.

Absolute malarky. They DID NOT make the request, you apparently haven't even read the letters you cite. It is not the primary responsibility of the Federal Government to swoop down into states and take over the government when a disaster hits. In fact federal law prohibits it. You continue false assertion that Bush was suppose to head up the operation is absurd. The local governments run the EMS services and the National Guard and the fire and rescue and the local police and the local sheriffs. NOT the federal government. I have been through countless hurricanes throughout my life. It is and always has been exactly this way. The Feds are not even expected until 72 hours later. That is one reason evacuations are suppose to be ordered.

This continue misrespresentation does no one any good, it does not make it easier for the people who are doing an abasolutely stellar job of this do it even better next time. Why don't you try praising the people who are out there doing the hard work instead of sitting back and falsely pointing fingers

 

[ALiberalModerate]

Absolute malarky. They DID NOT make the request, you apparently haven't even read the letters you cite. It is not the primary responsibility of the Federal Government to swoop down into states and take over the government when a disaster hits. In fact federal law prohibits it. You continue false assertion that Bush was suppose to head up the operation is absurd. The local governments run the EMS services and the National Guard and the fire and rescue and the local police and the local sheriffs. NOT the federal government. I have been through countless hurricanes throughout my life. It is and always has been exactly this way. The Feds are not even expected until 72 hours later. That is one reason evacuations are suppose to be ordered.

This continue misrespresentation does no one any good, it does not make it easier for the people who are doing an abasolutely stellar job of this do it even better next time. Why don't you try praising the people who are out there doing the hard work instead of sitting back and falsely pointing fingers

No one with any sense is arguing that mistakes were not made in terms of the evacuation before the hurricane. Where the federal failures come in are after the hurricane. The federal response in the Presidents own words was unacceptable. If the local and state officials bear some blame, and they do, then the Whitehouse definitely bares a lot of blame as well. Do you not at least agree to that? Do you not think that the head of FEMA should be fired?

 

[Stinger]

If the local and state officials bear some blame, and they do, then the Whitehouse definitely bares a lot of blame as well. Do you not at least agree to that?

When so much lies with the state and locals? Is it that you just can't stand it and have to find SOMETHING to blame on Bush? What specifically are you trying to "blame" them for and why?

Do you not think that the head of FEMA should be fired?

Yes he should not be fired at this time and those saying he should be are acting irresponsibly and in a self serving manner because they are saying so without knowing the facts. What we do know so far is that the Fed's have acted on the request of the state and local governments and have if anything been frustrated by thier uncoordinated shodding performance. Where FEMA has been free of this incompetent squabbling the people are being taken care of in an extordinary manner considering the circumstances. Do you know that the Astrodome is almost empty because Texas and FEMA and done such a good job of processing those people. Can you tell me a country that exist that could have done a better job of this?

 

[ALiberalModerate]

When so much lies with the state and locals? Is it that you just can't stand it and have to find SOMETHING to blame on Bush? What specifically are you trying to "blame" them for and why?



Yes he should not be fired at this time and those saying he should be are acting irresponsibly and in a self serving manner because they are saying so without knowing the facts. What we do know so far is that the Fed's have acted on the request of the state and local governments and have if anything been frustrated by thier uncoordinated shodding performance. Where FEMA has been free of this incompetent squabbling the people are being taken care of in an extordinary manner considering the circumstances. Do you know that the Astrodome is almost empty because Texas and FEMA and done such a good job of processing those people. Can you tell me a country that exist that could have done a better job of this?

FEMA did not even know there was problems there until Thursday night and you are saying that FEMA did a great job?

As I posted before, this is the timeline for the disaster:

KATRINA TIMELINE

Before landfall

* August 23 - The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) issues a statement saying that Tropical Depression Twelve had formed over the southeastern Bahamas.
* August 24 morning - The storm system is upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina.
* August 25 - The storm is upgraded to become the fourth hurricane of the 2005 season.

[edit]

First landfall

* August 25 6:30PM - Katrina makes its first landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane. At least 11 deaths in Florida are attributed to the storm.
* August 26 - Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco declares state of emergency.
* August 27 - Katrina is upgraded to a Category 3 hurricane.
* August 27 - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin calls for a voluntary evacuation of the city.
* August 27 - President Bush declares a state of emergency in Louisiana
* August 28 - Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Sends expedited letter to President Bush through FEMA Region VI Director requesting immediate assistance as the state is not equipped to handle such an anticipated emergency.
* August 28 12:40AM CDT - Katrina becomes a Category 4 hurricane.
* August 28 10AM CDT - National Weather Service issues a bulletin predicting "devastating" damage.[1]
* August 28 10AM CDT - Mandatory evacuation is ordered for New Orleans City.
* August 28 1PM CDT - Katrina becomes a Category 5 hurricane with a highest sustained wind speed of 175 mph and gusts up to 215 mph.

[edit]

Second landfall

* August 29 6:10AM CDT - Katrina makes second landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana as a Category 4 Hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph
* August 29 - Katrina makes third landfall near Louisiana/Mississippi border.
* August 29 - AP: "FEMA director] Brown also urged local fire and rescue departments outside Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi not to send trucks or emergency workers into disaster areas without an explicit request for help from state or local governments." [2]

[edit]

Immediate aftermath

* August 30 1:30AM CDT - CNN reports that a levee on the 17th Street Canal, which connects into Lake Pontchartrain, suffered a two city-block wide breach. It is later reported that a total of three levees are breached.
* August 30 10PM CDT - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announces that the planned sandbagging of the 17th Street levee breach has failed.
* August 30 - 80 percent of New Orleans is underwater.
* August 30 - Many instances of looting reported in the city of New Orleans.
* August 30 - FEMA refuses to allow volunteer firefighters into New Orleans. [
* August 31 - The U.S. military starts to move ships and helicopters to the region at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
* August 31 - President Bush heads back to Washington from vacationing in Crawford, TX. Though he does not stop in Louisiana, Air Force One flies over the Gulf Coast so that he can view the devastation. [3]
* August 31 - The U.S. military starts to move ships and helicopters to the region at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
* August 31 - President Bush declares Gulf Coast a Public Health Emergency. [4]
* August 31 - Governor Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana orders that all of New Orleans, including the Superdome, be evacuated.
* August 31 - New Orleans's 1,500 member police force is ordered to abandon search and rescue missions and turn their attention toward controlling the widespread looting and a curfew is placed in effect. Mayor Ray Nagin calls for increased federal assistance
* August 31 11PM EDT - U.S. government weather officials announce that the center of the remnant low of what was Katrina has been completely absorbed by a frontal boundary in southeastern Canada, with no discernible circulation.
* September 1 - President Bush tells ABC's Diane Sawyer: "I fully understand people wanting things to have happened yesterday" (ABC)
* September 1 - Governor Blanco says that the death toll may be "in the thousands".
* September 1 - The shelter in Houston's Astrodome is ruled full and could not accept any more people.
* September 1 - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announces that 4,200 National Guard troops trained as military police will be deployed to New Orleans over the next three days. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco requests the mobilization of 40,000 National Guard troops.
* September 1 - California swift water rescue crew units each rescue hundreds in Orleans and Jefferson parishes. [5]
* September 1 - FEMA halts California swift water rescue crews from conducting further rescues. [6]
* September 3 - Ted Koppel on ABC News Nightline interviews FEMA Director Brown who declares that FEMA only became aware of crisis at the superdome on this date. Koppel questions how FEMA could not have known that 1,000s were without food, water, or toilets for days.
* September 4 - The Superdome is completely evacuated.

[edit]

Second week aftermath

* September 5 - The 17th Street Canal levee breach is plugged with 3,000 pound sandbags and truckloads of rock.
* September 6 - Forced evacuation of New Orleans ordered by mayor.
* September 6 - "Hundreds of firefighters who volunteered to help rescue victims have instead been playing cards, taking classes on the history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and lounging at an Atlanta airport hotel for days while they await orders." Some had been waiting for four days. [7] [8]
* September 6 - Some firefighters handed their first assignment: "to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas." [9]
* September 6 - Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) calls for Michael D. Brown's resignation. Senator Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid begin to voice criticism of the disaster's handling, and of the Bush administration's management, delegation of control, leadership, and human consideration. [10]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timelin...ricane_Katrina

Oh **** it. I give up. The Federal Government did a wonderful job. Freedom's on the march.

 

[Timequake]

Who cares who is to blame??? Why can't we learn from our mistakes, do what we can now, and move on? A catastrophe just happened and all you can do is point fingers. That’s disgusting.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

Who cares who is to blame??? Why can't we learn from our mistakes, do what we can now, and move on? A catastrophe just happened and all you can do is point fingers. That’s disgusting.

If your hired to do a job and you dont do what you were hired to do, then you should be blamed for what you failed to do. If not, you will have no reason not to do the same **** poor job again. Thats life, thats how it works.

 

[Timequake]

If you must blame this on something, blame it on Mother Nature. I live in Louisiana, I first-handedly went through Katrina. I saw first hand what was done and what wasn't, most of you have no idea how things are handled down here. I have no doubt that you know how things SHOULD be handled but please how often are things handled in the ways they SHOULD?

The truth is that people in southern Louisiana were nonchalant about Katrina, as they are about most hurricanes. Yes, we underestimated her. We are used to hurricane threats, most of the time they blow over, others may hit and we lose electricity for a day, the occasional tree goes down on a house, most of the time they are not very destructive. Of course we know the possibilities, we know they are a force to reckon with, a disastrous killer. But when you live in a place were hurricanes are frequent, you think that past-experience means something when it comes to Mother Nature.

So you all sit there and think why didn’t the Mayor or the Governor do something before hand? Prepare more? Well, yes they SHOULD have but experience gave them an attitude that we could handle it.

I watched the news before the hurricane hit, I heard nothing of Katrina even possibly being the worst natural disaster in history. How could we have known? To us it was just another hurricane… just another part of living on the gulf coast.

I have no animosity for my Mayor or my Governor; I blame no one but myself, for underestimating Katrina and Mother Nature for her ruthlessness.

“If people think nature is their friend they sure don’t need an enemy” Kurt Vonnegut

 

[gordontravels]

I do blame the mayor, and the governor. What I am saying though is that they made requests to the federal government that they did not recieve for almost a week. If the mayor of New Orleans did not choose to end his vacation until after the huricanne hit and did nothing but photo opps for 5 days later, then I would say that most of the blame here lies with him. However, only the federal government has the resources to even begin to deal with a disaster of this magnitude, and the federal government not do anything adequate for almost a week. Its a failure of massive proportions.

Well you are good at blaming President Bush that's for sure. So let me ask you: If you blame the mayor and governor then tell me - what do you think they did wrong? I mean I know you will add in President Bush but let's hear your words about the Mayor and Governor. :duel

 

[ALiberalModerate]

Well you are good at blaming President Bush that's for sure. So let me ask you: If you blame the mayor and governor then tell me - what do you think they did wrong? I mean I know you will add in President Bush but let's hear your words about the Mayor and Governor. :duel

Hands down, they should have done a better job of getting the people out of there before the huricanne. After the huricanne, it was well beyond the capabilites of state and local governments, but before the hurricane, at the very least, you would think they would have gotten those living in nursing homes and the sick and disabled out of there.

 

[HTColeman]

Guess we can't blame Bush for this problem, after all he did start our new "Homeland Security" program.
Blame Homeland Security for spending the $680 MILLION Bush gave them on "COLOR CHARTS!" Although rumors are out that Bush owns the company that manufactured the "color charts".

But seriously now, I did hear a statement that someone from Homeland Security made. It was on TV, I don't remember what channel.
After an hour of talking they said the bottom line was that the people should NOT depend on our Gov for any help if we took nuclear hits. Help should come from the states, local cities and towns and that they would provide some money to the states, citys and towns to make their own disaster plans.

So I guess what Homeland Security is saying is that "you are on your own."

No, I was watching the news the other day, not sure the exact day, and the guy from Homeland Security said, "The government did not know about the people in the superdome until today..." Can you believe he said that with a straight face!

 

[gordontravels]

No one with any sense is arguing that mistakes were not made in terms of the evacuation before the hurricane. Where the federal failures come in are after the hurricane. The federal response in the Presidents own words was unacceptable. If the local and state officials bear some blame, and they do, then the Whitehouse definitely bares a lot of blame as well. Do you not at least agree to that? Do you not think that the head of FEMA should be fired?

It's partisan and political and you have no thought of anything else. Look at your own words:

"If the local and state officials bear SOME blame" - "the Whitehouse definitely bates A LOT of blame". What would you have said if the President had said the response was fine?

No, you are partisan and I can see it plainly. The Mayor could have saved those 20 elderly residents of the nursing home if he had provided the buses he was supposed to.

I agree with one here that says we should be coming together over this disaster and only be concerned with help at this point. Pointing fingers only brings it on everyone - EVERYONE DESERVES A LOT OF BLAME, not just the Whitehouse. Republicans and Democrats deserve all the blame you can muster equally. They all failed in some way BUT they all are doing something now and I for one can wait until the people of New Orleans are taken care of before wanting to dig into what happened before the disaster and what happened after.

Why not be Americans in the true sense of the word and stand behind our President, the Governor or Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans during this time. Believe me, we can and probably will have plenty of reason to hang them all later. :duel

 

[Stinger]

FEMA did not even know there was problems there until Thursday night and you are saying that FEMA did a great job?

FEMA was on the media 36 hours befor the storm made landfall on the gulf coast issuing evacuation warnings. They were staging resources as the storm hit. They were there the next day. But again FEMA comes in AFTERWARDS, why do people keep having to tell you that. State and local governments are responsbile for evacuation and they are the first responders. FEMA is usually 48+ hours afterwards and local EMA count on 72. Your statement is simply absurd, "they didn't even know there was a problem".

 

[Stinger]

If you must blame this on something, blame it on Mother Nature. I live in Louisiana, I first-handedly went through Katrina. I saw first hand what was done and what wasn't, most of you have no idea how things are handled down here. I have no doubt that you know how things SHOULD be handled but please how often are things handled in the ways they SHOULD?

The truth is that people in southern Louisiana were nonchalant about Katrina, as they are about most hurricanes. Yes, we underestimated her. We are used to hurricane threats, most of the time they blow over, others may hit and we lose electricity for a day, the occasional tree goes down on a house, most of the time they are not very destructive. Of course we know the possibilities, we know they are a force to reckon with, a disastrous killer. But when you live in a place were hurricanes are frequent, you think that past-experience means something when it comes to Mother Nature.

So you all sit there and think why didn’t the Mayor or the Governor do something before hand? Prepare more? Well, yes they SHOULD have but experience gave them an attitude that we could handle it.

I watched the news before the hurricane hit, I heard nothing of Katrina even possibly being the worst natural disaster in history. How could we have known? To us it was just another hurricane… just another part of living on the gulf coast.

I have no animosity for my Mayor or my Governor; I blame no one but myself, for underestimating Katrina and Mother Nature for her ruthlessness.

“If people think nature is their friend they sure don’t need an enemy” Kurt Vonnegut

I live on the Alabama coast. We had CAT 2 here. What were you watching. Did you not watch the weather channel? CBS, CNN, NBC, FOX? Did you not listen to the hurricane advisory's? It was very clear 48 hours before it hit this was going to be a VERY big storm and cause VERY serious damage. We were posed to evacuate, as we have done twice in the last 12 months, up until Sunday morning when it became clear it would make landfall far enough east of us. At that we were still prepared to get out and head east if it made a sudden turn back.

Nagin and Blanco totally dropped the ball on this. They recieved ample warning and ample advice and they had the plan in place to save more people. They failed to act. The mandatory evacuation should have been issued Saturday and the plan put into action. It was not. Then after the storm hit they were clueless as to what to do and again failed to follow the plane. To try and blame the loss of life on the Feds and Bush in paricular is absurd and certainly does nothing to make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

[gordontravels]

I don't know about you people. You act like if a Democrat or Republican is getting any blame and you are one yourself it might taint you. Well, if you slog on with your "party" you are tainted and there's no two ways about it except for Republicans and Democrats.

I notice that now that the initial media frenzy has cooled and reality has been settleing in it is now being reported that things were being done in a timely manner for a disaster that could have moved in the last day. New Orleans had plenty of time to react and they blew it. Ramping up the federal aid that could only come after the disaster could have been faster but not by much; not enough to make our media happy or those of one "party" or another.

Partisanship on the part of any of you following in our biased media's footsteps is just that; partisanship. You only know what the media tells you and they don't know it all. When the blame is assessed there will be plenty to go around and then you all will continue to try to have your way with it.

Have I laid blame? I'm afraid so as I was spurred on by a frightfully sick media response like most of you. I've gotten over it knowing that this disaster is the size that it was; larger than any President has ever had to deal with ever. You would think that Americans would be Americans and stand fast to support him, the Governor of Louisiana and the Mayor and officials of New Orleans but... Democrats and Republicans with a hungry makes for a toxic stew in my estimation. Why worry about the words someone writes here to you... why not read your own words and see if they really help.

I know what I will do. I'll blame the Democrats and Republicans when the time comes. They are the ones that deserve it; not the elderly that couldn't swim. :duel

 

[Timequake]

I live on the Alabama coast. We had CAT 2 here. What were you watching. Did you not watch the weather channel? CBS, CNN, NBC, FOX? Did you not listen to the hurricane advisory's? It was very clear 48 hours before it hit this was going to be a VERY big storm and cause VERY serious damage. We were posed to evacuate, as we have done twice in the last 12 months, up until Sunday morning when it became clear it would make landfall far enough east of us. At that we were still prepared to get out and head east if it made a sudden turn back.

Nagin and Blanco totally dropped the ball on this. They recieved ample warning and ample advice and they had the plan in place to save more people. They failed to act. The mandatory evacuation should have been issued Saturday and the plan put into action. It was not. Then after the storm hit they were clueless as to what to do and again failed to follow the plane.To try and blame the loss of life on the Feds and Bush in paricular is absurd and certainly does nothing to make sure it doesn't happen again.

What i was saying was that in the south we are used to hurricanes and tend to take them lightly. Yes, it is foolish but we were naive. I did hear the warnings, but I never heard anything predicting the catastrophe that occurred, hell Andrew was a big storm but it left N.O. intact. I recall the last time we had a hurricane threat in Southern LA., one in which schools were canceled and businesses closed, it was sunny out with kids playing in the front lawn. You just never know, it’s all a game of chance. We learn from our mistakes.

I don't recall putting the blame on anyone but people like myself and mother nature so i hope that this comment wasn't directed toward me.

 

[arussian]

A guy, apparently from US, provided here (in comments)
striking contrast of NO to Cuba:

In 2001, when Hurricane Michelle, a level-4 storm, hit with sustained 125-mile-per-hour winds and widespread floods, more than 700,000 people were evacuated. Only five Cubans lost their lives in the storm.

In September 2004, Cuba endured Ivan, the fifth-largest hurricane ever to hit the Caribbean, with sustained winds of 124 miles per hour. Cuba evacuated almost 2 million people--more than 15 percent of the total population. One hundred thousand people were evacuated within the first three hours. An incredible 78 percent of those evacuated were welcomed into other people's homes. Children at boarding schools were moved. Animals and birds were moved. No one was killed. The UN declared this to be a model of disaster preparation.

Cuba, a country blockaded and isolated by the U.S. for 45 years has been able to evacuate millions of people in an orderly fashion without loss of life. Natural disasters do not have to be catastrophes.

 

[cnredd]

A guy, apparently from US, provided here (in comments)
striking contrast of NO to Cuba:

In 2001, when Hurricane Michelle, a level-4 storm, hit with sustained 125-mile-per-hour winds and widespread floods, more than 700,000 people were evacuated. Only five Cubans lost their lives in the storm.

In September 2004, Cuba endured Ivan, the fifth-largest hurricane ever to hit the Caribbean, with sustained winds of 124 miles per hour. Cuba evacuated almost 2 million people--more than 15 percent of the total population. One hundred thousand people were evacuated within the first three hours. An incredible 78 percent of those evacuated were welcomed into other people's homes. Children at boarding schools were moved. Animals and birds were moved. No one was killed. The UN declared this to be a model of disaster preparation.

Cuba, a country blockaded and isolated by the U.S. for 45 years has been able to evacuate millions of people in an orderly fashion without loss of life. Natural disasters do not have to be catastrophes.

When Cuba gets below sea-level and has levees to block water, get back to me...

 

[Calm2Chaos]

The United States looks like Haiti on a bad day ! America has been humilliated world wide by the incompetent handling of ths tragedy !
How safe is the rest of the country ? what if this had been a terrorist incident is this how Homeland security would handled it ?

Wow

I'm not humiliated at all. This was a disaster that to the best of my knowledge has never happened anywhere in the world before.Least not in my lifetime. And in a matter of 3 -5 days the US people donated 100's of millions of dollars,tons of food and supplies. Mobilized upwards of 40,000 people, numerous buses, boats, airplanes and helicopters.

Any other country I think would have colapsed under the intense destruction. It didn't go perfectly smooth, but I'm not humiliated at all.

 

[F41]

Wow

I'm not humiliated at all. This was a disaster that to the best of my knowledge has never happened anywhere in the world before.Least not in my lifetime. And in a matter of 3 -5 days the US people donated 100's of millions of dollars,tons of food and supplies. Mobilized upwards of 40,000 people, numerous buses, boats, airplanes and helicopters.

Any other country I think would have colapsed under the intense destruction. It didn't go perfectly smooth, but I'm not humiliated at all.

Other than the tsunami in Indonesia area, and of course the whole world poured out all kind of help and money at that time and is still doing so and we get a drop in the bucket from others in comparison. No, I am not humiliated, I am proud we can help ourselves and others in this time of crises

Yes , it is going to be rough, but hey, this is America. We can and will get through this together.

 

[scottyz]

Other than the tsunami in Indonesia area, and of course the whole world poured out all kind of help and money at that time and is still doing so and we get a drop in the bucket from others in comparison. No, I am not humiliated, I am proud we can help ourselves and others in this time of crises

Lots and lots of nations have offered us money, resouces, manpower, etc. Only thing standing in the way was Bush not wanting to accept any of it initially. I don't atm know what we have accepted from who, but over 20 nations have offered us assistance. According to this we've accepted $1 billion in international aid so far.

Many countries are still awaiting an answer:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050907/ap_on_re_eu/katrina_world_18;_ylt=Aud119pfiIjUNXnP2m5G13kbLisB;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=119609&region=4