http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=100827
BOSTON - Gov. Mitt Romney, who helped resurrect the
Salt Lake Winter Olympics and is considering a run for
the White House in 2008, said Hurricane Katrina caused
more economic damage than the Sept. 11 terrorist
attack and the government response has been
"undermanaged" and "an embarrassment".
The Republican refused to pin the blame solely on the
Bush administration, but he spared no level of
government in his critique during a Statehouse news
conference called to discuss gasoline price gouging.
A White House spokesman pointed to Bush's admission of
problems in the response, but said the situation was
being corrected Friday with an influx of National
Guard troops and supplies.
"There are a lot of people working very hard to help
those who have been affected, but as (the president)
said, the results are not acceptable. That's why he
headed down there today and talked to people on the
ground," said Bush spokesman Ken Lisaius.
The governor recalled how, as president of the Salt
Lake Organizing Committee, he had a full range of
federal assistance at his disposal, something he
indulged with frequency as he established
transportation, security and other logistical plans.
He questioned why his fellow political leaders did not
make similar plans - or respond more quickly.
Like Bush, Romney said the economic damage caused by
Katrina exceeded that of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks that felled the World Trade Center in New
York's financial district. Katrina not only demolished
New Orleans and a swath of the Gulf Coast, it also
disrupted energy production and shipping at the mouth
of the Mississippi River.
"It's not even in the same order of magnitude", Romney
declared. "In 9/11, New York was hit with massive loss
of life and yet four or five blocks away, people could
still buy food, the water wasn't interrupted, the
energy wasn't interrupted, the transmission of
messages continued. This is a massive event which has
affected hundreds of thousands, potentially millions
of people, a huge area, and the economic impact for
those people and for the nation as a whole is still
being calculated."
``No one can be happy with the kind of response
which we've seen in New Orleans, and whether that's
law enforcement or whether it's a provision of
resources to help those in need, it has been an
undermanaged setting,'' Romney said. ``And I look at
(the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and I shake
my head and wonder why it's taken so long to get
supplies to people that are in the Superdome. I look
at the state government and wonder why they didn't
call on resources and have them in place on an earlier
basis.''
Twice referring to the situation as ``the crisis
in the Gulf,'' he added: ``I think any of us that
watched the TV in the last couple days recognize this
has not been a real showcase for American ingenuity
and management. And where the blame lies, I'll let,
with time we'll get a better sense of where that lies.
But I must admit I feel that this has been an
embarrassment for the emergency management setting as
has been demonstrated to the world.''
Romney's criticism came as President Bush, a
fellow Republican, scrambled to reverse criticism of
his administration for what he acknowledged was a
lackluster response. The president spent Friday
touring Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana and pledged
at his first stop: ``What is not working right, we're
going to make it right.''
Congress also approved an emergency $10.5
billion aid appropriation, which Bush labeled a first
step. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said in a
statement: ``This is not just a local disaster, but a
national tragedy and a national responsibility. ...The
military has the resources necessary to help, and they
should be front and center in responding to this
crisis. I hope the President sends more troops right
away.'' [continue]
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