<So what percentage of the problem was on the shoulder of the Federal Government??
I do not know. I would say that all levels of government are at fault. I seriously doubt whether the governor of New Orleans will be re-elected and her political career may be over. The same fate is likely to befall the Mayor as well. Since the Feds normally have a huge portion of the responsibility for the aftermath of natural disasters, I would think that they should accept the blame for the aspects of the rescue under their control. Crazy as it may sound, I don't think it is good leadership to hold others accountable for things that are your responsibility. But I realize we are dealing with Pass The Buck Bush, so I guess I should not expect that kind of leadership. Let not event include his act of taking almost half of the budget away for the levee repair. While it speaks volumes on what his priorities were, the levy breech could not be avoided. However, there is a laundry list of federal issues dealing with the aftermath of Katrina which lead to thousands of people being murdered, dying of dehydration, contracting deadly bacterial infections, starving, etc. These people did not die in the hurricane and should not have died after the hurricane. The federal government is responsible for FEMA, the Army Core of Engineers, Navy hospital ships, equipment from the Marines, processing for out of state National guard to assist, Coast guard assistance, Civilian Reserve Air Fleet, and many other aspects of disaster recovery. As far as I can see, there is no getting around that. Most of these are resources are only just now starting to be made available. Some of them took the initiative to be available and help only to be refused by the feds in charge refused to allow them to provide food, water, gas, equipment, etc. The city and state have nothing to do with this. I would say dismantling a federal rescue program for floods and hurricanes when we get them every year is pretty bad and not the responsibility of local or stated. Striping the powers of FEMA and merging it with Homeland Security was Bush's decision. Firing those in charge who warn you of the hazards of the actions you are taking replacing them with someone who was fired from being the head of the Arabian Horse Breeders association is questionable as well. The state and city did not do that. The Federal government intentionally prevented state and local government, as well as outside governments, outside charities, regular citizens, outside agencies, and major corporations from providing assistance when they themselves wouldn't or couldn't. I do not understand how you could watch the horror of what happened and point fingers only at local and state government. The state and city are not responsible for getting a hospital ship to the area almost 2 weeks after the disaster. under the original plan, it was supposed to be there within 24 hours. hospitals were not evacuated for almost 6 days. Medical staff was dying of thirst and the feds refused shipments of water. You think that the Army core of engineers is at fault for not coming up with a way to complete a multi-million$ project after the budget is stripped in half; you think that the army core should not have been swayed when bush cancelled an entire project and should have completed it with no funds or needed staff, so I'm sure you will seek out scapegoats to blame for the other decisions and actions taken by the White house in the aftermath of Katrina that in my opinion caused thousands of preventable deaths. The is your prerogative and I guess Bush is lucky to have such an unwavering supporter. I've have never felt that way about any politician from any party. I think they all deserve our scrutiny. At the end of the day, your boy Bush will be able to pass the buck again. I think the head of homeland security, the head of FEMA, the mayor and the governor will share not other the blame for their actions, but Bush's as well. Tracey. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of sancochojo Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 4:16 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: White House Shifts Blame to State and Local Officials So what percentage of the problem was on the shoulder of the Federal Governement??? --- In [email protected], "Tracey de Morsella \(formerly Tracey L. Minor\)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Funny how because of that fact that it would not be finished before Katrina > hit, you think it was not his responsibility not to gut that budget or that > he gutted the disaster mitigation budget designed to save lives, or any of > the other stuff he and the white house are directly responsible for. I > guess the pass the buck president has pass the buck supporters who distort > some facts and ignore others to absolve him of his responsibilities. Gone > are the days when our leaders - Republican and democrat took responsibility > for their decisions, their actions, and those acting on their behalf. the > president said help would arrive on Tuesday, but it did not come until > Friday, but its not his responsibility right. > > <With all what you said about FEMA, there should be hearings, if it is true. > If not, than it will go as hear-say. > > Hearings start this week. I doubt republicans would be willing to do that > for hear-say. see below some of the claims. All that i posted were > obtained from mainstream media. Sometimes videotaped. It is on almost > every news station in America (even FOX), so if it is hearsay, these guys do > not seem to mind reprisals > > **below are links to a few online references, but all media outlet are > reporting the same thing** > > 2004, the Corps essentially stopped major work on the now-breached levee > system that had protected New Orleans from flooding. It was the first such > stoppage in 37 years, the Times-Picayune reported. > http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12528233.htm > > -we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel docked in my > parish. The Coast Guard said, "Come get the fuel right away." When we got > there with our trucks, they got a word. "FEMA says don't give you the > fuel." > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9179790/ > > Rescue flights suspended for presidential visit > http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/12548040.htm > > Federal flood control spending for southeastern Louisiana has been chopped > from $69 million in 2001 to $36.5 million in 2005, according to budget > documents. Federal hurricane protection for the Lake Pontchartrain vicinity > in the Army Corps of Engineers' budget dropped from $14.25 million in 2002 > to $5.7 million this year. Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu requested > $27 million this year. > http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12528233.htm > > > > According to Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard, ""Walmart delivered > 3 trucks of water, FEMA turned them back, said we didn't need them." He > said, "Bureaucracy has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans > area, and bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now." > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9179790/ > > Feds Refused to activate Civilian Reserve Air Fleet. In addition to Guard > help, the federal government could have activated, but did not, a major air > support plan under a pre-existing contract with airlines. The program, > called Civilian Reserve Air Fleet, lets the government quickly put private > cargo and passenger planes into service. The CRAF provision has been > activated twice, once for the Persian Gulf War and again for the Iraq war. > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard > > Feds Prevent States From Sending Troops to New Orlean > http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5253757,00.html > > Shortly after Bush came into office, "key federal disaster mitigation > programs, developed over many years, [were] slashed and tossed aside." > FEMA's Project Impact, "a model mitigation program created by the Clinton > administration," was canceled outright by the Bush administration on > February 28, 2001 -- ironically, the very same day of the 6.8 magnitude > Nisqually earthquake in Washington state, which provided one of the "best > examples of the impact the program had" in protecting people. Indeed, FEMA > employees were officially "directed not to become involved in disaster > preparedness functions, since a new directorate (yet to be established) will > have that mission." > http://www.indyweek.com/durham/2004-09-22/cover.html > > levee repairs faked > http://www.fromtheroots.org/story/2005/9/3/19542/97952 > > in the 1990s, in planning for a New Orleans nightmare scenario, the federal > government figured it would pre-deploy nearby ships with pumps to remove > water from the below-sea-level city and have hospital ships nearby, said > James Lee Witt, former FEMA director. Now federal officials say a hospital > ship did not leave its port in Baltimore until yesterdy, and isn't expected > to arrive for seven days. > http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-health1sep01,0,932523.story?coll= > la-home-headlines > > > FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut > them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects > the line. He posts armed guards on our line and says, "No one is getting > near these lines." Sheriff Harry Lee said that if America--American > government would have responded like Wal-Mart has responded, we wouldn't be > in this crisis. > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9179790/ > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of sancochojo > Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 2:05 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: White House Shifts Blame to State and Local > Officials > > > Like I said, it was stated and Democrats agreed, even with the full > funding, the projects did not go toward the reengineering of the > levees which is the States decision where the full funding was > specified for. Thats a blunder of the State which is typical when > funded by the Fed. There is always mismanagement of money and > priorities. Given the history of corruption in New Orleans, it does > not surprise me. > > With all what you said about FEMA, there should be hearings, if it is > true. If not, than it will go as hear-say. > > > > --- In [email protected], "Tracey de Morsella \(formerly > Tracey L. Minor\)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I've know about new Orleans for a long time. My husband and I were > thinking > > about going there because we thought it would be gone in a few years > and we > > wanted one last visit before it was too late. > > > > I wish i could say that my politics had nothing to do with it, but my > > motivation is dehydrated little ones, frail old ladies dying from > > starvation, doctors and nurses sustaining themselves with glucose and > > pleading for someone to come save them, and public officials crying > pleading > > for help. this stuff is eating me up. I dream about it. it makes my > > stomach hurt. while it was inevitable that their would be > casualties of > > the hurricane, the survivors did not have to die of starvation, > violence, > > dehydration, etc. > > > > I think a lot of people are responsible for this mess, but the fact > is that > > bush slashed the budget to deal with the problem and address flood > > mitigation by almost 50%; he fired the person who tried to tell him what > > would happen if he did so; he hired the head of the Arabian horse > Breeders > > to head of FEMA (real qualified); He took cabinet powers away from > FEMA and > > rolled it into the office of Homeland Security; he sent 1/3 of > Louisiana's > > troops to Iraq and 1/2 of the equipment needed for rescue and > cleanup; other > > states offered their national guard troops last Saturday, but the > federal > > government did not release them until thursday. Hastert refused to > call an > > emergency session of congress so more monies could be made > available. So, > > the session did not take place until the end of the week; Emergency > teams > > came in with supplies for a terrorist disaster not a hurricane; > while people > > were dying bush, condi, card, and Cheney continued to vacation; when > he left > > his vacation, Bush continued his social security stomp as people died; > > FEMA's leader suggested that people were dying because they would not > > leave, not because of his incompetince or that many could not afford to > > leave;the feds (Bush) refused to activate the Civilian Reserve Air > Fleet but > > did not hesitate to do so for Iraq; People who wanted to help those > in need > > were barred from doing so by the Office of homeland security; FEMA > refused > > to allow Diesel fuel in from the coast Guard; FEMA has intentionally > cut off > > sprint and verizon in new Orleans; they also cut the lines that the > police > > used to communicate; Wal-Mart sent water and FEMA refused it saying > it was > > not needed.. but people have died of dehydration. FEMA cordoned off New > > Orleans not letting anyone in or out; Nine stockpiles of fire-and-rescue > > equipment strategically placed around the country to be used in the > event of > > a catastrophe still have not been pressed into service in New > Orleans. The > > feds say it is because LA, AL and MS did not ask for it. Would it be > > difficult to let them know it is available and instruct them on what is > > required to get it? > > > > so bush did not cause the problem, and he did not cause the flood, > but did > > he and the feds do everything needed to make sure lives were not > lost, no. > > I feel like they murdered thousands of people and everybody is defending > > him. > > > > I do not get it. > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Behalf Of Bosco Bosco > > Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 1:32 AM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: White House Shifts Blame to State and > > Local Officials > > > > > > --- sancochojo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Nobody took the time to upgrade the levees, in the State of > > Louisiana, that are over 100 years old. Who's fault is that, since > > that is the main reason why the flooding occured. Let me guess, > > that's Bush's fault as well. I can't stand Bush, but to blame the > > white house out of convenience or because you don't beleive in his > > policies is simply ridiculous. > > > > > http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0509010170sep01,1,5853346 > > .story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true > > > > http://www.bobharris.com/content/view/629/1/ > > > > I haven't followed much discussion on this but these two articles > > we're really informative. The Army Corp of Engineers who were in the > > process of retooling the levee and pump systems along the Mississippi > > Delta make no bones about the fact that their work was necessary and > > that it would help divert the impact of a disaster like Katrina when > > it struck. They also make no bones about the fact that the Bush > > administration has been actively involved in cutting their funding > > over the last few years to divert funds to the war in Iraq. it shoudl > > be noted they express on opinion on the lack of funding, just that it > > was a reality. The White House and the Congress have both been > > clearly aware of the possibilities of this kind of disaster and the > > need for the Army Corp Of Engineer's work. They decided the war in > > Iraq was more important. So to some degree the present administration > > and it's policies absolutely deserve some of the blame in regards to > > the present disaster that has struck New Orleans. > > > > Bosco > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________ > > Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. > > http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate3/ > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! 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