New Orleans' Mayor Accurately Blasts Federal Response to NO

[Shockwavegirl]

It's not an issue of conservative/liberals; Republican/Democrat, all though don't we just love sharing our own opinions about that. Mostly what I see is many people at fault for the lack of preparedness, and no one actually standing up and saying "oops, my bad". This is why I dislike just about all politicians.

[kahmooza]

^ Which is why I always vote 3rd party. Even though they have no chance I'm never dissapointed with my choice. Especially the last two elections...

[RBull4life]

PRESIDENT BUSH eased the pollution laws the last 5 years thus resulting in warmer waters thus resulting in stronger more frequent "natural disasters".

Even the center of Hurricane research said that this has NOTHING to do with global warming. Global warming has not even been proven to be fact. Was FDR blamed for the Labor Day hurricane of 1935? In fact, FDR was heading off to his vacation home for a vacation. Was that hurricane blamed on global warming? Lets face it people, it is August, down south, and the waters in the Gulf coast would be warm like they have been for hundreds of years.

Louisiana's government was severly lacking in preparation for a strong hurricane, they knew the levees wouldn't hold back water in a catagory 4 storm, yet they did nothing to fix it even though they were given federal money to do so, and they could have raised state taxes to raise more money of their own. It's not the federal governments job to hold their hand. They are just throwing blame into the wind so it doesn't hit them.

Well, well said Shockwavegirl. Instead of concerning on placing blame on Bush, people should be asking what in world were the governers of LA, Blanco, Edwards, and Long doing with the federal money that was given to them over the years to fix, and upgrade the levee system. You know why we can't ask that question, and ask for an investigation? Because they were Democrates. I think the Democrates should really be focusing on what really happened down in New Orleans, instead of automaticaly pointing the finger at Bush. Blanco, and Naggen are the ones in charge down there, not Bush. Is Fema at fault. To a degree yes, but also remember that the governors of each state has to call in FEMA. Fema just can't show up whenever they want to.

Al Sharpton or that rapper fella are allowed to speak their mind, I thought thats why we are in all these wars now...to protect our freedoms

And that is what makes our country great. But that also means that I, and others can voice our opinion on just how silly what they say sounds. The Govenor of LA=White. The last two Govenors=White. I think that they were hoping that this would happen to New Orleans. I think that they didn't fix the levee system hoping that poor, poverty striken people would die, because they don't like them.

Right now, the focus should be on helping people who need the help. You can always start pointing fingers later.

[Mr. SFGAm]

I just want to know why it took a week for federal aide to even begin to be administered. And for alot of the victims, that aide came too little, too late.

I do believe that the response time from Bush and the federal government was absolutely horrendous at the least. As Galvin said in the first post of this topic, it looks like the victims of this tragedy, as well as the rest of us Americans are taking the backseat to Iraq.

[JGSixFlags]

Its not bushes job to adminsiter aid, thats why he created FEMA. Now that FEMA isnt doing its job Bush has stped in and is helping. Brown has been removed now, so maby we will see more action.
It took a week for aid to arrive to the tusnami victimes. These things just take time. This is not the time for a blame game but time to fix what went wrong. YES mistakes were made but they wont be made again now will they? NO cause they made them and they will fix them, but for now they will help those efected by thier mistake.

[twixmix0303]

Right, Bush created FEMA. He's our President, and head of everything. Sure, while it was FEMA's job to administer aid, Bush is ultimately the one responsible. He created FEMA, hired Michael Brown, and thus is responsible for FEMA. Just like in the corporate world, the boss is responsible for his employees. (Of course, any government organiation operates nothing like a corporation.) With a disaster as big as Katrina, Bush should have made darn sure that FEMA was on top of things. Even if he did his best (which I don't believe he did), I still hold him responsible for the delay. He created FEMA, he better make darn sure it operates efficiently.

[Shockwavegirl]

Actually Brown wasn't removed as the director of FEMA, just as the head of Katrina aid.

Also, it didn't take a week for the federal government to get there, it was 4 days, which is expected since the LA government didn't even call for aid to begin with, they just expected it. They should know by living on the Gulf coast that it is their responsiblity to ASK for additional aid, not just to expect it. FEMA is also busy with several states aid for summer tornados as well, because they were asked.

[RBull4life]

Shockwavegirl you are my hero.

You are right, it took four days for the National Guard to get there, and not because they were in Iraq. LA has something like 12,000 National Guard, and 4,000 of them are in Iraq (my numbers could be off, but I remember hearing on CNN, that LA still had 8,000 NG troops). If I do my math right, that leaves 8,000 in LA. Shockwavegirl is right, the state has to ask for help. The National Guard just cannot waltz in there on there own, and I think that applies to FEMA as well. Moving NG troops just doesn't happen overnight. Its not like hopping in your car and driving to GA, and considering that a levee acually broke on Monday afternoon, the National Guard was there on Thursday.

Again, Bush is at fault here for letting thousands suffer and starve, when he does not even run the LA Government. Are they not accountable for anything? As I said earlier, the Red Cross was ready to go into the convention center, and super-dome, but the LA homeland security said no. How is that Bush's fault? Naggen had hundreds of school busses sitting there that he could have used to evacute the city. He didn't. Thats Bush's fault? A levee system that was designed for only a Cat 3 hurricane. Thats Bush's fault? You know what it sounds like? It sounds like the Mayor, and the Governor both saw what happened and thought, "Oh s***, we f***** up." I'll blame him for not doing this, and I'll blame her for not doing this, or I'll blame Bush, yeah thats it, well all blame Bush, and it will take the heat off of us.

[JGSixFlags]

I totally Agree with every thing you just said.

[Galvan]

Right, Bush created FEMA. He's our President, and head of everything. Sure, while it was FEMA's job to administer aid, Bush is ultimately the one responsible. He created FEMA, hired Michael Brown, and thus is responsible for FEMA. Just like in the corporate world, the boss is responsible for his employees. (Of course, any government organiation operates nothing like a corporation.) With a disaster as big as Katrina, Bush should have made darn sure that FEMA was on top of things. Even if he did his best (which I don't believe he did), I still hold him responsible for the delay. He created FEMA, he better make darn sure it operates efficiently.

Bush never created FEMA, FEMA has bee around for years, Presidents do not create cabinet departments either, Congress does that Learn how the US Government Works before you make a rediculous post like that.

[RBull4life]

Maybe he was confused with the Department of Home Land Security, which FEMA is now a part of.

[Galvan]

Even still, congress created DHS, not Bush

[RBull4life]

Even still, congress created DHS, not Bush

and Congress is the one who put FEMA in the DHS.

One thing is certain, no matter where you stand on this subject, and that is just the shear amount of contributions, whether it be money, food, or clothing, that the American people has donated to the evactuees of Katrina. This is what makes me damn proud to be an American. That we can pull together as a people, Democrate / Republican, it doesn't matter, and help those in need sometimes gets me choked up.

God Bless America!

[Shockwavegirl]

Right, Bush created FEMA. He's our President, and head of everything. Sure, while it was FEMA's job to administer aid, Bush is ultimately the one responsible. He created FEMA, hired Michael Brown, and thus is responsible for FEMA. Just like in the corporate world, the boss is responsible for his employees. (Of course, any government organiation operates nothing like a corporation.) With a disaster as big as Katrina, Bush should have made darn sure that FEMA was on top of things. Even if he did his best (which I don't believe he did), I still hold him responsible for the delay. He created FEMA, he better make darn sure it operates efficiently.

Bush never created FEMA, FEMA has bee around for years, Presidents do not create cabinet departments either, Congress does that Learn how the US Government Works before you make a rediculous post like that.

Hail Hail.......someone paid attention in their high school American Government class!

[w00dland]

Saying that Bush created FEMA is just screaming "Hi my name is Twixmix and I'm just looking to bash our President in everyway possible, even if it means not researching anything.

[Shockwavegirl]

Sure Twixmix, Bush is in charge of everything. In this country that is ALOT of things to deal with, that is why there are people given the job to head certain cabinat committees, and when they didn't do their job, Bush stepped in and tried to make it right, but by then it was already too late and the finger pointing game had already begun.

To all others, another reason for Bush bashing lately has been to say that he is racist and did nothing to help the minority groups. Did anyone stop to think that the minority groups are also the poorest of the city and didn't have the money to evacuate? I think the local government should have used city/school busses to help those to evacuate that couldn't because they had no money/car/opportunity to do so.

[RBull4life]

I think the local government should have used city/school busses to help those to evacuate that couldn't because they had no money/car/opportunity to do so.

And thats when the Mayor should have used those school busses to evacuate them.

Shockwavegirl, Galvan, am I correct when I say that the the a governor of a state has to ask for FEMA, and the national guard's help? My American Goverment class seems like it was decades ago. Well atleast a decade.

[Shockwavegirl]

Yes, the local government needs to ask for FEMA to come.

[twixmix0303]

Maybe he was confused with the Department of Home Land Security, which FEMA is now a part of.

Yeah, my bad.

Anyways, I'm not a Bush basher like 99% of the people on these boards. I'm just saying Bush should have made a better effort on his part with this entire Katrina catastrophe.

EDIT: Oh, and Shockwavegirl, I've been in U.S. History for, let's see, a whole 3 weeks... Kind of a dumb comment, now, don't you think?

[RBull4life]

I'm just saying Bush should have made a better effort on his part with this entire Katrina catastrophe.

He could only do so much Twix. See Shockwavegirl's comment above yours. He could not send in the National Guard with the local goverment of LA asking for it. The only way he could do that if martial law was declared.

[Shockwavegirl]

Well heck when the NG was sent in, there were looters and gunmen in the streets.......it was martial law basically when they got there.

It's starting to irritate me that everyone seems to think that the federal government should hold our hand and tell us how we should prepare for and deal with natural disasters that happen in those areas EVERY SUMMER. Hello? Can we say communist dictatorship. If you expect all your decisions and problems to be solved by the government without even asking for it...move to China.

[Galvan]

The President is forbidden to tell states how to use the NG. Its the separation of Powers granted by the US Constitution, think about it, If GW, didnt like Mayor Daley for example (Personally, i cant see why anyone would be against Daley) He could in theroy use the NG to take him out, Which is why the US Constitution is in place.

Also people seem to think that NO was under 20 feet of water in alot of places and police and NG officers where not able to reach looted areas.

[Andrew]

^ Some people may hate Daley because he may have created this policy that if you work for the city like a garbage man or something and you're more than 20 minutes away or 20 miles away from the city you can't work there. I'm not sure how this exactly works. Someone on here may have heard of this before. My friend from school was telling me about this because it affected his uncle.

[w00dland]

It's starting to irritate me that everyone seems to think that the federal government should hold our hand and tell us how we should prepare for and deal with natural disasters that happen in those areas EVERY SUMMER. Hello? Can we say communist dictatorship. If you expect all your decisions and problems to be solved by the government without even asking for it...move to China

If the government never warned anybody about anything there would be such major loss of life from natural disiasters it'd be sick. If the government didn't warn about anything there could be a volcano eruption in Yellowstone as we speak. If it was a communist dictatorship then during the mandatory evacuations there would have been people arrested for not leaving the city. The good news is they had the choice whether or not they wanted to leave the city.

[Shockwavegirl]

Maybe he was confused with the Department of Home Land Security, which FEMA is now a part of.

Yeah, my bad.

Anyways, I'm not a Bush basher like 99% of the people on these boards. I'm just saying Bush should have made a better effort on his part with this entire Katrina catastrophe.

EDIT: Oh, and Shockwavegirl, I've been in U.S. History for, let's see, a whole 3 weeks... Kind of a dumb comment, now, don't you think?

All we are saying is that if you don't know how the government works.....don't make stupid comments that contradict how our government works. Know what you are talking about before you open your mouth. So no it wasn't a dumb comment, just an ignorant one. I didn't know that you just started learning how the government works, because you act like you know what you are talking about, when you clearly don't.