Red Cross: State rebuffed relief efforts

[Danieljay]

Totally misleading. Who were those "state" officials? None other than the deputy director of the Louisiana Office of HOMELAND SECURITY. Who's orders were they going on? I heard FEMA.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/08/katrina.redcross/index.html

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (CNN) -- Louisiana officials rebuffed American Red Cross requests to enter New Orleans with relief supplies last week because of concerns over logistical difficulties, Red Cross and state officials said Thursday.

The Red Cross never launched its relief effort in the city.

The national president of the American Red Cross, Marsha Evans, first made the request to undertake the operation during a visit to the state on September 1, three days after Hurricane Katrina struck, a local Red Cross chapter official said.

Vic Howell, chief executive officer of the agency's Louisiana Capital Area Chapter, said he renewed that request the next day to Col. Jay Mayeaux, the deputy director of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

"We had adequate supplies, the people and the vehicles," Howell said at a news conference in Baton Rouge. "It was the middle of a military rescue operation trying to save lives. We were asked not to go in, and we abided by that recommendation."

Mayeaux, appearing at the news conference with Howell, said he had asked the Red Cross to wait 24 hours for conditions to be "set" for the operation

[Teaser]

1. It sounds like a fuckup...

not the worst thing that happened by far. but maybe one they'd want to reconsider.

[bribri16]

23. I can't wat for the investigation. It will all come out unless people are

going to be threatened and bought off by the Bush regime.

[bkcc]

29. What makes you think those threats and buyoffs won't happen?

This administration is accountable for exactly nothing and has been the entire time it's been in power. There is no one to hold its feet to the fire because Congress is controlled by the Republican party.

It's a fucking joke. As much as I hate to say it, Bush and co. will skate on this one too.

[KittyWampus]

2. The Red Cross Isn't FEMA & Doesn't Do FEMA's Work

[Noisy Democrat]

57. Red Cross was to be directed by FEMA

This was an Incident of National Significance, so FEMA was responsible for coordinating the response, including directing the Red Cross. I haven't heard anything yet about FEMA's position on sending the Red Cross into New Orleans. But legally, if FEMA had ordered them in, Blanco had nothing to say about it.

[xray s]

3. I won't defend anyone who screwed up

let the chips fall where they may.

[RageFist]

34. I second that notion n/t

[targetpractice]

4. Isn't this explained here...?

The American Red Cross Katrina Disaster FAQ...

Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?

• Acess to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.
  
  
• The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.
  
  
• The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of thousands of New Orleans residents in some 90 shelters throughout the state of Louisiana and elsewhere since before landfall. All told, the Red Cross is today operating 149 shelters for almost 93,000 residents.
  
  
• The Red Cross shares the nation’s anguish over the worsening situation inside the city. We will continue to work under the direction of the military, state and local authorities and to focus all our efforts on our lifesaving mission of feeding and sheltering.
  
  
• The Red Cross does not conduct search and rescue operations. We are an organization of civilian volunteers and cannot get relief aid into any location until the local authorities say it is safe and provide us with security and access.
  
  
• The original plan was to evacuate all the residents of New Orleans to safe places outside the city. With the hurricane bearing down, the city government decided to open a shelter of last resort in the Superdome downtown. We applaud this decision and believe it saved a significant number of lives.
  
  
• As the remaining people are evacuated from New Orleans, the most appropriate role for the Red Cross is to provide a safe place for people to stay and to see that their emergency needs are met. We are fully staffed and equipped to handle these individuals once they are evacuated.

Edited: Corrected typo in subject line.

[Danieljay]

5. Yes, it is...my point is the title of the article... "state"

officials. I think it was the feds.

[krkaufman]

8. Yeah, the article doesn't even reveal to whom the initial request...

.... was made. And, as you indicate, the Colonel's title implies he's a Fed.

Very confusing.

[xray s]

6. You know...if those were a bunch of starving, dehydrated white people

I think Mr Mayeaux would have figured a way to get the supplies in.

There is NO doubt about this.

[jwirr]

7. Even if the person was a state official he/she was

taking their marching orders for HLS and FEMA. The head of the medicaid in a state is still working in the federal program not the state program. If this had been the local state police who are workers in a state program that would have been different.

[expatriot]

9. not the state's problem there was anarchy in the city b/c of no security

the state would have been responsible if the red cross volunteers would have gone into the city that had no security structure and these unarmed volunteers would have been assaulted by the criminal element that was taking advantage of the collapse of the social fabric.

If Bush would have gotten troops in the city within 12 hours of the storm to maintain order then the Red Cross could have come into the city .

[EFerrari]

10. You're correct. This is a hit piece. n/t

[underpants]

12. Story *broke* on Fox News-Major Garrett- he was on Hannity yesterday

Do the math

Garrett's source apparently was "Red Cross officials" so it could be anyone.

[Lost4words]

11. I dont believe the red cross either. Lackies for the GOP

Buy the way the contributions you make to the Red Cross today might not go to Katrina victoms, they decide when and where to use the funds. Remember 9/11?

Find a good charity, Red Cross is not one IMHO.

[TankLV]

22. The red cross has been politicized for the repukes since Liddy Dole.

I don't trust it any longer.

It's not your parents' red cross anymore.

Just another repuke organization that just happens to do SOME good.

But a repuke political arm, nonetheless.

[hugo_from_TN]

13. This is a Louisiana state agency - not the feds

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/agencyrelated/aboutagency.htm

[ZigSteenine]

14. Denied Before FEDS took over

The article neglects to mention that the Red Cross tried to go in to the Superdome right after the hurricane blew through and pre-flooding. This is before FEDS took over. They were denied access by Louisiana officials. This is from Marty Evans, President of Red Cross.

I have the video if someone can host it. It is about 2.7meg. PM me with a place to send it.

Very damning!!

[Igel]

15. It matters not.

Dems must not be blamed.

Fake evidence. Or the Feds were in charge. Or should have been in charge. Or the state officials feared poisoning if they broke ranks.

Something.

But note that the NG reports to the governor. Federalizing it was the issue, apparently, last Friday. Blanco won.

[Tennessee Gal]

16. Won?

From today's New York Times:

On the issue of whether the military could be deployed without the invitation of state officials, the Office of Legal Counsel, the unit within the Justice Department that provides legal advice to federal agencies, concluded that the federal government had authority to move in even over the objection of local officials.

The federal government rewrote its national emergency response plan after the Sept. 11 attacks, but it relied on local officials to manage any crisis in its opening days. But Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed local "first responders," including civilian police and the National Guard.

At a news conference on Saturday, Mr. Chertoff said, "The unusual set of challenges of conducting a massive evacuation in the context of a still dangerous flood requires us to basically break the traditional model and create a new model, one for what you might call kind of an ultra-catastrophe.""

[ZigSteenine]

17. No one

No one wants to see the video???

[NYC]

51. Contact bpilgrim. Ask him to host your video.

Global Free Press. Send bpilgrim a DU mail.

[Igel]

35. "Won", in a narrow political sense.

She retained control over what she had control of, as she wished, and did not lose it, as * wished.

[Seeking Serenity]

40. "Dems must not be blamed"?!?

Not even if Dems contributed to the screw-ups?

Do we put the party over truth?

If Dems contributed to this mess, they need to hang, too (metaphorically only, of course). The people deserve no less.

On edit: I re-read your post. You had to have been posting facetiously. Carry on.

[Igel]

59. Very much facetiously.

My attitude is that it doesn't matter who screwed up: we need to know. Some little dem screw ups early could have lead to large problems that FEMA screwed up later.

If we don't ID and try to fix all the problems, we could wind up with more deaths in 20 years.

[Spazito]

18. Nope, it was the state representative to HOMELAND security,

which is a federal agency not a state one.

[hugo_from_TN]

20. Wrong - state agency

Just because they use the term "Homeland Security" does not make it federal. Follow the link.

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/agencyrelated/aboutagency.htm

[Spazito]

21. I followed the link and it does NOT say who the director was appointed by

Homeland Security or the Governor nor does it say to whom he reports, Homeland Security or the Governor. I did find this interesting:

Mr. Arthur Jones is the Division Chief of the Disaster Recovery Division, for the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. He joined OHSEP in April 1991, just prior to two Presidential Declaration's (FEMA 902/904) and has since administered twelve Presidential Disaster Declarations. His background includes extensive public service experience in State Government in both Louisiana and Alabama, corporate experience as a subcontractor for the Federal Aviation Administration during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and military as a US Air Force Combat Fighter Pilot in Southeast Asia.

Currently he serves as the Division Chief for the Disaster Recovery Division and provides overall management for the Public Assistance Program and the Individual Assistance Program, for the State of Louisiana. He also serves in the State Emergency Operations Center during periods of disaster alerts and exercises and provides Disaster Recovery Operations Training, Debris Management Operations and Damage Assessment Courses to Emergency Management Officials throughout the state and around the country.

[leesa]

19. Wrong. It was declared a National Disaster by Bush BEFORE the storm

It is under the control of Homeland Security.

[Igel]

37. This is going to be argued for a long time.

* could have seized control. He did not.

Blanco could have done a better job. She did not.

The usual way of doing things is to let the local authorities do what they can; most of Louisiana was not affected. Baton Rouge is an evacuation center, and the state capital, as well as the command and control center. That * *should* have declared unilateral control over the situation says nothing positive about Blanco and Nagin.

Nagin was clearly overwhelmed: his city was mostly destroyed, therefore his resources were essentially nil after 8/29. But Blanco's were not exhausted; she needed more than the state could provide, and *that* should have been provided. But I can't see * or FEMA knowing what all the state had set aside, and ordering Blanco and her people around.

And I can't see any fellow dems saying that Blanco should have been glad to have FEMA ordering her and her staff around, except that the result was a second disaster.

(Personally, I'm beginning to think the third biggest problem was that FEMA wanted to be in charge, and Blanco wanted to be in charge. The first, of course, being the floodwaters, and the second the lack of communications on the ground.)

[sandnsea]

53. What kind of help

That seems to me to be the first biggest problem, Blanco wanted the operation to go one way with government response and FEMA wanted corporate and churches to respond. Because once the bickering stopped and Witt took over, the military responded and the situation improved very quickly. To me that kind of shows that the feds could have responded if Witt could get them to do it.

[DoYouEverWonder]

28. HS/FEMA was in control once the President issued the SOE

The Pentagon took control officially on Aug 31 when it was apparent that HS/FEMA didn't have a clue. It wasn't until Friday Sept 2nd, that the Governor was able to reassert her authority when Bush tried to get her to sign away her state. During the State of Emergency the Federal Government was in charge.

This is just another attempt to smear local and state official in order to protect the criminals at BushCo.

[Noisy Democrat]

58. Bush declared State of Emergency August 26th

From that point on, it was legally up to FEMA to call the shots. What was their position on the Red Cross entering New Orleans? Were they even paying attention enough to know it was an issue?

[ElectroPrincess]

38. Show us the link?

[Lithos]

50. You are wrong sir

Once the Feds enacted the Emergency declaration, it was their job under the Stafford Act to coordinate and bring in such groups as the Red Cross. The President may authorize the use of these groups to assist in a national crisis of the type he declared.

The Stafford Act was amended in 2003 so that it became the Federal Government's job to PROACTIVELY respond to a national disaster once declared as such by the President (which he did).

This law authorizes and encourages the Federal government to bypass any and all red-tape to allow for a speedy and prompt response in these types of situations where human lives are at stake. This even included the prepositioning of resources (federal workers, agents, troops and supplies) which did not start until AFTER the hurricane.

(Note: the Bush declaration which should have started this occured several days before the Hurricane)

The Stafford act specifically allowed the President to bring in groups like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army in under his authority, but he did not. This was not an issue of trying to federalize the National Guard, nor was it presuming on any civil authority, it was purely an issue of bringing in first responders and support people which was his responsiblity.

Then again, you have the 82nd Airborne and the USS Bataan which were available for immediate deployment, but which were not used despite being obligated by the National Response Plan under the Stafford Act once requested by civil authorities (this includes by definition Nagin). This was not started until several days later.

[me b zola]

54. You two are an interesting pair

There is a collection of threads documenting the chain of events. Those threads are hosted for you right here on DU :hi:

[sandnsea]

52. It's a liason office between State & Feds

We don't yet know why the state DHS did what they did, were they instructed by Feds? That's the whole point of one umbrella for DHS at the federal and state levels, to increase the ability to communicate and respond. We just don't know exactly what the national guard battle was yet and who was issuing orders for what purposes. The state DHS answers to both state and federal, so it's tough to say what happened.

[complain jane]

24. HERE'S A LINK TO RED CROSS SITE answers questions about this

http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html

Says this:

Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?


Acess to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.

The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.

The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of thousands of New Orleans residents in some 90 shelters throughout the state of Louisiana and elsewhere since before landfall. All told, the Red Cross is today operating 149 shelters for almost 93,000 residents.

The Red Cross shares the nation’s anguish over the worsening situation inside the city. We will continue to work under the direction of the military, state and local authorities and to focus all our efforts on our lifesaving mission of feeding and sheltering.

The Red Cross does not conduct search and rescue operations. We are an organization of civilian volunteers and cannot get relief aid into any location until the local authorities say it is safe and provide us with security and access.

The original plan was to evacuate all the residents of New Orleans to safe places outside the city. With the hurricane bearing down, the city government decided to open a shelter of last resort in the Superdome downtown. We applaud this decision and believe it saved a significant number of lives.

As the remaining people are evacuated from New Orleans, the most appropriate role for the Red Cross is to provide a safe place for people to stay and to see that their emergency needs are met. We are fully staffed and equipped to handle these individuals once they are evacuated.

[ZigSteenine]

25. It is a State Agency.

Click the About LHOSEP on the left.

"The Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (LHLS & EP); formally the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness (LOEP), was created by the Civil Act of 1950 and is under the Louisiana Military Department."

The commander is Major General Bennett C. Landrineau.

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/hlspersonnel/landreneaubio.htm

From that page...

"Major General Bennett C. Landreneau is the Adjutant General for Louisiana. He is responsible for the deployment and coordination of programs, policies and plans affecting the more than 14,000 members of the Louisiana Army and Air National Guard. He is also the Director of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness."

It is a state of LA office and he was appointed by the governor!

[Janice325]

26. Welcome to DU, ZigSteenine.

It's nice to see newbies making the time to register and post as of today.
I am sooo sick at heart by what happened with Katrina.
The blame game will take forever to sort out, unless the DU'ers can keep up with the rapid pace of spin.
Oy.

[Spazito]

27. Could you please post where it says the Director is appointed by

the Governor? I have looked but have not yet found it.

[ZigSteenine]

30. Here

Here is the document from the State Senate where Governor Blanco submitted to the Senate in May 2004 for her appointments to various offices. The official office name is Emergency Preparedness, Office of.

I am from Louisiana. I know he was appointed by her it just took me a while to find it.


http://senate.legis.state.la.us/SessionInfo/2004/RS/Journals/05-18-2004.pdf

There is also a typo in it. They refer to him as Major instead of Major General.

[Spazito]

31. Thank you, it was helpful but one question, according to the main page

of Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, this responsibility is shared between and under the leadership of two Directors, Major General Ansel M. Stroud and Major General Bennett C. Landreneau.


It would seem that Major General Bennett C. Landreneau did not have sole authority in this matter and I cannot find anything on the site related to the other person named, Major General Ansel M. Stroud, and he was not listed as an appointee by the Governor at that link you provided. Could he be an appointee by the federal body of Homeland Security?

Here is a link to the Divisions and their Managers:

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/agencyrelated/agencydivs.htm

[ZigSteenine]

32. Poorly worded

It is just poorly worded.

The second paragraph states that the office was put under the state military department in 1990.

What the 3rd paragraph is trying to convey is that, since that time, there have been two directors. Ansel M. Stroud and the current one Bennett Landreneau.

Ansel Stroud is retired and was also Landreneau's predecessor as Adjutant General of the State of Louisiana.

I know Landreneau personally, although I haven't had contact with him in a few years. He is a good man and I can't conceive that he would make this decision.

But, it was a State Office and a state Plan and it rests in the lap of Blanco, Dem or not. There is no need for partisanship here. This was a major fuck-up. Shrub fucked up too and we should hold all responsible. Nagin fucked up as well.

But being from LA and the people I am talking to, across all political spectrums, are seething at Blanco's ineptness. She will be recalled over this.

[Spazito]

33. Thank you for your response

It is, indeed, poorly worded, if it is as you say. It is interesting that Landreneau has not been interviewed as to what happened in his area of responsibility. I assume we will have to wait for that. I am not ready to condemn Blanco based on what I have seen nor read as there is a sad lacking of evidence and a great deal of hearsay to this point.

I am sure the state will do it's own investigation into this disaster and I am sure it will make very interesting reading.

[Noisy Democrat]

56. Red Cross takes orders from FEMA

After Pres. Bush declared a state of emergency on August 26th, under the National Response Plan, that made Katrina an Incident of National Significane, in which case the Red Cross was to be coordinated and directed by FEMA. Strange that the Red Cross site doesn't mention what FEMA's position was on sending them into New Orleans. Maybe FEMA didn't have a position on it, because no one from FEMA came by all week. It's very odd.

[progressivebydesign]

36. Wasn't Elizabeth Dole a BIG red cross honcho??

Republican organization perhaps?

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

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[funnymanpants]

45. Here's where

>>Where the fuck do you get off talking that shit?

Look at

https://mediamatters.org/

As MMFA points out, the Red Cross is not telling the truth. Originally it stated that it was a *joint* decision not to go into New Orleans. The Red Cross itself helped make the decision. It was not barred.

[are_we_united_yet]

48. Get lost

[VegasWolf]

39. Red Cross - red state - Elizabeth Dole - contributions? nt

[funnymanpants]

44. Please read MMFA to see that this is propaganda

See

https://mediamatters.org/

to see why this claim is bogus. You are not going to believe who is spinning here--the Red Cross themselves! As MMFA documents, the Red Cross initially stated that the decision not to go into New Orleans was a *joint* decison which it agreed with. Only later, as the White House started it PR campaign to blame the state, did the Red Cross change its story.

The Red Cross was not barred from New Orleans; they helped make the decision not to enter.

[Spazito]

46. Thank you for this! It shouldn't suprise me, the head of the

American Red Cross is a BIG bush donor and we must never forget Libby Dole has big connections with them still I have no doubt.

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nadinbrzezinski]

55. taht is even worst than what they are statring

Sorry but as a former Red Cross Worker this makes my blood boil...

[tazkcmo]

47. Wow

Go to Media Matters and read more about this. Lotsa flip flop goin on here