WP Pg. 1: The Steady Buildup to a City's Chaos (Confusion Reigned…)

[kskiska]

Confusion Reigned At Every Level Of Government

Sunday, September 11, 2005; A01

(snip)

Despite pleas by Bush administration officials to refrain from "the blame game," mutual recriminations among officeholders began even before New Orleans's trapped residents had been rescued. The White House secretly debated federalizing authority in a city under the control of a Democratic mayor and governor, and critics in both parties assailed FEMA and raised questions about President Bush.

That Friday, as Maestri prepared for the Big One, he had known that his region's survival would depend on the federal response. After Hurricane Pam, FEMA officials had concluded that local authorities might be on their own for 48 or even 60 hours after a real storm, but they had assured Maestri that the cavalry would swoop in after that, and take care of the region's needs.

"Like a fool, I believed them," Maestri said last week.

(snip)

By Friday, FEMA's emergency headquarters for Katrina was already running; technically, the agency was at level one, its highest level of alert.

But as the headquarters staff came in, there was a strange sense of inaction, as if "nobody's turning the key to start the engine," said one team leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. For his group, Friday was a day to sit around wondering, "Why aren't we treating this as a bigger emergency? Why aren't we doing anything?"

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/10/AR2005091001529.html

[wellst0nev0ter]

1. May This Article Finally Put To Rest The Slander

that the state and local government is primarily at fault for this disaster. Looking at what little they had to work with, it's amazing how they managed to evacuate so many people. The real criminal is the feds who sat on their hands while the city drowned.

[Mike_The_Computer]

2. New Orleans to the Bush Admin: Not waving ... drowning.

Impeach these bastards NOW!