Florida response saved lives, Gov. Bush says (lashed out at GC officials)

[sabra]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/politics/content/state/epaper/2005/09/15/a11a_kat_gov_0915.html

Florida response saved lives, Gov. Bush says
By Dara Kam


TALLAHASSEE — Without naming names, Gov. Jeb Bush lashed out at Gulf Coast officials on Wednesday after he visited Southern Mississippi, rattling off a list of how Florida would have responded differently to Hurricane Katrina.

"Our special-needs population would have been given a direct opportunity door-to-door to be in a shelter. We would have evacuated the vulnerable areas on the coastline in mobile homes and the low-lying areas significantly earlier. Our hospitals would have been evacuated. Our nursing homes would not have been left," he said after returning to the capital.

....

"We don't massive-shelter in a place that doesn't have food and water. I don't know how you do that. That would be inappropriate." Bush said.

....

"A governor of any state knows his state better than a FEMA director. Or a general," he said. "If this is a high priority for our state, which it is, it requires our leadership and our responsibility and then we need to be held accountable."

[Lindsay]

1. And it helps if your brother is the president,

Gov. Bush forgot to mention.

[rodeodance]

8. AND it WAS a presidental election year jebby boy!

[UpInArms]

9. and there was a special "waterboy" in florida

[Sydnie]

10. Interesting - Isn't that "Brownie" on the left - through the windshield?

Guess he was doing a "heck of a job" letting blivet** pose for that photo-op then too, huh?

[sabra]

13. is that Brownie behind the windshield?

[Imagevision]

25. Jebs brother is the only reason Florida got quick help -election coming up

for Bush as the two Bro's hand out water and ice side by side - photo-oped to schmithereens..!

Jeb should shut up criticizing others with his brother being the damn president...People in Florida never would have voted for Bush for sure if he screwed that one up.

New Orleans as we have seen was an entirely (yaaawwnn) different story.

BUSH accepts full responsibility? to be redefined on thursday night.

[Doctor_J]

2. I thought Snotty said we weren't playing the blame game

what a bunch of fucking liars

[brainshrub]

3. Jeb is an evil, Machiavellian motherfucker... but at least he has brains.

I was raised in Florida, and my family still lives there. Jeb Bush is a capable administrator, who, unlike his brother, is capable of thought.

When selected as President in 2008, he will have the intelligence and political savvy to become a full-fledged dictator. So far, the stupidity of George W. Bush has been Americas only remaining bulwark against tyranny. That won't be a problem for Jeb.

[fooj]

4. Hey! Where were YOU, dickhead? A fucking football game!

Screw giving anyone a hand, right? You donated a lousy $20. What else can you do?


:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[shanti]

5. ok, how many family members does that make now?

they've trotted out a few already in the chimp's defense.

oh no, time for poppy! :eyes:

[daleo]

6. Jebbie better watch it.

God seems to be in a "punish hubris" mode lately.

[TomInTib]

7. Always thought that FL looked like the penis of the US, which

would make JEB the head of the penis...official title "Dick-head".

[barb162]

11. lies, all lies. I remember all those Fllorida hurricanes last yr.

and there were these people in trailers a few feet from the breach and these people were staying in the trailers. I remember them interviewing this one guy who had a trailer , about 50, and he had a bad leg... the eye of the hurricane was coming right there. This guy could not have saved himself. He wasn't leaving.

[Coastie for Truth]

12. I think Jeb is a political whore - worse then George

BUT - The Atlantic Coast and the Pacific Coast have very good state and local Offices of Emergency Services, they have well trained, well drilled voluntary responders (Red Cross, Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Brotherhood, Ham Radio, Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sheriff's Posse). They drill - they train.

An awful lot of "it" is training down to the last volunteer in the last rank, and drilling down to that same last volunteer in the last rank, and planning, and redundancy in logistics and communications, and planning, and "interoperability" (i.e., a Salvation Army volunteer can take a hand off from a Red Cross volunteer who took a handoff from a Southern Baptist Brotherhood volunteer, and a Civil Air Patrol volunteer can coordinate tightly with a Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteer -- this is non trivial, this killed NYPD Cops and FDNY firefighters on 9/11/2001).

And a lot of it is having shelters pre-identified and at least partially pre-stocked.

A lot of it is having evacuation routes (and equipment) identified - and dry runs.

And - Florida (even before Jeb) is good.

Let me say and disclaim - I am no fan of Jeb's or George's or Laura's or Barbara's or Neal's or Marvin's or George H's. Don't like them - or their policies or their attitudes. But at least Jeb inherited a good system.

[AlCzervik]

14. yes his monday morning quarterbacking really helps them now!

hey i bet if Blanco's brother was the president help would have gotten to her as quick as Jebby gets a hand from his brother.

[geomon666]

15. You're a damn liar Jeb! What about the 1,000's of people you left to rot!

http://cbs4.com/frances/hurricane_story_241171033.html

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez is not happy with the way relief distribution was handled in the county after Hurricane Katrina. He called the situation "unacceptable" and is asking County Manager George Burgess for a plan for countywide emergency distribution centers. Read the mayor's memo.
-----

Memorandum
Office of the Mayor
Date: August 29, 2005
To: George M. Burgess
County Manager
From: Carlos Alvarez
Miami-Dade County
Subject: Emergency Distribution Centers

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of thousands of Miami-Dade County residents were left without basic, essential commodities. While various emergency crews worked around the clock to restore power and speed recovery, affected residents had limited emergency distribution centers to choose from to obtain ice, water and other assistance. This is unacceptable for a County that serves over two million residents and spans 1,945 square miles.

As I discussed with you, we need to designate distribution centers COUNTYWIDE where the County, the National Guard and other public agencies or philanthropic organizations can provide free food, water, ice, flashlights and other supplies to those in need. Sites should be identified in advance so that they can be activated as needed because storm tracks can shift unexpectedly at any time, such as what occurred with Hurricane Katrina in Miami-Dade County.

These sites must be strategically located countywide to ensure reasonable access for all our residents. We cannot afford to put our residents at further risk by requiring them to drive from one end of the County to the other to reach a distribution center, especially when there are hazardous road conditions, no power at intersections, and limited supplies of gasoline. As such, we need to revamp our recovery assistance plans so that resources can be mobilized and deployed in the most effective manner. County personnel should be present at every site.

Due to the immediate priority that must be placed on this matter, I am requesting a plan within 10 days. We must be able to assure all our residents that there will be convenient access to to assistance if the need arises.

cg: Honorable Chairman Joe A. Martinez and Members,
Board of County Commissioners
Honorable Harvey Ruvin, Clerk of Courts
Murray A. Greenberg, County Attorney
Kay Sullivan, Director, Clerk of the Board



You're a pig! Your whole family is full of murderers and liars!

[tkmorris]

16. That is undiluted horseshit

Frances last year had the potential to be every bit as intense as Katrina was. In fact, 48 hours out she was forecast to be. She slowed down though, which weakened her a bit, but Jeb could not have known that would happen.

Evacuations were done to be sure, but special needs done door-to-door? Hardly. Hospitals evacuated? Umm, no. Mobile homes evaced? Nope. Furthermore the Florida east coast is NOTHING like New Orleans. The evac zone for a Cat 5 hurricane only extends a couple miles inland, less in some places. I am less than 5 miles from the coast and am nowhere near being in danger of needing to evacuate. Ever.

Florida's approach to a hurricane is to evacuate everyone east of the Intracoastal waterway, as many as will go anyway, then hunker down and wait for reinforcement after the storm passes. Which last year took 2 days tops. Election year and all that.

[ladylibertee]

17. Oh shut the _ _ _ _ up you sap.

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. That's why Jeb evacuated Tampa instead of Punta Gorda

last year when Hurricane Charley hit. Yeah, he's a genius all of a sudden.

Plus Katrina did kill 7 people in FL when it was still a Cat 1. I guess that Jeb's idea of doing a good job.

Good thing FL doesn't have the same poverty issues that New Orleans has because Jeb is another bubble boy who doesn't have a clue.

[Javaman]

19. hey jeb, my bro is prez*, so fuck you, bush...here is some advice...

FUCK YOU!

You wheezily little shit head. Should'a, whould'a, could'a, it seems all you fucking asshole bush dickheads are able to do.

"I could have done it better!" WTF???? Who in gods name asked for you fucking insight you political hack???

I can't wait till your useless brother* is kicked out of office so the family smirk is smacked off of your face.

Now, listen dickhead, just because your bro* now wears adult pants doesn't mean that gives you carte blanche to condemn a whole state when the problem started with your own asshole of a bro*

So sit down jebby boy, take a rest, you have had a long day and need a nap and maybe a few valium. In the mean time, mind your own goddamn business and let the people of N.O. heal, you heartless, showboating, bloated wanna-be prez* someday jack ass!!

Whew! that felt good.

[sabra]

20. I am sensing some hostility towards the Bush clan? :-)

[Javaman]

24. Just a little...lol

:crazy:

[DrDan]

21. Last year my wife assisted moving Nursing home residents

on 2 occasions

The evacuation was ALL left to the Nursing Home
- get transportation
- find a place to go
- move the residents
- feed 'em
- move them back

The State of Florida did not do ANYTHING!!!!!

What a liar!!!!

[sando]

23. The truth will out

At least on this site. The paper shows it's lack of media integrity by not look for any items that might stand in direct contrast to the article they publshed and that is what the main problem is with the American press these days. I've said since the storm hit had it hit either Florida or Houston Texas we would have seen a completely different federal response to the disaster.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

22. Jeb missed his calling...should have been a stand up comic.

I'm a looooong time Floridian, a retired hospital and nursing home nurse and this is just plain horse shit.

[noonwitch]

26. He has a point, but his state has to, and always has had good plans

Long before Jeb was governor. Florida does seem to be the state most vulnerable, but they do have one advantage over Lousiana-they are mostly above sea level.

[demo dutch]

27. Agreed nothing to do with Jeb, much was in place before he came along!

Epscially, after Andrew during Gov. Chiles things were improved