Mayor rips FEMA chief after halting return plan (Nagin)

[sabra]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9406899/

Mayor rips FEMA chief after halting return plan
New Orleans' Nagin says Adm. Allen 'stepped outside his lane'

NEW ORLEANS - After backing off on his call for some residents to return to New Orleans, the city's mayor ripped into the top U.S. government relief official on Tuesday, underscoring the rising tension between city and federal authorities over who has the final say after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

The call for another evacuation ahead of a new tropical storm came after repeated warnings from top federal officials — including President Bush himself — that New Orleans was not safe enough to reopen. Federal officials warned that Tropical Storm Rita could breach the city’s weakened levees and swamp the city all over again.

Although Mayor Ray Nagin on Monday backed off his position to begin readmitting residents to parts of the city, the rift between local and federal officials appeared to widen.

On Tuesday, Nagin had harsh words for the federal government’s top official in the city, Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen, who he said “stepped outside his lane by talking directly to the citizens of New Orleans.”

[Kagemusha]

1. What happened to 'mayor orders evacuation'?

Just wondering.

[hippiechick]

2. As much as I respect Nagin and understand where he's at ...

... he's bordering on acting like a schizophrenic and people aren't going to take him seriously for much longer ...

[rodeodance]

3. my understanding is they would come in during the day and leave

during the night. Rita halted all this for now.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Right. It was for the Algiers area which is across the Mississippi river

where there wasn't any flooding, they have electricity, sewer and water (they are on a different water, sewer system), some even are getting cable.

It wasn't like they were talking about the 9th Ward. People talk about it as if he was telling the entire city to come back. He wasn't.

[gulfbreeze]

5. Only if the media keeps portraying him in that way...

being from florida and having been through so many storms and evacuations before, everything the mayor is doing DOES make sense. After Ivan, the Pensacola Beach was closed for quite a while, but there comes a time when owners (business & home) must be able to get to their property. This does NOT mean bringing back the sick and the young. It does mean coming in with abled friends and family to begin the cleanup. It does mean being able to salvage what you can, especially documentation (deeds, insurance, etc.). You have to start somewhere. The idea that you just walk away is not logical. I understand the levee situation and so do the returning residents and so does the mayor. The levee will take a long time to repair and you cannot put everything on hold until that time arrives. You just use common sense and when there appears to be the possibility of breach, you issue warnings.

[Rowdyboy]

6. I like Nagin too, and can't understand why he would object to Allen

speaking directly to the people of New Orleans. He is in charge of the overall reconstruction effort and I would assume that includes the city.

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. Because it seems the Admiral is working against him

and sending conflicting messages.

[Rowdyboy]

11. I can certainly understand why Nagin would be very wary of ANYONE

connected to the administration. I do think, though, that maybe they should move just a little slower in reopening the city. I don't ever want to see a nightmare like the week after Katrina again....

[Bridget Burke]

7. "Schizophrenic" ?

I don't think you understand what the word means.

[bpilgrim]

8. imagine how you would sound try'n to work with the neoCONs

you try'n to serve people and the other side try'n to DESTROY people.

peace

[zann725]

22. My guess is Blackwater pulled him aside, and TOLD him to reconsider...

Upcoming storm-warnings aside, the Neo-Con's want the citizens off their own land NOW...so squatter rights and land auctions can begin.

Of course the Mayor knows what's going on.

[Squatch]

9. No shit.

[Neshanic]

18. That's what I thought. He is probably just a moron basically.

He's a Republican, then a Democrat.

He had a "ribbon cuttting" ceremony? Did anyone else hear that? He is spectacularly inept, and anyone with half a brain would rethink such a aggresive attempt to get people back in.

In this case, he has done the virtually impossible. He made Chimpy sound reasonable by asking the question of if it was reasonable to let people in a city with damaged levees and a new storm/hurricane entering the gulf.

[Tomee450]

23. How ridiculous of you

to call Nagin a moron. I've sen no evidence to support that description. Nagin is doing the best he can in a difficult situation. He is not a man afraid to speak out and that angers some people. So what if he changed parties. Other politicians have done similarly. Would you be complaining if a Republican suddenly became democrat? I don't believe for one moment that Nagin would do anything to endanger the lives of the citizens of NO. He is not allowing people back into places that are considered dangerous but in areas that were not severely damaged by Katrina.

[Tomee450]

21. Nagin is not acting

like a schizophrenic at all but like a mayor who care about his city. I can imagine those meetings with the feds and Nagin. The feds probably treated him just as they did Governor Blanco...demanding that he accede to their views and allow them control. I've noticed a shift in the attitude of the press towards Nagin since Brownie's replacement came on the scene. General Honoree as also faded into the background.

[confludemocrat]

12. The coast guard guy has no business trying to talking over mayor

If anyone thinks he (Allen) is other than Bush's shill on this, I can't agree.

[GOPAgainstGW]

13. Both Mayor Nagin & Gov Blanco are worthless idiots n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. That seems to be your new mantra?

I guess you don't have a problem with Bush & Co who couldn't cut short their vacations or a Federal Government who deliberately withholds assistance?

[GOPAgainstGW]

17. BushCo is even worse. "The People" are the big losers! n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. BushCo is doing this deliberately

The people at the local and state levels are doing their best in a very bad situation. For example, Nagin evacuated 80% of NO without Federal assistance. What's wrong with that?

Instead of wasting time bashing people who seem to be trying to do their best for their people, why don't we focus on the real bad guys?

[GOPAgainstGW]

20. Agree, We All Know N.O. Has Always Been A Corrupt Banana Republic...

BushCo tried to blackmail Gov Blanco bad on withholding Fed assistance. Major setup. Papa Bush did the same thing to then Florida Governor Lawton Chiles (RIP) after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

As a "well wired" Repub (that hates the Bush Family) (I live 3 blocks from Papa Bush in Houston), I have much documentation on these facts. Guess I should start a thread and share some of it here at DU.

[DoYouEverWonder]

24. Please do

We love good dirt around here.

[meisje]

14. He plan for bringing people back was a bad idea in the first place

The levee is held by sand bags!!!!

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. And what about the 100,000's of people who happen to live there?

So far the levees are holding. People need to be able to decide for themselves whether or not they want to go back at this point as long as they are aware of the risks.

[demo dutch]

25. What's with the vote? Most think Fema Chief should have the final word!