Katrina Proves Bush Failed New Orleans

[dave502d]

UPDATE (Bob) Here is the full recap

So far today, I've looked at Global Warming and Katrina and the crisis resulting from Lousiana's National Guard being in Iraq instead of defending their state.

Will Bush stay on vacation? At this point, it doesn't really matter. Because Bush has been asleep at the wheel for four years. From the Houston Chronicle in 2001:


New Orleans is sinking.

And its main buffer from a hurricane, the protective Mississippi River delta, is quickly eroding away, leaving the historic city perilously close to disaster.

So vulnerable, in fact, that earlier this year the Federal Emergency Management Agency ranked the potential damage to New Orleans as among the three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters facing this country.

The other two? A massive earthquake in San Francisco, and, almost prophetically, a terrorist attack on New York City.

The New Orleans hurricane scenario may be the deadliest of all.


FEMA said this was the "three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters". Bush's response? Cut preparedness:

(UPDATE -- Tim:) I wanted to take a moment to spell it out for the visiting freepi fawning over the head start the Superdome is giving you supporters of minority internment. Of course we don't believe Bush caused the hurricane, although I think many of us wish he would have asked Pat Robertson to pray for a re-direction.

And most of you failed to read the article Bob linked, no surprise there. But inbetween vacations, the preznit got massive tax-cuts passed at the expense of important projects. Among them, preparedness for natural disasters--some of which happen to be in New Orleans.

In general, funding for construction has been on a downward trend for the past several years, said Marcia Demma, chief of the New Orleans Corps' programs management branch.
In 2001, the New Orleans district spent $147 million on construction projects. When fiscal year 2005 wraps up Sept. 30, the Corps expects to have spent $82 million, a 44.2 percent reduction from 2001 expenditures. <...>

Unfunded projects include widening drainage canals, flood- proofing bridges and building pumping stations in Orleans and Jefferson parishes. The Corps also wants to build levees in unprotected areas on the West Bank.

http://www.swingstateproject.com/2005/08/katrina_proves.php

[malaise]

1. Well a home based natural disaster will

finally drag him into to the cesspool that is now the city of New Orleans. He is finished and the rest of the crew will be going down with him. Fugg all of them. Sadly there will be about 10,000 dead people as a result of this one but when did that bunch care about the lives of citizens anywhere.

He failed big time over the weekend and his policies have failed them for five years. There is no leader anywhere in this hemisphere who would have dared to be so absent in such a crisis.
Robert from Biloxi summed it up best on MSNBC - I hope they replay his comments.

[CottonBear]

3. "He ain't president no more! President Bush don't know what he's doin!"

The young man said:

He's a Biloxi refugee and was asked (by MSNBC), "What did you think of the presidents's address?"

"He ain't president no more! President Bush don't know what he's doin!"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4533014

[malaise]

4. I was watching him

Damn CBS is interviewing some very angry people. Bush is fucked.

[DURHAM D]

2. I think it is important to look at national elected reps and their

participation in some of this as well. Alabama - both senators are repugs, Louisiana - one of each, Mississippi - both senators repugs.

House seats: Alabama 7 members - 2 Dems and 5 repugs.
Louisiana 7 members - 2 Dems and 5 repugs.
Mississippi 4 members - 2 Dems and 2 repugs.

Total of 24 - 17 repugs and 7 Dems.

Also, two of these states have repug Governors.

Everyone of these repugs probably ran on a platform that included lower taxes.

Repug decision making - part of the blame.