FEMA head or rep on Diane Rehm saying NO Mayor "could"

[snot]

but has not yet requested the National Guard??? True???

Also that Mayor could have martial law declared but hasn't.

[elehhhhna]

1. Now it's the mayors fault? HTH is Martial law going to feed & water

those people?

[TornadoTN]

2. THATS BULLSHIT

The Mayor has repeatedly called for help from the federal government, he has quotes all over the news media at NOLA.

Now they try to shift the blame to someone else. Typical!!!

What a freaking disaster

[Blue_Roses]

3. not true

the GOVERNOR of LA has requested the NG--so this is bullshit.

[KharmaTrain]

9. You Are Very Correct

I saw Mayor Gayner interview on WWL early Saturday morning. He said at that time that Governor Blanco had already activated the guard. All he could do was give the order for the city to be evacuated...which he was hesitant to do as that could have created a greater panic of people trying to get out of town in those last hours.

The question here should be about the "quality" of the NG troops being sent. I've heard many who were either from other states or not familiar with the jobs they were being sent to do.

[IdaBriggs]

4. I call Bullshit. Martial Law was declared days ago.

And the Mayor was calling the President BEGGING for help TWO DAYS AGO. :eyes:

[AlCzervik]

5. Thats bullshit---FEMA is useless now, Bush switched it all over to

homeland security, he gutted FEMA and i think Marshall law was declared in NO.

[htuttle]

6. First of all

A) Bullshit
B) There is no such thing as 'martial law' in Louisiana. The governor already declared a state of emergency, which gives local officials all the authority they would get under martial law (commandeering property, suspension of civil liberties, curfews, etc...). The mayor needs no additional declaration (and there isn't one to be made anyway).

The FEMA guy is either lying or has no fucking idea what he's talking about. He's just defending his Don in either case....

[Spinzonner]

7. Probably didn't sign the correct set of forms

in quadruplicate and mailed them to the wrong address.

[Spazito]

8. I have heard the Mayor, the Senator and the Governor begging

for more National Guard to come immediately. This is a pathetic attempt by FEMA to try and shift the blame, it won't work, the pleas by state and city officials are on record.

[Neecy]

10. you could see this developing yesterday...

During the department head's press briefing - they kept saying that the National Guard was a state responsibility, implying that Blanco hadn't acted quickly enough to get them deployed.

I saw that and thought...here we go. These people take responsibility for nothing - but they continue to get away with it, so who's surprised they're going to finger the governor and the mayor in the coming days?

Bastards.

[snot]

11. PLEASE e-mail Diane with your info! Here:

"Ms. Diane Rehm" <[e-mail]>