A Curious Lacuna (Chris Floyd) - linked to 'Blame Game, Set and Match Post

[dutchdemocrat]

A Curious Lacuna

Wednesday, 07 September 2005

Reader Brian L. at This Modern World (which linked to my "Blame Game, Set and Match" post today) notes a curious lacuna in Bush's declaration of a national emergency in Louisiana prior to Hurricane Katrina. While giving FEMA full responsibility for coordinating all disaster relief efforts in "those parishes in the path of the storm," the Aug. 27 declaration leaves out the specific parishes in and around New Orleans and along the coast -- the very areas mostly likely to sustain the most catastrophic damage. I must admit that my rage-dimm'd eyes failed to pick up on this strange omission when I was writing the post last night.

What does this mean? I'm not sure. Was it some kind of conscious subterfuge to skirt responsibility for what everyone knew would be the worst-hit areas? Was it some kind of bureaucratic snafu or arcane matter of procedure? (Either of which could have been overridden by direct presidential intervention at any time.) As with so many of the disasters under Bush's rule, we are left with the same old question: Was it deliberate malevolence or just criminal incompetence?

Bush himself was touting his Aug. 27 declaration the very next day, at a press appearance at his fake ranch in Crawford, saying, "Yesterday, I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Louisiana, and this morning I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Mississippi. These declarations will allow federal agencies to coordinate all disaster relief efforts with state and local officials. We will do everything in our power to help the people in the communities affected by this storm."


Now that seems a pretty broad brush -- broader than the narrow gauge used in the actual declaration. In his public statement -- again, before the storm hit -- Bush is clearly giving the impression that the "federal agencies" will "coordinate all disaster relief efforts with state and local officials" in "the communities affected by this storm."

On Monday, Aug 29, Bush issued another declaration, which again declares "a major disaster in the State of Louisiana," and this time does include all the coastal and NO-area parishes. But the specifics of this declaration deals only with making federal relief funds available to individuals and state and local governments, not coordinating relief efforts.

Incidentally, according to the White House website, on the same day, Monday, Aug. 29, Bush told an audience in Arizona that he had been on the telephone that very day to "Mike Chertoff, the head of the Department of Homeland Security." The matter was so urgent that he had called Chertoff from Air Force One, while flying to the meeting in Arizona. And what was the urgent matter that Bush and Chertoff discussed -- while the 17th Street Canal and Industrial Canal levees were breaking and floodwater was filling up New Orleans?

"I said, are you working with the governor? He said, you bet we are. That's the most effective way to do things, is to work with the state and local authorities. There are more resources that will be available."

And resources for what exactly? "We'll have more folks on the border; there will be more detention space to make sure that those who are stopped trying to illegally enter our country are able to be detained."

That's right. While the levees were breaking, Bush was calling Chertoff to make sure there were more hoosegows for Mexicans trying to cross the border. Priorities, priorities -- ya gotta stay focused on the priorities! That's leadership.

SNIP

http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=1

[Walt Starr]

1. Reading is fundamental

The maffected parishes not listed were specifically in the path of Katrina. The other parishes could have suffered secondary damage and were specifically listed for the purpose of including them if aid was necessary.

Not one of the listed parishes was directly in the path of the hurricane.

[donsu]

2. the bushgang oil/gas/chemical barons wanted NO dead

New Orleans was a nuisance to their business.

Ashcroft thought the devil lived there.

they wanted genocide, they think Mexicans are easier to use as work slaves. american blacks have rights. Mexicans don't.

this is all about criminals making money. the bushgang invaded america and are laughing all the way to the vault.