I need the proof that the Gov and The Mayor asked for Federal Assisstance

[fooj]

Please. All info very appreciated.

[Walt Starr]

1. Happened on August 26

The document is posted at the governor's web site and was cited in multiple articles prior to the hurricane making landfall.

[fooj]

4. Thank you, Walt.

My father is usually such a reasonable man...

Peace.

[One_Life_To_Give]

17. No troops requested in that

It references an expected 30 million in expense to clean up the debries. But doesn't specifically say what is requested.

Concidering that DOD set up a specific "Katrina Command" to funnel requests from Civilians into the military system. We need to find the specific requests made to this "Command" for troops etc. for specific mission objectives.

[Walt Starr]

26. It was compliance with the Stafford Act

Once the request was accepted and an emergency declared by the president, FEMA assumes primary responsibility for coordination of ALL relief efforts.

That's the law.

[One_Life_To_Give]

27. Coordinate Administration but

may, coordinate all disaster relief assistance. Also while this request is in accordance with sec. 401. We need the date for "403-C-1" which allowed federal troops to aid in the disaster response.

I suspect the blame game will focus on who had operational command of all emergency activities within the La. disaster area. Probably something like "Since the Guard was Not Federalized" "FEMA had no direct control over the situation or the flow of information into and out of the disaster zone."

[Spazito]

28. Read this, it explains how it works very well

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4668155

[One_Life_To_Give]

29. Too much weasel room

The document still does not specify who has operational command. Yes the Feds should have taken command. I am not certain about the legalities of sending federal troops onto state and private land, without the Gov. requesting them. But note that they are only allowed to be dep-loyed as such for up to ten days.

It's still far too easy to say the state had Operational Command. And hence all decisions on what resources were needed and how they would be used.

[Spazito]

30. Yes, it does, quite clearly, it is Homeland Security and under them

FEMA.

[One_Life_To_Give]

31. Unified Command

What we need to know is who was running the "Unified Command" at the "Incident Command Post"

These terms have specific meaning within the National Response Plan. And from where I sit, the major breakdowns in response to this event. Was a complete lack of a Unified Command. That actually took Operational Command of it's assets.

FEMA should have made certain it was in place and operating.
Gov. Blanco should have made sure FEMA had it operating.

[Spazito]

32. FEMA was responsible for getting it up and running

FEMA had a director responsible for that located in Louisiana, it didn't get done. FEMA national headquarters should have then moved and set it up, they didn't.

Governor Blanco, because FEMA did not get it up and running, brought in James Lee Witt to do it for them.

[One_Life_To_Give]

35. La. Should of been up before

Under the National Response Plan, the State should have been in Operational Command unitl releived by the FEDs. At which point they become a part of the total forces used in the incident. She had command of the foirces in and around NO. in either case. So the state was the ones who had to be placing all the requests for additional equipment in NO. as well as directing the activities of all state and local forces in the area.

[Spazito]

36. You need to go and read the State Emergency Plan

you will see that the State does it in coordination with Homeland Security, the 'boss' of FEMA. The state's original plan was updated after Homeland Security was set up and FEMA put under it to include Homeland Security (FEMA) from the start.

[fooj]

2. Is anybody out there?

I am so angry right now. I am shaking.

[bunny planet]

3. Thom Hartman just said that the Governor's letter of 8/28 declaring an

emergency and asking for federal help is posted over at Buzzflash.

I've been hearing 8/28 as the date of the letter, is it 8/26? Even more lead time then for the Bush crime family to ignore the warning.

[Spazito]

21. She declared a state of emergency for Louisiana on the 26th

and requested and got a NATIONAL declaration of a state of emergency on the 28th of August.

Before she could ask the President to declare a NATIONAL state of emergency, she had to declare Louisiana a state of emergency. She covered all the t's and dotted the "i's.

[Schema Thing]

5. And if anyone has the truth behind "Blanco refused to allow federalization

as early as Friday before Katrina hit" I'd appreciate it.

[LostinVA]

8. Blanco refusing federalization is a GOOD thing, and has nothing

to do with FEMA/Feds response. It's two different things. The Federalization thing is Bush wanted her to basically sign over the running of LA to him and the Feds. ie, LA would no longer be a true sovereign state ran by a governor, nor NO run by a mayor.

If I misunderstood you, my apologies.

[blitzburgh55]

10. It didn't happen the Friday before the hurricane

It was the friday after when Bush flew in for his photo op. Got to love the spin on this article.

Mayor slams Blanco for stalling
By James G. Lakely
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
September 7, 2005


Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has been critical of the Bush administration's response to the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but, according to the mayor of New Orleans, her indecision when President Bush offered help delayed rescue efforts and cost lives.
New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin told CNN's "American Morning" Monday that he met with Mr. Bush and Mrs. Blanco on Air Force One on Friday and implored the two to "get in sync."
"If you don't get in sync, more people are going to die," Mr. Nagin said.
Mr. Bush met privately first with Mrs. Blanco, then called Mr. Nagin in for a meeting.



http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050907-121729-5097r.htm

[paula777]

15. No, it was Sunday August 28th

http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdf

[blitzburgh55]

16. I meant the meeting last Friday

Between Bush and Blanco on Airforce 1, where Bush wanted her to basically sign control of the state over to him. We know she asked him for help before Katrina.

There were a few articles out there that said Bush offered Blanco help the Friday before the hurricane, when all she did was refuse was turning control of the state over the friday after.

[Spazito]

23. Read the National Response Plan

The moment the President signed the declaration declaring a National state of emergency, which he did on the 28th of August, the responsibility became FEMA's with ALL the federal agencies under it having responsibilities.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4668155

[blitzburgh55]

6. Here

http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdf

and

http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=4843

[libertypirate]

9. Bingo! I think fucktard didn't like that she read the law and knew her

people's rights.

[Tammie]

7. Here's the letter from Blanco's office

dated 8/28/05

http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdf

[soup]

14. Were there 2 different letters sent?

The letter and the press release at the Governor's site is dated August 27, 2005. This is the cite I've been using (in error?). Am I confusing this with something else?

http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976

[Scout1071]

22. Thanks Tammie. Welcome to DU!

[jane_pippin]

11. This might be useful to you too,

though it isn't exactly what you were looking for.

DHS National Response plan for emergencies and disasters:

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0566.xml


(Thanks to the DUers that put this link up in the first place)

[Emit]

12. This thread is extremely important re: Fed Assistance

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4668155



And this one has some info/discussion about that, too, particularly in the threads toward the bottom.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4668598&mesg_id=4668598

Here's a post I started early-on on another board, sharing info from DU, with lots of details, including Blanco's letter:

Blanco's request...Bush's promise:
http://discussions.pbs.org/viewtopic.pbs?t=36299&postdays=0&postorder=asc&topic_view=&start=0

[berni_mccoy]

13. Here's a TIMELINE from CNN

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4671904&mesg_id=4671904

[ellenfl]

18. is no in there somewhere?

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.

(from fema's document initiating disaster relief for la.)

i don't see jefferson parish. was no deliberately left out out of this proclamation or did i overlook something?

ellen fl

[Spazito]

25. The President's declaration covered it in the first paragraph

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.

"parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina"

[georgia10]

19. fooj, they didn't HAVE to ask

Under the National Response Plan, the Federal Government does NOT have to wait for a request. All that bs about red tape isn't true at all.

It's in black and white.

Check it out here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4668155

[fooj]

20. Thanks. I needed that!

:hi:

[fooj]

24. Welcome to DU and thank you, everyone!

Peace.

[librechik]

33. think Progress has a good timeline here

http://www.thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

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