"President Bush is not at fault for New Orleans response"

[sabra]

http://www.tribune-georgian.com/articles/2005/09/09/news/opinion/letters/2letter9.9.txt

President Bush is not at fault for New Orleans response


Dear Editor, In all cases of natural disasters it is the responsibility of the local government to provide first responders. The mayor did issue a mandatory order to evacuate, but he did not even try to enforce it. The City of New Orleans' disaster plan says the mayor will order all the city buses and school buses to pick up people who are disabled or sick and remove them to safety. Just what does George W. Bush have to do with that?

The state of Louisiana disaster plan says the governor shall activate the National Guard and shift state law enforcement to the scene of the disaster. Just what does Bush have to do with that?

It is rumored that when FEMA saw how badly the mayor and governor were performing their duties, it asked that it be allowed to take over. Twenty-four hours after FEMA made its request, the governor went on TV and said she and the mayor were in charge. Just what does Bush have to do with that? Nothing.

Federal law says the only time the president can take control from the local government is during an insurrection.

....

To those who were able bodied and of sound mind and stayed, you got the fate you deserve. If you are not willing to help take care of yourself then you have no one to blame but yourself. I really feel sorry for those who were sick, disabled or who because of age or lack of funds were not able to get out and the mayor and governor did nothing. Even the Red Cross director is blaming the mayor and governor. She said that she had tons of supplies and people waiting to go to the Superdome, but local officials refused to let them it. No, Mr. Desmond, George W. Bush isn't to blame for the disaster in New Orleans.

Nelson McCall

St. Marys

http://www.sierratimes.com/rss/newswire.php?article=/news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050913/ap_on_go_ot/katrina_washington&time=1126642419&feed=us

"And to the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility. I want to know what went right and what went wrong," said Bush.

[ixion]

1. and Mr. McCall, what do you say to those who tried, and were turned

back at gunpoint?

What do you say about the hundreds of emergency volunteers who sat idly by (delayed by FEMA) or were turned back altogether (again, by FEMA)?

And Mr. McCall, what do you say about the aid that was offered by other countries, and was again summarily rejected by FEMA?

See, these are the questions that need answering, IMO.

[Spoon]

11. I disagree.

Your questions need answering, AND some of Mr. McCall's.

The people that went to the Superdome before the storm actually hit on Monday should have been evac'ed the hell out of there pre-strike. You don't try to house thousands of people in the line of a Cat 5 storm bearing down on a levee protected city.

Clearly, if Katrina wouldn't have deviated and weakened slightly, most of those that took shelter there would be dead. The Superdome was pretty roughed up as it was...

The mandatory evacuation was not enforced, and that is insane and needs to be looked at.

It's like saying an atomic bomb will be going off in NYC in 36 hrs, and telling people to take shelter in the Emprire State Building.

[Oreo]

2. They weren't asking for Bush to take control of the local government

They were responsible for coordinating what needed to be done to save as many lives as possible. They didn't... end of debate.

They're grasping at straws

[acmejack]

3. Virtually the same letter appeared in the paper in Austin recently!

It appears the cons are up to their old tricks.

[noahmijo]

4. So fallacious it is laughable/FUCK YOU

So despite the signed letter from Blanco to Bush about how she wanted federal assistance and had declared a state of emergency on the 26th of August the letter is dated 28th of Aug......really the local govt starting with Blanco obviously didn't want any federal government help....

Oh by way "Nelson" fuck you, maybe the able bodied were trying to help those who couldn't help themselves, or perhaps were looking for lost family members.

Oh one more time FUCK YOU YOU HEARTLESS PUNK NELSON.

PS Anybody want the pfd of Blanco's letter to bush pm me.

P.S.S FUCK YOU NELSON

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Some people are SO out of tough witht he times. Fatherland InSecurity

is now the first responder in national disasters and thus FEMA is too.

------------------------------------------------------
URGENT yet easy! Hold the government accountable for Katrina's aftermath
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4736062

Save the gulf, then save the nation! http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[Land Shark]

6. Even if he personally takes and admits responsibility???

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9324891/

[lpbk2713]

7. True statement actually...... Bush is not at fault for the NO response

Another true statement ...... Bush is responsible for the lack of New Orleans response.

[Batgirl]

8. no matter what they come up with to "prove" he wasn't responsible

for the mishandling of this disaster, they can never explain away Bush's shocking indifference to what was happening in New Orleans, his lack of human compassion, his reluctance to interrupt his vacation...these just can't be explained away and everyone knows it.

[meganmonkey]

9. RE: Evacuation - Important fact: In the "Hurricane Pam' simulation from

last year that we have now heard so much about, FEMA estimated that the mayor would succeed with a 60% evacuation. He got 80% evacuated, so he exceeded the expectations significantly.

So fuck all that shit.

[gratuitous]

10. Gee Mr. McCall

It seems the Congressional Research Service disagrees with you, and says that local authorities did everything they were required to do to get federal intervention.

Mr. Bush couldn't be bothered to interrupt his vacation to attend to the immediate needs of millions of his constituents:

http://www2.dccc.org/docs/conyersgaokatrina.pdf