Governor Bush vs Governor Blanco

[win_in_06]

Florida was hit by more than one Hurricane last year. Tom Ridge had HS and Brown was at FEMA. The White House was under the same leadership then as now. As far as I know it was handled ok.

What changed this time?

Will Blanco eventually be faulted for not being as responsive as Jeb? Or will history acknowledge that having your brother as the President helps in these situations?

[rfranklin]

1. The brotherly love and the buying of votes should be emphasized...

if they try to make a comparison.

[Saynt]

3. This time around...

the hurricane was far too powerful... the city of NO was all but destroyed and millions more people were displaced with no federal response whatsoever. Florida didn't quite have to deal with broken levees.

Plus I have a suspiscion that the lack of response was INTENTIONAL to boost republican support due to what would 'seem' to be very lax performance from the state and local dem governments... of course it's backfired and I know it sounds a bit out there but i wouldn't put it past the bastards.

But then the pugs momentarily forgot that their leader is a MORON!

[ComerPerro]

10. Come to think of it, that's probably why I haven't been hearing comparison

Imagine it, "How come Florida, a State with a Republican Governor, can get things done?"

Well, let's see... Its Florida, the GOP needs the votes. The Governor was Republican, so Bush actually was willing to help them. And the Governor is the President's brother.

Isn't it obvious?

[southcarolinagirl]

11. too funny

"How come Florida, a State with a Republican Governor, can get things done?"

I think the answer to your question is perfectly clear. It's comical that you don't get it.

[ComerPerro]

12. Oh, believe me, I get it

Its party lines.

Republicans and family members get immediate aid.

Meanwhile, Bush won't even take a break from vacationing and fundraising to help Democrats.

[Divernan]

2. FEMA was told, keep Jeb/Florida happy or your agency dies

In past disasters in one FEMA region, such as the one in which Florida is located, if it was too much for that region's people to handle, the call went out to other regions for assistance. It was up to each of those region's directors to choose which people they could spare, such that they could continue with their own, on-going disaster relief efforts. In the case of Florida last year, "Washington", i.e, Bush,Ridge and Brown - but probably basically Karl Rove, took control away from all the FEMA regional directors and basically stripped them of their people and sent them all to Florida. FEMA was told to forget the rest of the country and just keep Florida happy. Everyone understood it was because of the upcoming election and that the survival of FEMA - it's very existence was riding on whether Florida was "taken care of". Is it any surprise that all those bogus claims from the Miami/Dade area - where no hurricane damage occurred, were paid?

[win_in_06]

4. Also Fed Response is probably directly proportional to

Electoral Votes.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. None of those storms hit a major city and we don't flood

like they do in New Orleans, where the water doesn't drain off by itself in a couple of days.

Other then that FEMA did not do a good job. I was directly effected by three of those hurricanes. Lost my power for 5 days each in two of them and the whole time I never saw anyone from FEMA or the National Guard. That was until the end of the third storm when I saw two guys in uniform heading into the local Subway for lunch. Other then that we were totally on our own.

[win_in_06]

6. I wonder why we didn't hear much outrage?

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Just because the press didn't report it

doesn't mean there wasn't plenty of outrage to go around. We still have 1000's of people here that live under blue tarps instead of real roofs but of course the M$M doesn't show people that side of the story either.

[win_in_06]

8. That was during an election year too, I'm surprised, or maybe

I shouldn't be.

[ComerPerro]

9. Republican v. Democrat, FL v. LA, family member v. "just some nobody"

as Bush probably percieves anyone he isn't related to or owes a lot of money and favors to.

To me, it couldn't get any clearer than that.


But, yes, Blanco will be blamed.

[win_in_06]

13. It is beginning to look like Blaco and the Mayor of N.O.

are going to get the rose pinned on them. Blanco for not accepting Federalization of the Guard right away and the Mayor for not evacuating his citizens.