BROWNIES LIES and ALL the documents

[rateyes]

On August 26, Gov. Blanco declares state of emergency, including Orleans parish, etc. and on August 27 requests Dubys follow suit with federal declaration:

http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=973

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

Dubya follows suit, but OMITS Orleans parish, etc.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

Then on August 28, Blanco requests Bush declare DISASTER (not state of emergency) on all parishes:

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

On August 29, day of hurricane, Dubya follows suit:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050829-2.html

My position: Brownie lied about Blanco omitting parishes...she didn't. Bush omitted parishes in first declaration of state of emergency---gets it right with declaration of disaster.

My question is: What's legal difference between "state of emergency" and "disaster?" I'll sit back and listen. Educate me.

[punpirate]

1. State of emergency, I think...

... enables federal agencies to act. Declaration of a disaster releases federal funds to aid victims.

Something like that--I think that's the distinction.

[acmejack]

2. Here is the what I could find.

Emergency I believe is before the fact and disaster is declared after the event.

declaration allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to exercise its power to deal with emergency situations; federal assistance also become available to areas that are declared to be in a state of emergency.

There is a DHS presentation at the link.

This is everything you ever wanted to know &

[bullimiami]

3. your link to the 8/29 declaration is wrong.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050829-2.html

yes it does include the other parrishes.

[rateyes]

4. Yes, the 8/29 declaration of "disaster" does include

all the parishes...I didn't say that it didn't. I said that Bush followed suit and got them all in there the second time. The first time around he EXCLUDED from "state of emergency" declaration the Orleans, Jefferson, etc. (coastal) parishes. BLANCO NEVER EXCLUDED any of them, which means Brownie lied today when he said she did.

On edit: See next post, my bad...getting link to edit OP

[rateyes]

5. MY BAD....I see my mistake...I get the correct link and post it.

[rateyes]

6. I edited the OP to correct the dupe...

it should be correct now. Thanks for the heads up.

[bluedawg12]

7. Repugs are dumping him like three day old cabbage

State of emergency is a formal declaration by government in response to a disaster.

[truthout]

8. There are 3 parts...

The first part is where Gov Blanco declares a state of emergency in Louisiana locally. Then requests a Federal state of emergency from the Federal government. This allows the flow of federal funds process to start.

Another part is the evacuation of the lower LA parishes. Federal funds are requested by Gov Blanco in her Aug 28 request for help in evacuation. Read page 2 paragraph 2 which asks for evacuation funds for a list of parishes. Compare this list of parishes to the list on the white house press release of Aug 27. They are the same.

The third part is the declaration of disaster which is applied to the first list Blanco listed (page 2 paragraph 1 aug-28 memo) which Federal funds are provided AFTER the storm comes through. This list does include Orleans parish.

I think the confusion is that people are saying Brown was talking about the disaster list instead of the evacuation list in which Brown was asked about. I believe one of the congressman did confirm that difference.

The question I have is how did FEMA come up with a list of parishes BEFORE Gov Blanco sent in her official list? The original document does not give a list of parishes. How is it that the first list from FEMA is exaxtly the same as the Aug-28 page 2 paragraph 2 list. It is obvious that you do not list all counties/parishes until after the storm is over and you know which are affected by the disaster.

If you can answer that then you have your answer.

[rateyes]

9. You are getting there....

as you point out in your question---the FEMA list of parishes omitting the parishes defined by Blanco's first request (the parishes of New Orleans Metro area, et al.) are FEMAs doing, not Blancos---that document is dated the 27th.

The document asking for a declaration of a major disaster was written on the 28th.

Brown said that Blanco omitted the parishes and that he was shocked that she did so...she clearly did not omit them. The first federal declartion of a "state of emergency" should have included the coastal parishes because that's where MOST of the "state of emergency" existed. Again, it was not Blanco's omission, it was Brown's and the person's who signed that declaration--Bush.

I do not absolve in any way the failings of Nagin and Blanco. But, for Brown to get in front of a committee of congress and try to shift all blame from himself to Nagin and Blanco, and to lie by saying that Blanco omitted parishes is a crime.

[rateyes]

12. And, be aware that in Miss. and Alabama,

the same situation existed as per requests from the governors in both "state of emergency" and "disaster" declarations. In the former, the only counties included were the "coastal" counties and those expected to take a direct hit----Bush got it backwards in Louisiana--it's Bush's incompetence, and Brown's lies that are the problem here---so, get the truth out, truthout.

[onenote]

10. one more try to get this clear

Aug. 26 -- Gov. Blanco declares a "state of emergency" under Louisiana law. This declaration does not identify any particular localities. It is general in nature. http://www.gov.state.la.us/2005%20%20proclamations/48pro2005-Emergency-HurricaneKatrina.pdf

Aug.27 -- Gov. Blanco sends letter to POTUS requesting that he "declare an emergency", beginning Aug 26, 2005, under federal law. The letter does not name specific parishes; rather it describes the impacted area as follows: "The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area and the mid state Interstate I-49 corridor and northern parishes along the I-20 corridor that are accepting the thousands of citizens evacuating from the areas expecting to be flooded as a result of Hurricane Katrina." http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976

Aug. 27 -- The White House declares an emergency (effective Aug 26) in Louisiana. The declaration contains a list of around 40 named parishes. That list does not include Orleans, Plaquemines, or other parishes along the coast. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

Aug. 28 -- Gov. Blanco sends letter to POTUS requesting declaration of major disaster in Louisiana. Letter indicates major damage is expected in specified parishes, including Orleans, Plaquemines, etc. Another group of parishes are identified as anticipating sigificant damage. A third group of parishes are identified as being affected by the evacuation of persons from other parts of the state. The third list of parishes is similar, but not precisely identical, to the list of parishes in the White House declaration from the day before. http://www.gov.state.la.us/Disaster%20Relief%
20Request.pdf

August 29 -- The White House declares a major disaster for Louisiana. The declaration identifies three groups of parishes, precisely tracking the listsing of parishes in Gov. Blanco's request from the day before. This is the first federal document to mention Orleans parish or New Orleans specifically. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050829-2.html

onenote

[rateyes]

11. You have it right....

and Brown lied when he said that Blanco omitted parishes in her request to Bush for state of emergency, per your first Aug. 27 link. Thank you for clarifying the post. I was in a hurry when I posted. You read all the documents.

One further point, Bush also made two declarations--state of emergency and disaster declarations for the states of Miss. and Alabama. Guess what--the first "state of emergency" declarations only included the "coastal" areas---and the second "disaster" one included all the counties.

In Louisiana, according to the documents we have--Bush and FEMA got it backwards. The incompetence lies with Bush/Chertoff/Brown. Unless it was more than "incompetence" and a deliberate abandoning of the Southeastern parishes of New Orleans.

On edit: Will you make your above post a separate thread so that people can understand the timeline. I've got to go to work. If you do, PM me with the link so I can vote it up. Thanks.