Failing Katrina

[lisajo]

I was watching the investigation on who failed Katrina, the Goverment? well they talk about it like it is over and has come and gone, well then you see not much still being done, New Orleans has hardly been touched, people still trying to find a place to live, several thousand trailers sitting vacant, Fema saying they can't put trailers in a flod zone but there were houses there and they were still destroyed so what difference is that? i mean either way trailers or homes could be destroyed, but atleast the trailers provide some where to live, My opp. is that the coverment is still failing by not looking at the whole picture and acting like it is over, it is far from over it is still a disaster!

What do you all think?

[Seraphim Moonshadow]

Katrina wasn't the government's fault. But the government is so bad they don't want to spend the money to help people, especially since we're still in a war. Still, a lot of people could help themselves. People want to build New Orleans. A lot of people want to and that's cool and good and all. But people can't just rely on the government to save them, either. There are millions of people who have helped. We don't have FEMA helping over here either. They haven't done much in the floods of 2004. But yes, the government should help instead of just talking about it. Most people just talk and do nothing. And yes, it's still a place to live. Like anywhere is safe. But the sad thing is, people just don't want to do it. But if people rally up enough, something will get done if they put their work into it!

[lisajo]

Katrina wasn't the government's fault. But the government is so bad they don't want to spend the money to help people, especially since we're still in a war. Still, a lot of people could help themselves. People want to build New Orleans. A lot of people want to and that's cool and good and all. But people can't just rely on the government to save them, either. There are millions of people who have helped. We don't have FEMA helping over here either. They haven't done much in the floods of 2004. But yes, the government should help instead of just talking about it. Most people just talk and do nothing. And yes, it's still a place to live. Like anywhere is safe. But the sad thing is, people just don't want to do it. But if people rally up enough, something will get done if they put their work into it!

No Katrina was a natural disaster, but we can go over to other countrys and after a disater and build new homes etc. but what about our own country? yes people need to help them selfs but when something like this hits we need everyones help including local and top goverment. we as citizens of the USA and other countrys have sent more money and were is it going? mainly to temporary help for this disaster, why are we spending millions for hotels? why are there trailers still sitting? why do people have to by them selfs figure out how to tare down there homes and try to find away to get rid of all the garbage and junk all over? come on were is the orginization to clean up? who cleans up a major city and brings it back to life? who rebuilds? who helps?

[thebomb7652000]

Personally i think it is the goverments responsaility to help to a certain point but i dont think it is the goverments responability to rebuild all of there houses. when they moved there they knew the there was a risk of a hurricane. If the goverment paid for everything for every one and there dogs than the USA would be in a bad situation. B)

[lisajo]

I am not saying they should rebuild their homes i am saying were is the organization? the clean up? after sep. 11th the clean up started right away, they didn't leave it like they have left new orleans, now maybe some is going on but all i see is people doing it them selfs, and no one pick up the garbage left over, this city rather you beleive it or not was a national treasure, it is part of our countrys history, i feel sad that all that is going on is arguing on who to blaim and while that it happening many things seems to not be getting done.

[Winnie G]

I believe like many Americans that if you were poor and black the government turned their backs on you.

I think a open government inquiry should be held and the white house should be held accountable.

But that’s my opinion.

Can anyone say impeachment ?

I would rather have a president who cant keep his pants on then one who cant even get their staff to use 1000.s of buses to evacuate the most poor of our human kind.

[mom_of_jcchlsm]

From NewsMax.com:

This fact – which needs to be repeated and remembered – is that in our country, state and local governments have primary responsibility in dealing with local disasters.

The founding fathers devised a federal system of government – one that has served us remarkably well through great disasters that have befallen America over more than two centuries.

But if we believe the major TV networks, George Bush, FEMA and the Republicans in Congress are all to blame for the current nightmare.

Let's remember that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was created only in 1979. It was formed to coordinate and focus federal response to major disasters – to "assist" local and state governments.

Common sense suggests that local and state governments are best able to prepare and plan for local disasters.

After the Sept. 11 attacks against the World Trade Center, no one suggested that the Bush administration should have been responsible for New York's disaster response or that federal agents should have been involved in the rescue of those trapped in the buildings.

Last year, four major hurricanes slammed into Florida. Governor Jeb Bush led the disaster response and did a remarkable job, with nothing happening like what we have seen in New Orleans.

The primary response in disasters has always come from local communities and state governments.

First responders and the manpower to deal with emergencies come from local communities: police, fire and medical. Under our federal system, these local departments answer to local authorities, not those in Washington. These first responders are not even under federal control, nor do they have to follow federal orders.

In addition to local responders, every state in the Union has a National Guard.

State National Guards answer first to the governor of each state, not to the president. The National Guard exists not to defend one state from an invasion by another state, but primarily for emergencies like the one we have witnessed in New Orleans and in other areas impacted by Katrina.

The media would have you believe that this disaster was worsened by a slow response from President Bush and his administration, though the primary responsibility for disaster response has always been with local and state governments.

It is true that federal response was not as fast as it could have been. The president himself has acknowledged that fact.

But the press has focused on the first 48 hours of federal response, not uttering a word about the fact that New Orleans had 48 hours of warning that a major Category 4 or 5 would make landfall near the city, yet local officials apparently did little to prepare.

Obviously, Gov. Blanco did not effectively deploy her state's National Guard.

And New Orleans' city leaders did almost nothing to evacuate the portion of the population with no transportation. In failing to follow their own evacuation plan, these officials did little to pre-position food, water and personnel to deal with the aftermath.

As former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial has said, the disaster in New Orleans was "foreseeable."

In fact, New Orleans has long known that such a disaster could take place if a major hurricane hit the city.

The municipality even prepared its own "City of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan."

The plan makes it evident that New Orleans knew that evacuation of the civilian population was the primary responsibility of the city – not the federal government.

The city plan acknowledges its responsibility in the document:

As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness.

The city document also makes clear that decisions involving a proper and orderly evacuation lie with the governor, mayor and local authorities. Nowhere is the president or federal government even mentioned:

The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.

It is clear the city also recognized that it would need to move large portions of its population, and it would need to prepare for such an eventuality:

The City of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When specific routes of progress are required, evacuees will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed. ...

Evacuation procedures for small scale and localized evacuations are conducted per the SOPs of the New Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police Department. However, due to the sheer size and number of persons to be evacuated, should a major tropical weather system or other catastrophic event threaten or impact the area, specifically directed long range planning and coordination of resources and responsibilities efforts must be undertaken. [You can read New Orleans' Emergency Plan for hurricanes at its Web site: http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26]

The city's plan also specifically called for the use of city-owned buses and school buses to evacuate the population. These were apparently never deployed, though the Parish of Plaquemines just south of the city evacuated its population using school buses.

The plan, written well before Katrina was even a teardrop in God's eye, was obviously never heeded or implemented by local leaders.

But why should the New Orleans mayor and Governor Blanco take responsibility when they can blame George Bush and the Republicans in Washington?

With congressional elections fast approaching, Democrats who are out of power in every branch of the federal government know they need to change the tide quickly.

They have apparently seized on the Katrina disaster to harm the president politically.

Criticism of the federal government's response is fair and warranted. But putting full responsibility for this disaster on the Bush administration is way over the top.

Primary responsibility for this disaster remains with local officials like Nagin and Blanco, not President Bush.

[Outshined]

From NewsMax.com:

This fact – which needs to be repeated and remembered – is that in our country, state and local governments have primary responsibility in dealing with local disasters.

The founding fathers devised a federal system of government – one that has served us remarkably well through great disasters that have befallen America over more than two centuries.

But if we believe the major TV networks, George Bush, FEMA and the Republicans in Congress are all to blame for the current nightmare.

Let's remember that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was created only in 1979. It was formed to coordinate and focus federal response to major disasters – to "assist" local and state governments.

Common sense suggests that local and state governments are best able to prepare and plan for local disasters.

After the Sept. 11 attacks against the World Trade Center, no one suggested that the Bush administration should have been responsible for New York's disaster response or that federal agents should have been involved in the rescue of those trapped in the buildings.

Last year, four major hurricanes slammed into Florida. Governor Jeb Bush led the disaster response and did a remarkable job, with nothing happening like what we have seen in New Orleans.

The primary response in disasters has always come from local communities and state governments.

First responders and the manpower to deal with emergencies come from local communities: police, fire and medical. Under our federal system, these local departments answer to local authorities, not those in Washington. These first responders are not even under federal control, nor do they have to follow federal orders.

In addition to local responders, every state in the Union has a National Guard.

State National Guards answer first to the governor of each state, not to the president. The National Guard exists not to defend one state from an invasion by another state, but primarily for emergencies like the one we have witnessed in New Orleans and in other areas impacted by Katrina.

The media would have you believe that this disaster was worsened by a slow response from President Bush and his administration, though the primary responsibility for disaster response has always been with local and state governments.

It is true that federal response was not as fast as it could have been. The president himself has acknowledged that fact.

But the press has focused on the first 48 hours of federal response, not uttering a word about the fact that New Orleans had 48 hours of warning that a major Category 4 or 5 would make landfall near the city, yet local officials apparently did little to prepare.

Obviously, Gov. Blanco did not effectively deploy her state's National Guard.

And New Orleans' city leaders did almost nothing to evacuate the portion of the population with no transportation. In failing to follow their own evacuation plan, these officials did little to pre-position food, water and personnel to deal with the aftermath.

As former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial has said, the disaster in New Orleans was "foreseeable."

In fact, New Orleans has long known that such a disaster could take place if a major hurricane hit the city.

The municipality even prepared its own "City of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan."

The plan makes it evident that New Orleans knew that evacuation of the civilian population was the primary responsibility of the city – not the federal government.

The city plan acknowledges its responsibility in the document:

As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness.

The city document also makes clear that decisions involving a proper and orderly evacuation lie with the governor, mayor and local authorities. Nowhere is the president or federal government even mentioned:

The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.

It is clear the city also recognized that it would need to move large portions of its population, and it would need to prepare for such an eventuality:

The City of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When specific routes of progress are required, evacuees will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed. ...

Evacuation procedures for small scale and localized evacuations are conducted per the SOPs of the New Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police Department. However, due to the sheer size and number of persons to be evacuated, should a major tropical weather system or other catastrophic event threaten or impact the area, specifically directed long range planning and coordination of resources and responsibilities efforts must be undertaken. [You can read New Orleans' Emergency Plan for hurricanes at its Web site: http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26]

The city's plan also specifically called for the use of city-owned buses and school buses to evacuate the population. These were apparently never deployed, though the Parish of Plaquemines just south of the city evacuated its population using school buses.

The plan, written well before Katrina was even a teardrop in God's eye, was obviously never heeded or implemented by local leaders.

But why should the New Orleans mayor and Governor Blanco take responsibility when they can blame George Bush and the Republicans in Washington?

With congressional elections fast approaching, Democrats who are out of power in every branch of the federal government know they need to change the tide quickly.

They have apparently seized on the Katrina disaster to harm the president politically.

Criticism of the federal government's response is fair and warranted. But putting full responsibility for this disaster on the Bush administration is way over the top.

Primary responsibility for this disaster remains with local officials like Nagin and Blanco, not President Bush.

I agree. The problem isn't helped by the huge numbers of the people there who refuse to help themselves at all, and sit around waiting to be catered to. As I said before, I have a friend with the Red Cross who vented his frustration with the young men he worked with in Louisiana because he couldn't get them to show any interest at all in working to support themselves. Cleanup alone could keep a lot of people employed for years, but they don't want to do it; they want the government to do it while they sit in a hotel room and draw a paycheck. We've all seen the reports of the FEMA debit cards given to victims, who then used them to get tattoos and spend money at strip clubs, then complained that they didn't have enough money to eat with.

This is not the government's fault; it's a state and local breakdown made worse by the handout mentality people develop when the government steps in.

[mom_of_jcchlsm]

A friend from our Ward went to help with clean-up and rebuilding. He owns a flooring company and figured there would be a great need for his services in the rebuilding of the city. He wanted to help, but his primary motivation in going was admitedly the chance at making money because of the high demand. He returnd home rather disgusted right before Christmas. He can't make money there because he can't hire workers at a wage that will still allow him a proffit. Because people are being paid a living wage to do nothing, they are totally unwilling to actually work for anything less than $30 an hour. You can't hire employees to do basic, unskilled, manual labor for $30 and hour and still sell flooring at a price anyone is willing to pay. As long as the government continues to hand out money, work will be rediculously slow.

[thebomb7652000]

I personaly think it is the peoples responsibility to rebuild , it is not the goverments job to hold their hands, it is the goverments job to provide temporary help and relief not to rebuild. It is up to the people to rebuild.

[lisajo]

Well some thing needs to be done rather it is the goverment local goverment. the people or who ever, At least get all the rotting garbage outta the streets, See this is what it comes down to NOOOOOOOOO body want's to take any responsability to do anything, so it will just sit. Now lets also remember those levies were not strong enough and the goverment cut the core of enginers before this happenend, and it was well known they would not hold, see so what everyones saying is it's no body's problem, and the people who lived there are just loosers and just want to sit and collect checks HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Ok what ever

so tell me who is failing doing their job then?

[Seraphim Moonshadow]

It's not just the government. It's the society as a whole. If people aren't willing to work, and just want to sit on their behinds and let the government take care of it, then there's less of a chance for the government to help in the first place. All people want to do is sit on their behinds and not work! Yes, it is hard! Yes, the government should help! But have not millions helped already? Yes, the government IS slow. But once again, the government just can't do everything. You can't depend on them to do everything, either. It's unfortunate that the government is slow but even just as bad are the people who aren't willing to help themselves, y'know? People can't devote their whole lives to rebuilding it, that's true, and it will take YEARS to do such a thing, if it is able to be done. People have been given PLENTY of opportunity to make their lives better. Even so, we can still help. But also we shouldn't just let the people sit on their behinds and let the government do the work.

Help has come from ALL over the country. Millions upon millions of dollars have been raised. People have flown from different states to collect people for jobs--to give them a different opportunity, to help them start a new life. People have cared and worked SO hard for these things. But you can't just give up on something halfway through and decide it's too much work to complete and then blame someone else for it, either.

[lisajo]

It's not just the government. It's the society as a whole. If people aren't willing to work, and just want to sit on their behinds and let the government take care of it, then there's less of a chance for the government to help in the first place. All people want to do is sit on their behinds and not work! Yes, it is hard! Yes, the government should help! But have not millions helped already? Yes, the government IS slow. But once again, the government just can't do everything. You can't depend on them to do everything, either. It's unfortunate that the government is slow but even just as bad are the people who aren't willing to help themselves, y'know? People can't devote their whole lives to rebuilding it, that's true, and it will take YEARS to do such a thing, if it is able to be done. People have been given PLENTY of opportunity to make their lives better. Even so, we can still help. But also we shouldn't just let the people sit on their behinds and let the government do the work.

Help has come from ALL over the country. Millions upon millions of dollars have been raised. People have flown from different states to collect people for jobs--to give them a different opportunity, to help them start a new life. People have cared and worked SO hard for these things. But you can't just give up on something halfway through and decide it's too much work to complete and then blame someone else for it, either.

Very good point! although we cant call all these people lazy and wanting to sit on their butts, what troubles me Serahim is that there seems to be no organization, now many many people are not going back and many of them are the ones who could be sitting on their butts maybe they have given up. i have seen many who have gone back and are trying to get things back for them working hard on their homes etc. I imagine those who have left will wait till it all comes back up and nice and go back in which isn't fair if they them selfs leave and let everyone else to all the hard work. also the poverty leavel has alot to do with alot of the areas i think,

[Seraphim Moonshadow]

You're right. There's not much organization. I mean, there is...and there isn't at the same time. It's like they have a plan but they keep on talking about the plan rather than actually putting the plan into motion. And you're right, there IS the poverty level. Then again, think of all the 3rd world countries who absolutely have nothing. They're a heck of a lot happier because they aren't so focused on the quality of life--and more of the heart of it.

[Outshined]

An interesting article you might check out about this debacle if you're just looking for someone to blame for the disaster itself:

As for the question of accountability in New Orleans, by now, everyone on the planet knows that most of New Orleans, with the exception of the original city settlement, has been developed below sea level—surrounded by expanding levees intended to protect it from Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River and the Gulf. Those levees, designed to withstand a category three hurricane, were never upgraded to withstand a category four or five hurricane, though clearly such a storm was inevitable. On a good day, New Orleans continuously pumps water out of the alluvial bowl created by its levees, though building structures there continue to sink. In the event of a category four or five hurricane, however, 80 percent of the city would be swamped, and every politician from the city's mayor to the state's governor knew it. But the Big Easy is a party town—a gambling destination—and the city's leadership wagered the city against odds of a big hurricane.

In the years prior to Hurricane Katrina, there were numerous factors that precluded the strengthening of New Orleans' levees. The primary burden for inaction lies with generations of corrupt Louisiana politicians, from the Huey Long dynasty forward. Despite the city's continued below-sea-level expansion, these crooked and negligent pols paid little regard to levee strength, even in the face of repeated warnings about their inadequacy. There were also successful legal challenges brought by environmental groups who blocked the expansion and hardening of levees in an effort to protect the neighboring wetlands. Indeed, New Orleans' hurricane-defense system—such as it was—would have been greatly improved by the Army Corps of Engineers had it not been for environmental lobby lawsuits in both 1977 and 1996.

In recent years, Louisiana has received more federal taxpayer-funded Corps of Engineer grants than any other state and has received more levee funding under the Bush administration than it did under the Clinton administration. However, that funding has been limited by massive boondoggle infrastructure projects like the 700-percent cost overrun for Ted Kennedy's Big Dig—6 billion American tax payers spent on 7.5 miles of Boston highway that could have been spent on NOLA levees, but we digress. The funding New Orleans did receive was often diverted by the city's Levee Board to other projects. For example, the Board spent .4 million of levee funding on a Mardi Gras fountain near Lake Pontchartrain, and 5 million more on overpasses to riverboat casinos. All the while, a big storm was on the horizon.

Link

As for the aftermath, the state and city governments don't seem to be too distessed about their homeless citizens. They need to take action instead of waiting for the feds to do it for them.

so what everyones saying is it's no body's problem, and the people who lived there are just loosers and just want to sit and collect checks

No, I'd say you misread what was being said. B)

[Fiannan]

I believe like many Americans that if you were poor and black the government turned their backs on you.

I think a open government inquiry should be held and the white house should be held accountable.

But that’s my opinion.

Can anyone say impeachment ?

You know, who is crying for all the poor white working class folk that lost their homes in Mississippi and northern Louisiana? Sorry Winnie, the French and Michael Moore are calling and they want you to acknowledge them in using their style of argument.

And the nect thíng is what, the conspiracy theory that the government blew up the dikes (the ones that hold water back) to flood New Orleans?

Impeachment? Yeah, I'll bet even the likes of Hitlery and Reid wouldn't even agree with that.