Katrina Response Mismanagement

[scaeagles]

I agree, Nephy.

Jesse Jackson gets out and says that the superdome looks like the hold of a slave ship. What? Has Jesse Jackson ever seen a slave ship?

Moveon.org is planning on using images of Katrina victims in anti-Roberts ads. What?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...l-rights_x.htm
"The connection is obvious," Brandzel (moveon.org's advocacy director)said. "The images after Hurricane Katrina show we still live in a society where significant racial inequities exist. We believe John Roberts' record on civil rights ... is clearly not the direction our country needs to head now."

I could continue to cite many more examples, but there's no point to it.

There are TONS of examples of criticism that is not constructive nor helpful to finding a solution or solutions to problems that clearly exist in emergency preparedness and response. I have no problem with anyone pointing out the failings of FEMA or the governor of LA or the mayor of NO or whomever. Those things can be constructive. Comparisons of the Superdome to a slave ship? Accomplishes nothing.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

So this means you care nothing about the suffering of the people in NOLA, only that you'll be safer should there be some major disaster.

To me that isn't the point at all. I kind of thought the issue was what happened to those people and who might have prevented much of the suffering and death..

I've done what I can for the people of NOLA and Biloxi and Gulfport, et al., with all the cash I can spare, and unfortunately cannot afford to take time off to go there physically to lend a hand.

That's as walk as I can manage ... and with my chewing gum mouth, I'm gonna jaw about screw-ups up and down the line. I won't get very specific about the NO and LA governments because a) they are not accountable to me, b) I don't know enough particulars about them, and c) I have zero hope for them as they are consistently atop the heap as the most corrupt government entities in the entire United States, and that puts them beyond all redemption. Changing the players doesn't seem to help in that city and state, but I'm all for the mayor and the gov being lynched nonetheless.

I'm going to, instead, complain my guts out about horsesh!t-managed FEMA, crony-structured Fatherland Secuity, and witless, dipsh!t, clueless and feable George W. Bush. Without his puppet-masters' hands up his a$$, he has spewed forth with the most absurd and tone-deaf rantings I've ever seen from a U.S. president!

And I will admit that I'm in it partially to score political points. What?, I should pretend that Bush hanging out to dry on this one doesn't give me joy amidst the heartache? Feh, he's one of the few men I'd gladly kill with my bare hands, given the chance. So I won't shy away from admitting that I'm glad to see him get his comeupance for once, when he's gotten away literally with murder for all these years.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

And I will admit that I'm in it partially to score political points. What?, I should pretend that Bush hanging out to dry on this one doesn't give me joy amidst the heartache?

You see, that's completely honest and I respect that wholeheartedly. No hidden agenda, just right out on the table.

[Nephythys]

I'm sorry- you actually think the drumbeat of hatred and violence and rage will carry anyone to successful political change?

Oh wait- are you going to try and tell me that is what my political idealogy is based on?

[Nephythys]

Well- turns out it was NOT the Federal Dept of Homeland Security that turned away the Red Cross- it was the LOUISIANA Dept of Homeland Security......

wow- that just puts a whole new spin on that little attempt to slam the feds and puts yet MORE light on the LOCAL mismanagement-

Link


and video-
Link

[mousepod]

Major General Ansel M Stroud Jr of the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security served as a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Advisory Board ("FEMA") representing the National Guard Association of the United States.

Major General Bennett C. Landreneau of the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security "is the immediate Past President of the National Guard Association of Louisiana and a member of the National Guard Association of the United States. He served as President of the Central Louisiana Chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers and the Louisiana Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. He is a member of the Governor's Military Advisory Commission, Louisiana Drug Policy Board, Louisiana Emergency Response Commission, City of New Orleans Mayor's Military Advisory Board, Louisiana Emergency Response Commission, City of New Orleans Mayor's Military Advisory Commission, the Board of Commissioners for the Orleans Parish Communication District and a member of the Executive Board of the New Orleans Area Council, Boy Scouts of America."

FEMA Director Mike Brown was fired from his previous job at the International Arabian Horse Association.

Brownie's doing a heck of a job.

[scaeagles]

Very interesting quote from what Nephy posted -

"...what they have said consistently is, and what they told the Red Cross, we don't want you to come in there, because we have evacuees that we want to get out. And if you come in, they're more likely to stay. So I want your listeners to follow me here. At the very moment that Ray Nagin, the Mayor of New Orleans was screaming where's the food, where's the water, it was over the overpass, and state officials were saying you can't come in."

Hmmm.....

[tracilicious]

Did anyone catch the Daily Show last night? I can always count on Jon Stewart to be there for me with humorous roasting of people who deserve it. In his segment, "Meet the F*ckers" he pointed out that the people who are always chanting that people just want to play the "blame game" are always the ones to blame. I wish I could marry that man.

[Morrigoon]

scaeagles: I can understand the line of thinking there, but again we have a major failure, not just of communication, but also this: if they wanted them to leave, they should have made leaving immediately possible.

Under their arguments, one would have to believe that someone let people die to set an example - in which case I think some arrests need to be made.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Five people have died of cholera. I heard that they had open wounds in their legs and had walked through the nasty water.

I heard an interview today on the radio with people that are still sticking it out in NO. I found it very illuminating regarding why some people won't leave.

The men the reporter talked to boasted about how great their city was, because "you can eat on a dollar a day - 5 dollars will feed you for a week in NO." These people were poor and were used to squeezing the most out of what they had. Their living conditions weren't great to begin with. As a result, these people a) believe that they can overcome anything and b) feel such a hardcore connection with their city that they don't even contemplate leaving. Seeing what's happened to those that left probably isn't helping either.

One of the guys they talked to was sweeping away junk from a storm drain so that the water could go down easily as it was being pumped out. He was standing in the water and the reporter pointed out to him, obvious concern in her voice, that he had a bandaid on his foot. He said "yes, I know about the bacteria, I scrub my feet with hydrogen peroxide every time I get out of this water." He spoke like an intelligent human being...it was horrible to listen to, thinking that this man could very likely die.

In an earlier report I heard another reporter regarding the holdouts. He said he went into a home that was dank and filled with the stench of rot and found an old woman who had been to the horror of the Superdome...and decided she'd rather stay home than be there. The in-studio reporter asked him what these people were planning for the long term - can they eat MREs for 3 months? - and he said "these people just aren't thinking farther ahead than one day at a time."

What has happened there is every bit as horrible as anything we can imagine. These people are deer in headlights. I'm sure if you compared this to the Holocaust or Hiroshima people would be horribly offended that I'd speak this way about a natural disaster...but much of this suffering and DEATH was created by bureaucracy and clear-cut stupidity.

Everyone who voted to put off upgrading the levies should be fired. Everyone who decided not to have disaster drills at FEMA should be fired. Everyone who hired incompetent people to such important positions should be fired. Everyone who had anything to do with any of the millions of little snags that lead to the biggest slaughter in recent memory should be fired. They should all be fired and discredited and never allowed to work in their respective industries again.

And they should be happy that we don't stick their heads on pikes in front of every government building from Maine to Hawaii as a warning.