Posted on 09/03/2005 10:26:38 AM PDT by Plumberman27
Friday night:
Dear Politically Savvy Friends,
The hearts of every American go out to the people of the Gulf Coast. Many of us have relatives in that part of the country -- my cousin lives in New Orleans but was out of the city when it was besieged by Hurricane Katrina. We all ache for the misery that our fellow Americans have endured now day after day after day. The pictures from New Orleans seem to get worse by the hour, and it sometimes seems like we are watching the agony of a third world country instead of the pain of our fellow citizens.
That sense of shared distress turns to anger when we comprehend the initial ineptitude of the Bush administration in responding to this human tragedy and the total inadequacy of President Bush's words and actions in the days following the hurricane. As my wife put it to me the other night, you tell me the United States of America cannot deliver water until four days after a hurricane strikes its own country?
Where were the water drops? Where were the food drops? Where were the troops to maintain law and order? What a national disgrace!
As if the government's belated response to Katrina in the Gulf Coast states wasn't bad enough, the skyrocketing gasoline prices all over America threaten to undermine the American economy and rip apart family budgets. Will President Bush do anything -- and can he do anything -- to stop what many Americans see as price-gouging by oil companies taking advantage of a disaster to boost their profits beyond the already record levels achieved earlier this year? How the president deals with this crisis upon a crisis may well determine how history will judge his second term in office.
All this and more in this special Labor Day edition of this PSF. Read on, my friends.
BEYOND THE BELTWAY:
Leadership Under Fire:
If President Bush's finest hour -- forget those first few hours of reading to school kids -- was his leadership after 9/11, then surely his paralysis after the ravaging of New Orleans, Biloxi, and Gulfport has been his worst.
Part of the problem, of course, was that no one really anticipated the dimensions of the problem. But that is the nature of a natural disaster -- nothing is ever quite predictable. Most politicians relish the opportunity -- if not the disaster itself -- to demonstrate their leadership skills. Here in Western PA, Allegheny County chief executive Dan Onorato won bipartisan plaudits for his take-charge command of relief efforts after floods that besieged the Pittsburgh region following Hurricanes Francis and Ivan last year.
The president was on vacation when Katrina struck. No problem there. But he stayed on vacation in Crawford until Wednesday, although he found time to go to San Diego on Tuesday for a V-J Day commemoration. Many fault Bush for his lackadaisical approach to the hurricane. I know some of you will accuse me of being too generous to the president, but Bush wasn't the only one to under-appreciate the devastation caused by Katrina. Most Americans did, too.
But having said that, we expect more from our political leaders. The president, after all, has more information than the rest of us. And even after Bush began to appreciate the problems, especially in New Orleans, his response seemed tepid at best. Where was the passion that he showed after the September 11th attack? Sadly, Bush summoned more emotion talking about Saddam Hussein and Iraqi insurgents than he did about the plight of Americans in New Orleans.
On Friday, President Bush began an effort to regain the upper hand in a growing national perception that his administration has just simply botched disaster relief efforts. He flew to selected parts of the disaster scene, and declared that "I am satisfied with the response, but I am not satisfied with the results." Oops, wrong again, Mr. President. Both the response and the results have been a disgrace.
But all Americans hope that the president's personal visit will imbue him with a sense of urgency that most of us gained by watching television over the last week. The last thing the region needs is another photo op and another press conference. I'm betting that the convergence of personal observation and political reality will get President Bush back on track.
The Old FEMA is Back:
For decades, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was a laughing-stock in Washington. It could not respond quickly to emergencies and seemed more focused on its own bureaucratic redtape than on helping Americans. But President Bill Clinton changed all that in 1993. FEMA's own government website explains it all: "In 1993, President Clinton nominated James L. Witt as the new FEMA director. Witt became the first agency director with experience as a state emergency manager. He initiated sweeping reforms that streamlined disaster relief and recovery operations, insisted on a new emphasis regarding preparedness and mitigation, and focused agency employees on customer service. The end of the Cold War also allowed Witt to redirect more of FEMA's limited resources from civil defense into disaster relief, recovery and mitigation programs."
Thanks to Witt, by the end of Clinton's eight years, FEMA was being hailed as a model of government reinvention. So what has happened to FEMA during the last five years under President Bush?
Well, one thing Bush did to FEMA was name a politican/lawyer, Michael D. Brown, to head up the agency. Brown, who comes from Oklahoma City was a city councilman who served as the staff director for the Oklahoma Senate Finance Committee while he was going to law school. He was an adjunct law professor and a bar examiner for the state of Oklahoma. When Bush became president, Brown became general counsel to FEMA and later its deputy director and now director. Now Brown may be a bright and knowledgeable lawyer, but it is clear that he lacks the direct hands-on experience of predecessor James Witt. Witt, who also his political roots with Clinton, brought to FEMA his years of experience as Arkansas's director of the Office of Emergency Services.
Republican U.S. Senator David Vitter of Louisiana called FEMA's response an "operational disaster" and added that the agency was "completely dysfunctional and completely overwhelmed. . . . There was no coherent plan for dealing with this scenario."
Bottom line: when all this is over, watch for Brown to exit the scene. Whether he becomes the scapegoat for Bush's looming political problem over New Orleans remains to be seen. But Brown and FEMA were not on top of Hurricane Katrina, and someone is going to pay the price. Emergency management is too critical to this nation to be politicized. The president, who never admits when he makes mistakes, needs to revamp FEMA with folks who understand, firsthand, disaster relief and recovery.
Is Iraq Hampering America's Ability to Help Americans:
Hurricane Katrina struck America just when a majority of Americans believe that President Bush has bogged us down in a war in Iraq that is going nowhere. The latest CBS poll, mirrored by others, has 61 percent believing that the war in Iraq has not been worth the loss of American lives, now approaching 2,000 dead and 14,000 injured. The president's job approval has dropped to its lowest level in his five years as president (45 percent approval), and only 38 percent approve of Bush's conduct of the war.
Many Americans think that Bush's preoccupation with Iraq has harmed America's ability to help itself at home because he has sent so many National Guard troops to that war zone. Is that true? And has he deprived state governors and local officials of a resource that many believe is essential in the hours after a disaster strikes?
The Boston Globe has an interesting piece out today analyzing those questions. About one-third of the soldiers in Iraq are National Guard members, and half the casualties come from the Guard or National Reserves. Turns out that of the 400,000 National Guard members, nearly half (175,000) have been deployed overseas. Louisiana does not have sufficient Guards to protect itself, but National Guard leadership insists that plenty of forces were still available to respond to Katrina when you consider the 124,000 troops in the 17 states through which Katrina was expected to pass.
Perhaps a bigger problem for the Guard, however, is the lack of equipment. The Globe quotes the National Guard Association: "[Since September 11th], equipment has been beaten up, blown up, or simply left behind. States have had to borrow equipment and make do with a lot less equipment. We are short literally thousands of Humvees."
We hear that 30,000 Guard troops are arriving in Louisiana and Mississippi, but it strikes me as rather late for this appearance. It's Friday night. Where were the troops on Tuesday?
Can a Texas Oilman Solve the Gas Crisis?
Congressman Mike Doyle, a Pittsburgh Democrat who sits on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, reminds people that George W. Bush campaigned for president in 2000, saying that given his Texas oil experience if America ever had a gas crisis, he would just pick up the phone and call his friends the Saudis. "Mr. President," Doyle said Thursday, "pick up that telephone and call your friends."
Now Doyle is a partisan Democrat, but the pain at the pump is not partisan -- and President Bush will be judged by how well he gets on top of the gasoline crisis that threatens to wipe out family budgets and, some think, a big slice of America's economic growth this year.
Katrina knocked out some oil refineries, some Gulf drilling rigs, and two pipelines. Experts say, in short, that it has disrupted about 15 percent of America's gasoline supply. Bush's first response, release some oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, made sense, but everybody acknowledges that it takes a long time to turn oil into gasoline. His next response, waiving some federal regulations about shipments and environmental quality, also made sense.
But nothing Bush has done yet has stemmed the price escalation at the pumps, and that is where he will be judged by most Americans.
On Wednesday morning, my local gas station posted $2.55 a gallon. That night it was $2.79. When I woke up the next morning (Thursday) and drove a relative to the airport at 6:15 am, it was still $2.79. When I returned an hour later, it was $2.99. Thursday night, when I returned home from work, it had hit $3.19. So far, it has not jumped again.
Now, let's get real, folks. Increases like that are not just the result of a supply disruption. Someone is price-gouging, taking advantage of a terrible national tragedy to make more money. President Bush says he has zero tolerance for this, but he has -- so far -- done nothing to stop the price rise. What exactly he can do is unclear, but he needs to demonstrate an understanding that $3.50 a gallon gasoline is unacceptable.
In Pennsylvania, both Governor Ed Rendell (a Democrat) and Attorney General Tom Corbett (a Republican) have some ideas. Rendell is talking about waiving the state's 31-cents gas tax. That might help if the oil boys didn't just use it as an excuse to boost profits by another 31 cents. More importantly, on Friday Rendell ordered everyone involved in the gasoline chain of distribution to "keep their receipts and records" so that state auditors can figure out who has price gouged the citizens. Corbett says that he wants consumers to tell him if they suspect price-gouging at service stations. He says if motorists see a price that is out-of-whack with nearby stations, call him or fill out a form on his website. Of course, if every station is jacking up prices together, it will be hard to single anyone out.
Ironically, Pennsylvania does not have an anti-price gouging law when it comes to petroleum products. About half the states do, and this gas crisis will likely spur the state legislature to action. Corbett wants a bill that specifically defines price gouging, but he believes he can still act under current law.
The real solution to the gasoline crisis, of course, is long-term. Americans must do more to conserve energy use, and Congress must do more to require automobiles that are more fuel efficient. And, of course, alternatives to oil are out there. None of this is new, but neither President Bush nor Democrats or Republicans in Congress have been willing to make the tough decisions that would curtail our oil habit. We are hooked, and neither the Saudis nor the Texas oilmen really want us to lose our addiction.
Clinton to the Rescue:
Just as he did when his slow response to the tsunami evoked such criticism, President Bush turned to his predecessor Bill Clinton for bipartisan cover. Do you ever get the impression that Clinton has become Bush's go-to guy when disaster relief efforts get screwed up?
Some Democrats wonder why Clinton seems so eager to help Bush out. Well, that's easy. Every former president likes to feel needed, especially Clinton. Second, Clinton is damn good at this stuff. Third, Clinton knows that the more he does this, the quicker his national rehabilitation from that old Monica thing draws near.
Now this won't keep the right-wing windbags from criticizing Clinton on their talk shows, but it doesn't hurt Clinton's overall reputation that he is now seen as America's best asset when it comes to raising money for disaster relief. Bush I is also part of that effort, but when you listen to their joint interviews, there's no question who is in charge.
Of course, we wish the Clinton-Bush team well in their efforts. Heaven knows, the Gulf states need it!
There's a lot of other political news to digest, but somehow it all pales as you watch the images left in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. So let's put off that other news, and join in a special prayer for a new resolve to help our fellow Americans. While elected officials will, of course, be judged by their actions or lack of action, it will be regular Americans, either through their donation of time or money or both, who will be the bulwark of the relief and rebuilding of New Orleans and the surrounding area. On that score, I know that we will come through this just fine.
As always, I welcome your comments. Have a safe and healthy Labor Day holiday, remembering those thousands who will not.
Yours, Jon
Jon Delano Political Analyst H. John Heinz School of Public Policy Carnegie Mellon University
[As I say all the time, these views are entirely my own and not those of the wonderful organizations with whom I am privileged to be identified.]
Doesn't "Political Analyst" translate to "Bush Basher"...
Where's the barf alert?
This did not happen in NO. Everyone waited for the government to help them after they had 2 DAYS OF WARNING! When you wait for the government to help you, you get what you ask for.
I am politically savvy, and from what I see, this is just Bush-bashing.
Part of the problem, of course, was that no one really anticipated the dimensions of the problem. But that is the nature of a natural disaster -- nothing is ever quite predictable.
I am so sick of this statement! Computer modeling, including using satellite mapping and countless 'what if' questions CLEARLY AND IN GREAT DETAIL predicted what COULD ND MOST LIKE WOULD happen IF a category 4 or 5 hurricane hit the area. The only problem was that NO ONE who could make the decisions to prepare for it, FAR IN ADVANCE, wanted to face the reality that it COULD happen. And just who were these people? Politicians from BOTH parties!!!!!
But of course you will use the govt paid for resources of said institution to disseminate your completely ignorant, politically biased propaganda now don't you? BTW Curious how you managed to write SO many words yet complete fail to cover even the BASIC lines of legal authority and responsibility entrusted to each different level of Govt. But OF COURSE If you ACTUALLY discussed the FACTS about what the City of NO and the State of Louisiana were SUPPOSE to be doing your, little hate Bush hissy fit blows up in your face! Your sir are a MORON, studying to be an IDIOT and failing. Stick to politics and leave the mechanics of Disaster Relief to people who ACTUALLY know what they are talking about.
From even before the beginning of this crisis, the Louisiana Governor, Kathleen Blanco, has treated this situation as a political issue. As I watched her last Sunday morning press conference, I was amused at how she invoked the presidents name on several occasions.
Blanco noted how she spoke to the president the day before (Saturday) and how it was Bush who called her to issue a state of emergency for the state of Louisiana. This was unusual since I know (from living in Florida) that it is usually the Governor who makes this declaration. But even more unusual was how Blanco noted that it was also the president who called her to insist and plead that she issue a mandatory evacuation.
At the time I didn't realize why she was turning all this responsibility over to the president...but than I realized why. Just a year ago when Hurricane Ivan barely missed the city of New Orleans, both the Governor and the city planners took extreme heat for the inconveniences they caused their population when hurricane Ivan didn't hit their city. Both state and local officials took criticism from all areas, including their failures to prepare for that hurricane.
Amazingly, that criticism led to the slow reactions we saw this past weekend as katrina approached the Louisiana coast. Each public official looked to the other to make the life-saving calls because they didn't want to be responsible for another false alarm. In other words, their was no leadership from the start. When President Bush called on Saturday to ask what the heck was going on, the governor finally took action because she now had her scape-goat should Katrina not hit the city.
What's outrageous about this is that we only have to go back to hurricane Ivan to see what this reluctance meant. From the beginning the mayor was warned of his inadequate city plans. This was even exposed in an AP report from September 19, 2004 by Kevin McGill titled "Ivan exposes flaws in N.O.'s disaster plans." Not only was the mayor warned about his problem of relocating the poor, homeless advocacy groups insisted he make changes.
A quote from the article notes: "They say evacuate, but they don't say how I'm supposed to do that," Latonya Hill, 57, said at the time. "If I can't walk it or get there on the bus, I don't go. I don't got a car. My daughter don't either."..."
Even the ACLU criticized the mayor, noting, "If the government asks people to evacuate, the government has some responsibility to provide an option for those people who can't evacuate and are at the whim of Mother Nature," said Joe Cook of the New Orleans ACLU.
The mayor had a full year and yet nothing was done. And this is reprehensible since even the American Red Cross informed the mayor that they would no longer be setting up shelters within the city for hurricanes over category-2. They informed the mayor that is was just too dangerous and that his city was ill-prepared to handle the crisis. Others even warned that the Superdome was insufficient since it would turn into an island with thousands trapped. This all happened a year ago. Mayor Ray Nagin's spokeswoman, Tanzie Jones responded to the criticism... "Our main focus is to get the people out of the city," she said. Hmm...yet we all see the pictures of school buses siting useless in drowned-out parking lots.
The politics didn't stop there. Every state governor has a National Guard at their disposal...not to mention all the State Police and law enforcement agencies at their call. Louisiana still retained 66% of their NG for a crisis just like this. In fact, having been declared a state of emergency by the president (last Saturday), the governor not only has the power to request federal resources, she can request the NG from surrounding states. She did neither before this storm.
But what makes matters worse is that this governor failed to use her own National Guard for the purposes of law enforcment. This was a political decision because she did not want to be the person giving orders that might result in the shooting of "poor, black people." Can you imagine the outrage come election time. This was made more difficult since not only did the mayor of NO...but also her own Attorney General, begin justifying the looting shortly after the hurricane passed. Ironically, these people even had almost a 24 hour window to clean up this mess (and evacuate) after the hurricane passed...and before the levees broke. Sadly, they dropped their guard thinking they got away with another near-miss.
While we all understand the need to survive, this lawlessness broke out immediately, with people taking everything in sight. As a result, chaos ensued and the governor, for political reasons, just would not take control of a situation that would surely destroy her political chances if poor, black people were killed. You could even hear the justification by some as if these people were owed these things. The sad fact is, there was a lack of leadership from the start. Is it any wonder cops were laying down their badges and walking off the job. It wasn't Katrina that destroyed this city...it was the politicians.
The corruption of New Orleans and LA politics goes so far back, it would take ten lifetimes to investigate.
This guy is so far above smart that he should be President. A RAT is a RAT is a RAT. And that includes his wife who appears to be super smart too. Wonder if they are down in the Katrina area helping out. Too smart for that of course.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............
Chief Moose... 'zat you?!
Agitprop masquerading as opinion masquerading as fact.
This a way-too-long version of the DNC talking points.
I got bored pretty quick.
Regards,
LH
Those who can't do.....
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