Posted on 09/03/2005 12:34:27 PM PDT by wagglebee
Thank you for making one of the more rational and honest statements on this thread.
I hardly think telling poor people to find rides with friends or family when such huge number of them rely on public transportation is "rational".
Especially when you leave hundreds of buses parked in lots that are now under water.
If Nagin and Blanco had an ounce of pride, they would resign in disgrace."
Dignity would be a better word, but they have none.
In retrospect honor would probably have been the best. But all these two morons have is arrogance, stupidity and incompetence.
Then what good is a "Levee Commission," and why did they get so much money, and why was it spent on a casino, private plane, and other such nonsense?
I must be missing something, but then again, I'm just a stupid Ga. boy.
Explain the Army Corps of Engeneers role:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/whoweare/index.asp
I have never had to evacuate for a hurricane simply because of where I lived in Miami.........far inland away from the storm surge.
By contrast, my aunt in Key Biscayne is required to evacuate every single time a hurricane hits Miami to stay with my cousins who live in the inland Miami area where I used to live.
I discussed the matter of storm surge on Post 11 of this thread.
In Florida, evacuation orders are given with 48 hours lead time.
As far as "complicating matters", one school bus carrying 70 human beings complicates the matter far less than 14 automobiles carrying 5 human beings each.
Please tell me the difference between an Evacuation Order and a Mandatory Evacuation Order.
I don't know how long you've lived in New Orleans but perhaps the state of Louisiana created this commission without passing it by you first. Nevertheless, it does exist.
You asked me earlier what would I have done if I had been the mayor. I'm no expert on New Orleans or Louisiana but I do know the Superdome is owned by the state. I also know that the mayor and the governor had up to 48 hours advance notice that it was very possible this storm was going to hit New Orleans and hit with a vengence. It seems to me knowing thousands of people would descend on the the Superdome and the Convention Center--and the fact that it is hurricane season--would have triggered the need to stock both of those venues with at least some food and water. Forty eight hours after the storm struck and the levees broke, the mayor and the governor--and others--complained that it was taking too long to get food and water into the city which, btw, had numerous flooded roads and highways that it didn't have 48 hours before the storm came. If that isn't the epitome of 20/20 hindsight I don't know what is. The president declared the region a national emergency before the storm hit. Perhaps the Louisiana National Guard could have brought supplies in beforehand.
Secondly, if I had been the mayor I would have strongly--and for obvious reasons--urged the governor to mobilize the state National Guard sooner than she did. The fact that this would even be necessary points to her apparent ineptness in dealing with the entire situation.
I've already said I would have opened most lanes of traffic outbound. And so third, I would have activated those hundreds of school buses that you say would "only have complicated things".
Fourth, and somewhat unrelated, I would have ceased--and urged the governor to cease--negotiations with the Saints ownership in trying to keep that team in New Orleans. It's been proven time and time again that sport franchises bring little net revenue gain into the communtities they operate in. The taxes on parking, hotel rooms, etc. generated for payments to the Saints football team could have easily been spent on hurricane and levee breach preparedness. You may be thinking, "Why have the Superdome without the Saints?" but the team only plays 8 games a year there (10 if exhibition games are counted). Considering that New Orleans is a very small market, taxpayer money spent on the Saints is not money well-spent. Your previous governor entered into a bad deal with the team and your present governor has been on the verge of doing essentially the same thing. Let them go. Your community should have done so in the first place. Now it looks like you'll have to. Clearly in light of this disaster, your state will be unable to continue the payments due the Saints and Tom Benson will more likely than not pack the team up and leave.
As mayor I would have camped out on the steps of Congress until someone listened. We keep hearing how everyone knew this could happen yet to the rest of us not living in your region we literally had no idea. Your mayor should have been relentless in getting the word out. Perhaps, considering your city and state's reputation for corruptness, he was told in no uncertain terms not to do so. I don't know. But I find it interesting that a city and state at the very mouth of the Mississippi River, a city and state where everything that comes and goes on that river must pass by, would be as poor as your city and state are. Perhaps you could explain that to me.
Apparently there was little difference between the preparing for Ivan and this hurricane. So whatever the mayor did do wasn't enough. Such is the business of being a politician. They want to be in a position of leadership but when they demomstrate an inability to provide that leadership they pay the political price. Your mayor has had no problem pointing fingers. Yet he is your mayor and he should be willing to take some responsibility. From my vantage point I haven't seen that and somehow I don't think I will. He's clearly looking to find political cover. That doesn't demonstrate leadership to me. And your governor is no different.
I don't live in New Orleans or anywhere where hurricanes are commonplace. Here in California we prepare for earthquakes and wildfires. And while I don't claim to have all the answers, I know it's counter-productive to play the "blame game" and lay this all at Bush's doorstep or claim the lack of quick response was based on racism. Handing out DVDs is not really what I would consider exceptional planning particularly since people tend to not believe the worst can happen to them.
Well, I have no idea of how things are done in Louisinna but, in Florida, a municipality can make it a misdemeanor if someone does not comply with a mandatory evacuation order.
What that means is that, if a Police officer wants to take the trouble to do so, he can arrest you and haul you off against your will.
In practical terms, however, there are not enough Police to cope with everyone who wants to win a Darwin Award.
I can see a family member using that legal power to get the Police to allow you to get your stubborn Aunt Millie off to safety against her will but, for perfect strangers, I guess that, if they want to play Russian Roulette, you ought to let them.
If the Louisianna Governor is putting out "Evacuation Orders" and upgrading that to a "Mandatory Evacuation Orders", it seems to me that she is sending out weak and mixed messages.
"Hey! I'm stomping my foot! I really mean it this time! I order you to (evacuate/stop looting/fill in the blank)!!!"
That's not true. I sat here all day Sunday watching four lanes of traffic outbound and four lanes of no traffic whatsoever on a New Orleans freeway, I-10 I believe. It wasn't until close to dark that all lanes were outbound.
The president did in fact declare a state of emergency before the storm struck. Due some research. You'll find that to be true and he did it so the rescue and storm-aftermath logistics could be in place sooner. He also had to convince your governor and mayor to order a mandatory evacuation in the first place. Apparently your two local government officials hadn't thought of it or were unwilling to do it.
The people would not leave their homes. Do yo propose the mayor of New Orleans go door to door with a gun and force people out of their houses?
If that's what it takes to ensure their safety, in a word, yes. The Superdome and the Convention Center had thousands of people in them before the storm struck. If the people wouldn't leave their homes then who was at those two venues? There's a difference between "the people wouldn't leave their homes" and "the people couldn't leave their homes". Of course your logics say those school buses would have cluttered things. BTW if it was necessary for the mayor to go door to door with a gun then he obviously didn't convey the sad reality that could bestow these people prior to the storm's arrival, not only in the immediate future but months ahead. I don't know how things work in New Orleans but in the mid-90's we had massive flooding here in Northern California and our family personally had the Sheriff's Dept. tell us we had one hour to get out. One hour later they were back. Guess what. We left.
Your local government is every bit as responsible for what has happened as anybody else. That's the reality.
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