Posted on 9/7/2005, 6:57:11 PM by alessandrofiaschi
From a CNN interveiw between reporter Soledad O'Brien* and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (via Little Green Footballs):
S. O'BRIEN: You're telling me the president [Bush] told you the governor [Blanco] said she needed 24 hours to make a decision?
NAGIN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Regarding what? Bringing troops in?
NAGIN: Whatever they had discussed. As far as what the -- I was abdicating a clear chain of command, so that we could get resources flowing in the right places.
S. O'BRIEN: And the governor said no.
NAGIN: She said that she needed 24 hours to make a decision. It would have been great if we could of left Air Force One, walked outside, and told the world that we had this all worked out. It didn't happen, and more people died.
From The Washington Post: Many Evacuated, but Thousands Still Waiting.
Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.
The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.
A senior administration official said that Bush has clear legal authority to federalize National Guard units to quell civil disturbances under the Insurrection Act and will continue to try to unify the chains of command that are split among the president, the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor.
Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said.
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Craig Martelle: FEMA is not a first responder.
As one who has received training by FEMA in emergency management and also training by the Department of Defense in consequence management, I believe that the federal response in New Orleans needs clarification.
The key to emergency management starts at the local level and expands to the state level. Emergency planning generally does not include any federal guarantees, as there can only be limited ones from the federal level for any local plan. FEMA provides free training, education, assistance and respond in case of an emergency, but the local and state officials run their own emergency management program.
Prior development of an emergency plan, addressing all foreseeable contingencies, is the absolute requirement of the local government --and then they share that plan with the state emergency managers to ensure that the state authorities can provide necessary assets not available at the local level. Additionally, good planning will include applicable elements of the federal government (those located in the local area). These processes are well established, but are contingent upon the personal drive of both hired and elected officials at the local level. ...
It seems that the mayor of New Orleans is leading the effort in not taking responsibility for his actions. The emergency managers for the state of Louisiana do not have much to say either. The failure in the first 48 hours to provide direction for survivors is theirs to live with. When FEMA was able to take over, it started out behind and had to develop its plan on the fly. Now the federal government has established priorities -- rescue the stranded, evacuate the city, flow in resources and fix the levee. It appears that now there is a plan and it is being systematically executed.
From The Telegraph: The Big Easy rocked, but didn't roll by Mark Steyn:
Readers may recall my words from a week ago on the approaching Katrina: "We relish the opportunity to rise to the occasion. And on the whole we do. Oh, to be sure, there are always folks who panic or loot. But most people don't, and many are capable of extraordinary acts of hastily improvised heroism."
What the hell was I thinking? I should be fired for that. Well, someone should be fired. I say that in the spirit of the Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, the Anti-Giuliani, a Mayor Culpa who always knows where to point the finger.
*CORRECTED: The interviewer was reporter Soledad O'Brien not anchor Miles O'Brien. [hat tip Richard Wohlman]
From FoxNews: Chief Justice Rehnquist Dies at 80.
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who served on the Supreme Court for 33 years, steered the court back toward federalism and restored the sovereignty of states in the face of federal power.
Rehnquist, who has led the court since being elevated to chief justice by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, died late Saturday night after battling thyroid cancer for the better part of the past year.
His death comes as senators in Washington prepare for the battle over the confirmation of President Bush's nominee for the seat vacated by Sandra Day O'Connor.
UPDATE -- Sept. 6: From FoxNews: Roberts Bump-Up Raises Stakes.
President Bush's decision to nominate John Roberts (search) as the nation's 17th Supreme Court chief justice raises the stakes of the upcoming Senate confirmation hearings, with lawmakers now asked to pass judgment on a man who could lead the nation's highest court for decades.
Republicans say nothing has changed, that Roberts is the same well-qualified judge who seemed to be headed for confirmation as an associate justice before Chief Justice William Rehnquist (search) died Saturday and Bush tapped Roberts, 50, for the top spot. ...
Democrats, however, said bumping Roberts up to chief justice instead of having him replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (search) means tougher scrutiny of Rehnquist's former Supreme Court clerk.
A Brief HistoryThe Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (LHLS & EP); formally the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness (LOEP), was created by the Civil Act of 1950 and is under the Louisiana Military Department. In 1976 LHLS & EP via the Louisiana government reorganization, was moved to the Department of Public Safety (DPS). In 1990 LHLS & EP was transferred again to the Military Department. In 2003 the Agency name was changed to the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, reflecting the additional responsibilities to the State and her citizens.
Since LHLS & EP was placed under the Military Department in 1990, the Agency has managed over 16 Federal Disaster Declarations and has coordinated several hundred State Disaster Declarations authorized under the Governor's signature. Over the years, the mission has evolved to include the spectrum of natural, man-made disasters and as of 2003; the duties and responsibilities for supporting Louisiana's Homeland Security needs.
Since 1990, LHLS & EP has been under the leadership of two Directors, Major General Ansel M. Stroud and Major General Bennett C. Landreneau. The staff at the Baton Rouge office has also undergone many changes and adjusted personnel to accommodate a number of large disasters such as Hurricane Andrew, Tropical Storm Allison, and more recently the damages resulting from Isidore and Lilli in 2002. The inclusion of the Homeland Security mission has also created additional staffing requirements.
http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/agencyrelated/aboutagency.htm
Mayoor Nagin is a real bastard! He is the main responsible for this disaster!
She would be Daryl gates times 10 as far as the demographic was concerned.
Yeah - he's a big part of the problem too. I'm just tired of pointing at Brown without looking down the FEMA chain a little bit.
Blanco did plenty to create this situation, and if Compass was even remotely competent, Nagin's failures would have been far less deadly.
If the NOPD had done their job properly this whole situation would have been very different.
However, to wax Jesse Jacksonesque for a moment, the first responders turned out to be the first absconders.
Bump!
For that alone--placing her political career above her duty to the people she was charged to protect--she should be driven out of office and publicly disgraced.
More srew-tanizing?
"the first responders turned out to be the first absconders."
The po-lice looted, Nagin scooted.
Wow Nagin really threw Blanco under the bus (no pun intended).
It's the only logical explanation, but it's unprovable.
The Nagin/Blanco LACK-vacuation.
Gov. Blanco and Sen. Landrieu should be called "The Super Psycho Ya Yas" from now on.
Bush called ---but Blanco stalled.
It's not over yet . I predict that Jesse Jackson or Maxine Waters will demand a million dollars reparation per hurricane victim . Mark my word and note that I said it first here on FR
I realize that Nagin isn't the most literate person on the planet, but did he mean "advocating"?
"I predict that Jesse Jackson or Maxine Waters will demand a million dollars reparation per hurricane victim"
If "Rent-N-Roll" is publicly traded, buy buy buy every share you can get your hands on, if this ever happens. Mark my words, and remember, you saw it here on FR first.
"I realize that Nagin isn't the most literate person on the planet, but did he mean "advocating"?"
Since Nagin clearly abdicated his own responsibility, let's just call it a Freudian slip and leave it at that.
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