Posted on 09/11/2005 2:54:36 AM PDT by InvisibleChurch
Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005 12:39 a.m. EDT Ray Nagin: Flooded School Buses Not My Fault
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said Friday that it wasn't his fault city school buses weren't mobilized to facilitate the Hurricane Katrina evacuation he ordered.
Appearing on NBC's "Dateline," Nagin was asked by host Stone Phillips: "What was mobilized? I mean were national guard troops in position. Were helicopters standing by? Were buses ready to take people away?"
"No. None of that," the Big Easy mayor replied. "Why is that?" an incredulous Phillips asked.
Nagin replied: "I dont know. That is question for somebody else."
The Louisiana Democrat didn't explain just who the "somebody else" was, saying only:
"All I can do is [say] that I was dealing with it as a mayor -- how do I prepare my city for an incredibly powerful storm? So immediately we tried to get as many people out as possible."
The "Dateline" exchange was only the second time Mayor Nagin had been asked about the failure to use his city's school buses, hundreds of which sat 1.2 miles from the Superdome.
Two days after the levees broke, Nagin told a New Orleans radio station that he wanted Greyhound Bus Lines to send their entire fleet rather than launch an evacuation in public school buses.
"One of the briefings we had they were talking about getting, you know, public school bus drivers to come down here and bus people out of here," Nagin said.
"I'm like - you've got to be kidding me. This is a natural disaster. Get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans."
Nagin is a POS that will never be reelected, and will likely be sued, prosecuted, or both. He failed; the governor failed.
Maybe Governor "that would be me" Blanco?
I think they solved that problem by making several fuel/restroom stops. In fact, due to the shorter range of that shool bus compared to a Greyhound, they had to make three fuel stops along the way to the Houston Astrodome.
Nagin should not be let off the hook about the buses being under water. The New Orleans evacuation plan specifically called for their use, and so did the Louisiana state evacuation plan.
Blanco is the one most at fault. She would not order a mandatory evacuation till it was too late to do one. It's too bad the mayor of NO didn't have the authority to begin a recommended or optional evacuation 48 hours before land fall. If people who wanted to leave had been given that option, then the late mandatory evactuation order would not have been as big a problem.
The schools are governed by state law. The blame falls on Ms Blanco, again. I recently called about a problem with overcrowding in the neighborhood schools to the Fire dept. I was told unfortunately, the city has NO jurisdiction over school facilities. It is under the STATE.
Neither did the Superdome or the convention center.
BTTT
The buck does not stop here!
Is there a "Darwin Award" for Mayors?
Did the greyhound company get those new beaming devices?
How long does that mayor think it would take to get those Busses from all over the country to get there before the hurricane hit?
Incompetence at local and state level. Prosecute them!!!!!!!!
Just think what the dynamics would be if Katrina hadn't turned at the last moment, and the eye had gone through the Big Easy with all those people still huddled in their homes. The citizens of New Orleans should consider themselves blessed. They'd still be hangin' in trees all the way to Arkansas if Katrina hadn't turned.
And the mayor was supposed to have been a hotshot cable executive with an MBA.
"I dont know. That is question for somebody else."
Standard democrat response.
He's not dead...yet.
Actually, he's with NPR, the National Party of Racists.
Many people tried that and were blocked by the cops.
Yes, I hear that the last Greyhound buses from Alaska will be arriving in NO late tomorrow. The Hawaii buses had a bit of a problem with the ferried, but they should arrive by noon tomorrow.
Blame that other sucker...what was his name...
Oh yes, BUSH!
Agh. Ferried = ferries
How about the city busses too? I'm sure New Orleans has a public transit system for all the poor folk.
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