AND THAT'S NOT ALL .....

Let's see ... what else have we learned in the past week about the response to Katrina.

Doctors from across the United States poured into Louisiana to offer their services in shelters and hospitals treating Katrina's victims. They could do nothing. They just sat. You see, they weren't licensed to practice medicine in Louisiana. It took the amazing Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, five days to sign a waiver to allow these doctors to practice medicine in Louisiana. Five days, while people were suffering and dying. Don't blame Blanco, though. It was clearly Bush's fault.

On the Saturday before the hurricane New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin received a call from Amtrak. There was a passenger train sitting in the New Orleans station with 900 empty seats. Did the Mayor want to put some evacuees in those seats? No thanks. The train left nearly empty. You cannot blame Mayor Nagin for this decision, that clearly would be racist. It just has to be Bush's fault.

In 1997 the U.S. Congress appropriated $500,000 of your money -- not federal money, taxpayer's money -- to the State of Louisiana. The money was set aside to create a "comprehensive analysis and plan of all evacuation alternatives for New Orleans." Now correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the big deal here, isn't it? New Orleans didn't get evacuated, right? Well, for two years nothing happened. Then the Congress demanded of Louisiana a plan for evacuation in the event of a category 3 story, a levee break, a flood or some other natural disaster. The $500,000 of your money got to Louisiana .. but then what? It was spent by the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, not on an evacuation plan, but things that needed to be done to the Lake Pontchartrain causeway over the next fifteen years or so. What does the incredible Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness have to say about the funds and the causeway study? The spokesman says that they can't find any information. Actually, we shouldn't be holding the Louisiana emergency preparedness folks or the state responsible for this ... not when we all know it was Bush's fault.

Speaking of flood control. You did know, didn't you, that in 1996 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was going to raise and strengthen the very levees that failed in New Orleans. They were going to, but they didn't. And why not? Because of a lawsuit, that's why. The plaintiff in the lawsuit didn't want the work done until extensive and expensive environmental impact statements were prepared by the Corps of Engineers and approved by the EPA. And who filed that lawsuit? Why .. it was the Sierra Club. The very same Sierra Club, by the way, that listened with rapt attention in San Francisco on September 9th while Al Gore told them that the leaders of this country ought to be held accountable for the flooding in New Orleans. Now, some of us might be so twisted as to think that the very Sierra Club that was so enthralled by Gore's rantings should bear some of the blame here ... but that's only because we just don't realize that it was all Bush's fault. Oh .. and by the way. Why haven't we heard more about this Sierra Club lawsuit in the mainstream media? Remember the template.

Mayor Ray Nagin is inviting residents of some areas of New Orleans to come back to their homes and businesses and begin the cleanup process. There's another possible hurricane bearing down on the Florida Keys --- a tropical storm that could become a hurricane and could head toward New Orleans. Now it's possible that if over 100,000 residents return to New Orleans and are further victimized by another hurricane and another flood .. will it be Mayor Ray Nagin's fault? Of course not, you idiot! It will be George Bush's fault! Haven't you been paying attention?

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. KBB 2005 - 26 ________________________________________________________________________________ DECLARATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY TO SUSPEND OUT-OF-STATE LICENSURE FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND PERSONNEL ________________________________________________________________________________ WHEREAS, pursuant to the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act, R.S. 29:721, et seq., a state of emergency was declared through Proclamation No. 48 KBB 2005; WHEREAS, subsequently, Hurricane Katrina struck the state of Louisiana causing severe flooding and damage to the southeastern part of the state which have threatened the safety, health, and security of the citizens of the state of Louisiana, along with the private property and public facilities; WHEREAS, shortly thereafter, levees broke in the parish of Orleans, exacerbating the flooding and posing further threats to the safety, health, and security of the citizens of Louisiana, private property and public facilities; WHEREAS, although scores of people have been rescued, there are many more persons waiting for rescue, evacuation, and medical assistance, and many citizens have suffered or will suffer injury and/or illness;

WHEREAS, the number of medical professional and personnel currently available to the state to respond to this emergency are insufficient and there is a need to immediately supplement their number in order to serve those affected by this disaster; WHEREAS, R.S. 29:766 authorizes the governor to declare a state of public health emergency and to suspend the provisions of any regulatory statute prescribing procedures for conducting state business, or the orders, rules, or regulations of any state agency, if strict compliance with the provisions of any statute, order, rule, or regulation would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with this emergency;

and WHEREAS, the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals and the state health officer have requested that the Louisiana state licensure laws, rules, and regulations for medical professionals and personnel be suspended for those professionals and personnel from other states offering medical services to those needing medical services as a result of this disaster provided that said out-of-state medical professionals and personnel possess current state medical licenses in good standing in their respective states of licensure and that they practice in good faith, and within the reasonable scope of his or her skills, training or ability;

NOW THEREFORE I, KATHLEEN BABINEAUX BLANCO, Governor of the state of Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the state of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows: SECTION 1: Pursuant to Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act, R.S. 29:724, et seq., and more specifically R.S. 29:766, a state of public health emergency is hereby declared.

SECTION 2: The Louisiana state licensure laws, rules, and regulations for medical professionals and personnel are hereby suspended for those medical
professionals and personnel from other states offering medical services in Louisiana to those needing medical services as a result of this disaster provided that said out-of-state medical professionals and personnel possess current state medical licenses in good standing in their respective states of licensure and that they practice in good faith and within the reasonable scope of his or her skills, training or ability.

SECTION 3: All out-of-state medical professionals and personnel offering services to the state of Louisiana by authority of this Order shall be covered by La. R.S. 40:1299.39, et seq., and shall thus be considered agents of the state of Louisiana for tort liability purposes contingent upon said out-of-state medical professional and personnel possessing current state medical licenses in good standing in their respective states of licensure and that they practice in good faith and within the reasonable scope of his or her skills, training or ability.

SECTION 4: All out-of-state medical professionals and personnel offering services to the state of Louisiana by authority of this Order shall submit to the state health officer, or his designee at the Office of Public Health within the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, a copy of their respective licenses and photo identification.

SECTION 5: The suspension of these rules, regulations, and laws shall extend through Sunday, September 25, 2005.

SECTION 6: This Order is effective upon signature and shall continue in effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the governor, or terminated by operation of law.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the city of Baton Rouge, on this 2nd day of September, 2005.

/S/ Kathleen Babineaux Blanco GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA ATTEST BY THE GOVERNOR /S/ Al Ater SECRETARY OF STATE

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