"Louisiana begged for federal help on Sunday in a formal request"
AFter rejecting it the Friday before!
There's plenty of blame to go around here! The primary problem was evacuation...President Bush and the National WEather Service BEGGED the mayor to evacuate, and he waited to long.. He didn't do as the evac plan said..to use buses to get the people out. Next problem, law and order...the WHOLE state National Guard should have been activated..not just 1700 of them. She rejected Pres. Bush's request to federalize the national Guard...if at THAT time it screwed up, he would be to blame. As it was, she was in charge of the National Guard.
And finally...the disaster affected an area the size of Great Britain. The evac plan of NO in NORMAL times would take THREE days....They evacuated virtually all by Saturday after the levees broke on MOnday with no communications, flooded streets, etc....FIVE days. Put it in perspective!
The Formal request mention, of Sunday, is Sunday August 28. It asks for material and money, and for a federal clean up of the affected area.
Mr. Arthur G. Jones (of Lousiana) is named as the coordinating officer for the request.
I don't get this document. Bush had already declared it a disaster area Friday while the hurricane was still out in the gulf (in addition to telling her to order a mandatory evac and asking to federalize the NG). That's what sets the FEMA money and assets in motion. Either this declaration is just a "formality" requirement of some sort for receiving the FEMA aid or beginning a federalization situation, or she was trying to create a perception that there had been no offer of assistance up to this point.
AFter rejecting it the Friday before! There's plenty of blame to go around here! The primary problem was evacuation...President Bush and the National Weather Service BEGGED the mayor to evacuate, and he waited to long.. He didn't do as the evac plan said..to use buses to get the people out. Next problem, law and order...the WHOLE state National Guard should have been activated..not just 1700 of them. She rejected Pres. Bush's request to federalize the national Guard...if at THAT time it screwed up, he would be to blame. As it was, she was in charge of the National Guard.
This bears repeating and repeating.