Pre-Katrina

[oldksnarc]

I received this in an e-mail and don't know the source or validity. But, .....

On Friday night before the storm, hit Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center took the unprecedented action of calling Nagin and Blanco personally to plead with them to begin MANDATORY evacuation of New Orleans and they said they'd take it under consideration. This was after the NOAA buoy 240 miles south had recorded 68' waves before it was destroyed.

President Bush spent Friday afternoon and evening in meetings with his advisors and administrators drafting all of the paperwork required for a state to request federal assistance (and not be in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act or having to enact the Insurgency Act).

Just before midnight Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call up. He was told that they didn't think it necessary for

the federal government to be involved yet. After the President's final call to the governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.

Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Blanco and Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal assistance that they declare the state an emergency area and begin mandatory evacuation. After a personal plea from the President, Nagin agreed to order an evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers requesting and authorizing federal action.

In frustration the President declared the area a national disaster area before the state of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some advanced preparations. Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal government can move into state with troops - but that had not been done since 1906 and the Constitutionality of it was called into question to use before the disaster.

Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to NO for levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a marina and support the ambling ships. Toss in the investigation that will look into why the emergency preparedness plan submitted to the federal government for funding and published on the city's website was never implemented and in fact may have been bogus for the purpose of gaining additional federal funding as we now learn that the organizations identified in the plan were never contacted or coordinating into any planning - though the document implies that they were.

The suffering people of New Orleans need to be asking some hard questions, as do we all, but they better start with why Blanco refused to even sign the multi-state mutual aid pack activation documents until Wednesday, which further delayed the legal deployment of National Guard from adjoining states.

Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to his own emergency plan and documents he claimed to have over 500 busses at his disposal to use between the local school busses and the city transportation busses-but he never raised a finger to prepare them or activate them.

This is a sad time for all of us to see that a major city has all but been destroyed and thousands of people have died with hundreds of thousands more suffering, but it's certainly not a time for people to be pointing fingers and trying to find a bigger dog to blame for local corruption and incompetence. Pray to God for the survivors that they can start their lives anew as fast as possible and we learn from all the mistakes to avoid them in the future.

[popgun]

Re: Pre-Katrina

Looks False>

http://www.snopes.com/politics/katrina/nagin.asp

According to snopes,com this was false.

I know I can't believe everything I read on the internet, but sometimes I do tend to believe what snopes tells me.

....popgun

[wtnhunt]

Re: Pre-Katrina

From what I have heard, the President pleaded with the governor to order a mandatory evacuation and she decided not to. There were also school busses available to get those out who had no transportation prior to the storm. That was where Nagin kept coming up with his remark about the busses, of course that is twisted around after the fact.

I do know that I saw the President come on the air well before the storm hit asking people to get out while they could. Looking at the actions of the democrats and how they are playing this, I would not be at all surprised if the governor did in fact reject Bushs suggestions.

My understanding is that earlier in the week Gore and Hillary Clinton both were in New Orleans attempting to make a political gain out of this. Go figure.

[horst]

Re: Pre-Katrina

Near as I can tell the governer is still resisting federal help.Or two days ago she was anyway.They had the armed forces in there but since the governer hadnt asked specifically for thier help they were just there for show more or less.The soldiers they interviewed had empty guns and were just walking around talking to people, they werent even being allowed to help in the rescue efforts.They said untill they were asked to help out by the state they couldnt do anything I think thier governers a nut, and it wouldnt suprise me if a lotta these delays and lives that were lost rest on her shoulders.