good job so far, George

[low_delta]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1086311&page=1

Bush returned to the White House on Wednesday, two days early from a monthlong Texas vacation, to oversee relief efforts. Bush dismissed criticism that he didn't return sooner as political sniping.

"I hope people don't play politics at this time of a natural disaster the likes of which this country has never seen," he said.

To say that it's only political opportunism, implies that we don't really believe he's doing a bad job as president. He's wrong. This is one more item for the list.

In addition to food, water, shelter and other aid, Bush said the federal government would, if asked, send troops to stop the rampant looting in New Orleans.

If asked? Who is there to ask? Take charge and send every damn thing you can!

"I think there ought to be zero tolerance of people breaking the law," Bush said, "Whether it's looting or price-gouging or insurance fraud."

What does that mean, exactly? Zero tolerance for looting? When this is all over, I expect the FBI to review news footage and try to determine the identities of all the thieves they can find. I hear there were hotel employees in a drug store taking food and medicine. They shouldn't be hard to track down.

Comments

[rivendweller.livejournal.com]

I'm to the point where I can barely stand to watch the unfolding of events in New Orleans. But people need to open their eyes. This is immoral, intolerable, inconceivable.

I don't care about looting right now. What does in matter when people are dying in the streets?

[serendipity.livejournal.com]

Anyway, George Bush is the first thief who should be tracked down.

[dwivian]

Officially, the Governor of Louisiana has to ask. The Feds can't intervene unilaterally. It's not like they are Iraq, you see.

Fortunately, the Governor has already started the request, so the Feds will be there soon. Not sure if that's a good thing, or not. FEMA will be part of the effort, I know. I hope they recall the Louisiana National Guard, since they're also under the Governor's command.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

You make it sound like he needs to get the proper forms filled out, signed and approved. :-/

I hope they had the troops (and resources) mobilized and waiting at the borders.

[dwivian]

Something like that, yes. Official declarations of emergency/disaster are needed for regions to qualify for federal aid.

[blonnie.livejournal.com]

i just wanted to let you know that i read your post only after posting mine... and while i disagree with some of your points - i don't TOTALLY disagree with you like the people i am refering to in my post. i just didn't want you to think it was some silent (back-handed) response to you. i've always respected you and your honest yet non-confrontational way of disagreeing with me.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I do prefer people to address me directly when the disagree, but it's not necessarily a big deal. And I tend to keep issues compartmentalized, so I didn't see much overlap between our posts. :-)

And I don't disagree with much in your post.

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

"if asked"?

Why in any god's name does he need to be asked?

"Here's a few hundred billion to go kill middle easterners, but you have to BEG me to save our own."

BUSH: Forign policy - bombs; domestic policy - none.

[dwivian]

It's called the 10th Amendment to the Constitution -- States reserve the rights and responsibilities of statehood for things within their borders.

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

On the one hand I understand about this - but there are times where enforcing official channels is detrimental to the entire populace.

IMHO, this is a case where the feds should have had someone in each of the affected states, working with that state's emergency affairs groups.

If Washington knows it could be days or weeks before the affected area is even going to be able to contact Washington for help, then Washington should at least make it easier for that contact to be made!

[dwivian]

I saved this because... well..... I'm not sure I understand...

Every state has contingency plans so that their government can go on in the event of a disaster. These plans include devolution of authority and methods to contact other states or the feds as needed. There is never going to be a situation where a state is going to go days or weeks without being able to contact Washington. Or, if there were to be such a situation, how is having an imbedded agent going to change things, as they are just as unlikely to have communications pathways?

[(Anonymous)]

Ya know, part of why I mentioned the above is because of statements such as "Official declarations of emergency/disaster are needed for regions to qualify for federal aid." I don't think the Governor of LA / Mayor of NO were sitting around doing nothing. I doubt they hadn't asked for aid. But I'm trying to understand the multitude of "reasons" why none was sent.

Is it a case that no-one in _any_ of the affected areas requested federal aid for up to a week after the storm?

[dwivian]

Requests were made the day before, and the day after, and the day after the levee breach. It takes no less than 72 hours from a request until the national guard/military can arrive, and often takes 96+. After the request was made the LANG and nearby MSNG, ALNG, GANG, TXNG, and OKNG all arrived in the 72 hour window. This is faster than they arrived after Andrew hit Florida. Help was sent, and pretty fast for a bureaucracy. They immediately set up and began working to get resources into the affected regions.

The Coast Guard, however, was already there using helicopters to extract about 30,000 people, and to bring in food to isolated areas that needed immediate response. The speed at which they were engaged was mindboggling.

The Red Cross was in NOLA within 24 hours of the hurricane passing, and have been there solidly since. As a non-government entity, they have advantages and are terribly efficient about some things. They were also dispatched to evacuation routes to help those that got out, but had nothing but a car, an empty tank, and the clothes they were wearing.

So, it is NOT the case that there was no aid for a week. What WAS the case is that roads had to be scouted, pathways charted, plans made, and all sorts of other work done to prepare to get large-scale materials into the area. While the roads may have supported a Kia, many would NOT support a convoy of trucks loaded with potable water. And, you haven't seen hell until you have given out resources to just a few people with thousands waiting.... to avoid a riot, a lot of support work had to be done first.

Now, SINCE this all started, FEMA has shown spectacular incomptence. I think it was an agency that was used to reward political contributors, and was not really expected to have a real function. This is GWB's doing (during Clinton's day it was the repository for the Civil Defense of my youth and was reasonably funded), and I hold him personally responsible for the mess that is going on right now. I'm glad the Admiral is in charge, and maybe things will get better now.