[i]Originally posted by 49erpi[/i]@Sep 3 2005, 02:41 PM
[b] I agree that the local gov should be taking the most heat on this, however upon seeing the local and state gov's fail, the federal should have acted faster and stronger. [/b]
I agree and disagree, if that's possible.
Part of me agrees with you that the federal government should have stepped up, however on the flip side I wonder why itās their responsibility. Strictly speaking the power to govern, for the most part, is granted to the state and local governments, as it should be IMO. I go back and forth on when it is and isntā appropriate for the federal government to intervene.
The way I see it, the total lack of being prepared and the resulting chaos that insued because of the flooding, sewage line breaks, oil pipes going down etc. are soley at the feet of the state and local governments as well as the lack of effort put into evacuating more people (ie the school buses the mayor didnāt put into action.)
The aftermath is what I blame the federal government quite a bit for. They knew it was coming, they had a few days to prepare. They should have had trucks with food, water, clothes etc. sitting on the out skirts of the areas out of the danger zone ready to go in once the storm had passed. I realize with the flooding it would have taken time, there was no way to avoid that, but the effort to be ready to go in was truly lacking.
[b]Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.
The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. āQuite frankly, if theyād been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals,ā said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.
Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.
āThe federal government stands ready to work with state and local officials to secure New Orleans and the state of Louisiana,ā White House spokesman Dan Bartlett said. āThe president will not let any form of bureaucracy get in the way of protecting the citizens of Louisiana.ā
Blanco made two moves Saturday that protected her independence from the federal government: She created a philanthropic fund for the stateās victims and hired James Lee Witt, Federal Emergency Management Agency director in the Clinton administration, to advise her on the relief effort.[/b]
interesting stuff, Blanco is toastā¦meanwhile the buses are leaking diesel and oil into the water
Iām still here, in case anyone was wondering. Iām an alum who was born and raised and living in New Orleans. Got some water in the house but we are all safe. Anyone who attended the game at Tulane last season might remember me being present with my 3-year-old. Itās been about 7 weeks since the storm. Some businesses and restaurants are re-opening and my kids are back in school here. Some areas of the city will have to be demolished though everyone is waiting on official word. Thanks for the thoughts and phone calls I have received from several fellow alums.
