Perspective on the Katrina response

[flavio]

President: Nixon
Danger: Category-5 Hurricane Camille (August, 1969)
Area: About the same area as that affected by Katrina

Response: Nixon prepared the National Guard in advance, ordering rescue ships from Tampa, FL and Houston, TX to stand waiting along with over a thousand regular military, 24 helicopters to assist the Coast Guard and National Guard out as soon as the hurricane passed.

President: Bush 41
Danger: Category-5 Hurricane Andrew (August, 1992)
Area: Florida

Response: In the middle of a re-election campaign, Bush ceased campaigning the day before the hurricane, went to Washington, and assembled one of the largest military forces ever mustered on U.S. soil. Seven thousand National Guard and 22,000 regular military were sent in with the necessary equipment shortly after the hurricane passed through.

President: Clinton
Danger: Category-3 Hurricane Floyd (September, 1999)
Area: Virginia and Carolinas

Response: Meeting with China's president Jiang in New Zealand, Clinton immediately declared the hurricane-affected areas as federal disasters, allowing the military and National Guard to move in and help. Clinton flew home immediately, one day before the hurricane hit, to help coordinate the rescue.

President: Bush 43
Danger: Category-5 Hurricane Katrina (August, 2005)
Area: Gulf Coast

Response: National Guard troops are down about 8,000 members because they are in Iraq with much of the necessary rescue equipment needed. Bush was on vacation, riding his bike for two hours the day before the hurricane lands. On the day Katrina landed, Bush attended a birthday party for Arizona Sen. John McCain. The levees began to crack. While emergency 1.5-ton sandbags were ready to be placed to steady the levee and absorb water, there were insufficient numbers of helicopters and pilots to set them before the levees break. Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans, pleaded for federal-level assistance and got none. Bush went to San Diego to play guitar with a country singer and end his vacation early -- but not until the next day, because he had tickets to a San Diego Padres game.

Source...

 

[Pens1566]

<makes some popcorn to eat while watching the fireworks>

 

[Todd33]

Well it attempts to paint Bush 43 in the worst possible light, so it probably cherry picks the facts. Most of the last paragraph is true, I remember watching updates on GW's activities during the hurricane and it's aftermath. His own people had to make a DVD of the devastation made from news reports to show him on Air Force One and then fly him over NO for it to sink in. Not exactly a man of action.

 

[flavio]

Somewhow this idea is getting spread through neocon ranks that Katrina victims are just a bunch of lazy freeloaders looking for free handouts on the taxpayers dime.

These people are US citizens that had their homes, work places, and city destroyed. The presidents reaction was ridiculous and it's shame that it took something like this to show another appalling choice of presidential appointees in important positions.

They don't bat an eye at half a trillion dollars thrown away in Iraq, yet New Orleans has to trim their aid down below 15 billion....

Mayor Ray Nagin said Friday that the price tag to rebuild this city is being whittled down to meet the demands of the White House after officials balked at initial cost estimates.

Mr. Nagin said the ideal rebuilding plan would cost between $10 billion and $15 billion over five to seven years.

That's a massive drop from previous estimates. The original price tag for urban planning alone was $17 billion.

In the coming weeks, Mr. Nagin is asking the commission to tweak the plan, presumably to make it fit under the $15 billion cap he suggested would be more amenable to Congress and the White House. After that, Mr. Nagin is expected to present the final report to Mr. Bush.

This week, Mr. Bush criticized Louisiana for not having developed a rebuilding plan. The Bush administration also said it opposes a federal home buyout proposal from U.S. Rep. Richard Baker. Louisiana's top officials and the Bring New Orleans Back Commission consider the buyout plan crucial for recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Text

 

[Tom]

You must not have gotten your priorities straight.

A list
1. Iraqis
2. fetuses
3. brain dead people on feeding tubes
4. protecting us from gays.
5. starving billionaires

not that important
1. New Orleans
2. Afghanistan
3. debt
4. Osama
5. people who might benefit from scientific research.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: Tom
You must not have gotten your priorities straight.

A list
1. Iraqis
2. fetuses
3. brain dead people on feeding tubes
4. protecting us from gays.
5. starving billionaires

not that important
1. New Orleans
2. Afghanistan
3. debt
4. Osama
5. people who might benefit from scientific research.

That about sums it up...

 

[Jhhnn]

Repubs regard govt as incompetent, and with them at the helm, they're making sure that's true... Redefining reality, a sort of self-fulfilling prophesy.

Just because you can win elections doesn't mean you can actually make the govt work for the people... Apparently, that's most true when the govt is viewed as a giant cashcow ...

 

[dimensionOFdissension]

Originally posted by: Tom
You must not have gotten your priorities straight.

A list
1. Iraqis
2. fetuses
3. brain dead people on feeding tubes
4. protecting us from gays.
5. starving billionaires

not that important
1. New Orleans
2. Afghanistan
3. debt
4. Osama
5. people who might benefit from scientific research.

Indeed.

 

[kage69]

Hard to argue with that. Just another example of why this is the worst admin we've had in a long, long time. Tom really nailed it with that list of priorities I'm afarid.


But the right wing parrots will still continue to squak about his 'leadership,' and then follow up with the usuall 'but the Dems have no ideas! No agenda!' bullsh!t. *sigh*