Former NO Mayor: We Need Troops In NOW

[manapua]

As far as the preperations go everything should have been ready to go ahead of time -- not when it was too late. We all saw the warnings the NWS was giving and no doubt the government did too. This is all acting after the fact which is why you have the former mayor complaning.

The former mayor is complaining because he's an idiot. In the great chain of people who need to know anything about the scope of relief, rescue, and engineering logistics, the former mayor is pretty damn irrelevant. It's the height of irresponsibility for a former elected official to be carping like that. The rescue efforts are proceeding. FEMA knows what they're doing. So does the military (which already had boots on the ground as well as driving, flying, and sailing into the area at the time that the idiot was complaining about the lack of troops). I think everybody's a little too busy to take the time to brief a sad little man crying for screentime on CNN.

[InimanaChoogamaga]

As far as the preperations go everything should have been ready to go ahead of time -- not when it was too late. We all saw the warnings the NWS was giving and no doubt the government did too. This is all acting after the fact which is why you have the former mayor complaning.

The former mayor is complaining because he's an idiot. In the great chain of people who need to know anything about the scope of relief, rescue, and engineering logistics, the former mayor is pretty damn irrelevant. It's the height of irresponsibility for a former elected official to be carping like that. The rescue efforts are proceeding. FEMA knows what they're doing. So does the military (which already had boots on the ground as well as driving, flying, and sailing into the area at the time that the idiot was complaining about the lack of troops). I think everybody's a little too busy to take the time to brief a sad little man crying for screentime on CNN.

No. They acted too slow and so the whole city flooded. And nothing was done by the government ahead of time to help with the grasslands and levees to give the city more protection.

[jlauderdal]

The former mayor was on CNN.He is angry that Bush hasn't called in military troops to handle this disaster.Says everyday that goes by means more people will die.

The troops have been called in...we just can't get them there. We don't have star trek transporter technology to just beem them in...they have to drive in seeing how the airports are damaged/under water. The former mayor needs to keep his mouth closed on issues he knows nothing about.

Helicoptors for at least some quick responders?

[arcticfire]

Ahh and just last week it was mile long posts about how NOLA will be fine and stop worrying , all the disaster talk was just gloom and doom attention hounds etc. That was just on this board. I'm sure in NOLA proper the attitude of "everything will be allright" was even more prevalent.

It's human nature to trivilize danger to life and limb untill AFTER it's been proven disaster really happens. Same thing for earthquakes , you don't build to earthquake code untilla fter your city gets leveled or a curch falls on a bunch of Nuns.

Stop critisizing the people who are now doing everything they can to help. This is not the first time , this won't be the last time even for NOLA. Give credit to them declaring the emergency before hand and at least getting the works started before it hit. This is not just running down the local quick mart to grab some milk , they have to mobilize and orginize efforts from all over and cordinate thousands to 10's of thousands of people to help.

[InimanaChoogamaga]

Ahh and just last week it was mile long posts about how NOLA will be fine and stop worrying , all the disaster talk was just gloom and doom attention hounds etc. That was just on this board. I'm sure in NOLA proper the attitude of "everything will be allright" was even more prevalent.

It's human nature to trivilize danger to life and limb untill AFTER it's been proven disaster really happens. Same thing for earthquakes , you don't build to earthquake code untilla fter your city gets leveled or a curch falls on a bunch of Nuns.

Stop critisizing the people who are now doing everything they can to help. This is not the first time , this won't be the last time even for NOLA. Give credit to them declaring the emergency before hand and at least getting the works started before it hit. This is not just running down the local quick mart to grab some milk , they have to mobilize and orginize efforts from all over and cordinate thousands to 10's of thousands of people to help.

Lots and lots of people knew this was coming and there were plans to fix it but the government did not come through despite many letters and pleas. Money was spent elsewhere. This is not like an earthquake. NO did not have to be destroyed. The government CHOSE to spend money on other projects and issues.

[Mello1]

The former mayor was on CNN.He is angry that Bush hasn't called in military troops to handle this disaster.Says everyday that goes by means more people will die.

Yeah, I saw him on TV. Bartholemu (sp), I believe. Was on the phone when he was being interviewed, but he was mighty angry.

[Mello1]

The former mayor was on CNN.He is angry that Bush hasn't called in military troops to handle this disaster.Says everyday that goes by means more people will die.

The troops have been called in...we just can't get them there. We don't have star trek transporter technology to just beem them in...they have to drive in seeing how the airports are damaged/under water. The former mayor needs to keep his mouth closed on issues he knows nothing about.

That's was the former mayor. Not the current one.

[Mello1]

As far as the preperations go everything should have been ready to go ahead of time -- not when it was too late. We all saw the warnings the NWS was giving and no doubt the government did too. This is all acting after the fact which is why you have the former mayor complaning.

There were plenty of other advance warnings ignored. For the past several years letters have been written trying to get the government to do something about the levees and build up the grassland in front of NO. But no funding was provided despite continued letters and requests. In fact no one even bothered to visit the area. This was in the Times-Picayune blog the other day.

I think that the levee breech has foiled a lot of their plans. There were many people here who were confident that the system would withstand Cat 3 force winds and storm surges. Obviously the levy system is in worse shape than most thought it was. So the situation has changed and is fluid and during this time, you have to prioritize what is important. I think that LA officials have taken the position that the preservation of life is top priority right now, with property a distant second at best. They have so many issues that they have to deal with, as well as so many arm chair quarterbacks telling them what they must do, that it has to be utterly overwhelming. At least for the Governors of MS and AL, the waters have receded and they can impliment their disaster plans. NO is no where near that point. Until the levee breeches are stopped, they really can't do anything else but save and protect life.

It's a tough situation with few solutions at present.

[Tommedic]

Interesting responses. The military has many assets being mobilized. In addition to getting the resources to the area, they must be able to house, feed, and care for them. Whether 70%, 80%, or 90% covered in water that doesn't leave much space for military personnel to stage or operate out of. The ships could not and should not have been predeployed for the safety of the equipment and personnel. Also, we all know that these storms may increase, decrease or change direction.

I do believe that rather than bussing, FEMA should use the many aircraft not being flown by the airlines to fly the refugees to Houston. This would do well for the people as well as the airlines.

We have the advantage of being in a calm, pleasant environment while those making decisions are being stressed from all sides.

Just some thoughts

Tom Simpson
NREMT-P
U.S. Navy Retired

[Mello1]

Ahh and just last week it was mile long posts about how NOLA will be fine and stop worrying , all the disaster talk was just gloom and doom attention hounds etc. That was just on this board. I'm sure in NOLA proper the attitude of "everything will be allright" was even more prevalent.

It's human nature to trivilize danger to life and limb untill AFTER it's been proven disaster really happens. Same thing for earthquakes , you don't build to earthquake code untilla fter your city gets leveled or a curch falls on a bunch of Nuns.

Stop critisizing the people who are now doing everything they can to help. This is not the first time , this won't be the last time even for NOLA. Give credit to them declaring the emergency before hand and at least getting the works started before it hit. This is not just running down the local quick mart to grab some milk , they have to mobilize and orginize efforts from all over and cordinate thousands to 10's of thousands of people to help.

Lots and lots of people knew this was coming and there were plans to fix it but the government did not come through despite many letters and pleas. Money was spent elsewhere. This is not like an earthquake. NO did not have to be destroyed. The government CHOSE to spend money on other projects and issues.

Well now, that's a different issue and you are absolutely correct on this. The Federal government did cut appropriations to the Army Corp of Engineers in FY 2005 for studies and other work pertaining to that levee system down there. It was the largest approp cut ever in this area.

Guess that wasn't a good idea.

Unfortunately, this is common. People play the odds on things like this and if it disaster hasn't happened, then prevention measures go largely ignored. Especially when those measures will cost tens of billions of dollars. It no better thinking then the people on the Gulf coast who rode out the storm thinking that it wasn't going to be that bad or it wasn't going to happen to them.

Hindsight is a b---, ani't it?

[Mello1]

Interesting responses. The military has many assets being mobilized. In addition to getting the resources to the area, they must be able to house, feed, and care for them. Whether 70%, 80%, or 90% covered in water that doesn't leave much space for military personnel to stage or operate out of. The ships could not and should not have been predeployed for the safety of the equipment and personnel. Also, we all know that these storms may increase, decrease or change direction.

I do believe that rather than bussing, FEMA should use the many aircraft not being flown by the airlines to fly the refugees to Houston. This would do well for the people as well as the airlines.

We have the advantage of being in a calm, pleasant environment while those making decisions are being stressed from all sides.

Just some thoughts

Tom Simpson
NREMT-P
U.S. Navy Retired

I agree and I'm not military. It's the same reason why they are moving the people in the Superdome to Houston, many miles and a state away. Logistics and staging. You have to have a place to do all of those things or any relief effort will become as chaotic as the lawlessness of looting going on right now.

And remember. This is just Day THREE. Not week three or month three. Relief efforts will be on going for at least a year. It may take up to six months just to secure the levee system, pump out all of the water, dry out the area, pick up remains and stage them and access every single structure in NO. TV may be live and instant, but good old fashioned civil grunt work still takes as long as it takes.