What Was The Worst About Katrina?

[Steve]

Sorry vb. It was a misunderstimation (heh) by me. Basically, if x was and y was and y blasted z, how could x not blast z? But since x /=, then I gotta ask how x missed.



Steve

[vbhoutex]

Steve I understand you all too well!!!! Just doing my job!!

[Steve]

Hey Rock,

So what's the story? You still hanging onto your beliefs despite the reports out of Washington that, while blaming all levels of government, focus in on FEMA, DHS and the White House?

Steve

[vbhoutex]

Steve, I have to admit I haven't been following the hearings so I ask the question. Have they been looking at the same things at the state and local level also or only focused on the federal levels? My guess is they have been at the federal level and the same types of problems would be found at all levels. From what I saw/see on the outside looking in, the whole process on all levels needs a total revamping.

[O Town]

All of the above. It was just a mess, period. I could not pick one over the other.

[Steve]

They went after everyone at all levels (local, state and federal), but the main thrust of the criticism has been heaped upon FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security and the White House. This was rather odd as the US Congress (GOP of course) usually marches in lockstep with President Bush yet were HIGHLY critical of his administration (bringing me a little faith that the truth usually is out there). Of course the Democrats are launching some of their own salvos for political gain, but that's beside the point. Chertoff (Head of Department of Homeland Security) accepted full blame and plans to make changes, but he's going to have a tough time addressing former FEMA Director Mike Brown's contention that had the city been flooded by a terrorist attack, the response would have been greatly different.

You can catch the synopsis pretty easy on CNN, MSNBC or FOX websites. My main interest, beside being a major victim of the storm and governmental inaction and inabilty to comprehend the scope of this disaster, is that no one else should have to be living in the limbo that we Americans are living through now. Hopefully they'll get things turned around for next time.

Steve

[ROCK]

Hey Rock,

So what's the story? You still hanging onto your beliefs despite the reports out of Washington that, while blaming all levels of government, focus in on FEMA, DHS and the White House?

Steve

Sorry Steve, I cannot respond without being political. Trying to stay in good graces with the mods around here.... However if you need to vent a PM is cool. I do have to ask the ? though. Doesn't x need to = y in order to bash z if y bashed z first?

just a thought since we are talking logic here.

[Audrey2Katrina]

My brother in Uptown N.O. (near the corner of Valence and Freret) still doesn't have power - can't seem to get hooked up with Intergy for one reason or another. And he was dry throughout!! I can't imagine what it must be like for those in the "other" areas of the city.

Unless one actually drives through New Orleans at night, and gets a little away from the French Quarter and Garden district areas hugging the levee (i.e. higher areas) they have absolutely no clue how totally "desolate" much of the city still is. Freret St. and Valence, I know exactly where that is, and you're right... it certainly is in an area that is beginning to come back to life--can't figure why there's still no power there. Anyone living in that town has my sympathy--as do all the victims struggling with the aftermath in countless other areas not getting the coverage New Orleans is getting.

A2K

[MiamiensisWx]

Great points, Audrey2Katrina. It will be easily many, many decades before any sense of recover occurs - if at all - in very many areas.

[Steve]

>>Doesn't x need to = y in order to bash z if y bashed z first?

Maybe.

But Senator Collins R-ME really let HSD Chertoff have it today in testimony. The final reports (again, GOP run committees) is due out today. Obviously due to our proximity, we got lots of leaked data. They faulted Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin, but unlike your original assertion that it was a Local/State problem, they found primary fault with FEMA and Dept. HS (part of the Executive Branch of FEDERAL government).

Like I said all along, there's enough blame to go around for all the D's and R's out there. But specifically, this is primarily a federal blunder, something the federal government has now come out and said. And they are correct.

Steve

[ROCK]

>>Doesn't x need to = y in order to bash z if y bashed z first?

Maybe.

But Senator Collins R-ME really let HSD Chertoff have it today in testimony. The final reports (again, GOP run committees) is due out today. Obviously due to our proximity, we got lots of leaked data. They faulted Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin, but unlike your original assertion that it was a Local/State problem, they found primary fault with FEMA and Dept. HS (part of the Executive Branch of FEDERAL government).

Like I said all along, there's enough blame to go around for all the D's and R's out there. But specifically, this is primarily a federal blunder, something the federal government has now come out and said. And they are correct.

Steve

true, a lot of blame to go around. However my original assertion still holds water..(no pun intended NO people). The cities leaders, as well as the state, failure to act cost lives. I think you know the examples I am referring to so no need to regurgitate those. The lack of leadership in FEMA just compounded the problem.

[LSU2001]

boy you sure know how to kill a thread vbhouex, ha ha

I do agree with you that this subject can be discussed without politics.
I voted for the loss of life but really everything about this storm was messed up. I agree with steve that it was a huge catastrophe and much too big to handle by any level of govt.

Tim

Ps. there is enough blame for every level but harping on the failures will not bring back any one of the people who died in this storm. If anything good can come out of this FUBARED mess and lives can be saved in the future then we must take solace in that. If we don't learn from this then we will see many more lives lost needlessly in the coming years.

[MGC]

Like I said in another thread. I blame everyone from the President (whom I voted for) down to the guy sweeping the floors. Government from local to national blew Katrina. The local gov in New Orleans dropped the ball by not ordering evacuations earlier, not ensuring the elderly or other that were unable to help themselves evacuate. The post hurricane recovery resembled a Chinese fire drill. I lost count of all the FEMA clowns driving around in their big goverment SUV's telling us down here that help was on the way. We still have people down here living in tents. When I hear the word FEMA I wanna puke......MGC

[wxman22]

Everthing!!! was Horrible!!

[TSmith274]

We still have people down here living in tents. When I hear the word FEMA I wanna puke......MGC

That is absolutely true. I drove through the 9th ward in N.O. today for the first time... and I live here. I felt I was ready to see the devastation, and that I owed it to myself and the people there to see it first hand. I was totally shocked to see people living in tents. We're not talking military tents. We're talkin' the ones you'd buy at Sears. These poor people, who have lost everything, are holding on, trying to survive... living in tiny little tents, all packed together in random parking lots and grassy fields that were once neighborhoods. It was shocking, and I have yet to come to grips with how I truly feel about it. Lets hope to God that help is on the way for those people. It's truly shocking to see this in your own country. I still can't believe what I saw.

[MiamiensisWx]

You're forgetting the biggest thing to blame, MGC...

THE MEDIA!

I'm sick - like you and everyone else - of hearing only about New Orleans! What about all other areas of Louisiana? What about Mississippi? What about Alabama? Finally, what about northwest Florida and southern Florida, where people have been still recovering, only to get smacked by Wilma?

I agree, TSmith274... the situation everywhere on the Gulf coast, whether in New Orleans, Mississippi, or Alabama, is so sad...

[tailgater]

I voted everything!

But one thing is sure there's plenty of Blame to go around and I'd like to add 2 more to the list:
MOTHER NATURE
CHANCE

[Pearl River]

This isn't the first time FEMA screwed up. Remember ANDREW? FEMA screwed that up too.

[Downdraft]

As a first responder who has taken all the required courses on the National Response Plan and the National Incident Management System I have to ask myself why bother? DHS totally blew both of them in their handling of Katrina. This isn't a political issue incompetence isn't exclusive to one political party. True, the blame starts days before the incident and rests squarely with Nagin and Blanco but it then flows all the way to the White House. Chertoff and Brown contributed just as much fault as anyone else. The question now is if we haven't made any progress since 9-11 and obviously we haven't what are we going to do different from now on? 2006 could very well be a repeat of 2004 and 2005. The Superbowl was designated an "incident of national significance" before the game was even played. It took 2 days after Katrina for Mr. Chertoff to come to the same conclusion about Katrina.