Re: "No, you cannot blame local government."
I can, have, and should, as should you.
The mayor had it in his "local plan" to use transit and school busses to get people to safety. One trip could have moved out some 32,000 people. It didn't happen. More trips might have been squeezed in. The Mayor commented that the police force wasn't sufficient to go along and force the poor into busses. You and I might agree the busses could have picked up thousands without forcing anyone. Guess what? He didn't even get the busses out of town so he could use them later if need be, hundreds of them became flooded and unusable. What did he think was going to happen in the Superdome if the city flooded? He bussed no one out and asked for no preparation to do so. He clearly had the authority to do so, per plan, IMHO. This is a true criticism for every actor, I'd say, but it plainly goes to the top of the city, the Mayor.
Meanwhile, he shouted loudly for someone to come in there and get the folks out. That was a good thing, I guess.
It is true that Louisiana didn't ask for help from neighboring states guards per pacts, 'til Wednesday, the day after the flooding.
As I say, plenty of, well, thick blame, to go around to all quarters.
The facts here will NEVER support heaping all the major blame on Bush, but you will wander on in your fantasy land, so it seems.
Dan B. |
