Why have FEMA? You want to have them, in order to take the blame for others? What? Want them to do everything so that locals won't have to lift a finger? What???? wHAT? Surely you want locals to be part of the solution, and if they are to be that, they must pull their weight which only they can pull best, use the authority granted to them, and take the criticism when they deserve it.
Ahem...the locals, THEY LIVE THERE!!!! THEY WERE A NATURAL AND PROPER KEY PART OF EXISTING DISASTER PLANNING! They DID WHAT THEY DID, and DIDN'T BUS PEOPLE OUT THOUGH THEY KNEW THE NEED, IT WAS IN THEIR PLAN TO DO SO, AND THE MEANS EXISTED. THEY DID WHAT THEY DID, AS DID THE GOVERNOR WHO DIDN'T GET THE GUARD IN THERE when ONLY SHE HAD THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO and SHE AND THE LOUISIANA HOMELAND SECURITY DEPT. ALSO DIDN'T LET THE RED CROSS - which was READY AND WAITING WITH WATER AND FOOD MEDICAL - IN THERE, and as surely as FEMA didn't take over and GET THE RED CROSS, THE GUARD, AND FORCES IN THEIR ON ITS OWN, and the PRESIDENT DIDN'T DO THAT EITHER (THOUGH HE WAS REBUFFED BY THE GOVERNOR WHEN HE TRIED TO ACT IN FACT, HE WASN'T TOUGH ENOUGH TO TAKE OVER WHICH CERTAINLY MAY HAVE BEEN THE MORAL HANDS-ON THING TO DO, AND ALSO LEGALLY VIABLE, if debatable from folks like you who would THEN LIKELY call him a dictator and blame him for every death despite there being fewer than we'll have now, solely FOR his would-be dictator-like action over state and local government - because you blame Bush automatically like a programmed robot)!
We didn't have anyone among our leaders who seized the day here QUITE as was needed, TIL IT WAS A TAD TOO LATE! All levels consulted lawyers while waiting relief sat on its hands as people dehydrated, as ordered!
They all must accept the responsibility.
This was an unprecedented disaster in which we found our leaders at all levels unable to make the decisions required, each in turn, before getting it much closer to right in the end. For god's sake, they find NO SECURITY FORCES PRESENT, SO THEY HELD 300 WILLING RESCUE BOATS OFF THE JOB!
It was a disgusting performance of local and state and federal decision making.
Dan B. |
