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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: i-node who wrote (248982)	9/3/2005 12:34:17 PM
From: Alighieri	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1572078

FEMA and the federal government have done everything they could possibly do. THey have ALL failed. The local government for watching the storm for a week trek their way and not having prepared. The fed for exactly the same reason for absence of a declaration of emergency BEFORE the storm hit. The absence of national guard troops in northern LA or MS, out of harm's way but ready to move, same about truckloads of supplies, buses to evacuate the victims, tents and fields identified, ready and coordinated to receive refugees, army bases in southern LA and GA who are accustomed to serve thousands should have been prepared, also ready to serve folks, more proactive evacuations before the storm got there by the fed, using military equipment ...all agencies failed. Local and federal. They sat for more than a week hoping the storm would vaporize or hit Mexico. Al

To: i-node who wrote (248982)	9/3/2005 1:12:05 PM
From: combjelly	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1572078

"FEMA and the federal government have done everything they could possibly do." Bullshit. We were dropping food and water on Banda Aceh less than two days after the tidal wave. Are you saying the devastation was less, or it was easier to get there? If you believe that, well, what can I say? The disaster plan which you so rightly criticize, was contracted out to a private firm with strong Homeland Security ties and approved by FEMA. When it proved to be so glaringly inadequate, they did what they could by using things like the Superdome and the convention center. It could, and should have been handled better. But it is hard to get all the details right when in a crisis. And it is bullshit that there wasn't any need for FEMA to do anything until the levees breached. A Cat. 5 hurricane was heading for the Third Coast. While there was some uncertainty as to exactly where it was going in, it was pretty certain it wasn't going to turn around and quietly leave or just evaporate. It takes an utter moron to not realize that there was going to be a crisis regardless of where it went in. Which is why, in the past, aid was mobilized before the hurricane went in. They've been doing that for decades, except for this time. Louisiana even filed an official request for aid on the 28th. gov.louisiana.gov The job of FEMA is to plan for disasters, pre-position for the predictable ones and coordinate efforts on a regional or national level. They failed on all of these. FEMA was given authority when Bush declared a disaster area. That is part of the reason for that declaration, and why they are regularly declared before a hurricane makes landfall. The failure isn't about the breaching of the levees, although it should have been at least considered as a possibility. The failure has to do with preparing to deal with a major hurricane. Why was it assumed it wasn't going to do significant damage?

To: i-node who wrote (248982)	9/3/2005 2:25:57 PM
From: Steve Lokness	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1572078

Oh David! <FEMA and the federal government have done everything they could possibly do.> The night of the hurricane I said on a chat line that I hope the military is sending amphibious Amtracks to NO. These vehicles can be trucked and can carry something like 14 soldiers. If the President had been aware of what was happening, this was very doable. Lives could have been saved and looting prevented. If I can foresee the problems coming and the government can't - then something is very very wrong with our government. Our government - republicans and democrats - failed in so many ways it is scary. Most importantly if the President was so out of touch on this issue - what else is he out of touch with!!! Steve

To: i-node who wrote (248982)	9/3/2005 4:02:31 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1572078

It is easy to understand the victims' anger. Their perspective is limited to their own sphere of vision. But rational, thinking people should be able to comprehend that evacuating tens of thousands without ground transportation in a virtual war zone within the course of what is now 5 days (the storm didn't leave until late Monday, the same reporters who are now complaining were claiming at that time that New Orleans had "dodged a bullet"). It was mid-day Tuesday before anyone realized that an evacuation MIGHT be necessary and that ground transportation couldn't be used. THAT'S BEEN FOUR DAYS AND MOST PEOPLE ARE OUT. The partisans here will blame Bush, AS USUAL. Nobody will blame the local government which failed to have anything remotely resembling a disaster plan (THE SUPERDOME, PURPORTEDLY THE BIGGEST OF THE SHELTERS, HAS NO PROVISIONS WHATSOEVER). Fortunately, America is not as blindly partisan as you are. Do not be surprised if the GOP returns to regional party status soon.