Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Lake New Orleans -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mighty_Mezz who wrote (247)	9/4/2005 4:09:10 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1118

Put the whole thing, it's good: >>Jefferson Parish President Broussard, let me start with you. You just heard the director of Homeland Security's explanation of what has happened this last week. What is your reaction? MR. AARON BROUSSARD: We have been abandoned by our own country. Hurricane Katrina will go down in history as one of the worst storms ever to hit an American coast, but the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will go down as one of the worst abandonments of Americans on American soil ever in U.S. history. I am personally asking our bipartisan congressional delegation here in Louisiana to immediately begin congressional hearings to find out just what happened here. Why did it happen? Who needs to be fired? And believe me, they need to be fired right away, because we still have weeks to go in this tragedy. We have months to go. We have years to go. And whoever is at the top of this totem pole, that totem pole needs to be chain-sawed off and we've got to start with some new leadership. It's not just Katrina that caused all these deaths in New Orleans here. Bureaucracy has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans area, and bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now. It's so obvious. FEMA needs more congressional funding. It needs more presidential support. It needs to be a Cabinet-level director. It needs to be an independent agency that will be able to fulfill its mission to work in partnership with state and local governments around America. FEMA needs to be empowered to do the things it was created to do. It needs to come somewhere, like New Orleans, with all of its force immediately, without red tape, without bureaucracy, act immediately with common sense and leadership, and save lives. Forget about the property. We can rebuild the property. It's got to be able to come in and save lives. We need strong leadership at the top of America right now in order to accomplish this and to-- reconstructing FEMA. MR. RUSSERT: Mr. Broussard, let me ask--I want to ask--should... MR. BROUSSARD: You know, just some quick examples... MR. RUSSERT: Hold on. Hold on, sir. Shouldn't the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of New Orleans bear some responsibility? Couldn't they have been much more forceful, much more effective and much more organized in evacuating the area? MR. BROUSSARD: Sir, they were told like me, every single day, "The cavalry's coming," on a federal level, "The cavalry's coming, the cavalry's coming, the cavalry's coming." I have just begun to hear the hoofs of the cavalry. The cavalry's still not here yet, but I've begun to hear the hoofs, and we're almost a week out. Let me give you just three quick examples. We had Wal-Mart deliver three trucks of water, trailer trucks of water. FEMA turned them back. They said we didn't need them. This was a week ago. FEMA--we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel docked in my parish. The Coast Guard said, "Come get the fuel right away." When we got there with our trucks, they got a word. "FEMA says don't give you the fuel." Yesterday--yesterday--FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards on our line and says, "No one is getting near these lines." Sheriff Harry Lee said that if America--American government would have responded like Wal-Mart has responded, we wouldn't be in this crisis. But I want to thank Governor Blanco for all she's done and all her leadership. She sent in the National Guard. I just repaired a breach on my side of the 17th Street canal that the secretary didn't foresee, a 300-foot breach. I just completed it yesterday with convoys of National Guard and local parish workers and levee board people. It took us two and a half days working 24/7. I just closed it. MR. RUSSERT: All right. MR. BROUSSARD: I'm telling you most importantly I want to thank my public employees... MR. RUSSERT: All right. MR. BROUSSARD: ...that have worked 24/7. They're burned out, the doctors, the nurses. And I want to give you one last story and I'll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I'm in, emergency management, he's responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, "Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?" And he said, "Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming to get you. Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody's coming to get you on Friday." And she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night. MR. RUSSERT: Mr. President... MR. BROUSSARD: Nobody's coming to get us. Nobody's coming to get us. The secretary has promised. Everybody's promised. They've had press conferences. I'm sick of the press conferences. For God sakes, shut up and send us somebody. msnbc.msn.com

To: Mighty_Mezz who wrote (247)	9/4/2005 4:29:58 PM
From: Rande Is	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1118

The section of the transcript with Mr. Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, should be required reading of all emergency management personnel before proceeding with another task. I especially like where he says that he closed the levy in 2 to 3 days, without waiting on anyone. . . using whatever was at hand. . . he strong armed it . . or "jammed" it. That is how you make things happen. You start doing them until they are done. The New Orleans situation is still unfolding before our eyes, as I still do not see the city teaming with boats and can only ask, "why"?? Dehydration sets in after just 3 days. There could many thousands who fully survived the storm and even the flood waters, but died of dehydration. I maintain that Tuesday, any rescue personnel with their own water, food and fuel should have been allowed in. The person or persons who ordered this equipment and personnel to turn back, however high up the ladder, should stand accountable for their actions and inactions. This was a travesty against humanity and I believe a formal investigation should be launched by congress to determine an accurate timeline. When every minute counted, too many balls were dropped. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. . . Wal-mart water turned away . . . thousands of law enforcement officers and rescue personnel in pontoon boats, high water trucks, aircraft, airboats and the like . . . experienced in flood rescue were turned away. . . medical doctors turned away. . . Salvation Army trucks turned away on Tuesday and Wednesday finally were allowed in today (Sunday). CNN reporter said, "it took 6 days for the Salvation Army to arrive". Not true. It took 4 days for FEMA and or military to clear them to enter. Rande Is

To: Mighty_Mezz who wrote (247)	9/4/2005 4:32:00 PM
From: Oeconomicus	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1118

Sounds like left hand and right hand at odds, and if these things actually happened as described, then that is clearly a failure. But from the looks of things in that transcript, the gentleman you quote seems hysterical. I'm not sure one can take what he says as an accurate accounting of the events he purports to describe. The transcript was interesting, though, in any case. Chertoff made some valid points that perhaps got lost in the emotion of the whole conversation. Russert kept badgering him about who was going to be fired, who should resign and other questions that can and should wait. Chertoff said now is not the time to be pointing the finger of blame. Now is the time for everyone to do whatever they can to help. I am sure there will be endless congressional hearings over who and what worked or failed. Probably an independent, bipartisan commission, too, just like on 9-11. Cokie Roberts made an excellent comment on ABC today. She said ANYONE - in either partisan camp - that is out there politicizing this catastrophe will find their behavior coming back later to bite them in the ass (off course, she said it differently).