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becca1223
PO3
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 293
Location: Colonial Heights, VA
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 Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:45 pm Post subject: CNNUSATODAYGALLUP POLL: ONLY 13% BLAME BUSH? |
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| Quote: | CNNUSATODAYGALLUP POLL: ONLY 13% BLAME BUSH?
Wed Sep 07 2005 10:42:26 ET
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll of 609 adults taken September 5-6 shows:
Blame Game -- 13% said George W. Bush is "most responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane"; 18% said "federal agencies"; 25% said "state and local officials"; 38% said "no one is to blame"; 6% had no opinion. -- 29% said that "top officials in the federal agencies responsible for handling emergencies should be fired"; 63% said they should not; 8% had no opinion.
MORE
Government Performance -- 10% said George W. Bush has done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 25% said "good"; 21% said "neither good nor bad"; 18% said "bad"; 24% said "terrible"; 2% had no opinion. -- 8% said federal government agencies responsible for handling emergencies have done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 27% said "good"; 20% said "neither good nor bad"; 20% said "bad"; 22% said "terrible"; 3% had no opinion. -- 7% said state and local officials in Louisiana have done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 30% said "good"; 23% said "neither good nor bad"; 20% said "bad"; 15% said "terrible"; 5% had no opinion.
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jwb7605
Rear Admiral
Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 690
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:16 pm Post subject: Re: CNNUSATODAYGALLUP POLL: ONLY 13% BLAME BUSH? |
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| becca1223 wrote: | | Quote: | CNNUSATODAYGALLUP POLL: ONLY 13% BLAME BUSH?
Wed Sep 07 2005 10:42:26 ET
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll of 609 adults taken September 5-6 shows:
Blame Game -- 13% said George W. Bush is "most responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane"; 18% said "federal agencies"; 25% said "state and local officials"; 38% said "no one is to blame"; 6% had no opinion. -- 29% said that "top officials in the federal agencies responsible for handling emergencies should be fired"; 63% said they should not; 8% had no opinion.
MORE
Government Performance -- 10% said George W. Bush has done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 25% said "good"; 21% said "neither good nor bad"; 18% said "bad"; 24% said "terrible"; 2% had no opinion. -- 8% said federal government agencies responsible for handling emergencies have done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 27% said "good"; 20% said "neither good nor bad"; 20% said "bad"; 22% said "terrible"; 3% had no opinion. -- 7% said state and local officials in Louisiana have done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 30% said "good"; 23% said "neither good nor bad"; 20% said "bad"; 15% said "terrible"; 5% had no opinion.
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I'm unsure what to make of the wording of the headline.
Either the question mark doesn't belong there, or the headline is "incredulous".
(FYI: I do not blame Bush, but I do expect some serious remarks from him regarding "personal responsibilities" expected of individual citizens in the future. I do not blame FEMA, because relying on top-level down management is usually a poor plan. It's time the nation realize that the Feds do not, can not, and never will compensate for poor local decisions, planning, and implementations. Sorry to say this, but I think the result is 100% in line with the "plans" and "formats" and "chains of command" that were made leading up to the catastrophe. OR: Be careful what you wish for ... you might just get it.) |
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becca1223
PO3
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 293
Location: Colonial Heights, VA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Blame Amid the Tragedy
Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin failed their constituents.
BY BOB WILLIAMS
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT
As the devastation of Hurricane Katrina continues to shock and sadden the nation, the question on many lips is, Who is to blame for the inadequate response?
As a former state legislator who represented the legislative district most impacted by the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, I can fully understand and empathize with the people and public officials over the loss of life and property.
Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn't fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible--local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city's mayor, Ray Nagin.
The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his emergency operations center.
The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved.
In addition to the plans, local, state and federal officials held a simulated hurricane drill 13 months ago, in which widespread flooding supposedly trapped 300,000 people inside New Orleans. The exercise simulated the evacuation of more than a million residents. The problems identified in the simulation apparently were not solved.
A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan. Again, they did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not corrected.
The New Orleans contingency plan is still, as of this writing, on the city's Web site, and states: "The safe evacuation of threatened populations is one of the principle [sic] reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan." But the plan was apparently ignored.
Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation and supervising the actual evacuation: His Office of Emergency Preparedness (not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation.
The city's evacuation plan states: "The city of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas." But even though the city has enough school and transit buses to evacuate 12,000 citizens per fleet run, the mayor did not use them. To compound the problem, the buses were not moved to high ground and were flooded. The plan also states that "special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific lifesaving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed." This was not done.
The evacuation plan warned that "if an evacuation order is issued without the mechanisms needed to disseminate the information to the affected persons, then we face the possibility of having large numbers of people either stranded and left to the mercy of a storm, or left in an area impacted by toxic materials." That is precisely what happened because of the mayor's failure.
Instead of evacuating the people, the mayor ordered the refugees to the Superdome and Convention Center without adequate security and no provisions for food, water and sanitary conditions. As a result people died, and there was even rape committed, in these facilities. Mayor Nagin failed in his responsibility to provide public safety and to manage the orderly evacuation of the citizens of New Orleans. Now he wants to blame Gov. Blanco and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In an emergency the first requirement is for the city's emergency center to be linked to the state emergency operations center. This was not done.
The federal government does not have the authority to intervene in a state emergency without the request of a governor. President Bush declared an emergency prior to Katrina hitting New Orleans, so the only action needed for federal assistance was for Gov. Blanco to request the specific type of assistance she needed. She failed to send a timely request for specific aid.
In addition, unlike the governors of New York, Oklahoma and California in past disasters, Gov. Blanco failed to take charge of the situation and ensure that the state emergency operation facility was in constant contact with Mayor Nagin and FEMA. It is likely that thousands of people died because of the failure of Gov. Blanco to implement the state plan, which mentions the possible need to evacuate up to one million people. The plan clearly gives the governor the authority for declaring an emergency, sending in state resources to the disaster area and requesting necessary federal assistance.
State legislators and governors nationwide need to update their contingency plans and the operation procedures for state emergency centers. Hurricane Katrina had been forecast for days, but that will not always be the case with a disaster (think of terrorist attacks). It must be made clear that the governor and locally elected officials are in charge of the "first response."
I am not attempting to excuse some of the delays in FEMA's response. Congress and the president need to take corrective action there, also. However, if citizens expect FEMA to be a first responder to terrorist attacks or other local emergencies (earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes), they will be disappointed. The federal government's role is to offer aid upon request.
The Louisiana Legislature should conduct an immediate investigation into the failures of state and local officials to implement the written emergency plans. The tragedy is not over, and real leadership in the state and local government are essential in the months to come. More importantly, the hurricane season is still upon us, and local and state officials must stay focused on the jobs for which they were elected--and not on the deadly game of passing the emergency buck.
Mr. Williams is president of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a free market public policy research organization in Olympia, Wash.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007219 |
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wwIIvetsdaughter
Captain
Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 513
Location: McAllen, Texas
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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In my opinon, the blame game if one wants to play it should go like this in order of culpability:
1) the able-bodied people themselves who (if they had a car) failed to evacuate. Please note how many cars in the effected areas are visible in the water
2) NOLA city officials including the mayor, council, etc. who knew full well the consequences of a Cat 4/5 Hurricane. Can you imagine how big a hero Nagin would be today if he had evacuated the entire city first and then the levee failed? The guy could of written his own ticket for the rest of his life!
3) State officials including the governor who controls the National Guard and failed to deployed them and contines even today to fight the Mayor on mandatory evac orders for NOLA |
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Anker-Klanker
Admiral
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Richardson, TX
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | In my opinon, the blame game if one wants to play it should go like this in order of culpability... |
Totally agree, as long as we confine the possible culprits to mere mortals.
Just watched CNN report the results of their own poll. It was a real interesting spin they tried to put on it. It's sure obvious why they phrased their headline as a question. |
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homesteader
PO3
Joined: 17 Sep 2004
Posts: 294
Location: wisconsin
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| A tragedy always has an element of irony, something that leaves the observer/reader/listener contemplating....."if only". That may be what is eating at the mayor now. As noted by vetsdaughter above, he has to be thinking, "if only: I had followed the plan". Even after he failed to evacuate, all it would have taken was supplying food rations, water and basic security at two locations for a mere 48 hrs and he would have been the hero and immediately the next rising star of the Democratic Party. Even after not doing that, had his first pleas to the American public not been whines and accusations, he may have avoided the common perception of being an '"emotional wreck" as Geraldo described him. |
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Navy wife
Research Director
Joined: 09 Aug 2004
Posts: 353
Location: Arlington, VA & Ft. Worth, TX
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 12:40 am Post subject: |
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After reading the Bob Williams editorial, I went to the home page for New Orleans and there it is--on the web site. Their Emergency plan for hurricanes http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26
It is enough to make one cry. |
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Anker-Klanker
Admiral
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Richardson, TX
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 1:29 am Post subject: |
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What I find unfathomable (among a list of things) is that the NOLA's own disaster preparedness plan lists the public schools as the designated shelters, i.e.,
| Quote: | The following schools have been inspected and approved as Hurricane Evacuation Shelters for the City of New Orleans: Laurel Elementary School
Walter S. Cohen High School
Medard Nelson Elementary School
Sarah T. Reed High School
Southern University Multi Purpose Center
Southern University New Science Building
O. Perry Walker High School
Albert Wicker Elementary School |
These were supposedly the points that food, water, generators, etc., were stored for such an emergency (were they?). Only in one place (that I could find) in the Plan was anything mentioned that might include the Superdome and Convention Center:
| Quote: | | ...Last Resort Refuges and Super Shelters are described in specific SOPs covering their applications... |
So why did Hizonor direct everyone AWAY from the primary shelters identified in the plan, and TO the Superdome and Convention Center, which according to the plan wouldn't have emergency supplies? It has been suggested to me that they didn't send people to schools because they were flooded. OK, then why were they in the plan? Didn't anyone consider this possibility when they were so designated?
Frankly, it just gets worse and worse. This was nothing but one big FUBAR from the get go.
That plan does make some interesting reading to refer your liberal friends to, but they won't read it. |
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Anker-Klanker
Admiral
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Richardson, TX
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 1:40 am Post subject: |
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This is also pretty revealing... From the Plan:
| Quote: | B. Future Plans
Future mitigation plans include:
1. Drainage network management.
2. Protection of wetlands and marshes.
3. Floodplain management.
4. Preservation of the levee system.
5. Providing hurricane shelter.
6. Restricting imprudent development.
7. Mitigation actions following natural disasters and post?disaster plan development. |
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