[phileysmiley]

Geeeeeeeeez, this is absolutely unbelievable. Again the fact that all this info was out there, the authorities should have made it a priority to get all the people who couldn't manage on their own out of this city.

Exactly, Mac. Very few disagree on the fact that this was bungled, even those within the President's own Party. The American people overwhelmingly feel that something needs to be done ASAP, since the same people who are in charge now will continue to guide the relief effort.

Some are saying, "let's forget this for now and point fingers later -- let's not play the blame game." But most feel that we do need to investigate this immediately so that we can make changes in the staffing of the relief and recovery effort ASAP.

To that end, the US Congress today ordered hearings into the matter to begin next week. They returned today from their summer recess and acted immediately. Both the US House and Senate will each hold hearings. No doubt there will be others.

[Mac33]

I heard that on the news Larry. I agree what you say, that the priority is to help all the poor people first, and make this first before anything else. To think they have not only lost their homes, but they have lost their familiar patch of the world they live in. They have lost a whole City, and are now living in strange places. How long will it take to sort this one out. To think of all the jobs and businesses that are lost for good, and the economy of the Gulf area must be non existent. George Bush and his cohorts really need to pull out all the stops in the worst natural disater to hit America since the San Fransico earthquake of 90 years ago. The government have always shown their willingness to sanction Billions of Dollars for any war effort. This is more important, and they really need to give this priority over everything else, or it will take years for the American public to ever believe or trust a politician again.

[b_a88]

I think I heard some where that the Pres is going to ask congress for $40 Billion dollars for this. I'll have to look to make sure but I am fairly sure that is what I heard.

[phileysmiley]

I think I heard some where that the Pres is going to ask congress for $40 Billion dollars for this. I'll have to look to make sure but I am fairly sure that is what I heard.

That is true. I believe that was done today. That is now approximately equal to what was appropriated after 911. Of course, a lot more will be needed. $100's of billions more.

This is more important, and they really need to give this priority over everything else, or it will take years for the American public to ever believe or trust a politician again.

So true, Mac. And what makes this one doubly bad is that for the first time in American history we not only have perhaps the worst natural disaster ever, but we may also have the worst disaster in terms of abandonment of the needs of a population since slavery.

[Mac33]

Quote: So true, Mac. And what makes this one doubly bad is that for the first time in American history we not only have perhaps the worst natural disaster ever, but we may also have the worst disaster in terms of abandonment of the needs of a population since slavery. Unquote:

This is the saddest part Larry. It's being said over here, that if it had been Washington or Boston, or another major Northern city, then help would have been imminent. The suspicion here, is because the population in the majority were poor and black, then it didn't get the priority it deserved. I know this is a very touchy subject, but any societies worth is shown by how they treat the poor and the sick amongst them.

[b_a88]

Quote: So true, Mac. And what makes this one doubly bad is that for the first time in American history we not only have perhaps the worst natural disaster ever, but we may also have the worst disaster in terms of abandonment of the needs of a population since slavery. Unquote:

This is the saddest part Larry. It's being said over here, that if it had been Washington or Boston, or another major Northern city, then help would have been imminent. The suspicion here, is because the population in the majority were poor and black, then it didn't get the priority it deserved. I know this is a very touchy subject, but any societies worth is shown by how they treat the poor and the sick amongst them.

The thing is I've been to Boston a few times and there are allot of poor black people there too, I've never seen so many black people as I have when ever I've gone to Boston. Thats not meant to be a racists remark but it's just the way it is being way up here on the Vermont, New Hampshire border you may see one of the like 5 black people once every 8 months and thats no joke except maybe the there being only 5 black people.

Also they said they had help waiting 30 miles outside NO and still they were not able to get enough help there in time. See I think this may be a combination of many things going wrong here.

One NO it's self didn't have a good enough plan evacuation for this sort of thing, they could have used their buses they had in the city to evacuate allot more people.

Two none of the military help was ready for some thing this big, the national guard included.

Three FEMA was not prepared for some thing this big and is not big enough to be able to handle a disaster on such a big scale, also FEMA only is able to deliver aid and services and did not have the personnel to deal with security problems which kept them from delivering aid in most cases.

Four the governor of Louisiana was hesitant and decided to wait for 24hr to accept military help while the city was filling with water and the security problem was getting out of hand.

There are even more things than that but I would be here all day explaining them all.

So most of the agencies were not prepared for this even though there is no excuse for them not being since it was extremely clear what could happen and what would happen eventually. I think there was a failure on all levels Local, State, and Federal.

Just about the only ones doing their jobs were the Coast Guard and other first responders that were saving people.

Also I have heard before that another nightmare disaster scenario would be if a Hurricane hit on the northeast coast at the place where New Jersey and New York come together and make an almost right angle.

[b_a88]

I'll have to speak up and say that many of you are way off the mark about why help wasn't sent in sooner than it was and that it was because it was a lot of poor black people there. This hurricane started out hitting Florida and then slowly moved into the Gulf where it doubled in forward speed. A warning was put out to NO and the local officials there had every opportunity to move many of these people out. I can't imagine why the 200 school flooded school buses left behind weren't used, that's a lot of people. Then I hear about the slow response. Where to you want the response to move to? This hurricane moved up through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, destroying everything in it's path. There were virtually no major highways open coming into the area and much of the emergency equipment that was shifted toward Florida, had to be reshifted back to the West. Now, we're still seeing people refusing to leave, many of the same ones that refused to leave when the warning was issued.
The people that should be complaining are the people of Mississippi. They have no homes to come back to, as opposed to NO, where there was very little wind damage.
I just get sick of everyone whining about how this was because of the majority of blacks in NO and it's not about that at all. I suggest looking at a map and comparing NO to Boston or other major cities, and then you'll see how NO is almost isolated geographically anyway.
Bob off the soapbox,
Bob Out

Oh I am so glad you said that, I agree with you completely and wish I had found the words to have said it myself.

There was only one major way into NO left after the storm and flooding.

Thank You for saying that.

[Mac33]

Bob i was aware of all the problems on the ground, and how it was physically impossible, with a breakdown in communications because of a lack of power, transport, mobility etc. I only stated what was said in the press in the UK, and i particularly didn't agree with it, considering the logistics of the problem. In such a massive disaster such as this, everyone for the first time were experiencing the actual scale and parameters of the problems which were beyond anything experienced before. At this early stage, it is easy to point a finger of blame, but i am too long in the tooth to listen to knee jerk reactions from the British Press, and held my own council regarding all of this. It will be interesting to see the outcome of the enquiries that President Bush has ordered, and then possibly we might get nearer to the truth.

[phileysmiley]

I have read all your comments and you all probably know that I generally accept all opinions as valid and only jump in to correct inaccuracies. I am a stickler for facts.

There are 2 inaccuracies that jumped out at me.

1) Those of you who compared the Black population in NO to other cities. Please please please do some research. No other large city in America had such a large poor population, Black or White.

The average Black population is 17% in America. In some large Northeastern cities like Boston and Philadelphia, it may go as high as 30 or 40%.

New Orleans had 2/3 of its residents living below the poverty level. Regardless of whether they were Black or White. 2 of 3 in poverty. That is ridiculously beyond comparison with Boston and most large cities. The fact they were Black is almost secondary, but it happens to be true.

A population that is 2/3 Black and in poverty -- you just won't find that, certainly not in any disaster that has ever occurred.

2) Did you see the 3 college students from Duke University on TV? They drove to NO, drove straight through the city to the Convention Center, gave food and water to those they could, and drove some to Baton Rouge.

This was 4 days before the help arrived. The Convention Center was inaccessible? Absolutely not true. I saw the pictures. They were there, and there was nobody from the government there.

Buses could have taken those people away, food and water could have been delivered, and lives could have been saved. It was not inaccessible.

I basically agree with everything else you all said about who is to blame.

I just wanted to correct those 2 inaccuracies.

Oh, one more thing. The Bush administration did cut the funding for the shoring up of the levees 3 years in a row. They also appointed a FEMA director whose previous experience was running the Arabian Horse Association. Remember Harry Truman? "The Buck Stops Here?" To say the President had nothing to do with this is offensive and insulting.

[phileysmiley]

Then put me down as offensive and insulting and leave we'll leave it at that. This turned into pretty much what I expected it to and it has nothing to do with Geography and Weather. As I'm seeing way too much misinformation here, I'd better stop watching it or my blood pressure will be on the rise.

That wasn't directed at you. At least I didn't notice you saying Bush had nothing to do with it. I was saying that in general and in response to a couple of other posts.

Jeez, even Bush himself has already accepted some of the blame.