Reply #16: Here is the Knight-Rider's contribution to idea we had to wait for local [View All]

[papau]

approval to do anything:

News articles published on September 11 by the Knight Ridder news service and the Palm Beach Daily News reported as fact that Louisiana state officials, including Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, blocked the American Red Cross from bringing relief to survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

The Palm Beach Daily News reported: "The workers were told they would not be allowed to set up aid stations because the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security wanted people to leave the battered city, and officials feared that feeding and aid stations would discourage them from leaving."

In the Sept. 1 portion of a Katrina timeline (registration required) titled "Lessons from the Tragedy," Knight Ridder reported:

At times, state officials also seemed to stand in the way of relief measures. ... The Red Cross begged to be allowed to distribute aid at the convention center, but was apparently blocked by Louisiana officials. National director Marty Evans made a personal plea to Blanco, the governor. But state officials said to wait for better conditions.