Not all parishes declared emergency before Katrina!!!!!

[Holly_Hobby]

Why the HELL not?

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 27, 2005

Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Representing FEMA, Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Department of Homeland Security, named William Lokey as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA [phone].

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

[Birthmark]

1. That's a question the media should be asking.

The answer must come from FEMA. So far, they ain't talking. The Governor certainly asked for it. So why, FEMA didn't include those parishes is a complete mystery at this point. Do you have any ideas?

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. This is from the White House - They made the list

It appears they left off all the places that vote blue.

[jody]

3. None of the parishes specifically identified by Blanco in her letter

dated 28 Aug 05 as expecting major damage are listed.

Since the WH release is dated 27 Aug 05, it certainly is unusual that it did not list a single major damage parish.

[jody]

6. Governor Blanco in her letter dated 28 Aug 95 identified

Expecting significant damage, the following parishes:
East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, and West Feliciana as

Affected by evacuation, i.e. host parishes, the following:
Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Carroll, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, and Winn.

The bottom line is the WH press release of 27 Aug 05 said * ordered aid to the parishes that needed it the least and ignored the parishes that needed it the most.

Drowning in Louisiana and Clueless in the White House

[Horse with no Name]

4. This misinformation needs to stop.

It is going to hurt our credibility.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4695649&mesg_id=4695649

[Holly_Hobby]

5. I stopped caring what people think a long time ago

It's getting stinky under the big tent.

[liberalnurse]

8. You are boldly assertive these days.

I too prefer strong facts. I do not see that in your post.....Could the Whitehouse memo be deficient?

[jody]

7. What part of my reply #6 is misinformation? I quoted both the

White House press release of 27 Aug 05 and Blanco's request dated 28 Aug 05.

[donheld]

19. Upon closer look

I think it could be taken either way. The letter from the white house is vague, but may be taken to include all parishes. The ones "in the path of Hurricane Katrina" as well as those mentioned individually. I think it's a very poorly written letter. Bushie must have written this one himself.

[Horse with no Name]

20. I've explained this until I am blue in the face.

The paperwork is in perfect order.
But everyone is intent on having a conspiracy theory here so have at it.
I'll leave you all alone to it.

[donheld]

26. I always thought you looked better

with a blue face :evilgrin:


sorry some of us are kinda slow.

[demgrrrll]

27. I agree with you. The mods need to get in here and clean up the place.

There are too many of these debunked headlines floating around.

[libertypirate]

9. We don't need any more details other than neglected to do their job /nt

[Horse with no Name]

10. Exactly. The paperwork was all in order.

It was Bush that failed to act.

[jody]

11. But the WH press release of 27 Aug 05 ignored all the parishes that

were expecting major damage and most of the parishes expecting significant damage. The release said aid was being sent to the parishes expecting no damage or only significant damage.

Blanco's letter of 28 Aug 05 correctly identifies parishes.

The time line suggests the White House expected Blanco's letter and tried to preempt her by releasing an announcement the day before. Unfortunately, they messed up big time because Bush and company didn't know what was happening.

[Horse with no Name]

12. No it didn't.

If you read it carefully you will see the delineation.
It said "all counties in the path of the hurricane", that is pretty damn inclusive I would think.
The counties listed by name are the counties subject to be secondarily affected--either by tornadoes or floods. Even from being overrun by evacuees. IF these particular counties weren't named specifically...then under The Stafford Act Title V they could NOT request federal aid BECAUSE they didn't fit the definition of being in the "path of the hurricane".

[jody]

13. Sorry but the second paragraph of the press release said:

QUOTE
The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes . . . . . .
UNQUOTE
and then lists the parishes.

The first paragraph you quote is made operative in the second paragraph when specific parishes are identified. :shrug:

[Horse with no Name]

14. Yes

It allows them to do specifically for those counties what they do for the affected counties.

[Horse with no Name]

16. Breaking it down a little more

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population,

(This authorizes the federal government to act in the primarily affected counties)

AND

to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.

(This authorizes the federal government to act in the secondarily affected counties)

[jody]

17. I can't twist words to support that so we simply disagree. If what you

say were true, then it would not be necessary to list parishes in the second paragraph.

:hi:

[Horse with no Name]

18. We sure do.

:hi:
And yes it is because THOSE COUNTIES ARE NOT IN THE PATH OF THE HURRICANE.

[jody]

22. One last point that ties the first paragraph to the second.

The second paragraph expands on the first paragraph by saying specifically, "The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), . . . . in the parishes of . . . ."

That clearly says the first paragraph pertains to the parishes listed in the second.

If you want to argue that the White House press release was a mistake, I’ll accept that but then * never admits to making a mistake. He always tries to reinterpret his failures as successes.

[libertypirate]

28. The only thing we should be doing is dodging

the small boulders or catch and throw them back

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4706517

[rocktivity]

15. Pay attention to the dates!!!

8/27: Blanco requested aid for "the state of Louisiana (link)...for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing. The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area..."

8/27: Bush responds (link) by authorizing "...Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing...(T)o coordinate all disaster relief efforts...to save lives, protect property and public health and safety...in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn."

8/28: Gov. Blanco responded with a letter requesting aid for the Southern counties (link): "I am specifically requesting...assistance...for the following parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calecasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Orleans, Plaquermines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Marin, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tragipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermillion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana."

Sure, the FEMA letter vaugely mentions "parishes in the path of hurricane Katrina" just as Blanco's first letter generalizes that she needs aid for "all of Louisiana." But while Blanco proceeds to get specific, FEMA lists the parishes that SHOULDN'T get priority. WHY? These are the people who waited until the sunset was just right before they flew Bush in for his Mission Accomplished speech. Now I'm supposed to believe that somebody's arms got too tired, or doesn't know the difference between north and south?

Were they trying to snub Blanco because those parishes are predominately black and Democratic? Were they hoping that she'd gloss over the discrepancy, which would give them ammunition for public ridicule? We know that Bush asked Blanco to give him control of the LA National Guard. Were they trying to generate blackmail leverage for so that she'd HAVE to?

More

:crazy:
rocknation

[NYC]

21. Earlier thread, same subject.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4692732

This is actually the third thread I have seen. It may be worth reading all three to piece together what happened.

[WritersBlock]

23. This is NOT misinformation. Check MS & AL declarations.

Looks like the original declarations are still up, because they didn't need to be altered like Louisiana's.... because they got the right counties the first time.

The affected counties are in green in both cases, and they are coastal counties. It also says "counties in the path of the hurricane" in both of them. So, logically, the "counties in the path of the hurricane" for Louisiana would be the counties in green.

I strongly feel that the omission of the coastal counties in the Louisiana declaration accounted for the initial delay in the federal response there, and the confusion regarding volunteers who were turned away by FEMA.

Therefore this omission cost lives.

This is not misinformation.

http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=4787

http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=4806

[goodhue]

24. they were not omitted, they were dealt with seperately

this declaration related to secondarily affected areas

[rocktivity]

25. Why did FEMA deal with the secondarily affected areas FIRST?

THAT'S what I need an explanation for. And apparently Blanco did, too, or she wouldn't have felt the need to write the August 28th letter! With Katrina about 36 hours away, I'm sure she had plenty of OTHER things to do!

:headbang:
rocknation