did Bush make the governor's of Alabama and Mississippi turn over

[Hamlette]

authority as he demanded of Blanco?

It's sounding like the last talking point the right has right now: Blanco turned down Bush's offer of troops. What happened in the other two states?

[MissMarple]

1. Sweetheart, was that a rhetorical question?

:)

[Tennessee Gal]

2. That is an extremely relevant question!

I have used it on another forum and am waiting for a response. Here is what I wrote:

Relinquishing authority is not required by the law, but that is the power play that Bush attempted. And while he attempted that power play people were suffering and dying. Help in an efficient and timely manner in the form of evacuation, food, water, etc. is required by the law from the federal government once it is obvious that local and state first response efforts have accomplished all they can.

If you can find any law that requires a governor to relinquish anything in order for FEMA to come in with help in a timely manner, please post it.

I have yet to read a thing which says that Haley Barbour relinquished any authority, nor where Bush asked him to. Yet, Mississippi is receiving federal help.

I have yet to read a thing which says that Jeb Bush relinquished any authority when Florida was hit by three hurricanes last year, nor where Bush asked him to. Yet, Florida received federal help.

Common sense. Try to use it. When Michael Brown is pulled from heading the FEMA effort, it should tell you that FEMA failed.

I will be waiting for you to post a law stating that a governor must relinquish authority in order for the federal government to bring in help for people.

[neuvocat]

That's just another myth.

Take a look at this:

"FEMA coordinates the work of federal, state, and local agencies in responding to floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. FEMA provides financial assistance to individuals and governments to rebuild homes, businesses, and public facilities; trains firefighters and emergency medical professionals; and funds emergency planning throughout the United States and its territories."

Notice that there is absolutely nothing to back up the GOP's rhetoric that FEMA is in any way, shape or form, some kind of auxilliary organization that helps local systems.

Here's a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fema

You can also look up info here:

http://www.fema.gov

but you will find absolutely nothing that corroborates any of the GOP rhetoric there either.

[Alamom]

3. I don't know about Mississippi, but Alabama's Bob Riley

has always been a Republican suck up.

When he announced earlier in the week that everything in Alabama had been taken care of immediately by FEMA, HE LIED !
as he has always done for the GOP.

[Garbo 2004]

11. Barbour of Miss was chairman of the RNC. A bit of info on him from the

WaPo:

While it is mostly the Democratic National Committee that has come under attack for accepting foreign donations, the party's defenders argue that Barbour solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars from Hong Kong businessman Ambrous Tung Young to subsidize the National Policy Forum, a GOP think tank founded by Barbour and subsidized by the RNC.

That money was used as collateral for a $2.1 million commercial bank loan to the NPF. The same day it received the loan, the NPF gave $1.6 million of it to the RNC, which then provided a comparable amount to state Republican parties and other GOP organizations in 15 states during the crucial closing weeks of the 1994 election.

At the time, the NPF, which is now defunct, was seeking tax-exempt status as a nonpartisan policy organization. As a tax-exempt nonprofit, the NPF could have legally accepted foreign contributions. But the Internal Revenue Service eventually rejected the tax exemption application, ruling that the NPF was "a partisan, issues-oriented organization."

Barbour dismissed the notion that the NPF was a funnel for the RNC as "goofy." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/players/barbour.htm

[Behind the Aegis]

4. When did they declare states of emergency?

We saw the lies spun about that involving the LA governor. So when did these buttwipes declare their states "under emergency?"

[Alamom]

7. AL- 8/29...MS-8/27

Alabama
Riley declares state of emergency due to Katrina threat
Aug 29, 2005, 05:10 PM

Gov. Bob Riley has declared an official state of emergency in Alabama due to the threat posed by Category Five Hurricane Katrina.

The declaration gives Riley power to order emergency measures. Also, Riley asked President Bush to issue an "expedited major disaster declaration" for six counties in the southwestern part of Alabama as Hurricane Katrina continued its approach.



http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3775571&nav=0RdEdqPA



Mississippi
Barbour declares state of emergency
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS - Aug 27, 2005

Gov. Haley Barbour this afternoon declared a state of emergency as projections for Hurricane Katrina have placed the Mississippi Gulf in greater peril. ...

(No page... old news?)

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050827/NEWS01/50827005


edit:bold print ?

[Behind the Aegis]

8. Hey, thanks!!!

So Alabama didn't declare a SOE until after the storm hit. And, MS a day after LA declared a SOE. Very interesting. Or is my timeline wrong? I really appreciate the info!

[Alamom]

10. From Local News Reports, LA & MS declared SOE

before the storm hit land.
AL , the day of the storm Mon. 8/29


Blanco called SOE on Friday 8/26

Bush declared SOE Sat. 8/27 (for all 3 states I believe)

The Storm hit Mon 8/29 and flooding began Tues. 8/30 in NOLA


Blanco declares state of emergency
KPLC-TV, LA - Aug 26, 2005
Governor Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency this evening as a strengthening Hurricane Katrina moves further to the west. ...

(page updated to 8/28)

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=blanco+declares+state+of+emergency&btnG=Search+News



BATON ROUGE, LA
President Declares 'State Of Emergency' In Louisiana


Washington has now stepped in to help Louisiana weather the storm in the coming days.
Earlier Saturday, President Bush declared a State of Emergency for Louisiana. That means federal agencies are now ready to help prepare for the storm.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco declared a State of Emergency on Friday to mobilize National Guard units in the state.








The Guard's timeline:

n Friday, Aug. 26: Gov. Kathleen Blanco declares a state of emergency. The Louisiana National Guard leadership is put on alert.

n Saturday, Aug. 27: The Louisiana National Guard mobilizes 2,000 soldiers and airmen. Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin urge residents to leave. Officials implement contraflow, using all four lanes of Interstate 10 over the Bonnet Carre Spillway for westbound traffic. The Guard sends troops to help State Police with the evacuation.

n Sunday, Aug. 28: The number of activated National Guards soldiers grows to 4,000. Security and medical forces deploy to the Superdome.

n Monday, Aug. 29: Katrina makes landfall early in the morning. The storm swamps Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes and brings hurricane-force winds as far north as Washington Parish. At the Superdome, National Guard are instructed to search evacuees for weapons. There are now 5,700 National Guard members on duty.


( I lost links on last 2 ...(^%$*#$)...these are local news reports and this is right on the timeline of the storm.)

[Garbo 2004]

5. She begged for troops. What she refused was Bushco's insistence on

federalizing state resources.

There were no reports that federalization was demanded of or ceded by the other states that I'm aware of. Federal aid was slow all around although not as obvious and not as reported as in NOLA. Scarborough was complaining of it when he was in Missisippi. Even the NG was slow in appearing, as I recall Scarborough reported. But of course Barbour was happy as a clam with his bud Bush.

[rfkrfk]

12. why beg for troops?, she really needs MORE National Guard

from other states, ask them, not chimpy

[Garbo 2004]

13. Seems there were problems with that, not entirely clear why.

From an AP article:

Several states ready and willing to send National Guard troops to the rescue in New Orleans didn't get the go-ahead until days after the storm struck — a delay nearly certain to be investigated by Congress.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state's National Guard last Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn't come from Washington until late Thursday...

...Bush had the legal authority to order the National Guard to the disaster area himself, as he did after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks...
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard

[July]

17. Paperwork . . . didn't come from Washington . . . SOP. nt

[rfkrfk]

19. the 'go-ahead' would be ordered by the 'donor state' governor

I understand that the Fema nitwits might help with the
paperwork, but there are times when you have to act,
and let the paperwork 'catch up'.

{I have no idea what happened, this is a guess}

Blanco to Richardson: I need more NG.
R: you got it, who pays the tab?
B: Fema pays
R: great, I'll watch my fax machine for the paperwork

instead of ... Blanco paying, and getting fed money later

[oasis]

6. No. I heard it on PBS "Washington Week". Haley Barbour was not

required to sign before he got help.

[DELUSIONAL]

9. is there a word for being prejudiced of someone because they

are a Democrat?

In this case the Governor was female -- and we know bushie is a sexist pig plus she was a Democratic Governor and bushie loves to punish democratic governors. He did it to Governor Locke after Seattle's big earthquake early in bushie's reign. So his singling out of a female democratic Governor is typical of this bastard.

[Voice1]

14. Comparison of state of emergency & federal assistance

Hello there, i've only joined the site today, and have to say that at first glance, the site looks really good for progressive news and views. In relation to the various requests for help, and federal responses, I thought you might like to see a piece I put together elsewhere, which i'll copy and paste here for you:

From http://logicvoice.blogspot.com/2005/09/comparison-when-did-state-governors.html

The rabid right have been spinning like mad to try and divert criticism of the scandalous Katrina disaster relief efforts to the local and state levels. So, in light of that, I decided to do a little bit of research, as to when the governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi declared a state of emergency in their areas.

Republican governor of Alabama, Bob Riley declared a state of emergency in his state on the 28th August, and requested federal assistance, as per this press release on the official website of the governor

This press release, from the White House website acknowledges the request, on the 28th August. Note the White House in this press release acknowledges the areas which would be worst affected.

Democratic governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency in her state on the 26th August. She requested federal assistance on the 27th August. Blanco specifically stated in her request that the disaster would likely be one which would overwhelm local resources, and would require federal assistance:


I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal.


As we have posted about previously here, warnings were specifically issued that the south east of Louisiana would be hardest hit, however, in this White House press release, dated the 27th August, all counties except those in the south east of Louisiana were acknowledged.

Mississippi's Republican governor, Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency in her state on the 26th August. I couldn't find a request on the governor's site there for federal assistance.

Despite the fact that the governor's website doesn't seem to mention a request for federal assistance, this press release from the White House website, dated the 28th August directs FEMA to act.

[greekspeak]

15. Welcome to DU

Good post 1. Keep it up!

[Voice1]

16. Thanks for the welcome

Think i'll be visiting here often :)

[July]

18. Did he do this to Jeb last year during FLA's 4 hurricanes? nt