I do believe in backing up my educated accusations with facts. So here goes. Fox News has stated before that they are aware that they do favor the President and lean that way in their news coverage. People that watch Fox News tend to mostly be supporters of the President, and they put the spin on the news that their audience demands.
The author, Lee Ellis, is a noted right wing shill.
http://www.chronwatch.com/site_search.asp?auth=203It isn't a far stretch to imagine him defending the President.
However, his "facts" don't match the official documents.
Notwithstanding, Bush did admit federal responsibility failure today.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9324891/One of the facts is, that appointing unqualified people in jobs of great importance did cost lives. Croneyism--whether it is Democrat or Republican--needs to stop. There needs to be a non-partisan committee appointed to oversee such political appointees, regardless of which party is in the White House.
The safety of American lives are at stake. We need to make these positions available to qualified people, not use them for political favors and rewards.
However, so far, Mike Brown did resign.
Let me start one by one with the facts and sourcing them with official documents.
1. On August 26, Governor Blanco declared a state of emergency in Louisiana.
http://www.gov.state.la.us/2005%20%20proclamations/48pro2005-Emergency-HurricaneKatrina.pdfPlease notice Section 2 where it states:
"The State of Louisiana's emergency response and recovery program is activated under the command of the director of the state office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to prepare for and provide emergency support services and/or to minimize the effects of the storm's damage."
On August 27, she forwarded a letter to the President requesting federal assistance for the State of Louisiana.
http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976" Pursuant to 44 CFR § 206.35, 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 "
On the same day, August 27, President Bush declared Louisiana a federal disaster area.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html 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.
So in this document, FEMA takes control of ALL disaster relief in Louisiana.
All disasters come under the Stafford Act, Title V
http://www.ohioema.org/robertt.htm (easiest copy to read--however, it is federal)
Sec. 302. (a) Immediately upon his declaration of a major disaster or emergency, the President shall appoint a Federal coordinating officer to operate in the affected area.(disaster declared on the 27th, President took responsibility).
(b) In order to effectuate the purposes of this Act, the Federal coordinating officer, within the affected area, shall
(1) make an initial appraisal of the types of relief most urgently needed;
(2) establish such field offices as he deems necessary and as are authorized by the President;
(3) COORDINATE the administration of relief, including activities of the State and local government, the American National Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Mennonite Disaster Service, and other relief or disaster assistance organizations, which agree to operate under his advice or direction, except that nothing contained in this Act shall limit or in any way affect the responsibilities of the American National Red Cross under the Act of January 5, 1905, as amended (33 Stat. 599); and
(4) take such other action, consistent with authority delegated to him by the President, and consistent with the provisions of this Act, as he may deem necessary to assist local citizens and public officials in promptly obtaining assistance to which they are entitled.
(c) When the President determines assistance under this Act is necessary, he shall request that the Governor of the affected State designate a State coordinating officer for the purposes of coordinating State and local disaster assistance efforts with those of the Federal Government. Governor Blanco did this in her initial letter on the 26th--per the Louisiana disaster plan.
Governor Blanco did follow up with a specific request of assistance on the 28th.
http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdfIn this letter, she states
"I have determined that this incident will be of such severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments and that supplementary Federal assistance will be necessary".
It then goes to list what she needs from the Federal government and what Louisiana will be able to provide.
It is also noteworthy to understand that EVERY state's disaster plan HAS to be filed with FEMA and approved in order to receive Federal assistance.
The City of New Orleans Emergency Preparedness Plan.
http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26The State of Louisiana's Disaster Plan
www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/plans
You will find that these are all in order and that the State and Local governments fulfilled their mandatory obligations.
He also goes into Posse Comitatus. This applies to Federal troops on American soil. National Guard belong to the state.
If they weren't fighting in Iraq, the state would have had their manpower,high water vehicles and generators needed to better handle the emergency.
On August 1, Gov. Blanco did request their men and equipment to be returned from Iraq. President Bush declined.
Perhaps even more significant has been the absence of equipment critical for emergency responses. WGNO-TV, the ABC affiliate in New Orleans, reported on August 1 that, "Dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers and generators are now abroad," warning that "in the event of a major natural disaster, that could be a problem." They interviewed Lieutenant Colonel Pete Schneider of the Louisiana National Guard, who observed that "The National Guard needs that equipment back home."
As a result of the absence of these high-water vehicles and other equipment that could have been used in the aftermath of the flooding, it appears that many hundreds of people died while waiting to be rescued. Even Thomas Donnelly of the neo-conservative American Enterprise Institute observed that, "This is what happens when you take Guardsmen and put them on the conveyor belt into Iraq."
2. The mayor did not use a loudspeaker from what I understand, but did go on TV and tell the people of the city there was to be a mandatory evacuation. Not only that, they used buses and had pickup points which were well advertised and was part of the FEMA approved disaster plan as noted above.
3. Levees were a huge concern. Levees broke the next day and previous to the hurricane hitting, it was warned by the local officials they would more than likely be breeched.
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_neworleans.html4. The Louisiana legislators have been begging for the money to reinforce the levees...but the Army Corps of Engineers funding was cut. Money was diverted from FEMA for natural disasters so that it could be rolled into the War in Iraq. Again, if the National Guard was in the state where they belong and where they were requested, national troops would not have been an issue.
This entire SNAFU lies at the foot of the President.
I'm sorry. I've supported my views with official documentation, not simply an OP-Ed from a known Right Wing sympathizer.
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