If Louisiana Was Florida

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If Louisiana Was Florida

Between August and September of 2004, four hurricanes -- Jeanne, Charley, Frances, and Ivan -- belted the Florida coast. At the time, President Bush was engaged in a close campaign, with Florida shaping up to be a key battleground state that would swing the election. The Bush administration's response to the four hurricanes was quick and generous; it requested over $12 billion in emergency aid for the state (the outpouring of aid was so generous that the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security later found millions of dollars in unjustified disbursements, including $8 million given out to people for temporary housing even though they hadn't asked for it). By comparison, prior to yesterday's supplemental request for additional hurricane relief due to Katrina, Bush initially asked for $10.5 billion for the most damaging hurricane in history, four days after Katrina made landfall. Across the board, the comparisons between the administration's actions in the aftermath of the 2004 Florida hurricanes and the recent Katrina catastrophe indicate an uneven response.

BUSH ADMINISTRATION RESPONDED WITH FINANCIAL AID QUICKLY AFTER FLORIDA HURRICANES: Almost immediately after the four Florida hurricanes made landfall, the Bush administration was quick to call on Congress to provide massive resources to the state. The total amount of aid, the New York Times noted, was "more than three times as much as the administration channeling into an urgent effort to provide more security and create more public works jobs in Iraq before the elections scheduled for January there." White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan tried to tamp down allegations that political motivations may have been at play in the quick disbursement of financial aid by citing the enormity of the disaster. "Florida is the first state in 120 years to be hit by four hurricanes," McClellan said. "The people of Florida have been hit hard by these hurricanes, and it's important that the federal government do everything it can to assist and recover in those efforts." Four days after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, the White House, according to McClellan, was still "making an assessment of what additional funding may be needed," and he could not even offer a ballpark estimate for its initial request.

ADMINISTRATION PREPARED FOR DISASTER IN FLORIDA: While the administration demonstrated through Katrina how not to prepare for a hurricane, Florida offered the opposite lesson. The St. Petersburg Times noted in August 2004 that Bush approved federal assistance for Hurricane Charley "about an hour after the hurricane made landfall." Rescue teams and National Guard troops were on the move to the hardest-hit counties; 11 truckloads of water and 14 truckloads of ice were immediately available. Federal and state officials applauded their increased coordination in responding. One former Florida director of emergency services remarked, "It amazed me how they got over 4,000 National Guard troops in there that quick." As Hurricane Frances followed, FEMA sent out a press release noting that it had pre-positioned disaster response personnel, equipment and supplies "to help those who are displaced or suffer losses." And FEMA made the same preparations for Hurricane Ivan after that. The response to Katrina, however, has left the American public, the media, and members of Congress questioning why those same actions weren't taken in the Gulf Coast as quickly as they should have been.

BUSH ADMINISTRATION PATTED ITSELF ON THE BACK FOR A JOB WELL DONE IN FLORIDA: The White House sought to take credit for the federal response to the Florida hurricanes. McClellan said at the time, "he President has a responsibility to make sure that the federal government is assisting in every way possible. And that's what he's here to do." Bush made five storm-related visits to the state. The White House put out a fact sheet extolling presidential action in response to the Florida hurricanes. In response to Katrina, White House officials have tried to shift blame to state and local officials. Now-embattled FEMA Director Mike Brown gave a commencement address at the Florida Institute of Technology in December, in which he dedicated a large opening section to applauding the work of FEMA in meeting the needs of Floridians. By contrast, Brown "waited a mind-boggling five hours" after Katrina hit to contact Secretary Chertoff, despite identifying the storm as a "near-catastrophic event."

POLITICS PLAYED A PART IN FLORIDA RESPONSE: The Chicago Tribune noted yesterday that top-level FEMA officials have "little or no experience in disaster management," but they do have "strong political connections" to Bush. That experience seemed to help Florida out in 2004, and it may explain why Louisiana was not treated similarly over the past few weeks. The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel revealed official records in March that suggested Bush's re-election concerns played a part in FEMA aid. FEMA consultant Glenn Garcelon wrote a three-page memo on Hurricane Frances, against the backdrop of the president's reelection, that said the administration should "develop a communication strategy" to minimize any political liability Bush would face."Two weeks later, a Florida official summarizing the hurricane response wrote that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was handing out housing assistance 'to everyone who needs it without asking for much information of any kind.'"