Part II of II: Katrina - The Federal Response

[Brotherjohn]

So just what part of “We need everything you’ve got” didn’t Bush understand?

When it became clear in Baton Rouge that levees were breaching en masse, and thousands were at risk of imminent death by drowning, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco made this request of Bush at 8:00PM on the day Katrina hit. We’ve since heard and read that the conversation was “vague”, and that she made no specific requests (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9287434/print/1/displaymode/1098). This has often been used by defenders of the administration as one excuse as to why the federal response was slow in coming.

So you, as President of the United States, the most powerful person in the most powerful country in the world, are in a situation where one of your cities is drowning. Local authorities are asking for “everything you’ve got”. And since they’re not “specific enough”, you’re kinda, well… helpless.

Let’s think about that for a minute. Did he just hang up and go to sleep? Did he think, maybe, “Hmmmnn, what could she need?” Did he think to even ask her to be more specific? Or did he just hang up and think “Well, my hands are tied. Until they ask for something specific, I can’t do anything!”?

Did he turn on CNN to hear the reporter crying because they, along with the few rescue crews available, were leaving people screaming for help because they couldn’t come close to saving everyone? I should note that these rescue crews consisted primarily of a few Coast Guard helicopters based out of N.O., and LOCAL relief workers such as Wildlife & Fisheries, police, firefighters, and many volunteers (people who had mostly lost everything themselves).

People were drowning throughout that night. Think of what kind of “leader” would just “leave it at that”? Think of what kind of “leader” would go to sleep to arrive refreshed at a photo-op the next morning, ready to play a little guitar (“fiddling” while the city drowned). Think of what kind of “leader” would not pursue whatever help he might possibly be able to offer, instantly working to bring to bear the full capabilities of the federal government to provide rescue and relief?

But wait… federal troops can’t go in without a specific request from local authorities, can they? What could Bush have done?

Well, one thing he could have done is read the National Response Plan. Specifically, the parts about declaring an Incident of National Significance.
(http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0566.xml)

When DHS declares an Incident of National Significance, federal authorities have the legal right to call in whatever resources are needed, including troops. Declaring an Incident of National Significance allows the Catastrophic Incident Annex to be activated. This annex to the National Response Plan allows the federal government to move in WHATEVER RESOURCES IT FEELS ARE NECESSARY to deal with the disaster, with the explicitly stated understanding that local authorities may be overwhelmed and unable to do so. One thing is clear, Katrina quickly swamped local authorities’ ability to supply rescue and relief. The plan also explicitly states that this may be done WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES, understanding that local authorities may be incommunicado after such a disaster.

The previous year's "Hurricane Pam" exercise, as well as subsequently-released tapes, prove that FEMA and DHS were WELL aware that this storm could likely overwhelm state and local authorities' ability to respond.

Michael Chertoff waited until September 1, TWO FULL DAYS after the levees were already breeched and people were drowning en masse, to classify Katrina as an "incident of national significance". I myself knew people were drowning en masse the night of the storm, just from watching the news. The Republican-controlled House committee investigating the government’s response to Katrina concluded that Chertoff should have made this declaration FOUR DAYS EARLIER, when Katrina was bearing down on the city as a Category 5 monster.

When Bush was asked to provide “everything” he’s got by Blanco, the very LEAST he could have done was get on Chertoff’s case to provide “everything” he’s got. But I guess one would have to expect the president to be familiar with the National Response Plan, and with his duties as Commander in Chief, for that to have happened. The delay in this pronouncement alone, and the cavalry it would have brought in at least two days earlier, cost hundreds of lives.

Even without the National Response Plan (THEIR baby, THEIR plan to save the country from terrorist attacks and other disasters), there is ample precedent for the federal government to go in anywhere in the country in times of emergency, such as the Riot Act (which Rumsfeld was reportedly hesitant to invoke).

FEMA, DHS, and Bush were, quite simply, asleep at the wheel.

Or more properly, vacationing at the wheel.

The regarding the hold-up several days later, waiting for Blanco to approve federalization of troops… why was this a problem? If she didn’t want to hand over control of the Louisiana NG troops to the federal government, why withhold troop deployment based on that? It was an unprecedented request, and arguably unconstitutional (and at a time when we are at war, why in the world would Blanco hand over NG troops to the president?). In addition, they would not have been able to carry weapons if put under federal control, and security was one of the major problems in N.O. at the time. But the major fact that made this logjam, and the request by Bush, inexcusable, was this: It was completely unnecessary. There was no need to put all troops under federal control (other than politics and a power play). The heads of Louisiana National Guard and US military in the area EACH is on record as saying that it wouldn’t have improved their ability to respond.

Local authorities were clearly and quickly overwhelmed by Katrina, as they would have been in any city experiencing a disaster on this scale (think San Francisco 1906, think Pearl Harbor). Federal resources were clearly necessary. The slow federal response (troops and otherwise) wasn't due "chain of command" and constitutional issues. It was due to incompetence at the federal level (followed by partisan ass-covering).

Government has purpose. No matter what your political stripe, all could agree that, perhaps first and foremost, this purpose is to protect us. We DO pay taxes for a reason, and we DO enter into an agreement with our government to do certain things for us... such as go to war with someone who has attacked us, or provide massive relief efforts when a disaster CLEARLY is beyond the abilities of the most self-sufficient neighborhood, or city, or state, to respond to.

And in this most solemn of responsibilities, we expect them to perform with at least a minimum of competence.

The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT failed miserably in this respect with regards to Katrina.

(Read Part I at: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2004836)

[QuestionAll...]

1. i just caught a bit of the idiot squawking...

'we must rebuild the infrastructure, we must fix the sewer system.'...

lousy fecker.
always with the dimblub lighting up over his head a bit late - you had a YEAR to do that!. Thisis what you said last year and what the hell have you accomplished? lousy snake.