Who voted this IDIOT into office???
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Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana
Office of the Press Secretary
August 27, 2005
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.
Brown’s ticket to FEMA was Joe Allbaugh, President Bush’s 2000 campaign manager and an old friend of Brown’s in Oklahoma. When Bush ran for president in 2000, Brown was ending a rocky tenure at the horse association.
Brown told several association officials that if Bush were elected, he’d be in line for a good job. When Allbaugh, who managed Bush’s campaign, took over FEMA in 2001, he took Brown with him as general counsel.
“He’s known Joe Allbaugh for quite some time,” said Andrew Lester, an Oklahoma lawyer who’s been a friend of Brown’s for more than 20 years. “I think they know each other from school days. I think they did some debate type of things against each other, and worked on some Republican politics together.”
And some morsels about the horse years …
From 1991 until 2000, Brown earned about $100,000 a year as the chief rules enforcer of the Arabian horse association.
He was known as “The Czar” for the breadth of his power and the enthusiasm with which he wielded it, said Mary Anne Grimmell, a former association president.
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Brown’s old friend Lester said the progression from horse shows to hurricanes was natural.
“A lot of what he had to do was stand in the breach in difficult, controversial situations,” Lester said. “Which I think would well prepare him for his work at FEMA.”
Brown’s a Republican from the southwest. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress when he was thirty-three. Then he bounced from job to job, finally getting into the sports business in mid-life, before getting canned. And then he used connections to land himself a high-powered position in the federal government for which he had no apparent experience at all.
How could such a fellow possibly be in the Bush administration?
and who appointed this guy (Michael Brown)?
His resume:
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=100857&format=text
*"Before joining the Bush administration in 2001, Brown spent 11 years as the commissioner of judges and stewards for the International Arabian Horse Association, a breeders’ and horse-show organization based in Colorado. *
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``We do disciplinary actions, certification of (show trial) judges. We hold classes to train people to become judges and stewards. And we keep records,'' explained a spokeswoman for the IAHA commissioner's office. ``This was his full-time job . . . for 11 years,'' she added. * -
Brown was forced out of the position after a spate of lawsuits over alleged supervision failures. "*
Strange how his official bio doesn’t mention his longest term of employment
One of these officials was appointed to his office by one person.
The other was voted into his office by thousands of people.
Just a thought…
Voted in by all the people looking for a hand out.
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Nagin in large part is responsible for his city’s lack of response in this matter.
His police force fled and looted.
Paramedics and fire departments absent.
No planning on the local level whatsoever. He then has the gaul to speak like a hoodlum on national television shifting blame for his lack of preparedness or action.
" In that meeting, the Governor claimed she needed 24 hours to decide to proceed on the request to bring in more National Guards etc."
Looks like a lot of this blame should be placed on the Governor. She is the only one who can call up the Guard in her state.
And why did Nagin wait so long to order the mandatory evac? He didn’t even give his city 24 hours to evacuate. The evacuation notices should have started on Saturday morning as Katrina was building power in the gulf. Instead they waited until Sunday to order it. 24 hours could’ve given him time to load up all those school buses that were sitting around and get people the hell out of the city.
The levees broke on what Tuesday morning/Monday night and substantial federal relief was there on Friday?
Knock him all you want and you will because unless he is a flag waving Republican you will continue to criticize, but for my money, Bush and the Governor could learn from this guy.
Sorry but Nagin is looking out only for himself. His leadership was and is a joke.
Don't blame only feds
Crime rate, inept pols leveled New Orleans before the storm
Let's take a break from the joy of Bush bashing to reveal the dirty little secret of New Orleans: Its local government deserves an F for its planning and response to Katrina. And one other thing: The New Orleans police force would be a joke if it weren't a disgrace.
Yes, I know it’s impolitic to say such things while the suffering in the Big Easy is fresh and many cops risked their lives to save others. But now is the time to blow the whistle on the story line being repeated by rote across America: That the federal government ignored New Orleans because most of its residents are black and poor.
That narrative has all the accuracy of a historic novel: it takes two undisputed facts - the feds were slow and New Orleans is largely black and poor - and weaves in pure fiction to make the desired link.
The charge of racism-inspired foot-dragging isn’t just nonsense. It’s pernicious nonsense, as in destructive and malicious. You know that’s a fact because loony Howard Dean, the Democratic Party boss, is now peddling it. He’s joined by Jesse Jackson, who said the squalor in New Orleans “looks like the hull of a slave ship.” Oh, please.
If even a smidgen of the racism charges are true, President Bush should be shot. But before we give him his blindfold, let’s look at New Orleans before Katrina.
Start with crime. That looters ran unchecked after the hurricane isn’t surprising when you consider that criminals have had the run of the city for years.
It is a perennial contender for Murder Capital. The 264 homicides last year were a drop of only 11 from 2003 - and the first decline in five years.
New Orleans, with fewer than 500,000 people, had almost half the murders of New York, which had 570 homicides last year in a city of more than 8 million. Put another way, if New York had New Orleans’ murder rate, we would have more than 4,200 murders a year.
That the New Orleans police are hardly the Finest was proven by a shocking report yesterday: Nearly a third of New Orleans cops - some 500 of the 1,600 - are now unaccounted for. The department says some quit, but it doesn’t know where most of them are.
The top cop, Eddie Compass, has responded by offering all officers paid vacations to Las Vegas and Atlanta. Yes, that’s right - he is pulling all cops off the street, even while bodies lie in the open. Never in New York.
Then there’s Mayor Ray Nagin, a Democrat, who has blamed everybody but himself. Maybe he has forgotten his plans for dealing with Katrina.
Last July, his office prepared DVDs warning that, if the city ever had to be evacuated, residents were on their own. According toa July 24 article in The Times-Picayune (spotted by the Web’s Drudge Report), “Mayor Ray Nagin, local Red Cross Executive Director Kay Wilkins and City Council President Oliver Thomas drive home the word that the city does not have the resources to move out of harm’s way an estimated 134,000 people without transportation.”
“You’re responsible for your safety, and you should be responsible for the person next to you,” one official said of the message.
And how’s this for preparation? Cops were told not to work on the day Katrina hit, one officer told The New York Times, but “to come in the next day, to save money on their budget.”
By all means, let’s investigate what went wrong in New Orleans. Let’s start in City Hall.
How did this guy get elected??? Looks like a dope smoker…
Nagin makes Mayor Mariam Barry look like Einstein!!!
What are you, in 2nd grade? Go play with Brian286 in the sandbox.
Knock him all you want and you will because unless he is a flag waving Republican you will continue to criticize, but for my money, Bush and the Governor could learn from this guy.
You know what’s funny? Nagin is a pretty solid Bush supporter. In 2000, he made a decent sized donation to the Bush campaign and nothing to Gore. Not sure if he did same in '04…
What does that have to do with his demonstrated incompetence in this matter?
He bumbled the entire effort pre and post Katrina. He’s responsible for the City of New Orleans…
Again, please explaing to me how he could have ensured/forced the NO first responders to stay? Tazers? Whips?
Just like the feds were responsible for the levees…
If you read the existing evac plan you’ll see that he did not follow it at all.
Outside of that though, if your going to tell you people to go to certain locations like the Super”doom” and the convention center for their own safety don’t you think it is your responsibility as the mayor of the town to help insure that safety? Keeping in mind that it was pretty clear by mid day saturday that the storm would hit NO by Monday AM he had almost day to prepare answer the following questions.
Why weren’t security/police at the various sites in force?
Why weren’t medical staff at the various sites in force?
Why wasn’t a multi-day supply of water brought in?
Why wasn’t a multi-day supply of food?
Why were there no porta johns brought in to handle the sewage?
Why was there no portable power generation brought in for basic lighting.
And most importantly-
Why did he wait until less than 24 hours before the storm to order the mandatory Evac
and What wasn’t the mandatory evac actually mandatory?
The top cop, Eddie Compass, has responded by offering all officers paid vacations to Las Vegas and Atlanta. Yes, that’s right - he is pulling all cops off the street, even while bodies lie in the open. Never in New York.
I don’t know where you got this article from, but this bit is pretty unfair. There is no comparison to be made with New York (I assume referring to 9/11). The NO Police officers, at least those who stuck around, have been through hell the last week or so. No showers, little food or water or rest, police stations gone, horrific working conditions, family/house all messed up. These people need a break. It’s not like they’re taking a group road trip this week or something.
All I can go by is the SOP issued by the city of new orleans. It spells out the whos, whats, whens, wheres and whys of disaster planning and procedures for natural disaster. Let me point out some specifics.
This is the plan promised by the city. Not by the President of the USA. Not by FEMA. Not by anyone except those who live and run the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana.
Read it carefully. Note in the last paragraph “Future Plans” These are plans that should have been ironed out long ago. There has been doomsday scenarios for New Orleans around for a long time. The mayor and governor knew that NO was a ticking bomb. Their lack of follow through in their SOP is the reason this disaster turned so horrible so fast.
From: http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26
“The City of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When specific routes of progress are required, evacuees will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed.”
B. Issuance of Evacuation Orders
The person responsible for recognition of hurricane related preparation needs and for the issuance of an evacuation order is the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. Concerning preparation needs and the issuance of an evacuation order, The Office of Emergency Preparedness should keep the Mayor advised.
IV: HURRICANE EVACUATION PROCEDURES
It must be understood that this Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan is an all-hazard response plan, and is applicable to events of all sizes, affecting even the smallest segments of the community. Evacuation procedures for small scale and localized evacuations are conducted per the SOPs of the New Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police Department. However, due to the sheer size and number of persons to be evacuated, should a major tropical weather system or other catastrophic event threaten or impact the area, specifically directed long range planning and coordination of resources and responsibilities efforts must be undertaken.
V. TASKS
A. Mayor
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Initiate the evacuation.
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Retain overall control of all evacuation procedures via EOC operations.
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Authorize return to evacuated areas.
B. Office of Emergency Preparedness
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Activate EOC and notify all support agencies to this plan.
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Coordinate with State OEP on elements of evacuation.
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Assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas.
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Assist ESF-8, Health and Medical, in the evacuation of persons with special needs, nursing home, and hospital patients in accordance with established procedures.
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Coordinate the release of all public information through ESF-14, Public Information.
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Use EAS, television, cable and other public broadcast means as needed and in accordance with established procedure.
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Request additional law enforcement/traffic control (State Police, La. National Guard) from State OEP.
C. New Orleans Police Department
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Ensure orderly traffic flow.
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Assist in removing disabled vehicles from roadways as needed.
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Direct the management of transportation of seriously injured persons to hospitals as needed.
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Direct evacuees to proper shelters and/or staging areas once they have departed the threatened area.
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Release all public information through the ESF-14, Public Information.
D. Regional Transit Authority
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Supply transportation as needed in accordance with the current Standard Operating Procedures.
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Place special vehicles on alert to be utilized if needed.
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Position supervisors and dispatch evacuation buses.
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If warranted by scope of evacuation, implement additional service.
E. Louisiana National Guard
- Provide assistance as needed in accordance with current State guidelines.
F. Animal Care and Control
- Coordinate animal rescue operations with the New Orleans SPCA.
G. Public Works
- Make emergency road repairs as needed.
H. Office of Communications
- Release all public information relating to the evacuation.
PART 3: SHELTERING
(See ESF-6, Mass Care)
Emergency shelter operations are the responsibility of the Office of Emergency Preparedness Shelter Coordinator. Shelters are provided by the Orleans Parish School Board, while manager training and support activities and supplies are provided by the Office of Emergency Preparedness.
Reassessment of facilities is an on-going process conducted jointly by the School Board, and Emergency Preparedness Division. The shelter activation list is updated yearly, and takes into consideration new school construction, school closings and renovations.
A. Shelter Demand
Shelter demand is currently under review by the Shelter Coordinator. Approximately 100,000 Citizens of New Orleans do not have means of personal transportation. Shelter assessment is an ongoing project of the Office of Emergency Preparedness through the Shelter Coordinator.
The following schools have been inspected and approved as Hurricane Evacuation Shelters for the City of New Orleans: Laurel Elementary School
Walter S. Cohen High School
Medard Nelson Elementary School
Sarah T. Reed High School
Southern University Multi Purpose Center
Southern University New Science Building
O. Perry Walker High School
Albert Wicker Elementary School
It should not be assumed that all of the approved shelters listed above will be opened in the event of a hurricane or other major tropical storm. The names and locations of open shelters will be announced when an evacuation order is issued. This list is not for public information and should not be duplicated and distributed. In the event that shelters are opened, people who go to their nearest listed location may find, for one reason or another, that the facility is not open as a shelter, forcing them to seek an alternate location. It is also possible that people anticipating the opening of shelters may arrive before shelters are set-up and ready to receive them. For these and other reasons, shelters which are to be used will not be identified until they are ready to open and not until an evacuation order, related public announcement is made.
B. Future Plans
Future mitigation plans include:
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Drainage network management.
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Protection of wetlands and marshes.
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Floodplain management.
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Preservation of the levee system.
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Providing hurricane shelter.
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Restricting imprudent development.
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Mitigation actions following natural disasters and post?disaster plan development.
In response to a major destructive storm, future plans call for the preparation of a post disaster plan that will identify programs and actions that will reduce or eliminate the exposure of human life and property to natural hazards. To direct the City’s hurricane recovery operations, the Mayor will appoint a Recovery Task Force (RTF). The RTF shall include the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of the Emergency Preparedness, Public Works Director, Public Utilities Director, Director of Safety and Permits and any others as directed by the Mayor. Staff shall be provided by those appointed, as well as by those elements of the OEP responsible for recovery operations. The RTF shall provide the following tasks: