Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Originally posted by Camping!
He drove that train. Also, either the intel that he hammered into congress was faulty (ie. W was an idiot easily misled) or he cooked it (W was a lying sack of sh) either way it hardly reflects well on him.
Bingo. I've heard a lot of people say (myself included) "well, Bush had bad advisors". (which is true!) The problem with that is that it still shows a serious lack of discernment and common sense. The buck stops at the President, not Cheney or Rumsfeld. Sometimes it seems like he just listened to the most recent person he spoke to when making decisions.
By the way, the Louisiana Governor's name was Kathleen Blanco.
Bingo. I've heard a lot of people say (myself included) "well, Bush had bad advisors". (which is true!) The problem with that is that it still shows a serious lack of discernment and common sense. The buck stops at the President, not Cheney or Rumsfeld. Sometimes it seems like he just listened to the most recent person he spoke to when making decisions.
By the way, the Louisiana Governor's name was Kathleen Blanco.
Thanks -- judging by some posters LA had the invisible woman for governor
How many hurricanes have you been thru? Just wondering
Why is that relevant?! I lived in the Caribbean for 8 years so I have been thru hurricanes, hopes that answers your odd, irrelevant question.
The difference is this wasn't just a hurricane it was a catastrophe. Poor planning before the storm turned into a complete disaster AFTER. This was something they saw coming. Hurricanes aren't like tornados. We have a good idea where they're going to hit, how strong they are, etc. We saw this coming, they predicted how strong and advised everyone to evacuate.
Let's assume we forget about before it hit, (which was totally FEMA's and incompetent local government officials fault!) Somehow all predictions were wrong and it wasn't supposed to be this bad, let's concentrate on what happened after. When did he start taking them out? Why did it take so long? Why not use our resources to take OUR citizens out? Why? People were dying on the streets! I remember even Geraldo from Fox News broke down crying for help to get these poor people out!
What's the excuse? That local government declined help? When you our on citizens dying on the streets you get your leader pants out and do SOMETHING!
Even my co-workers, our employer (IBM, at the time) and me and were getting ready to join the company's Crisis & Recovery team and we were all the way in Massachusetts!! As a matter of fact, other IBM employees who were closer got to go and help. They did a missing people reunification project, provided trauma counseling and helped manage temporary housing for the victims in Houston.
Regarding hurricane Katrina, Pres. Bush offered to send in aid 24 hours before landfall. The stupid Governor or Mayor (forgot which one) did not accept the offer.
Bush is an idiot who caused this mess. What, you think if he got a third term, unemployment would be at 3%??? No one, including Obama, could fix Bush's mess in 6 months. And Obama pointed that out months ago.
Why is that relevant?! I lived in the Caribbean for 8 years so I have been thru hurricanes, hopes that answers your odd, irrelevant question.
The difference is this wasn't just a hurricane it was a catastrophe. Poor planning before the storm turned into a complete disaster AFTER. This was something they saw coming. Hurricanes aren't like tornados. We have a good idea where they're going to hit, how strong they are, etc. We saw this coming, they predicted how strong and advised everyone to evacuate.
Let's assume we forget about before it hit, (which was totally FEMA's and incompetent local government officials fault!) Somehow all predictions were wrong and it wasn't supposed to be this bad, let's concentrate on what happened after. When did he start taking them out? Why did it take so long? Why not use our resources to take OUR citizens out? Why? People were dying on the streets! I remember even Geraldo from Fox News broke down crying for help to get these poor people out!
What's the excuse? That local government declined help? When you our on citizens dying on the streets you get your leader pants out and do SOMETHING!
Even my co-workers, our employer (IBM, at the time) and me and were getting ready to join the company's Crisis & Recovery team and we were all the way in Massachusetts!! As a matter of fact, other IBM employees who were closer got to go and help. They did a missing people reunification project, provided trauma counseling and helped manage temporary housing for the victims in Houston.
There is a protocol to be followed - the federal government does not take over/invade states. That would set a bad precedence, no?
It was up to the Mayor of NO and the Governor of LA to set policy regarding the evacuation and hurrican plans for NO and the surrounding areas. They didn't either through complete incompetency or - there is no other option - Blanco and Nagin were utterly incompetent and totally liable for what happened in NO.
Again I ask you - if FEMA and W were so utterly inept and uncaring about Hurrican Katrina then explain how MS was able to evacuate their citizens and didnot have looting, rapes and murders the way NO had. Wait - I'll even clue you in - it is because the effected counties/towns/cities in MS had effective governments and the governor knew his ass from a hole in the ground.
He convinced congress to invade Iraq but coudln't convince the local NOLA authorithies to take federal money for Katrina. Comes to show how hard he tried.
Comparing MS and New Orleans is comparing apples to oranges. For one yes, you're correct the local government was cooperative, but also you have to remember NO geography and that most of the problems there were caused by the flood that followed. It was like a bowl filled with water. MS didn't have that problem. It was the same storm but it wasn't the same situation. I'm agree that the Governor and mayor were responsible too, but everyone shares a little blame here. You don't let this happen and sit by crying: "My hands are tied, my hands are tied!" While people continued to die. Sorry, I have no excuses whatsoever for any of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by camping!
There is a protocol to be followed - the federal government does not take over/invade states. That would set a bad precedence, no?
It was up to the Mayor of NO and the Governor of LA to set policy regarding the evacuation and hurrican plans for NO and the surrounding areas. They didn't either through complete incompetency or - there is no other option - Blanco and Nagin were utterly incompetent and totally liable for what happened in NO.
Again I ask you - if FEMA and W were so utterly inept and uncaring about Hurrican Katrina then explain how MS was able to evacuate their citizens and didnot have looting, rapes and murders the way NO had. Wait - I'll even clue you in - it is because the effected counties/towns/cities in MS had effective governments and the governor knew his ass from a hole in the ground.
He convinced congress to invade Iraq but coudln't convince the local NOLA authorithies to take federal money for Katrina. Comes to show how hard he tried.
Comparing MS and New Orleans is comparing apples to oranges. For one yes, you're correct the local government was cooperative, but also you have to remember NO geography and that most of the problems there were caused by the flood that followed. It was like a bowl filled with water. MS didn't have that problem. It was the same storm but it wasn't the same situation. I'm agree that the Governor and mayor were responsible too, but everyone shares a little blame here. You don't let this happen and sit by crying: "My hands are tied, my hands are tied!" While people continued to die. Sorry, I have no excuses whatsoever for any of them.
Comparing MS and NO is a hell of a lot more logical then comparing NO to Iraq
In any event, the fact that NO is below sea level and that Lake Pontratain (sp?) had weak levees were not a mystery to the gov of LA nor the mayor of NO or pretty much anyone who lived there.
The ultimate responsibility lies with the governor and the mayor and not the president of the united states. I would say the same thing if this had happened on Clintons or Obamas watch. And the truth is - had this occured under a democrat president the same sh*t would have gone down. The only difference may have been a dem gov may have listened to a dem president and a dem FEMA appointee. Maybe. I wouldn't bet on it though as both Blanco and Nagin showed themselves to be stupid, plain and simple.
I don't care for Bush and god knows a lot can be laid at his feet ---- but Katrina cannot.
I realize there is a truck load of complaints from the libs out there about us attacking the wrong country. However, Iraq did, at one point in time, have WMD's. Whether or not this fact was still a reality under the Bush administration remains a controversy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
However, Iraq did, at one point in time, have WMD's. Whether or not this fact was still a reality under the Bush administration remains a controversy.
