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View Poll Results: Will you vote Democratic?
Yes, I'll vote for Obama 27 49.09%
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Only, If Hillary is on the ticket 6 10.91%
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  #286  
Old 07-16-2008, 07:00 AM
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Originally Posted by iamnotafraid View Post
What amazes me is that we AMERICANS expect a bailout. I live along the Gulf Coast and no person or government agency could begin to measure the scope of such a disaster as some of the hurricanes we've had. FEMA is not perfect, but they did and still are helping. They helped my family and friends. Are things back to normal..............NO!!!!!!!! But with time it will be.

Some people love to lay the blaim at President Bush's feet, that is insane. And so is blaming FEMA. Mistakes were made, but most people are playing the Monday morning quarterback game.

I'll stop my little rant by just saying that we should appreciate how much our citizens and Government helps.
I agree with you that we are responsible for ourselves. Many of my friends helped each other with the sandbags, moving of furniture upstairs, transportation out of the city, etc. So, I think the vast majority of people did help themselves. But, and again, what is the 80 year old poor and sick woman with no family and no money to go anywhere going to do?

Having said that, government, FEMA in particular, has taken on that role. They are the ones who provide disaster relief. They did not do so in a timely manner in the case of Katrina despite advance warning. That is a proven fact - just look at that article I posted earlier that contains that quote from Michael Brown to Gov. Blanco, that was a lie - not to mention W's declaration of NOLA as a Fed. Disater Area PRIOR to the storm. Then the machinery for the photo ops only and the manipulation of Blanco by Rove -- all while people were dying and in misery. Why is not okay to fault them? I mean if FEMA could bring in the calvary when it did, why couldn't it have done it earlier with just a little preparation, despite the bad acts of Blanco and Nagin, which were many? These are legitimate questions, esp. when the head of FEMA is telling you not to worry.

As for playing the "Monday morning quarterback game" - I remember flying back from Alaska on that Sat. and seeing the storm from the plane (it was that large) -- I remember thinking along the lines of "the govt. better have their shiitte in gear for this one." Sadly, all three did not. However, that W and his cronies played politics on Louisiana (D) but not in Mississippi (R) and that it took FEMA days when it should have and could have taken hours because they were well warned (W declared it an emergency area prior to the storm ) -- speaks volumes (read that CNN article about Brown attitude and emails - - it speaks volumes and that Brown treated it as a thing to joke about) . Also, FEMA actually turned away trailers full of water from large stores like Wal Mart because they were waiting to go in en masse. How fukced up is that esp. considering the sheer amount of water available -- it would have been enough for everyone? Then, W had the effrontery to try to spin it by saying "YOU'RE DOIN A HECK OF JOB BROWNIE" when he damn well knew that was not the case. How can you defend that?

Should we be appreciative of the govt.? Yes, we should. In fact, for the most part and though some mistakes have been made, the Feds have been very efficient post Katrina. And, the actions of the Coast Guard and all the other immediate service providers in NOLA and the Gulf Coast was great. The Coast Guard began airlifting people out almost immediately -- KUDOS to them! But, not to cry foul and hold those accountable for the death and misery (even of the "human debris" as the unlearned and mostly bigoted neophyte put it) that could have been prevented with any timely action whatsoever is irresponsible. Mind you, I think if you (generally) could have gotten out and did not, you have no room to bitch about the govt. for any of you misery. In fact, I blame you for the deaths of the people you may have caused by making the Coast Guard waste time by air lifting your able body from your home. You caused that alone and you should be ashamed of yourself. So, I am not all about blaming the govt. I am just pointing out that W and his cronies made a mess of it and the R's are trying to spin it into no blame for them. For goodness sake, Michael Brown was in Baton Rouge having long lunches (unbothered by pesky phone calls) and discussing how his wardrobe read on camera apparently oblivious to the people dying or about to die less than 100 miles away. That was why he was in Louisiana in the first place

Again, I am all for blaming Blanco and Nagin as well. But the level of fraud and disconcern by W and his cronies is far more jarring.
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  #287  
Old 07-16-2008, 07:03 AM
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You didn't understand what I said. FEMA is a federal department. FEMA is not a first responder, therefore they are not culpable for most of what you think. That covers Blanco and Nagin. They did not respond appropriately and Blanco TURNED DOWN Bush's offer for aid. People are frankly lucky to get anything FEMA gives them. You missed the whole point of what I said because you don't understand what FEMA's role is. I ignored the article from the lefty press entirely. I skimmed through parts of it and it appeared to be a smear job and not a piece of reliable journalism. Why respond to something like that?
When exactly did Blanco turn down the aid. Rather, she requested it in writing and Michael Brown promised it to her prior to the storm.

Also, the city and state officials did respond first. That is not the issue. The issue is (and pay attention) why was Brown so alloof and why did it take FEMA days to respond when Brown had promised immediate reponse and FEMA knew the worst was coming before the storm hit.

Here is the level of attentiveness of Brown -- note these are direct quotes from him (emphasis supplied and links to the actual emails added).

'Can I quit now?' FEMA chief wrote as Katrina raged

E-mails give insight into Brown's leadership, attitude

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Louisiana congressman says e-mails written by the government's emergency response chief as Hurricane Katrina raged show a lack of concern for the unfolding tragedy and a failure in leadership.

Rep. Charlie Melancon, whose district south of New Orleans was devastated by the hurricane, posted a sampling of e-mails written by Federal Emergency Management chief Michael Brown on his Web site on Wednesday.

The Democratic lawmaker cited several e-mails that he said show Brown's failures. In one, as employees looked for direction and support on the ravaged Gulf Coast, Brown offered to "tweak" the federal response.

Two days after Katrina hit, Marty Bahamonde, one of the only FEMA employees in New Orleans, wrote to Brown that "the situation is past critical" and listed problems including many people near death and food and water running out at the Superdome.

Brown's entire response was: "Thanks for the update. Anything specific I need to do or tweak?" (http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/images/1...own.emails.pdf)

On September 12 Brown resigned, 10 days after President Bush told him, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

Brown is still on the federal payroll at his $148,000 annual salary. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, saying Brown's expertise was needed as he investigated what went wrong, agreed to a 30-day extension when Brown resigned. Chertoff renewed that extension in mid-October.

Brown took over FEMA in 2003 with little experience in emergency management. He joined the agency in 2001 as legal counsel to his friend, then-FEMA director Joe Allbaugh, who was Bush's 2000 campaign manager. When Allbaugh left FEMA in 2003 Brown assumed the top job.

Before joining the Bush administration, Brown spent a decade as the stewards and judges commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association.

The e-mails Melancon posted, a sampling of more than 1,000 provided to the House committee now assessing responses to Katrina by all levels of government, also show Brown making flippant remarks about his responsibilities.

"Can I quit now? Can I come home?" Brown wrote to Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director of public affairs, the morning of the hurricane.

A few days later, Brown wrote to an acquaintance, "I'm trapped now, please rescue me."

"In the midst of the overwhelming damage caused by the hurricane and enormous problems faced by FEMA, Mr. Brown found time to exchange e-mails about superfluous topics," including "problems finding a dog-sitter," Melancon said.

Melancon said that on August 26, just days before Katrina made landfall, Brown e-mailed his press secretary, Sharon Worthy, about his attire, asking: "Tie or not for tonight? Button-down blue shirt?"

A few days later, Worthy advised Brown: "Please roll up the sleeves of your shirt, all shirts. Even the president rolled his sleeves to just below the elbow. In this [crisis] and on TV you just need to look more hard-working."

On August 29, the day of the storm, Brown exchanged e-mails about his attire with Taylor, Melancon said. She told him, "You look fabulous," and Brown replied, "I got it at Nordstroms. ... Are you proud of me?"

An hour later, Brown added: "If you'll look at my lovely FEMA attire, you'll really vomit. I am a fashion god," according to the congressman.

The e-mails came from Chertoff, who oversees FEMA, following a request by Melancon and Rep. Tom Davis, R-Virginia, chairman of a House committee appointed to investigate what went wrong during Katrina, Melancon said.

Brown resigned amid accusations that FEMA acted too slowly after Katrina hammered Louisiana and Mississippi, killing more than 1,200 people. He defended the government's response and blamed leaders in Louisiana for failing to act quickly as the hurricane approached.

He acknowledged he made some mistakes as FEMA's director, but he stressed that the agency "is not a first responder," insisting that role belonged to state and local officials.

Brown could not be reached for comment Wednesday night on the e-mails and Melancon's charges.

Although Chertoff has not turned over all the documents requested by the committee, Melancon charged that the material received so far contradicts testimony by Brown before the committee in which he described himself as an effective leader.

Melancon used an e-mail sent September 2, four days after the hurricane hit, to illustrate his point. On that day, Brown received a message with the subject "medical help." At the time, thousands of patients were being transported to the New Orleans airport, which had been converted to a makeshift hospital. Because of a lack of ventilators, medical personnel had to ventilate patients by hand for as long as 35 hours, according to Melancon.

The text of the e-mail reads: "Mike, Mickey and other medical equipment people have a 42-foot trailer full of beds, wheelchairs, oxygen concentrators, etc. They are wanting to take them where they can be used but need direction.

"Mickey specializes in ventilator patients so can be very helpful with acute care patients. If you could have someone contact him and let him know if he can be of service, he would appreciate it. Know you are busy but they really want to help."

Melancon said Brown didn't respond for four days, when he forwarded the original e-mail to FEMA Deputy Chief of Staff Brooks Altshuler and Deputy Director of Response Michael Lowder.

The text of Brown's e-mail to them read: "Can we use these people?"

Melancon also charged that few of the e-mails from Brown show him assigning specific tasks to employees or responding to pressing problems.

On September 1, FEMA officials exchanged e-mails reporting severe shortages of ice and water in Mississippi. They were to receive 60 trucks of ice and 26 trucks of water the next day, even though they needed 450 trucks of each.

Robert Fenton, a FEMA regional response official, predicted "serious riots" if insufficient supplies arrive.

Brown was forwarded the series of e-mails about the problem, but no response from him is shown in the e-mails provided to the committee, Melancon said.

Katrina came ashore along the Louisiana-Mississippi state line, after being downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm. It flooded 80 percent of New Orleans. It was followed about a month later by Hurricane Rita, which caused more damage and flooding.

Melancon and several other Democrats from districts directly affected by Katrina were invited to participate as a ex-officio members of the Katrina investigative committee, though they have no formal role. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi refused to appoint any Democrats to the panel after GOP leaders rebuffed Democratic demands for an independent probe.

This is the second time a congressional committee had dealt with e-mails relating to FEMA's Katrina response. A complete transcript of Brown's e-mail traffic during the Katrina crisis has not been released by the Department of Homeland Security.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/03/brown.fema.emails

_____________________________________________________________________

Finally, your ignorance and lack of wanting to do anything about along with your unwillingness to acknowledge facts and instead spinning it to some other equally culpable D is tedious at best.
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Last edited by strandinthewind; 07-16-2008 at 08:27 AM..
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Old 07-16-2008, 07:04 AM
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  #288  
Old 07-16-2008, 07:10 AM
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Originally Posted by iamnotafraid View Post
The chimp, what a nice name you have for our President. Most liberals like to say how dumb he is, but then at the same time he is this evil genious that duped the whole world. President Bush and the Republicans must be some kind of modern day Jedi's.

What war has not cost us greatly in troops and innocent civilians? And now that the tide has turned even Obama is changing his tune. And what bothers me most is that some Democrats actually want the war to fail just so they will have a better chance at getting into the White House.
I think W is not really an idiot. I think he is just the mouthpeice and is mostly disinterested. Look at the vast failures in his life. Every company he has touched has failed I think Cheney is the one pulling the strings and the facts mostly support that.

But, the point is W lied about the exigent threat to scare us into wanting to go to war with Iraq (yellow cake anyone) -- now our troops are dead when they did not have to be. How does that not piss you off instead of making you apparently blindly defend the man who lied and caused their deaths by spinning it to some BS about the D's wanting the US to fail.

If he were your employee and he made this huge "mistake" that cost your company its solvency and then continued to lie to you about it when you knew he was lying, would you fire him, esp. considering he never succeeded in pretty much anything else he did while working for you?

Also, if you look back a few pages, I posted some facts about how the whole Obama is changing his tune is BS made up by the press. He has been consistent.

But, I am curious, when do you think we get out of Iraq? Ignoring the rhetoric and looking at the facts -- the surge has worked pretty well. So, when is it time to declare victory (we met the goals of toppling SH and est. a "free" Iraqi Govt. years ago) -- and begin to let the Iraqi's pay for and take care of themselves -- and get our troops out? I submit that if Bush or Cheney said that exact sentence, you'd be for it

Also, where is all the Iraqi oil money that W and his administration promised us would pay for this liberation?

In the end, many people have defected from the Bush camp and told of the lies and manipulation of the American public. Many others in politics, but pretty apolitical like Greenspan, tell a similar story http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/sep/17/iraq.oil -- then, there are the articles about W and his cronies plans for the Iraqi oil just weeks into office http://www.globalpolicy.org/security...925oilgrab.htm

Are they all incorrect and only W and Cheney are correct?

Finally, there is the whole other issue of W ignored the head of counter terrorism's direct warnings about Al-Q, not Iraq, being the threat. Then, Al-Q attacks us on 9/11 and instead of going after Bin Laden balls out -- W invades Afganistan, but, like everything elase in his ADD Presidency, drops the ball and again focuses on not just inspecting (which I and the world through the UN agreed with) -- but invading Iraq, which was then a relatively minor and mostly contained player on the world's terrorism stage by then. There was no exigent need to invade Iraq, esp. while the trail to Bin laden was still warm in Afganistan. Remember, Al-Q (the ones who attacked us) had little to no presence in Iraq until until after we invaded Iraq. These were calculated moves designed to prey on a trigger happy American public and they were wrong and have cost us dearly. Can you not see that?
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  #289  
Old 07-16-2008, 07:11 AM
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Since when did the floods kill 1300+ people and cause $86 Billion in damage?

Yeah, that's why we're not still talking about it.
Exactly
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Old 07-16-2008, 07:45 AM
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Here is one about FEMA --

FEMA Faces Intense Scrutiny

For the Federal Emergency Management Agency, whose mission is "lead America to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters with a vision of 'A Nation Prepared,'" Hurricane Katrina, and the subsequent flooding that devastated New Orleans in August 2005, has posed the greatest challenge and evoked some of the harshest criticism the agency has ever faced.

Created by President Carter in 1979, elevated to Cabinet level in 1993, and incorporated into the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, FEMA is charged with guiding the federal response to the nation's disasters -- both natural and man-made.

The agency manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration as well as helps prepare state and local emergency managers by providing first responder and emergency preparedness training. The Department of Homeland Security channels funding to federal operations and provides grants to state and local agencies.

FEMA defers to state and local emergency teams to handle disasters at their level. If a city cannot respond, the county or the state provides help. If the state lacks the resources, the federal government responds, but only at the request of the governor and on the recommendation of the region's FEMA director.

In order to tap into FEMA resources, the state's governor must submit a letter to the president requesting to formally invoke the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. In the letter, the governor estimates what resources would be necessary to assist state and local crews responding to the situation.

The governor's request doesn't go directly to the president; instead, the regional FEMA director makes recommendations to the undersecretary of emergency preparedness and response, also known as the director of FEMA. The undersecretary then makes recommendations to the head of the Department of Homeland Security, who then briefs the president on the situation.

"It's always the state's call. The state tells what kind of help they need. We don't come in and take over," said Philip Clark, spokesman for FEMA's Region III which includes Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. "The Congress assumes responsibility begins at the local level and moves up. Congress didn't mean for FEMA to come in to every disaster."

If the president approves a federal response, he has the power to provide the resources requested from the state but the federal government is not meant to completely take over the situation. The president can, however, authorize executive orders that allow the federal government to assume control of transportation, communication, food resources, and all airports and aircraft.

In the case of a catastrophic disaster, FEMA coordinates emergency food and water, medical supplies and services, search and rescue operations and transportation assistance with the help of 28 federal partners, the Red Cross and local emergency management crews.

"Our role is more of coordination, not dictation," said Clark. "We put together the people that have help to offer with those who need it."

FEMA employs around 2,600 people as part of its permanent staff and has reservists who can be deployed in case of emergency. First responders at the local level, including fireman, policemen and emergency managers, are not employed directly by FEMA but do conduct ongoing exercises with regional FEMA offices.

President Carter created FEMA in 1979 by merging different disaster-related agencies. FEMA's importance grew as it coordinated response to major natural disasters like the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. By 1993, the agency had become such an important one that President Clinton elevated the organization to Cabinet-level status when he appointed James Lee Witt as the FEMA director. Witt, who had managed emergency response in President Clinton's home state of Arkansas, focused the agency on natural disaster preparedness and mitigation.

The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks prompted President Bush to form the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, and in March 2003, FEMA became part of DHS within the Emergency Planning and Response Directorate.

Merging with DHS relegated FEMA from an independent agency to part of the much larger DHS but gave access to a wider range of resources. Under Homeland Security, FEMA would continue to "lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident," according to its Web site.

FEMA is also part of the National Response Plan created in December 2004 by DHS. The plan established a framework for coordination among agencies that respond to domestic incidents, such as major terrorist attacks and natural events.

The delayed federal response to Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast has led many officials, including President Bush, who called the initial response "not acceptable," to question FEMA's preparedness for a natural disaster.

"The obvious fact is that Hurricane Katrina was an enormously powerful and destructive act of nature. It certainly wasn't caused by any government," said Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. "But government failures preparing for and responding to Hurricane Katrina allowed much more human suffering and property destruction to occur than should have. That is the sad and stunning fact."

As Katrina threatened the Gulf Coast, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco issued a state of emergency on Aug. 26 and on Aug. 28 sent a letter to President Bush requesting a disaster declaration for the state in order to release federal assistance.

"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 affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance will be necessary," Blanco wrote in her letter.

The letter had to travel through points in FEMA before the federal government could respond. FEMA deployed regional responders before Katrina made landfall, but a major federal response wasn't evident until days later. The hurricane crippled many state and local emergency agencies in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama leaving them unable to respond without federal help.

"What happened was that essentially, the demolishment of that state and local infrastructure, and I think that really caused the cascading series of breakdown," said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff in a New York Times interview.

From the local level, officials complained of communication breakdowns and the lack of leadership from the federal government, particularly from FEMA Director Michael Brown. Reports of FEMA turning down personnel and supplies offered by police forces and emergency crews further drew fire from Congress and others who said the agency failed to respond adequately.

On Sept. 9, 2005, Chertoff pulled Brown from the role of managing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Blanco's office blamed bureaucracy and layers of red tape for blocking an effective emergency effort.

"We wanted helicopters, food and water. They wanted to negotiate an organizational chart," Blanco's press secretary Denise Bottcher told the New York Times.

The delayed federal response prompted politicians to question FEMA's organization and leadership.

One critique was that the "all hazards" preparation focused too much on terrorism. The Government Accountability Office found in July 2005 that 31 of 39 first responder departments agreed that training was adequate for terrorist attacks but not natural disasters. The report also found that almost 75 percent of grant dollars awarded by DHS for first responders in 2005 focused predominantly on terrorism training.

Despite the criticism, Brown said no one could have prepared for the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing flooding of New Orleans.

"What we cannot do, and what we did not do immediately after the storm passed and as the levees were breaking, was to be able to bring in rescue workers and urban search-and-rescue teams and the medical teams because they themselves would have then become disaster victims. So we had to come in very carefully and very methodically. And it frustrated me, too because I would rather just have charged in there and done everything we could have," he told the NewsHour on Sept. 1, 2005.

Top congressional Democrats Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California issued statements that FEMA failed miserably and its leadership should be fired. Brown's background is in law, finance, public service and does not have experience with emergency management, they said.

Sens. Hilary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., said FEMA should be restored as an independent agency at the Cabinet level to remove one layer of bureaucracy.

Both Congress and President Bush have announced they will launch inquiries into the federal government's response and the future of FEMA.


-- Compiled by Anna Shoup for the Online NewsHour -- http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weath...ackground.html
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Old 07-16-2008, 10:35 AM
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Oh why not - here is Gov. Blanco's August 28, 2005 letter to W requesting Federal Aid -- note this was the day before the storm:

La. Governor's August 28 request for assistance
RAW STORY


The following is a letter written to President George W. Bush, and publicly released, by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco on August 27, 2005. On August 28, authorities told residents to leave the city of New Orleans. The next morning, Katrina struck in Louisiana. By August 30, an estimated 80% of the city was underwater. See timeline.

On September 4, The Washington Post claimed that Federal authorities blamed Blanco for failure to react and slow response time, reporting that the Bush Administration had asked the Governor to hand authority over to them on the evening of September 2, five days after people were told to leave New Orleans, and four days after the hurricane hit Louisiana. Accusations of slow response have also come in from pundits (like Bill O'Reilly), and an e-mail that is reportedly calling for the Governor's impeachment.

Text of the Governor's letter, sent August 28, follows.

Advertisement



#
August 28, 2005

The President The White House Washington, D. C.

Through: Regional Director FEMA Region VI 800 North Loop 288 Denton, Texas 76209

Dear Mr. President:

Under the provisions of Section 501 (a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206 (Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR § 206.35, I request that you declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing. The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area and the mid state Interstate I-49 corridor and northern parishes along the I-20 corridor that are accepting the thousands of citizens evacuating from the areas expecting to be flooded as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan.

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.

Preliminary estimates of the types and amount of emergency assistance needed under the Stafford Act, and emergency assistance from certain Federal agencies under other statutory authorities are tabulated in Enclosure A.

The following information is furnished on the nature and amount of State and local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the conditions of this emergency: • Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby. • Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby. • Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters. • Louisiana State Police (LSP): Providing support for the phased evacuation of the coastal areas. • Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Supporting the evacuation of the affected population and preparing for Search and Rescue Missions.

Mr. President Page Two August 28, 2005

• Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD): Coordinating traffic flow and management of the evacuations routes with local officials and the State of Mississippi.

The following information is furnished on efforts and resources of other Federal agencies, which have been or will be used in responding to this incident:

• FEMA ERT-A Team en-route.

I certify that for this emergency, the State and local governments will assume all applicable non-Federal share of costs required by the Stafford Act.

I request Direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property.

(a) List any reasons State and local government cannot perform or contract for performance, (if applicable).

(b) Specify the type of assistance requested.

In accordance with 44 CFR § 206.208, the State of Louisiana agrees that it will, with respect to Direct Federal assistance:

Provide without cost to the United States all lands, easement, and rights-of-ways necessary to accomplish the approved work.

Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the requested work, and shall indemnify the Federal Government against any claims arising from such work;

Provide reimbursement to FEMA for the non-Federal share of the cost of such work in accordance with the provisions of the FEMA-State Agreement; and

Assist the performing Federal agency in all support and local jurisdictional matters.

In addition, I anticipate the need for debris removal, which poses an immediate threat to lives, public health, and safety.

Pursuant to Sections 502 and 407 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5192 & 5173, the State agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States of America for any claims arising from the removal of debris or wreckage for this disaster. The State agrees that debris removal from public and private property will not occur until the landowner signs an unconditional authorization for the removal of debris.

I have designated Mr. Art Jones as the State Coordinating Officer for this request. He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Governor Enclosure

ENCLOSURE A TO EMERGENCY REQUEST

Estimated requirements for other Federal agency programs:

• Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby. Costs estimated at $500,000 per week for each in operation.

• Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby. Costs estimated at $500,000 per week for each in operation.

• Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters. Costs estimated to range from $250,000-$500,000 to support (6) Shelter generator operations.

• Louisiana State Police (LSP): Costs to support evacuations - $300,000 for a non-direct landfall.

• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Costs to support evacuations - $200,000 for a non-direct landfall.

• Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD): Costs to support evacuations - $2,000,000 for a non-direct landfall.

Totals: $ 9,000,000

Estimated Requirements for assistance under the Stafford Act:

Coordination: $0

Technical and advisory assistance: $0

Debris removal: $0

Emergency protective measures: $ 9,000,000

Individuals and Households Program (IHP): $0

Distribution of emergency supplies: $0

Other (specify): $0

Totals: $ 9,000,000

Grand Total: $ 9,000,000

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/La._Go...ista_0906.html


____________________________________________________

Here is a timeline on the Katrina events. It is without spin and a damning indictment on W and FEMA. I mean Brown resigned and even W finally had to take public responsibility to the failure of FEMA. So, apparently FEMA did something wrong, though you all are loathe to admit that and instead point to the other peoples' faults, which I readily acknowledge the factual ones.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/katrina-timeline.php
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Last edited by strandinthewind; 07-16-2008 at 10:38 AM..
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Old 07-16-2008, 10:41 AM
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gldstwmn gldstwmn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iamnotafraid View Post
The chimp, what a nice name you have for our President. Most liberals like to say how dumb he is, but then at the same time he is this evil genious that duped the whole world.
No, that's Cheney.
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Old 07-16-2008, 11:44 AM
BombaySapphire3 BombaySapphire3 is offline
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Originally Posted by iamnotafraid View Post
The chimp, what a nice name you have for our President.
Speak for yourself. He is not now nor has he ever beem my President.
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Old 07-16-2008, 12:40 PM
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Pretty funny

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_113016.html

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