THE GREATEST FAILURE...
 

In all this that is going on in New Orleans... there are some major failures from your political system and government. Not only will we have to rebuild New Orleans but we should also re-build our government and political offices. From the local government officials to the White House. You can't tell me that there shouldn't be a emergency responce team that is capable of fixing a levee break in New Orleans. They said they have prepared for such things all these years and had drills. There is nothing the city has done to fix it except to call the Army. The Governor didn't prepare to have ships of supples (food and water), as well as medical supples ect standing by on the east coast of Florida to move in behind the hurricane making food drops and as soon as it passed.

Communications... the New Orleans officials should have had a back up for communications and info sent to officers what to do in case of this... and that... where to go what to do... instead its pure chaos. Baton Rouge could have been a great staging point in case a desaster such as this. THere should have been a plan in case the levee broke knowing that all of New Orleans would be gone hurricane or not.

When we start to get back on our feet I hole-heartedly will do my part to see that all elected officals should be replaced and an agenda set so there is a plan and quick response to any city in Louisiana that comes under any such devastation.

The mayor of NO is now in the comfort of Baton Rouge shouting SOS. IMHO, he should have been shouting SOS way before Katrina and all her might hit land.

We can drop 500lbs bombs in foreign lands, but cannot drop water and food to the residents of NO who were left homeless.

Too little, too late. A disaster within a disaster. What a damn shame!

I completely agree. Gov. Blanco completely dropped the ball on rescue preparation and policing efforts. I had heard that a friend of mine, a National Guardsman, was in the dome helping to keep order Sunday night and neither he nor his fellow Guardsmen had been issued weapons. With a history of looting and disorderly conduct following similar disasters in this country, the governor sends our troops in unarmed?

There should have been 5,000 armed troops in NO for peacekeeping monday afternoon. They should have planned it like an invasion and begun dropping supplies in from the air immediately. I really don't know who is ultimately responsible for this, but I hope to find out in the coming months why this type of effort wasn't made.

There should have been another couple thousaand troops in NO for rescue efforts plus the coast guard and others that are there now.

I know that no one really expected things to be as bad as they are, but there was adequate warning about how bad things could be and our officials have read and reacted to this situation about as well as venturi's boys have done on the field the last couple years.

They knew expected and planned for the 'worse case senerio' at least that was the quote. THe only think I can figure is that they lied. They did nothing... they didn't stage things out of harms way to rush in supplies and aid. Governor didn't do crap! Mayor saying SOS what??? This is crazy, you hire/elect a mayor to react and make decisions and make things happen... this nut yells SOS and runs.

This is total mismanagement form the local areas to the State level and I even put some of it on the Federal government... they could have had ships planned and sent out off the coast of Florida. This should be the norm for Hurricanes to get immediate basic supples to people.

THere was just way more the Local, City, State and Federal government could have done. I know there was people after the hurricane already headed back when the levee broke but where was the quick responce to fix it... there was no response to fix it at all except call the army. There is suppose to be equipment and manpower to react quickly to fix it and not just look at it. they should have been expecting that levee through out the storm perhaps and especailly as soon as it past.

The Feds could set Chinooks down at the riverfront with basic supplies. I'm not quite sure why they haven't. It's a crime.


Sad.


8)

New Orleans = Anarchy

Its insanity!

Its not very easy on the cities hosting evacuees either, though. I live in Lafayette and it is getting increasingly hard to drive 5 blocks. Imagine Lafayette's 5pm traffic all day long with the actual 5pm traffic being two to three times as bad. There is no room left.

We thought we were spared, but we are feeling the devistation in our own way. Prices are shooting up and a 5 minute drive to school now takes me 25 minutes. Pas bon!

I do not blame the Mayor or the Governor for the mishandling of New Orleans . The answer seems to be elsewhere . I posted on the Katrina thread the front page of the Army Corps of Engineers , before the levee broke , the page has since been changed , but from that page the answer seems clear .

Federal
Excuse
Management
Association

This department director , needs to step down .

Have heard reports that someone on the congressional floor has stated that New Orleans should not be rebuilt . Him I ask : Why would Americans spend Billions on helping to rebuild another country , but not our own city ?? This fool needs to step down .

FEMA - has its name all over this one and would be the one agency that both the Mayor and Governor would allow to set policy in the disaster management .

THEY WERE TOLD TO EVACUATE.
THEY SUCK OFF THE GOVERNMENT NOW AS ALWAYS THEY WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO FIX THAT THEY DIDN'T LEAVE. DONT THROW BS AT ME ABOUT THE SICK AND OLD. YOU KNOW WHO I AM TALKING ABOUT. ALL THE WELL ABLE BODIED ADULTS I SEE THAT COMPRISE MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE STUCK THERE. YOU KNOW AS USUAL MAINLY BLACK PEOPLE WHO LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEN RUN AROUND BLAMING MOMMY AND DADDY FOR NOT DOING IT FOR THEM. MAYBE IF THOSE PEOPLE IN NEW ORLEANS WORKED INSTEAD OF SUCKING THE FUNDS OF THE GOVERNMENT THE LEVEES COULD HAVE BEEN STRENGTHENED. THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH MONEY YOU CAN TAKE FROM WORKERS GIVE TO YOURSELF AND ALSO FIX EVERY OTHER PROBLEM. ARE YOU KIDDING ME GUYS. ITS THE GOVERNMENTS FAULT. HAVE ANY OF YOU STUDIED WHAT THE GOVERNMENTS ROLE IS. UM IT ISNT TO TAKE CARE OF US. IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE THE CRUTCH IT IS TODAY. THEESE PEOPLE ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF BAD CHOICES BY THEM PROBABLY THEIR PARENTS AND ON AND ON WE GO.

NOW I WILL WAIT TO HEAR THE WORD YOU CAN'T WAIT TO THROW AT ME. I AM A RACIST. THAT IS WHAT ALL OF YOU CAN'T WAIT TO SAY. AT LEAST I AM HONEST. I AM NOT GOING TO SUGAR COAT IT. UNFORTUNATELY I WOULD BE A RACIST TO CLASSIFY ALL BLACK PEOPLE THAT WAY OR IF I SAID THEY WERE LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK. AND OF COURSE THAT WOULDN'T BE TRUE. SO I WOULD NEVER SAY EITHER. THEY ARE LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE POOR. BUT IF I AM A RACISTR IM THE FIRST ONE TO MARRY A BLACK WOMAN

I agree with spkb25 to some degree. The government should not give money to those who refuse to work or those that were lazy and dropped out of school. However, there are some legit reasons for funds (and I know spkb25 is saying that, too).

Regardless, this is still an absolute trajedy and no matter how great our government could be, it still would not be able to handle this chaos.

I'm sure it'll all come out in the wash, so to speak. I'm hesitant to blame local and state folks for the lack of response to needs. I hope there is a good reason for the seemingly lack of our federal government's immediate action.


Being a Floridian with an eye on hurricane season, I know FEMA has stored supplies throughout the south. Perhaps the flooding and logistics of the New Orleans mess is more of a delivery problem. Safety of providers may also be a concern.


Perhaps you'd have a different view if you or your loved ones were in need.



8)

hey tally i would have done whatever i ahd to before the storm to evacuate them and they would be living in my home right now.
i have already donated 250. dollars.
i called the red cross today to give my name and number to offer the two rooms in my house for people to come and live with me. they could only take my name and number and put me on a list because they said they have to get it organized but that they would need people for that. i am not heartless. i feel for everyone. everyone. even the less intelligent who didnt leave. ok. but i will not stand here and blame the governemnt afetr they told theese people to evactuate over and over again.

they didnt have to go far. they could have taken a bus with their families for a not so expensive trip to somewhere up north in louisiana. at least now they would be able to get help. so please don't throw that crap at me man. ok. i care for theese people but it is their fault. they could have left.

thank you for understanding what i was saying oldie. you get me without me having to say everything. you read through the lines

Guys, I understand your anger. Some here have to host strangers from New Orleans and the surrounding area to help out those who are less fortunate. Unfortunately the problem of very poor people and criminals has been left to New Orleans for years as so many have ventured out from the city only to look back and make comments where they never stayed to address the problems.

It has definitely been the people of Louisiana and Texas and not the federal government who have helped save New Orleans.

And what of the mayor, do any of us have a right to play monday morning quarterback when we probably couldn't fill his shoes for one moment.

But blame and finger pointing isn't going to help right now. There are so many people who don't know where their family is or who have lost loved ones. There is also a lot of un-truths in the streets and in the media. Facts are, if this happened to New York, Cleveland, Detroit, any metropolitan city with this wide spread destruction, there would be looting and more problems then can be imagined.

Let's try to keep the finger pointing to a minimum until we get the straight facts, not what's heard today on CNN or what you think might have happened. Again, try to get the word out for people to give to charities like the red cross www.redcross.org or a charity of your choice to help the victims of this horrible event.

Whether you live here, in San Francisco, on the East Coast, or the Midwest, there's a chance a natural disaster (earthquake, title wave, tornado, fire, hurricane etc) will wipe you out. There's no way to plan for armageddon.

Thanks to everyone who has opened their homes to the less fortunate.

Count the ones around you one by one, then count your blessings that you are alive and you have your family and friends and you are able to voice anything to the world.

Point well made and taken, Halo. It's just frustrating to watch sone rescue efforts held up because of the unlawfulness.

I also agree that wherever this occurred there would have been looting...that's what has happened in Florida many times. That is why I am disappointed in the number of troops in the city. The looting is something predictable that should have been anticipated, but it seemed ignored until the reality of it.

For that matter, the government could drop supplies in with little problem and help those who need them. Again, it's just frustrating to watch people suffer while others are doing well enough to steal televisions and shoes.

halo you make an excellent point. i apologize that i sometimes let my temper get the best of me. you are right nothing really matters other than being thankful for what you have and helping regardless. you are right. thanks man

Halo,

I fully understand and respect your role here. Second, this converstation should be move to another forum.

I will leave it at that.

Best regards..........

Did I miss something ???

Did they move New Orleans recently ???

New Orleans no longer a port city ?

No Princess cruise ships in the area ?? No Air Craft carriers stationed close ??? Simply put , if you can make it to the Superdome , you can make it to a ship deck .

Federal
Excuse
Management
Association

Does not need our help in coming up with excuses , they will make their own .

Another link people near New Orleans or with New Orleans near to their heart should have http://www.cnn.com/feedback/ , nothing motivates a politician faster then the thought of losing his job .

Maybe a little outrage over comments like :

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/....ap/index.html

Will make politicians think twice about making these comments and federal agencies will not be so unprepared .

Express you anger over the system failure , so the next time there is a disaster the life they save faster may be your own ......

A comment from the UK on a Katrina Board :

your an absolute idiot 08. i mean it goes far beyond what i am saying but you are such a moron you cant be helped. i would really love to tell you how i feel but i cant. you are such are a jerk. you absolute punk you. man i wish i knew you. you are such a punk you jerk. god you need someone to help you get the picture and man i would love to be that person. you need a little keith punk

because they never advised anyone to evacuate punk. huh punk.

now now... I believe one of the rules is not name calling.

There is some sense and honesty the Sen. comments... I mean come on what the hell build a city below sea level and "prepare" for a event such as this but when its said and done there was no preparedness. I ask what is wrong with moving the city to higher ground... rebuild New Orleans but in a different place. I have a name for the new city, New New Orleans. I mean you would think with the cruise ships and knowing this storm was coming and as part of the "prepardness" The USNS Comfort should have been deployed just in case. If they were not needed at least use it as a drill/practice. I know the ones left in NO this evevning will surelly be sent out of the state and away from the Governor and Mayor. THey should and need to be held responsible. No better example how she handled the negociations of the Saints lease. 'sure you want the saints in your town you pay for it and not the rest of the state'. She treated New Orelans as a bastard city and this is a great example how she failed New Orleans yet again. The Federal government is going to have to take over this entire mess.

...

It seems like spk & DJ are looking at people on the news and assume they know their situation. How do you know who are lazy and not working and drop out of school and draining money from the goerment? The poor people in NO are mostly people that work minimum wage jobs. Your ignorant statment only suggest to me that you look at Race 1st & draw your conclusion. The people who decided to stay have their reason and it is just foolish to sit back and find ways to to degrate the unfortunate. Yeah, I said it.... YOU'RE STATEMENT IS RACIST.

You do not leave blood in the mud .

Work your issues out later , these are Orleanians in need of help .

Humanbeings die as we wait .

You have your opinion , I have mine .

Ruffled some feathers last time I was here, but I hope that's not what's important right now ...

I evacuated N.O. early Friday, before anyone even dreamed of things getting this bad. Like most everyone else in the area, I've lost everything I owned down there. Made it back to Birmingham with my skin ... guess that's the most important part.

I'm not here to fight. I just want to wish the best to all who've been affected by this tragedy. My deepest sympathies, and the sympathies of the nation, lie with the residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. I work for the phone company, and will likely be returning soon to begin recovery efforts for the city's network. I'd be lying to say I'm not apprehensive regarding the dangers, but we'll do what we can ... as soon as we can.

God be with all of you and your loved ones.

i was actually being a little facetious in my comments. i wasnt really being serious. i didnt agree with him but come on guys who in their right mind says you need a little keith and actually means it.

can someone from the LA area check this out for me?
http://www.shareyourhome.org/index.html

I've signed up, but no real important information was asked for (ie. money/credit cards). Just checking for authenticity. Let me know, thanks.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_a...kxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Straight from the horse's mouth. Our government was overwhelmed by this hurricane. Remember, they had days as well to prepare all along knowing that, if NO took anything near a direct hit from a category 4 or 5 storm, the city would be devastated. Then they go and say...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050902/...l_response_hk1

Oh, really? You didn't anticipate lawlessness? I did. I've watched Florida suffer through similar types of behavior after hurricanes in the past. I can't remember for sure, but I seem to recall that Florida at one point enacted a law designed to be much tougher on people who loot following disasters such as this.

And the man in charge was surprised. Unbelievable.

scotty i understand what you mean there are always going to be people who act in a way that isnt the way they should. it is guarenteed. but this was a huge natural disaster and none of it is the governments fault. it is unpreventable. scotty how do you prepare? what do you do? plain and simple the people should have left. thats really it man. in the end they are ultimately responsible for ethir own actions. somehow this turns into for liberals and democrats a bush bash. thats a good idea. it is all bush's fault., he brought the hurricane here. all we can do now is clean up and help. thats it. i will tell you this i bet the next time theese people are told to evacuate they will listen where ever they end up living.

MAXIMKAT i gave my name to the red cross. i just don't trust anyone else and also without the red cross you may end up with some bum from philly living with you claiming he was from there. i would try to call the red cross and ask them if it is legit. hope maybe that helps. i know it isnt much help just offering a solution

spkb25, Should the government have been surprised by the looting? I don't think so. I think the fact that they were indicated how unprepared to handle something like this they were.

You prepare for this by moving before the fact. Not reacting to the fact. The government now has ships with supplies moving towards La. Ships that were ordered to move AFTER landfall of the hurricane. Wouldn't it have been prudent to move them closer just in case? Isn't that logical considering it was saturday afternoon when the storm was a cat 5 pointed towards NO, but still 36 hours or more away?

You prepare by expecting looting and having enough troops in the city immediately following the hurricane to combat the lawless. As it was the only troops in NO were primarily stationed at the superdome and they were UNARMED.

You prepare by having supplies moved to the nearest possible safe location that can be air lifted in and dropped by helicopter right in front of the superdome and convention center so that your surplus of National Guardsmen (which should have been there - see above) can hand them out. Let it be so much that much of it just sits there because everyone has what they need.

My comments are not about politics. I don't blame Bush so much as I blame the people who were in charge of this sort of planning and who did not mobilize these types of efforts. See, unlike an earthquake or a tsunami, this WAS PREDICTABLE. We had days to foresee what could happen. It is common knowledge that NO is below sea level and that flooding would be a problem. The governement knew nearly two days beforehand that NO and Biloxi were likely spots for landfall. Unfortunately, they underestimated the damage. They underestimated their need for supplies and the difficulty of getting it to those who need them. Why? This isn't the first hurricane to strike the US.

Sure, the devastation is larger than ever before, but so was the hurricane. On saturday we were looking at it on the satelite and getting the information that this was the fourth biggest recorded that could hit the US. But, FEMA took a wait-and-see approach rather than mobilizing everything they had. People are suffering and dying because of that decision.

no not at all on the looting if oyu look at my response i am with you on that. you will always have that. i get you i said they should have sent in the military as soon as the crap started. i am with you on that. i think what they worried about was like a riot on top of it. now look though you have those people causing that type of distraction anyway. you are right on that part no doubt. i think it was the same mistake we made when that started in iraq also. political correctness will detroy us man. sometimes you have to go in and just be ruthless to those types. it is all they understand you knwo. i think you are right on that.

oh bayouking my god brother all i have to do is here them talk. i am not assuming it because they are black only. it is the way they carry themselves. the way they talk. you can barely understand a syllable. that isnt racism it is realism. you can lie to yourself all you want. i feel so bad for my wife sometimes. to know that she has to make sure she is never thought of by other people to be one of those types. it is a sterotype in this country and you here white and black people say it all the time. they describe what it is to be black. somehow you have to dress a certain way talk a certain way and act a cetain way in order to be black. my wife was once told by a white person you are the whitest black person i have ever met. she has been told by black woman that she isn't black. so to be intelligent to articulate when you speak and to dress nice makes you white. you here about black people putting down condoleeza rice. she should be a model for kids to look up to. instead they try to tear her down. i listen to those people speak and i know what they are. so no bayouking i am not a racist i just refuse to lie so that people like yourself don't call me a racist. you can't scare me with that word. i don't have to close my eyes to the truth so that you can make me feel better by saying i am not a racist.

I don't care what color... there are whites and asians in there. Since when being of color makes you less an American. This are New Orleanians and the city government failed them. THese are Louisianaians and the state failed them. Now the Federal government is rushing to the aid... lets hope they don't fail anymore Americans.

You can use any excuse... yeah they made a huge mistake and stayed home instead of evacuating. Shame on them but now they are in need of help and all levels of our government seem to be failing to help Americans. THe very Mayor threw up his hands and left the city, the mayor totally clueless when it comes to New Orleans. Treats New Orleans as a bastard step child city and this is proof. So if anyone here is a racist grow up... help your fellow Americans. Name callers get a life.

well you are right on some of what you said euphoria. from what i heard just so you are aware not to say you are wrong but it was put out on the talk radio station i listen to that the mayor was told to leave because people were threatining him because of lack of supplies. so his life may have actually been in danger. you did miss a little of what the argument was. i said in response to people saying the government failed them that that just isnt the case. they were warned over and over again to leave and did not. they failed themselves. IN THE END THEY NEED HELP AND THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS, YOU ARE RIGHT. but the factb that they are poor is their choice. not mine not yours but theirs. unfortuanley in my eyes if you dont work or cant get a better job then minimum wage then they should be working two jobs or working on bettering their situation. there are grants to go to school. you can get loans. there are so many things people can do. if they dont that is their fault. and yes in the end it makes them less. sorry i am not sympathetic. i had to join the military. i have to work full time and go to night school right now. if i can do it anyone can. THERE ARE NO EXCUSES. that was my only argment. because of that i was called a racist.

SPK, I feel sorry for you brother, if you can't sit back understand your statement is racist. I can careless if you are black or even married to a black woman, to sit back and degrate people who were unfortunate to have a way to evacuate is wrong. They're thousands of people in NO and you assume the majority of the blacks are sucking money from the goverment and will not work. Do you have any compassion or sorrow?

know what i dont want to hear how they can't better themselves. if frederick douglas can teach himself to read and write as a slave and educate himself to the level he did there are no excuses for anyone in this country. i don't care what your color if you can't look at that and say i can do whatever i want then there is nothing anyone can do for you

yes i have compassion to help them regardless. but to say it is not their fault is RIDICULOUS. they are not unfortunate. im sorry. they are lazy and worthless. that is just how i see them. i am sorry. it is funny to me that if you talk to a poor white person or a poor black person their mindset is exactly the same. they are a victim. i am not a racist and neither is the statement.

P.S .... I hope you don't make statement like that to your wife family

unfortunate- causing or having bad luck. a person who has no luck.

luck is not what theese people lack bayouking. there are not many rich people who just had better luck.

my wife agrees bayouking.

God bless you spk. I hope you never become poor and I seriouly hope you and your family great success cause I will hate for you to have go through what the people of NO are going through so your eyes will open