R22 Discussion Group

Brad,

Brad,
I'm not going to get into a point for point debate with you over the  
governments handling of the Katrina disaster because you obviously are wearing  rose 
colored glasses. Most people that I know and I'm sure many on this list  would 
agree with me that it was a botched job from the get go. The cost to the  
American public probably will never be known. Need I remind you of the hundreds  
of trucks filled with ice that never made it to the people that really needed  
it. Or perhaps the thousands of mobile homes that were never used?
The entire operation was a joke. I'm not blaming the military or the local  
police, but the buck stops at the presidents desk and this man isn't qualified  
to handle anything. He's a joke as far as presidents go. Probably will go 
down  in history as being so also. It will take decades to undo the harm this  
administration has done  to our economy and international relations. Most  
Republicans that I know are ashamed that they voted for this man and they should  
be.

Rummy

In a message dated 2/9/2008 9:32:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
flybrad at gmail.com writes:

Rummy,

I'm running a bit short on time but I've got just enough  time to answer your
question, YES!  Bush 43 spoke with both Blanco and  Nagin two days in advance
and explained that his advisers strongly  suggested evacuating NOLA.  NOLA
had a plan on the shelf, a plan  sponsored and paid for with federal funds
and tested a year prior.  It  remained on the shelf.  After the levees
failed, our armed forces were  all over NOLA because they were poised for
just such an event.  The  massive movement of temporary housing to the Gulf
area immediately after  Katrina was a sight to behold.  I-57 and I-55 was
clogged with RVs  being towed South.  The National Guard was everywhere
maintaining  civil order (as opposed to now - NOLA has had 21 murders since
Jan 1 and  this is only Feb 9).  The collection of "big yellow equipment"  to
clear roads, organized and paid for by the federal government, was  the
single largest collection of construction equipment I've ever witnessed  or
probably ever will again.  Given the size and scope of the event, I  think
the feds did the best anyone could ask for under the  circumstances.  The
NOLA local government completely broke down,  before, during, and after
Katrina.  Over on the Mississippi side  (where Katrina actually hit), the
state and local governments performed  admirably.  Here's the bottom line
Rummy - if you live on a coastal  area, 6 feet below sea level, and a CAT 5
hurricane is bearing down on you,  you get the hell out of town.  Katrina did
NOLA a favor by convincing  all sane and rational people to evacuate on their
own.  The levee  system was a disaster waiting to happen after 100 years of
poor engineering  and local corruption.  Had they failed while the city was
fully  populated the death toll would have been in the tens of thousands.

I'll  be happy to argue this issue to your hearts content when I have time.
You  will lose.  Better yet, come visit me on the coast and I'll give you  a
tour.  One look around is worth more than a thousand  newspapers.

Brad

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