FD, no one is saying FEMA's response was all it could or should have been. Clearly, adjustments can, must, and will be made. Clearly too, some folks feel FEMA's role is that of First Responder, a situatiuon in fact contrary to current law, and a function for which FEMA never was designed, a function for which National Government itself is not designed.
As for your impression of what the documents you mention disclose, nowhere in those documents is there any request for specific Federal manpower or material assistance, beyond post-storm debris removal. All those proclamations do is confirm Louisiana's leadership felt it had things in hand, had budgeted and was ready to accept Federal Disaster Funding to the fullest extent available under law and then some, and that Louisiana was prepared for and expected the Government to shoulder much of the cleanup. Not only did Louisiana's leadership not fulfill its responsibility to ensure the adequate protection and security of its citizens, it is clear that even as the situation worsened from dire to unimaginably calamitous Louisiana's leadership - specifically Governor Blanco - opposed Federal takeover of the response. As late as Tuesday evening, Louisiana's leadership was clear that it was in control, and working diligently to assure all that could be done to shield the State of Louisiana from financial aftermath:
Quote:Martial law clarified
Tuesday, 9:02 p.m.
The state Attorney General's office on Tuesday sought to clarify reports in some media that "martial law' has been declared in parts of storm-ravaged southeast Louisiana, saying no such term exists in Louisiana law.
But even though no martial law exists, Gov. Kathleen Blanco's declaration of a state of emergency gives authorities widespread latitude to suspend civil liberties as they try to restore order and bring victims to safety. Under the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, the governor and, in some cases, chief parish officials, have the right to commandeer or utilize any private property if necessary to cope with the emergency.
Authorities may also suspend any statute related to the conduct of official business, or any rule issued by a state agency, if complying would "prevent, hinder or delay necessary action'' to mitigate the emergency.
It also gives authority the right to compel evacuations, suspend alcohol and weapons sales and make provisions for the availability and use of temporary emergency housing.
The law gives mayors similar authority, except they do not have the right to commandeer private property or make provisions for emergency housing, according to a background brief prepared by the state Attorney General's office.
What Louisiana's governor officially requested was more money than normally provided under existing Federal Disaster Assistance guidelines:
Quote:Louisiana pleas for continued federal funding
As they try to assess the damage from Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana officials pleaded with the White House Tuesday to waive federal rules that would push a portion of the cleanup and recovery costs onto the state.
Calling the destruction "well beyond anything that has happened in our history," the state's congressional delegation asked President Bush to authorize the federal government to pick up all of the post-disaster bill.
Normally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) pays 75 percent of the costs of debris removal and rescue efforts while state and local governments pay the rest. Frequently, FEMA will pay the whole tab for the first 72 hours.
The delegation asked that FEMA pick up 100 percent of the costs even beyond that, as was done in Florida last year after a series of hurricanes.
The request came as water continued to breach a major levee in New Orleans, pushing flood waters ever higher and prompting Gov. Kathleen Blanco to order an evacuation. New Orleans' water pumping system has collapsed and much of the southeastern part of the city is under water.
"Louisiana sits at a perilous crossroads," the nine-member delegation wrote. "This incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state. Without your direct intervention, we will not receive this much-needed assistance."
There was no immediate response on the request from the Office of Management and Budget.
Though New Orleans descended through chaos into catastrophe, throughout the rest of the state of Louisiana, the situation was different:
Quote:Vitter: Hurricane damage "heartbreaking"
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said that he's satisfied with the federal response to the hurricane, although it might not be as fast as some hard-pressed residents would like.
"We just have horrible conditions to deal with," Vitter said. "For instance, every and route into the city except one is flooded and obviously we are using air assets, but it is tough. They are moving things into the city, diesel fuel, water, ice food etc as fast as they can."
For any disaster to occur, an enabling chain of events and conditions must exist. As is the case with disasters, once triggered, once begun, the failure chain's progress is inexorable. Had conditions or events been other than those which occasioned the beginning of the failure chain, the ultimate calamity would not have occurred. Blanco and crew assured the impact of Katrina would overwhelm the overall capabilities of a system which at its foundation depends upon competent leadership, adequate preparation, and prudent action on the part of state and local governments. Competent leadership, adequate preparation, and prudent action on the part of state and local governments precisely is what did not happen in Louisiana and New Orleans, and that happenstance of failure precisely is the proximate cause of all that ensued.
For a detailed, essentially objective, on-the-scene timeline, from "The Center of The Storm", so to speak, start
HERE and read upwards. It pretty well chronicles "What Really Happened", event-by-event, as it happened..
KW - <chuckle> Perhaps I could have been more clear; I was addressing specifically the issue that despite The Opposition's shrell rhetoric, the weight of public opinion does not correspond to a general endorsement of The Opposition's position on the Katrina issue. Just for your entertainment, here's another bit of punlic opinion sampling which indicates most of the public holds a different opinion than do those who seek to lay blame on Bush:
Seems to me The Opposition once again is firmly resolved of one mind, and once again squarely behind The Minority Opinion.
