Qualcomm vs. The Superdome

[George Gervin's Afro]

White House: Katrina lessons applied to California fires

Oct 23 04:29 PM US/Eastern

The White House worked Tuesday to assure the US public that it had learned its lesson from the botched response to Hurricane Katrina, as it now grappled with devastating fires in California.
"I think that there were lessons learned from Katrina, especially in regards to early communication and coordination between the federal, state, and local governments," spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters at a daily briefing.

US President George W. Bush, who was very criticized for the sluggish response to Katrina from Washington two years ago, quickly reached out to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, she said.

"Governor Schwarzenegger did tell the President he felt he was getting what he needed, but the president said, 'you've got an open line of communication, and if you need more, you just have to let us know,'" she said.

Overnight Monday into Tuesday, Bush declared that the state, where some 500,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in the face of the advancing fires, was eligible for federal aid.

On Tuesday, Bush sent Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Paulison, to the devastated areas in the state.

"All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes, and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes. We send our prayers and thoughts with those who've been affected, and we send the help of the federal government, as well," Bush said.

"Today I have sent Secretary Chertoff and Director Paulison of the FEMA to go out to California to listen, develop an inventory of supplies and help that we can provide," he said in a speech.

Perino displayed slides showing the amount of federal aid sent so far -- including cots, blankets and 280,000 bottles of water -- "to alert people to what the federal government is doing in order to help."

"The state and local governments are working quite well together, as well, which is why we've had a good coordinated response. It's a very dangerous situation," she said.

Hey wait a minute. You mean we have learned from Katrina? The resident republicans on this board want to make it a dem vs republican issue.. So the resulting reaction is derived from the lessons from katrina... but,but,but i thought it was republicans being in charge..

[Yonivore]

Hey wait a minute. You mean we have learned from Katrina? The resident republicans on this board want to make it a dem vs republican issue.. So the resulting reaction is derived from the lessons from katrina... but,but,but i thought it was republicans being in charge..

Pla udes...

President Bush reached out to Governor Blanco several days before landfall and pleaded for her to order an evacution. She refused.

FEMA staged resources in Texas and Florida...days before landfall.

President Bush offered assistance before landfall.

The lessons learned -- but probably already well understood by the folks in San Diego county is that you don't about government with the waters pouring in or the fire's breaching the break. You get off your ass and do something constructive.

[ChumpDumper]

You drive way in your Tahoe and get a room at the Wyndham.

[Yonivore]

Governor Blanco refused to hand over the evacuation to Federal authorities despite pleading from the Bush Administration.

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight [last] Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state’s emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. “Quite frankly, if they’d been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals,” said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

So the Governor and the Mayor were more concerned about who would be blamed in advance of the catastrophe rather than caring about using all resources available to save their citizens’ lives?

A senior administration official said that Bush has clear legal authority to federalize National Guard units to quell civil disturbances under the Insurrection Act and will continue to try to unify the chains of command that are split among the president, the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor.

Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

Further, it was President Bush… not Blanco or Nagin… who had to demand the evacuation of New Orleans on Sunday.

I’m sure that the President and FEMA assumed that New Orleans and state officials would follow their own evacuation plans, especially since they refused Federal help on Sunday. And that they would use the drowned buses to save lives that are normally used to make sure Democrats get to the polls on time every four years.

[clambake]

geez, if only they were as good at action as they are at spinning.

[Oh, Gee!!]

So the Governor and the Mayor were more concerned about who would be blamed in advance of the catastrophe rather than caring about using all resources available to save their citizens’ lives?

the request was made the Friday after landfall. you're making it seem as though the request was made the Friday before landfall.

[Yonivore]

the request was made the Friday after landfall. you're making it seem as though the request was made the Friday before landfall.

The Friday before landfall, there were no rescues to be performed. The White House was trying to get Blanco to order an evacuation that would have preclude the need for rescues.

[TheSuckUp]

The Friday before landfall, there were no rescues to be performed. The White House was trying to get Blanco to order an evacuation that would have preclude the need for rescues.

You are good....very good.

[exstatic]

The Bush admin evacuated SD and provided shelter? More like they jumped into their Lexuses and drove to the downtown Marriott for a "campout".

Poor N.O. peeps <> Rich Cali hill people.

[Hook Dem]

The Bush admin evacuated SD and provided shelter? More like they jumped into their Lexuses and drove to the downtown Marriott for a "campout".

Poor N.O. peeps <> Rich Cali hill people.

So rich cali hill people get no sympathy from you? Even if their home burns to the ground? WOW!

[exstatic]

I guarantee you that within 2 years, the time that has passed since Katrina, all of those people will have their Lexus parked in a new garage on a different tinderbox SoCal hillside. Other than the unfortunate two people that died, why SHOULD I feel sorry for them? They lost some possessions and possibly their home, which insurance will cover, unlike the Gulf coasters, where the insurance companies are playing the flood card.

The only thing that I see that the people of N.O. have in common with the people of S.D. is that I think they are crazy to live where they do.

[Yonivore]

I guarantee you that within 2 years, the time that has passed since Katrina, all of those people will have their Lexus parked in a new garage on a different tinderbox SoCal hillside. Other than the unfortunate two people that died, why SHOULD I feel sorry for them? They lost some possessions and possibly their home, which insurance will cover, unlike the Gulf coasters, where the insurance companies are playing the flood card.

The only thing that I see that the people of N.O. have in common with the people of S.D. is that I think they are crazy to live where they do.

You don't know what the you're talking about.

Yes, there are millionaires and their mansions being affected...just as there were in New Orleans. But, most of those affected by the fires, just as there was in New Orleans, are the working class and immigrants of Northern San Diego County. Escondido isn't La Jolla.

[Yonivore]

Incidentally, I'm seeing on ABC, right now, that there are 2,000,000 illegal immigrants in the path of the fires that refuse to leave the fields because they're afraid they'll lose their jobs.

2,000,000...

I think we've found the victims the media was looking for...expect this to be an immigration issue before morning.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

what's your beef? They did a good job and they deserve praise.

they actually evacuated when they were told to evacuate. you mean to tell me they listened? wow. i bet that helped alot.

[Yonivore]

they actually evacuated when they were told to evacuate. you mean to tell me they listened? wow. i bet that helped alot.

Well, now we've got the illegals refusing to leave their fields. So, should something happen to them, I'm sure it'll be Bush's fault.

[PixelPusher]

Well, now we've got the illegals refusing to leave their fields. So, should something happen to them, I'm sure it'll be Bush's fault.

That what they get for not having cars and enough spare cash to rent a hotel for a couple weeks.

[101A]

That what they get for not having cars and enough spare cash to rent a hotel for a couple weeks.

What?

[George Gervin's Afro]

Governor Blanco refused to hand over the evacuation to Federal authorities despite pleading from the Bush Administration.


So the Governor and the Mayor were more concerned about who would be blamed in advance of the catastrophe rather than caring about using all resources available to save their citizens’ lives?


Further, it was President Bush… not Blanco or Nagin… who had to demand the evacuation of New Orleans on Sunday.

I’m sure that the President and FEMA assumed that New Orleans and state officials would follow their own evacuation plans, especially since they refused Federal help on Sunday. And that they would use the drowned buses to save lives that are normally used to make sure Democrats get to the polls on time every four years.

but they nagin/blanco managed to convince some 85% of the population to evacuate yoni?

oh lord the not the buses again.. i am surprised you haven't found a picture of a car lot and them blamed nagin for not getting the keys for every car and picking up the remaining folks by himself..

I seem to recall you enjoy using the 'mistakes happen in wars' schtick yet mistakes can't happen during the worst natural disater in American history... but,but,but they had buses..

can mistakes happen during natural disasters? yes or no.

[101A]

but they nagin/blanco managed to convince some 85% of the population to evacuate yoni?

oh lord the not the buses again.. i am surprised you haven't found a picture of a car lot and them blamed nagin for not getting the keys for every car and picking up the remaining folks by himself..

I seem to recall you enjoy using the 'mistakes happen in wars' schtick yet mistakes can't happen during the worst natural disater in American history... but,but,but they had buses..

I haven't heard the national media call New Orleans "Mistakes". They place the blame SQUARELY at the feet of the President and suggest, in slightly veiled language, that the result is because Bush doesn't care about poor black people. Nagin et al. get very little blame from the M$M.

[ElNono]

I predict Insurance companies start declaring bankruptcy in the upcoming weeks/months... And no, I won't be blaming the administration for that.
However, once that happens, I will probably be blaming congress in general for passing a 'California Aid Act' bailing those companies out.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I haven't heard the national media call New Orleans "Mistakes". They place the blame SQUARELY at the feet of the President and suggest, in slightly veiled language, that the result is because Bush doesn't care about poor black people. Nagin et al. get very little blame from the M$M.

I have have personally never blamed bush. there are many things that could have happened differently but Bush was not the reason why everything was f*cked up. Enough with the media.. jesus.. if it's not bush's fault it's the media's fault..

[Yonivore]

but they nagin/blanco managed to convince some 85% of the population to evacuate yoni?

oh lord the not the buses again.. i am surprised you haven't found a picture of a car lot and them blamed nagin for not getting the keys for every car and picking up the remaining folks by himself..

Well, if the car lots were a part of of the city's evacuation plan -- as use of school buses were -- yeah, I'd fault him for not taking advantage of that resource as well.

I seem to recall you enjoy using the 'mistakes happen in wars' schtick yet mistakes can't happen during the worst natural disater in American history... but,but,but they had buses..

Human adversaries are quite unpredictable...no so with a natural disaster.

And, please, enough with this "worst natural disaster in American History" nonsense. Just off the top of my head, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906; approximately 3,000 dead and a major city destroyed. And, the 1900 Galveston hurricane; 9,000+ dead and, again, a major city in ruins...covered by more water than inundated New Orleans.

can mistakes happen during natural disasters? yes or no.

I think that's pretty apparent. Ray Nagin and Kathleen Blanco are poster children for how political concerns can lead one to make mistakes during a natural disaster.

[Hook Dem]

"The only thing that I see that the people of N.O. have in common with the people of S.D. is that I think they are crazy to live where they do." I figured that would come up sooner or later. Unfortunately, these people did not have a say as to where their folks had sex. Same as the people of N.O., it has always been home. Some might say you are crazy for living in San Antonio because of floods, but they would be wrong!

[Oh, Gee!!]

The Friday before landfall, there were no rescues to be performed. The White House was trying to get Blanco to order an evacuation that would have preclude the need for rescues.

the Friday before landfall the governor declared a state of emergency, Bush didn't do anything at all until after landfall. you sure have a strange way of remembering things (meaning untrue and only in the best possible light for bush).

[Oh, Gee!!]

they actually evacuated when they were told to evacuate. you mean to tell me they listened? wow. i bet that helped alot.

I was referring to the response from the local agencies, you dope.