Jack Kelly: No shame: The federal response to Katrina was not as portrayed

[The Ressurrected One]

Actually the best bit was from another bulletin board.

On the Monday of the Hurricane, as the hurricane was raging, 500 Florida Airboat pilots volunteered to assist in the search and rescue. Most filled their boats with supplies and water. They are still waiting for approval to enter the area from FEMA. From every report I've heard, they are still short boats in the disaster zone.

In Atlanta, there are 100s of highly skilled resue workers waiting to be assigned to the disaster zone, and FEMA has them taking Sexual Harrassment courses. The did send some into action as a backdrop for the presidents visit.

Over 600 Illinois firefighers, EMTs, Paramedics, etc... including pumper trucks, ladder trucks and rescue equipment are sitting outside Baton Rouge, because FEMA can't figure out how to deploy them... This represents 1.5% of the total emergency capacity of the State of Illinois... and they are sitting around playing football... because some idiot can't figure out how to use the available resources. **Update** At least some of these have been deployed to cover for Baton Rouge, but I believe the bulk are still waiting for deployment.

And for the record, I'll list Aaron Broussard's accusations, which were never refuted:
"Walmart delivered 3 trucks of water, FEMA turned them back, said we didn't need them."

"We had 1000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel, the Coast Guard said "come and get the fuel." When we got there with our trucks, they got a word, 'FEMA said don't give you the fuel.'"

"FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communications lines [without notice]. The Sherriff ... came back in and re-connected them, and posted armed guards on the lines"

However, in the eyes of the public, is biggest problem was the complete disconnect between what he was telling the press while we were watching images of what was really happening on the ground. It appeared (right or wrong) that he had no clue what was going on. I prefer my public officials to know more than I do about things like this, not less....

Just my .02

Ride Safe,
Ken


http://www.beginnerbikers.org/showthread.php?t=3187

I'm sure he sourced and corroborated these anectdotes. I'm having difficulty finding any - non-blog or forum - reference to the even the first allegation about airboats from Florida. There are plenty of stories about Florida sending them to help and about airboats being used in rescues...uh...Mr. Google.

[whottt]

Actually the best bit was from another bulletin board.

On the Monday of the Hurricane, as the hurricane was raging, 500 Florida Airboat pilots volunteered to assist in the search and rescue. Most filled their boats with supplies and water. They are still waiting for approval to enter the area from FEMA. From every report I've heard, they are still short boats in the disaster zone.

In Atlanta, there are 100s of highly skilled resue workers waiting to be assigned to the disaster zone, and FEMA has them taking Sexual Harrassment courses. The did send some into action as a backdrop for the presidents visit.

Over 600 Illinois firefighers, EMTs, Paramedics, etc... including pumper trucks, ladder trucks and rescue equipment are sitting outside Baton Rouge, because FEMA can't figure out how to deploy them... This represents 1.5% of the total emergency capacity of the State of Illinois... and they are sitting around playing football... because some idiot can't figure out how to use the available resources. **Update** At least some of these have been deployed to cover for Baton Rouge, but I believe the bulk are still waiting for deployment.

And for the record, I'll list Aaron Broussard's accusations, which were never refuted:
"Walmart delivered 3 trucks of water, FEMA turned them back, said we didn't need them."

"We had 1000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel, the Coast Guard said "come and get the fuel." When we got there with our trucks, they got a word, 'FEMA said don't give you the fuel.'"

"FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communications lines [without notice]. The Sherriff ... came back in and re-connected them, and posted armed guards on the lines"

However, in the eyes of the public, is biggest problem was the complete disconnect between what he was telling the press while we were watching images of what was really happening on the ground. It appeared (right or wrong) that he had no clue what was going on. I prefer my public officials to know more than I do about things like this, not less....

Just my .02

Ride Safe,
Ken


http://www.beginnerbikers.org/showthread.php?t=3187

For the 1,034,567,678,987,567 time...the Govenor is in charge of the relief effort...still. If you want to blame Bush for not doing everything in his power to alter that situtation then do so...but just realize the Fed doesn't have the authority in this situation over anything but the Federal Response and they are serving in an assist and support capacity.

And as you can see by Broussard's comments...he felt it was more important for the failed and utterly incompetent state and local failures to be in charge of communications than it was the Federal Govt...



Realize it....

[The Ressurrected One]

An Intel analyst basing conclusions on heresay from a bulletin board? What would your peers say?

There are forums out there claiming the ACOE bombed the levees and that blacks were eating corpses in New Orleans...yeah, reliable source.