[Rhodes22-list] Horse shit and drinking.

[Bill Effros]

Brad,

Study first, write later.

If you seriously believe we are spending more than $5 billion a year for 
FEMA to fund studies that it is not responsible for implementing, it's 
time for some more letters to the editor.

Bill Effros

brad haslett wrote:

>Bill,
>
>You are dead wrong about that.  FEMA nor the National
>Guard have the authority to intervene without State
>permission.  Now if you're not happy with that, you
>better lobby for a change in the constitution quickly
>because hurricane season is not over yet.  NO had an
>evacuation plan that they developed but did not
>implement.  FEMA supplies funds for studies of proper
>response of local authorities but they do not write
>them, approve them, or implement them.  NO used their
>FEMA funds for other purposes (I'm late for a class
>and will supply the facts on that issue later).  Your
>assessment on the Federal response to 9/11 is
>essentially correct - the military launched fighters,
>the FAA grounded airplanes, the Secret Service flew
>the POTUS to a pre-determined and pre-planned location
>(against the Presidents wishes), all actions within
>the scope and authority of the federal government. 
>The first responders on the scene was the NYPD and
>NYFD under direct supervision from the Mayor of NYC,
>also on the scene.  As it should be.  Here is an old
>article that summarizes NOLA.
>
>Brad
>
>-------------------Don't Blame Bush for Katrina 
>Christopher Ruddy
>Monday, Sept. 5, 2005 
>George Bush and the federal government are not to
>blame for the disaster we have witnessed in the
>aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
>
>In fact, the primary responsibility for the disaster
>response lies with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin,
>Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and other local
>officials.
>
>
>Yet leading Democrats and their allies in the major
>media are clearly using this disaster for political
>purposes and ignoring one obvious fact.
>
>
>Story Continues Below
>
>
>
>This fact - which needs to be repeated and remembered
>- is that in our country, state and local governments
>have primary responsibility in dealing with local
>disasters. 
>
>
>The founding fathers devised a federal system of
>government - one that has served us remarkably well
>through great disasters that have befallen America
>over more than two centuries.
>
>
>But if we believe the major TV networks, George Bush,
>FEMA and the Republicans in Congress are all to blame
>for the current nightmare.
>
>
>Let's remember that FEMA, the Federal Emergency
>Management Agency, was created only in 1979. It was
>formed to coordinate and focus federal response to
>major disasters - to "assist" local and state
>governments.
>
>
>Common sense suggests that local and state governments
>are best able to prepare and plan for local disasters.
>
>
>Is a Washington bureaucrat better suited to prepare
>for an earthquake in San Francisco, a hurricane in
>Florida, or a terrorist act in New York?
>
>
>After the Sept. 11 attacks against the World Trade
>Center, no one suggested that the Bush administration
>should have been responsible for New York's disaster
>response or that federal agents should have been
>involved in the rescue of those trapped in the
>buildings.
>
>
>Last year, four major hurricanes slammed into Florida.
>Governor Jeb Bush led the disaster response and did a
>remarkable job, with nothing happening like what we
>have seen in New Orleans.
>
>
>The primary response in disasters has always come from
>local communities and state governments. 
>
>
>First responders and the manpower to deal with
>emergencies come from local communities: police, fire
>and medical. Under our federal system, these local
>departments answer to local authorities, not those in
>Washington. These first responders are not even under
>federal control, nor do they have to follow federal
>orders.
>
>
>In addition to local responders, every state in the
>Union has a National Guard. 
>
>
>State National Guards answer first to the governor of
>each state, not to the president. The National Guard
>exists not to defend one state from an invasion by
>another state, but primarily for emergencies like the
>one we have witnessed in New Orleans and in other
>areas impacted by Katrina. (See:
>http://www.arng.army.mil/about_us/organization/command_structure.asp)
>
>
>
>Tim Russert and the Blame Game
>
>
>The media would have you believe that this disaster
>was worsened by a slow response from President Bush
>and his administration, though the primary
>responsibility for disaster response has always been
>with local and state governments.
>
>
>It is true that federal response was not as fast as it
>could have been. The president himself has
>acknowledged that fact. 
>
>
>But the press has focused on the first 48 hours of
>federal response, not uttering a word about the fact
>that New Orleans had 48 hours of warning that a major
>Category 4 or 5 would make landfall near the city, yet
>local officials apparently did little to prepare. 
>
>Obviously, Gov. Blanco did not effectively deploy her
>state's National Guard. 
>
>And New Orleans' city leaders did almost nothing to
>evacuate the portion of the population with no
>transportation. In failing to follow their own
>evacuation plan, these officials did little to
>pre-position food, water and personnel to deal with
>the aftermath.
>
>
>I was surprised Sunday to watch Tim Russert, on his
>show "Meet the Press," tear into Homeland Security
>Chief Michael Chertoff. During his encounter with
>Chertoff, Russert did not suggest once that local
>government had any role in dealing with the disaster.
>Russert also asked for Chertoff's resignation.
>
>
>It wasn't until after the first 29 minutes of his show
>- 29 minutes - that Russert raised the question of
>local responsibility. And when he did so with
>Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard, he did so
>in a passing way. Broussard brushed off his question
>with a non-answer.
>
>
>Broussard began his interview claiming that the nation
>had "abandoned" New Orleans.
>
>
>That is nonsense and a lie. 
>
>
>Broussard, who was never identified by "Meet the
>Press" as a Democrat, spent much of his time attacking
>the Bush administration, as has Democratic New Orleans
>Mayor Ray Nagin.
>
>
>Broussard then ended his performance as he collapsed
>in tears with a demand: "For God's sake, just shut up
>and send us somebody!"
>
>
>His tears didn't wash with me. My sympathies lie with
>the tens of thousands of people who have suffered or
>died because local officials like Broussard, Mayor
>Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco, also a Democrat,
>failed monumentally at their jobs.
>
>
>As former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial told Russert,
>the disaster in New Orleans was "foreseeable."
>
>
>In fact, New Orleans has long known that such a
>disaster could take place if a major hurricane hit the
>city.
>
>
>The municipality even prepared its own "City of New
>Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan."
>
>
>The plan makes it evident that New Orleans knew that
>evacuation of the civilian population was the primary
>responsibility of the city - not the federal
>government.
>
>
>The city plan acknowledges its responsibility in the
>document:
>
>
>As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the
>government has jurisdiction and responsibility in
>disaster response. City government shall coordinate
>its efforts through the Office of Emergency
>Preparedness.
>
>
>The city document also makes clear that decisions
>involving a proper and orderly evacuation lie with the
>governor, mayor and local authorities. Nowhere is the
>president or federal government even mentioned:
>
>
>
>The authority to order the evacuation of residents
>threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to
>the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is
>granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation
>of all or part of the population from a stricken or
>threatened area within the State, if he deems this
>action necessary for the preservation of life or other
>disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same
>power to order an evacuation conferred upon the
>Governor is also delegated to each political
>subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This
>authority empowers the chief elected official of New
>Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the
>evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an
>approaching hurricane.
>
>
>
>It is clear the city also recognized that it would
>need to move large portions of its population, and it
>would need to prepare for such an eventuality:
>
>
>The City of New Orleans will utilize all available
>resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened
>areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary
>sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When
>specific routes of progress are required, evacuees
>will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements
>will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport
>themselves or who require specific life saving
>assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to
>assist in evacuation procedures as needed. ... 
>
>Evacuation procedures for small scale and localized
>evacuations are conducted per the SOPs of the New
>Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police
>Department. However, due to the sheer size and number
>of persons to be evacuated, should a major tropical
>weather system or other catastrophic event threaten or
>impact the area, specifically directed long range
>planning and coordination of resources and
>responsibilities efforts must be undertaken. [You can
>read New Orleans' Emergency Plan for hurricanes at its
>Web site:
>http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26]
>
>
>The city's plan also specifically called for the use
>of city-owned buses and school buses to evacuate the
>population. These were apparently never deployed,
>though the Parish of Plaquemines just south of the
>city evacuated its population using school buses.
>
>
>The plan, written well before Katrina was even a
>teardrop in God's eye, was obviously never heeded or
>implemented by local leaders.
>
>
>But why should the New Orleans mayor and Governor
>Blanco take responsibility when they can blame George
>Bush and the Republicans in Washington?
>
>
>With congressional elections fast approaching,
>Democrats who are out of power in every branch of the
>federal government know they need to change the tide
>quickly.
>
>
>They have apparently seized on the Katrina disaster to
>harm the president politically. 
>
>
>Criticism of the federal government's response is fair
>and warranted. But putting full responsibility for
>this disaster on the Bush administration is way over
>the top. 
>
>Primary responsibility for this disaster remains with
>local officials like Nagin and Blanco, not President
>Bush. 
>
>
>
>
>
>--- Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Hank,
>>
>>In fact, the part about 9/11 was not cut and pasted
>>from anywhere.  I 
>>wrote it.  And thank you, I do consider myself a
>>good source.
>>
>>I am not absolving anyone of anything, I am only
>>asking people to get 
>>their facts right.  My facts are right about
>>Katrina, too.
>>
>>Neither the Federal Government nor FEMA needs the
>>permission of local 
>>governments to go into action.  People went to the
>>Superdome because 
>>that was part of the FEMA plan.  It was FEMA's
>>responsibility to take 
>>care of them inside the Superdome, and to evacuate
>>them, as part of the 
>>Federal Emergency Management Agency's mandate.  (I
>>believe we spend 
>>about $5 billion a year on FEMA--this is what it is
>>supposed to do.)
>>
>>I travel all over this country, and I fit in well
>>everywhere.  Don't 
>>turn George Bush's failed policies into a personal
>>attack on me.
>>
>>Bill Effros
>>
>>
>>
>>Hank wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Bill,
>>>Your part about 9/11 was obviously cut and pasted
>>>      
>>>
>>from a good source. The 
>>    
>>
>>>rest of it is political diatribe aimed at putting
>>>      
>>>
>>the entire blame on the 
>>    
>>
>>>Federal Gov't. You've effectively absolved the
>>>      
>>>
>>state and local gov't in your 
>>    
>>
>>>opinion piece and it is obvious that your comments
>>>      
>>>
>>are overwhelmingly 
>>    
>>
>>>affected by your hatred for the federal gov't and
>>>      
>>>
>>George Bush. You should 
>>    
>>
>>>consider moving to Idaho, you'd fit in well there.
>>>Hank
>>>
>>>On 9/20/05, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote: 
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Herb,
>>>>
>>>>In early 2001 FEMA identified the 3 most
>>>>        
>>>>
>>catastrophic situations it
>>    
>>
>>>>might some day have to address. They were:
>>>>
>>>>1. A terrorist attack on NYC.
>>>>2. A major earthquake in San Francisco.
>>>>3. A levee break in New Orleans.
>>>>
>>>>On September 11, 2001, 37 minutes after the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>take-off of the first
>>    
>>
>>>>hijacked airplane, the FAA requested that military
>>>>        
>>>>
>>aircraft scramble to
>>    
>>
>>>>help deal with the known hijacking. Within 9
>>>>        
>>>>
>>minutes there were
>>    
>>
>>>>military aircraft in the sky. 4 minutes later, the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>military received
>>    
>>
>>>>notice that the airplane they were trying to find
>>>>        
>>>>
>>had just hit the World
>>    
>>
>>>>Trade Center. The President of the United States,
>>>>        
>>>>
>>on his way to a
>>    
>>
>>>>"Photo Op" in a school in Florida, was immediately
>>>>        
>>>>
>>informed. He told
>>    
>>
>>>>reporters before entering the school that he was
>>>>        
>>>>
>>aware of the fact that
>>    
>>
>>>>a plane had smashed into the World Trade Center. 3
>>>>        
>>>>
>>minutes later the
>>    
>>
>>>>FAA determined that a second aircraft had been
>>>>        
>>>>
>>hijacked, and immediately
>>    
>>
>>>>the FAA began contacting and diverting airplanes.
>>>>        
>>>>
>>7 minutes later a
>>    
>>
>>>>different FAA flight controller called a different
>>>>        
>>>>
>>military installation
>>    
>>
>>>>to request help. A minute later, another FAA
>>>>        
>>>>
>>flight controller, in yet
>>    
>>
>>>>another part of the country called another
>>>>        
>>>>
>>military unit to request
>>    
>>
>>>>aircraft be scrambled. None of these flight
>>>>        
>>>>
>>controllers knew that the
>>    
>>
>>>>others had acted. The military did not know that
>>>>        
>>>>
>>it had received
>>    
>>
>>>>multiple requests. 8 minutes later there were
>>>>        
>>>>
>>multiple military fighter
>>    
>>
>>>>jets over Long Island. 5 minutes later the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>fighters were moved over
>>    
>>
>>>>Manhattan. A minute later jets were scrambled from
>>>>        
>>>>
>>Langly AFB in
>>    
>>
>>>>Virginia and sent up to NYC because the fighters
>>>>        
>>>>
>>over NYC were running
>>    
>>
>>>>low on fuel. 8 minutes later the FAA closed all
>>>>        
>>>>
>>NYC airports. 4
>>    
>>
>>>>minutes later the Port Authority of NYC closed all
>>>>        
>>>>
>>bridges and tunnels.
>>    
>>
>>>>1 minute later the FAA told Dulles air controllers
>>>>        
>>>>
>>to watch for incoming
>>    
>>
>>>>hijacked aircraft. 4 minutes later the military
>>>>        
>>>>
>>established a combat
>>    
>>
>>>>air patrol over Manhattan, and, at the same time,
>>>>        
>>>>
>>the FAA grounded all
>>    
>>
>>>>aircraft all over the country. 5 minutes later,
>>>>        
>>>>
>>the President of the
>>    
>>
>>>>United States went on National TV to announce that
>>>>        
>>>>
>>the country had
>>    
>>
>>>>suffered "an apparent terrorist attack". 15
>>>>        
>>>>
>>minutes later the White
>>    
>>
>>>>House was evacuated. 12 minutes later the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>President left Florida for an
>>    
>>
>>>>Air Force Base in Louisiana. 9 minutes later the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>South Tower of the
>>    
>>
>>>>World Trade Center collapsed. 5 minutes later part
>>>>        
>>>>
>>of the Pentagon
>>    
>>
>>>>collapsed. 9 minutes later the UN building was
>>>>        
>>>>
>>evacuated. 15 minutes
>>    
>>
>>>>later the North Tower of the World Trade Center
>>>>        
>>>>
>>collapsed. 17 minutes
>>    
>>
>>>>later all Federal buildings in Washington DC were
>>>>        
>>>>
>>evacuated. 7 minutes
>>    
>>
>>>>later, all DC area airports were closed. 10
>>>>        
>>>>
>>minutes later the Mayor of
>>    
>>
>>>>NYC ordered the evacuation of everyone south of
>>>>        
>>>>
>>the World Trade Center.
>>    
>>
>>>>2 hours and 2 minutes later, the President of the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>United States,
>>    
>>
>>>>speaking from Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, said the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>US military has been
>>    
>>
>>>>put on high alert world wide. 44 minutes later the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>President of the
>>    
>>
>>>>United States flew to an Air Force base in
>>>>        
>>>>
>>Nebraska. 4 hours and 53
>>    
>>
>>>>minutes later, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld
>>>>        
>>>>
>>announced that the Pentagon
>>    
>>
>>>>had re-opened and was conducting business. 13
>>>>        
>>>>
>>minutes later the
>>    
>>
>>>>President returned to the White House from Omaha,
>>>>        
>>>>
>>Nebraska. By this
>>    
>>
>>>>time, FEMA was on the ground, inside both New York
>>>>        
>>>>
>>City and Washington
>>    
>>
>>>>DC coordinating the nation's response to the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>disaster.
>>    
>>
>>>>Now let's compare that response to the Federal
>>>>        
>>>>
>>Government's response to
>>    
>>
>>>>Hurricane Katrina.
>>>>
>>>>On Friday, August 26 the State of Louisiana
>>>>        
>>>>
>>declared a state of
>>    
>>
>>>>emergency because it was clear that hurricane
>>>>        
>>>>
>>Katrina was going to
>>    
>>
>>>>strike somewhere on the Louisiana coast. FEMA was
>>>>        
>>>>
>>automatically notified.
>>    
>>
>>>>On Saturday, August 27, FEMA took no action to
>>>>        
>>>>
>>mitigate what was sure to
>>    
>>
>>>>be a major disaster somewhere on the Gulf Coast.
>>>>
>>>>On Sunday, August 28, the National Weather Service
>>>>        
>>>>
>>posted this warning
>>    
>>
>>>>under the headline :
>>>>
>>>>''Hurricane Katrina. A most powerful hurricane
>>>>        
>>>>
>>with unprecedented
>>    
>>
>>>>strength.".
>>>>
>>>>"Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks,
>>>>        
>>>>
>>perhaps
>>    
>>
>>>>longer...Power outages will last for weeks...Water
>>>>        
>>>>
>>shortages will make
>>    
>>
>>>>human suffering incredible by modern standards.''
>>>>
>>>>The warning had been written years earlier. Only
>>>>        
>>>>
>>the name of the
>>    
>>
>>>>hurricane was inserted at the last minute. There
>>>>        
>>>>
>>was no question that
>>    
>>
>>>>the hurricane would strike somewhere along the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>Gulf Coast of the United
>>    
>>
>>>>States, resulting in massive loss of life.
>>>>
>>>>The President of the United States immediately
>>>>        
>>>>
>>issued a declaration of
>>    
>>
>>>>emergency for the Gulf Coast region. He also found
>>>>        
>>>>
>>time to cut a cake
>>    
>>
>>>>for John McCain, play a guitar for Mark Wills,
>>>>        
>>>>
>>deliver an address about
>>    
>>
>>>>V-J day, and stay at his ranch to continue his
>>>>        
>>>>
>>vacation.
>>    
>>
>>>>The Mayor of New Orleans issued a mandatory
>>>>        
>>>>
>>evacuation 
>>    
>>
>=== message truncated ===
>
>
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