The Times-Picayune has stopped reporting on anything other than the ongoing disaster in their region. The collection of photos offered at their website grows and grows throughout each day.
They try not to editorialize.
USAID and the US Marines hit the ground after the tsunami in East Asia within 24 hours. Watching the news, yesterday and the days before — and seeing NGO’s and small town charity groups and even journalists with some food and water in their vehicles be the first to get to refugees days after the storm — is unforgivable. That’s not an editorial. It’s a fact.
What we needed was a cabinet level position and agency that was charged with coordinating efforts in the event of a major disaster. John either one of two things happened. Either no one wanted to take charge, or there was a pissing contest over who was going to take charge. When all is said and done, there is really only one person in charge.
If you have time, the Times-Picayune has a link on teir site to a 5-part series called “Washing Away” that was written in 2004 and does an excellent job of describing flood control in Southern Lousisana. Like several other authors, Washing Away accurately predicts what actually happened. It is an entertaining read if anyone wants to know why it happened.
I believe that the way President Bush II is handling the situation is unacceptable and insane!!! He needs to go and spend a couple nights in the dome! More over New Orleans’s own mayor and I are on the same page as far as us thinking what Pres. Bush is doing is very wrong! Greta and Aaron Brown can talk all they want but Haroldo Rivera is the only one brave enough to actually STAY in the dome and for that I solute him! That’s all for now
Ever heard of the Posse Comitatus law? The military isn’t allowed to operate on US soil though there may be an exception for natural disasters. The National Guard is used for this purpose and the way they can move faster even without the bureaucracy is if you move them in advance every time you think there will be a disaster, which is a significant cost. Largely would have been considered unnecessary if the evacuation had been called ahead of time.