Don’t let Bush off the hook. The White House effort to blame the Governor of Louisiana ignores some critical facts:
The Governor of Louisiana declared a State of Emergency on 26 August 2005, which is a pre-requisite for invoking the Stafford Act:
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Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco today issued Proclamation No. 48 KBB 2005, declaring a state of emergency for the state Louisiana as Hurricane Katrina poses an imminent threat, carrying severe storms, high winds, and torrential rain that may cause flooding and damage to private property and public facilities, and threaten the safety and security of the citizens of the state of Louisiana. The state of emergency extends from Friday, August 26, 2005, through Sunday, September 25, 2005, unless terminated sooner.
The Governor, per the National Response Plan, followed this request with a letter on Saturday, 27 August 2005, invoking the Stafford Act. Note this letter inludes specific requests for aid:
The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area and the mid state Interstate I-49 corridor and northern parishes along the I-20 corridor that are accepting the thousands of citizens evacuating from the areas expecting to be flooded as a result of Hurricane Katrina. In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan. CONTINUED BELOW:
The President
The White House
Washington, D. C.
Through:
Regional Director
FEMA Region VI
800 North Loop 288
Denton, Texas 76209
Dear Mr. President:
Under the provisions of Section 501 (a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. xx 5121-5206 (Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR x 206.35, I request that you declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing.
NOTE: THERE IS AN INVALUABLE CHART AT THE END.
Pursuant to 44 CFR ? 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal.
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Preliminary estimates of the types and amount of emergency assistance needed under the Stafford Act, and emergency assistance from certain Federal agencies under other statutory authorities are tabulated in Enclosure A. The following information is furnished on the nature and amount of State and local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the conditions of this emergency:
* Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby.
* Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby.
* Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters.
* Louisiana State Police (LSP): Providing support for the phased evacuation of the coastal areas.
* Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Supporting the evacuation of the affected population and preparing for Search and Rescue Missions.
* Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD): Coordinating traffic flow and management of the evacuations routes with local officials and the State of Mississippi.
The following information is furnished on efforts and resources of other Federal agencies, which have been or will be used in responding to this incident:
* FEMA ERT-A Team en-route.
I certify that for this emergency, the State and local governments will assume all applicable non-Federal share of costs required by the Stafford Act.
I request Direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property.
(a) List any reasons State and local government cannot perform or contract for performance, (if applicable).
(b) Specify the type of assistance requested.
In accordance with 44 CFR ? 206.208, the State of Louisiana agrees that it will, with respect to Direct Federal assistance:
1. Provide without cost to the United States all lands, easement, and rights-of-ways necessary to accomplish the approved work.
2. Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the requested work, and shall indemnify the Federal Government against any claims arising from such work;
3. Provide reimbursement to FEMA for the non-Federal share of the cost of such work in accordance with the provisions of the FEMA-State Agreement; and
4. Assist the performing Federal agency in all support and local jurisdictional matters.
In addition, I anticipate the need for debris removal, which poses an immediate threat to lives, public health, and safety.
Pursuant to Sections 502 and 407 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. ?? 5192 & 5173, the State agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States of America for any claims arising from the removal of debris or wreckage for this disaster. The State agrees that debris removal from public and private property will not occur until the landowner signs an unconditional authorization for the removal of debris.
I have designated Mr. Art Jones as the State Coordinating Officer for this request. He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
Governor.
Enclosure
ENCLOSURE A TO EMERGENCY REQUEST
Estimated requirements for other Federal agency programs:
* Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby. Costs estimated at $500,000 per week for each in operation.
* Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby. Costs estimated at $500,000 per week for each in operation.
* Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters. Costs estimated to range from $250,000-$500,000 to support (6) Shelter generator operations.
* Louisiana State Police (LSP): Costs to support evacuations – $300,000 for a non-direct landfall.
* Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Costs to support evacuations – $200,000 for a non-direct landfall.
* Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD): Costs to support evacuations – $2,000,000 for a non-direct landfall.
Totals: $ 9,000,000
Estimated Requirements for assistance under the Stafford Act:
Coordination: $0
Technical and advisory assistance: $0
Debris removal: $0
Emergency protective measures: $9,000,000
Individuals and Households Program (IHP): $0
Distribution of emergency supplies: $0
Other (specify): $0
Totals: $ 9,000,000
Grand Total: $ 9,000,000.
President Bush, in keeping with the Stafford Act, issued a declaration of a State of Emergecy on 28 August 2005:
President Bush has declared a state of emergency for the Gulf Coast state of Louisiana, as it braces for the expected onslaught of Hurricane Katrina, set to make landfall on Monday.
Saturday’s emergency declaration authorizes federal officials to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and provide appropriate assistance in several Louisiana parishes.
Hours earlier, Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi declared their own states of emergency in preparation for the storm, and evacuations of low-lying areas began. (From the Voice of America)
Now, according to the National Response Plan , the onus was on the Department of Homeland Security to kick the disaster relief effort into high gear. The State of Louisiana had provided the Feds with a basic list of needs. Overview_of_federal_response_under_staff_1
The dispute over who controls the Louisiana National Guard is a red herring. It has nothing to do with the basic responsibility and clear failure of Federal Officials to do what they were authorized to do under their own National Response Plan.
This chart alone highlights the failure of Chertoff and Brown. If President Bush is in charge he ought to hold them accountable.
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Kevin Drum has a post that links to a BBC video in which a US naval officer claims that the navy was prepared to go in at a moment’s notice, but no orders to do so were issued by the White House.
I’ll ask the same question Kevin does: Why were no orders issued?
Give ’em HELL, Larry!
I haven’t been able to get ahold of my uncle-in-law, but he told me that there were plenty of people at the CDC who were very very angry at the way the anthrax situation was handled — I can only imagine what the people who work their asses off every day to prevent this kind of boodoggle are feeling right now…will report when he gets a chance to call me back!
Damning evidence of incompetence at least or an outright attempt to deny these people help. Lets hope its incompetence and not sadism.
Let Bush off the hook? No f-ing way. That man will pay for this inhumanity. He and his butt kissing, lying peons will feel the pressure of millions bear down on them as they are pushed off to exist in oblivion.
Keep posting the facts. We’ll keep doing our part.
it almost seems like it was just the other day…
Nothing was delivered
And I tell this truth to you,
Not out of spite or anger
But simply because it’s true.
Now, I hope you won’t object to this,
Giving back all of what you owe,
The fewer words you have to waste on this,
The sooner you can go.
Nothing is better, nothing is best,
Take heed of this and get plenty of rest.
Nothing was delivered
But I can’t say I sympathize
With what your fate is going to be,
Yes, for telling all those lies.
Now you must provide some answers
For what you sell has not been received,
And the sooner you come up with them,
The sooner you can leave.
Nothing is better, nothing is best,
Take heed of this and get plenty rest.
(Now you know)
Nothing was delivered
And it’s up to you to say
Just what you had in mind
When you made ev’rybody pay.
No, nothing was delivered,
Yes, ‘n’ someone must explain
That as long as it takes to do this
Then that’s how long that you’ll remain.
Nothing is better, nothing is best,
Take heed of this and get plenty rest.
Copyright © 1968; renewed 1996 Dwarf Music
I think we should impeach them and personally sue them for more money than they are worth. Let them be in massive debt for a good while so they can feel a bit fo what it feels like. 🙁
Maybe it’s low.. but I wish a tailor-made Greek tragedy on those bastards. Sic the harpies on’m !
Where the F were these people? Chertoff said he read about it in the Tuesday morning paper. We cannot let these %*&^%% off for one second. Larry please, tell us what we can do to make these incompetant F’ers accountable. I mean how more black and white can it get?
Thanks very much for posting this diary. It lays it out in black/white-no grey area whatsoever about chain of command and not only that but the legality of whose responsible.
I’ll certainly keep this to refer back to. I’ve already heard from the first person I’ve talked to about Katrina that it’s not the governments fault..and that it takes days to organize relief food/water. And the stupidity of these kind of remarks make me want to scream.
I want to point people to it who will consider its being from a Librul source to utterly taint it…
Writing the Pres does nothing but feed the White House paper shredders. Write the media and Congress with this stuff. Call in on talk shows. Hammer away!
Correction: Blanco’s letter of request (pdf) is dated Sun. Aug 28, 2005 not Sat. 27. The Friday Aug. 26 request is the more important request date at any rate and is also confirmed by Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré in this DOD Special Briefing. The letter is a more specific request as to what exactly is needed.
Not so. Check on Lexis Nexis. They posted the letter on 27 August NOT REPEAT NOT 28 August.
LJ
Odd that the letter available on gov.louisiana.gov I link to above is dated Sun Aug. 28.