"Dear Mr. President"

[Miriel]

Statement issued by the White House on August 27, 2005:

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing. The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures"

Bush goes on to say: "Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency."

So two days before the hurricane hit, the President assumed responsibility for coordinating ALL disaster relief efforts. He then specifically gave FEMA the responsibility to head this effort, giving it presidential authorization to mobilize any and all resources necessary to "alleviate the impacts of the emergency."

The government on all levels severely mishandled this whole situation. Hell, the people themselves didn't help matters by refusing to leave when they had the chance. But as soon as the President made that statement, the responsibility was placed in the hands of the Bush administration, and they screwed up royally.

How can anyone claim that pointing the finger at Bush is ignorant?

[Channing]

Because once again it was the state's business before the incident occured. The federal levels cannot interfere without permission from the governer hence Bush leaves vacation after the incident had already happened.

Can you name these levels of government that supposedly messed up? The fact that the public and government did not take proper precaution and actions in advance is not in the hands of the president.

And further more, can you source this? Atleast by media if anything? I've shown my source yet it's pretty much evident. Louisiana's officials were given ample time to make preperations and announcements on the situation. Those were neglected. Sorely said the president could not just ignore a situation and get away with it. It just appears as if another meager attempt to slander the leader of a nation hated by so many.

It's been on so many levels I really get sick of discussing it. The last huge hurricane striking foreign lands. People were upset with Bush and the amount of help offered. Upset about the Middle East pruning, and finally upset with the values a republican shares different from others. It's just ridiculously sought that people attack the president when they can. Not because he is president, but because of whom he is.

[eestlinc]

I think you're buying into the right wing campaign to pawn the "guilt" off on the locals and act as if the federal government have no culpability. Clearly there were screw-ups all around, and it's despicable, but trying to say "hey it's not our fault, the governor of Louisiana is a dumbass and screwed up, look how great the (former GOP chairman and lobbyist) Governor of Mississippi is by comparison." It's disgusting.

[Channing]

Well that's a better statement. I'm not proclaiming Bush is a saint. By no means do I agree with him fully but to primarily blame the situation on Bush would be a sad assumption. And that is what it seems pouring out of these 3 threads already discussing this issue one way or another.

They knew one day this would come but once again it's not the president's responsibility to make sure Louisiana is protected against weather. That is why the governer and staff over Louisiana is in place. If not, then what are their jobs?

I agree everyone has played a factor in this incident. But I do not agree that Bush carries the load of this catastrophe.

[edczxcvbnm]

He doesn't carry the load of the this but he will end up doing so because he is the leader of this country and he is failing to lead in a huge crisis. When others can't get their together he is suppose to come in and make them get their together and do everything in his power to make sure things get done ASAP. He waited to do anything and then even when he did come back he still didn't do a whole lot of anything other than touring the damage. It isn't like he told Homeland Secuirty/FEMA to get their act together and mobilize everything in site to get the citizens to safty immediatly no matter the cost. That clearly didn't happen as well as a great many other things.

He might not have had to be there for the start of this mess but as the top dog it is up to him to come in a take care of everything we those who were suppose to take care of the mess failed to do so and find others capable of doing the job.

[Miriel]

The text I quoted comes directly from the White House website.

I agree everyone has played a factor in this incident. But I do not agree that Bush carries the load of this catastrophe.

Dude, I agree with this. But your posts indicated that you think that Bush shouldn't claim ANY of the responsibility which clearly isn't the case. He's the President of the United States and he did a piss-poor job of leading our nation through this disaster.

Also, I love ed.

[Channing]

He doesn't carry the load of the this but he will end up doing so because he is the leader of this country and he is failing to lead in a huge crisis. When others can't get their together he is suppose to come in and make them get their together and do everything in his power to make sure things get done ASAP. He waited to do anything and then even when he did come back he still didn't do a whole lot of anything other than touring the damage. It isn't like he told Homeland Secuirty/FEMA to get their act together and mobilize everything in site to get the citizens to safty immediatly no matter the cost. That clearly didn't happen as well as a great many other things.


He might not have had to be there for the start of this mess but as the top dog it is up to him to come in a take care of everything we those who were suppose to take care of the mess failed to do so and find others capable of doing the job.

Well it takes a mistake to happen to notice it period. Proper steps are being taken to correct the ones made. It's not like he knows "this person will make a mistake, replace them." Those whom did not take responsibility are now being replaced by those who can.

It's easy to talk and critisize but I've yet to see any opinions on what one would have personally done. (:

[edczxcvbnm]

What I would have personally done? For one I wouldn't be on a 5 week vacation ever as president. I would have looked into how prepared we were going to be for a worse case senerio of the any disaster the hurricane would have caused(that means the flood in N.O. wouldn't have been accounted for. In essence everything would have been done differently. You can't place yourself in someone elses position like that when they came into something they should have had a firm grasp on from the start.

They are now replacing people...it is a little late to be doing that. You don't have to fire people on the spot but if they couldn't handle if as it was happening they need to be replaced then. Also why bother replacing those who are not taking responsibility? Why not just replace everyone who is resposible whether they claim to be responsible or not.

As for it takes a mistake to notice it...there should not have been a mistake...or if there was one then not 20 bazillion mistakes like there was. The federal gov shouldn't just leave something like this up to the state. The should help to make sure they are prepared. They can handle the sitch(thank you Kim possible for shortening situation) on their own if they want to but make sure they have the ability to do so and be prepared to step in right away if it turns out they can't do it. If all of this was taken into account then it sure doesn't show. I have a hard time believing this was done at all during Bush's vacation.

If I was a screw up like Bush I would probably be doing about as much as he has...because you know

"Its hard work" - GWB

[DMKA]

Haha, I loved how Bush had the nerve to say "I'm cutting my vacation short because of the disaster!" when he had one day left of vacation and has already spent nearly a quarter of his time in office on vacation. He's broken Reagan's record as laziest most vacationing president ever in less than five years that took Reagan his whole eight years. Plus Reagan had Alsheimers. x)

[eestlinc]

I'd consider staffing the top rungs of FEMA with political cronies with absolutely no disaster management experience to be a big mistake on the part of the President.