Quick Rita response raises new questions
By on Sep 26th, 2005 at 10:49 am
Quick Rita response raises new questions
about Katrina failures. “The response to Rita…suggests that the government had plenty of authority to respond to Katrina and that what was lacking during Katrina was an understanding of when to use that authority,” Knight-Ridder reports.
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Homeland Security Act and the Presidential Directives gave the feds the power to respond to Katrina. They failed.
September 26th, 2005 at 10:58 amBush played guitar.
Chertoff was unaware of the convention center.
Portable communications were not used as per Homeland Security Act. That would have saved lives.
It’s really irritating that Bush is trying to use this to lionize the military. The military needs to focus on fighting wars. Lord knows they’ve got enough on their plate now.
September 26th, 2005 at 10:59 amGive Georgie a little break, ya’ll. It’s hard to get your swagger back with one foot in your mouth.
September 26th, 2005 at 11:18 amor a shot glass…
September 26th, 2005 at 11:30 amIf there were more oil rigs in downtown New Orleans I’d bet the response would have been better after Kartrina. Alas, there were only a few nasty poor and homeless folks. :-(
September 26th, 2005 at 11:41 am” Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act. ” – George Orwell
http://www.george-orwell.org
Someone stands up to that pig Russert.
“Listen, sir, somebody wants to nitpick a man’s tragic loss of a mother because she was abandoned in a nursing home? Are you kidding? What kind of sick mind, what kind of black-hearted people want to nitpick a man’s mother’s death? They just buried Eva last week. I was there at the wake. Are you kidding me? That wasn’t a box of Cheerios they buried last week. That was a man’s mother whose story, if it is entirely broadcast, will be the epitome of abandonment. It will be the saddest tale you ever heard, a man who was responsible for safekeeping of a half a million people, mother’s died in the next parish because she was abandoned there and he can’t get to her and he tried to get to her through EOC. He tried to get through the sheriff’s office. He tries every way he can to get there. Somebody wants to debate those things? My God, what sick-minded person wants to do that?”
“What kind of agenda is going on here? Mother Nature doesn’t have a political party. Mother Nature can vote a person dead and Mother Nature can vote a community out of existence. But Mother Nature is not playing any political games here. Somebody better wake up. You want to come and live in this community and see the tragedy we’re living in? Are you sitting there having your coffee, you’re in a place where toilets flush and lights go on and everything’s a dream and you pick up your paper and you want to battle ideology and political chess games? Man, get out of my face. Whoever wants to do that, get out of my face.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9438988/
September 26th, 2005 at 11:52 amThe current administration — belatedly awaking to the reality that the government has obligations to Americans, too — is seeking $200 billion in budget cuts to contribute to the Katrina relief effort. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) already has rejected the repeal of 6,000 pet projects (e.g. pork) worth $24 billion. Included among them is a $500 million Hastert-sponsored transportation project to widen roads in his suburban Chicago district and to fund a bicycle path and a sidewalk.
Such misplaced priorities are not surprising. For the current administration, the real tragedy of Katrina was not the staggering loss of life or the creation of tens of thousands of American “refugees” — it was the interference with the Congressional agenda. The week Katrina hit, the Senate was to consider legislation to make repeal of the estate tax permanent. The measure (H.R. 8) already passed the House on April 13, 2005.
Remarkably, however, “[c]omplete repeal of the estate tax would reduce federal revenues by $290 billion over the first five years, according to one of Congress’s most conservative estimates.”
“The estate tax, the most progressive American tax, is paid only by the very wealthy. The top 5% of taxpayers pay almost 99% of estate taxes, and the top tenth of 1% of taxpayers pay more than 33%. The vast majority of Americans are already exempt from the estate tax. As a result, they will receive no benefit at all from making the repeal permanent.”
So why do republicans continue to insist on the repeal of a tax that affects just 5% of the most wealthy members of society and generates 33% more revenue than is being sought for the Katrina relief effort?
Greed.
According to the Fact Sheet issued by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Ca), the President, Vice President, and the Cabinet are estimated to receive a total tax benefit of between $91 million and $344 million if the estate tax repeal is made permanent.
W, whose estimated worth is between $3 million and $12.9 million, will save between $787,193 and $6.2 million. Cheney, whose estimated worth is between $23.9 million and $111.3 million (ticker symbol: HAL), will save between $12.6 million and $60.7 million.
To be fair, the current administration is showing some concern for those whose lives were destroyed by Katrina. The conservative Heritage Foundation, which has been helping Karl Rove develop the administration’s recovery plan, wants to exempt from the estate tax anyone killed by Katrina with a net worth of $1.5 million or more. Not surprisingly, so far they haven’t been able to find anyone who fits that description…
September 26th, 2005 at 12:08 pmThe response to Katrina just illuminates how inept government at all levels is when it comes to taking care of people.
Somebody please tell me why we should expect the government to handle these situations well when the track record says 9 out of 10 times it fails.
September 26th, 2005 at 12:27 pmCC,
It is good to see that you are asking the hard questions also. That is exactly what we want to know. How can the Bush administartion tell us for years, after 9/11, that security and the well being of the US citezens is priority number one, when clearly it is not.
They stopped work repairing electricity for 2 hospitals to get power to the Colonial Pipeline, which feeds the Northeast, not the people affected by Katrina.
September 26th, 2005 at 12:44 pm#8 – though you may not recognize, believe, or understand, FEMA worked very efficiently and very well during the Clinton years. How effective government response to providing aid to citizens seems to vary widely from administration to administration.
September 26th, 2005 at 1:05 pmHey, CC, #8, thanks for helping me out with a conservative take on the governments role here. I usually like your rightwing take on posts but this one really stinks, opening our side up to criticism.
Correct me if I’m wrong but suppose one of the liberals here actually challenged you when you pointed out that government fails 9 out of 10 times it handles disasters? Evidently you aren’t aware that nearly all those failures happened when a REPUBLICAN was in office. Remember the scandals of the 1980’s when FEMA was under Reagan? And when Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992 and Bush Sr. took so much flack that it contributed to his loss for reelection? Then, when Clinton took office, he elevated it to a Cabnet Level position and in 1993 it was VERY responsive and received accolades during the Great 1993 Mississippi Floods and the Northridge Earthquake of 1994? In fact, it only began failing its mission in 2001 under Bush, when he cut its funding and programs, downgraded it from cabnet level status and put it under Homeland Security?
Jeeeze! You better get your facts straight and quit trying to spread the blame for failure, cause I don’t think all the liberals here are going to buy it. By the way, isn’t it CRIMINAL the way Bush has turned the once great agency into a dog and pony show for his political appointees at the expense of public safety? Think anyone will hold him accountable?
September 26th, 2005 at 1:08 pmYou want someone
Why should we expect the government to handle these situations? Um…because it is the JOB of the government to handle exactly these types of situations — you know, those situations dealing with the life and death of its citizens.
September 26th, 2005 at 1:23 pmCC, probably because we keep giving them half of our freakin paychecks. They should handle our money as we would, not to scratch each other’s backs. I, personally, am really close to not giving them anymore of my cash. I’m one step from claiming 16 dependants and just not filing. Fu&*&_ em.
September 26th, 2005 at 1:35 pmThe response to Rita was better because the incompetent Democrats who control Louisiana weren’t involved.
September 26th, 2005 at 2:05 pmBahaha
The republican made a funny, but was too stupid to know it…
bahahahahaha
September 26th, 2005 at 2:18 pmDid anyone see him at the briefing at NorthCom? He looks like a beaten man.
September 26th, 2005 at 3:09 pmWallace (#14): what part of the news have you been following, pal? The Bush/Cheney administration and their lap-dogs, Faux News, tried every way in the world to equate the Level 3 Hurricane that rained a lot in Texas with the Level 5 Horror that swept into and almost destroyed the states of Louisiana and Mississippi.
Ain’t working, knucklehead. You see, people can see for themselves on other networks the differences in the two storms. Good thing, too, because if that had been a Katrina size hurricane, all those thousands of jammed-up and stranded motorists on the highway south of Houston would have been in serious trouble, perhaps even killed. I did notice, however, that Bushco made sure the active duty military and FEMA trucks with supplies were both inplace BEFORE the hurricane hit this time. Nice to see him finally doing the job we expect him to do, don’t you think?
September 26th, 2005 at 3:31 pmHank,
First, why are you incapable of not be rude?
Second, food, water, and other supplies were in place in New Orleans before Katrina hit as well. The state and local authorities in LA wouldn’t let them be distributed. That failing had nothing to do with FEMA.
September 26th, 2005 at 7:39 pm“Second, food, water, and other supplies were in place in New Orleans before Katrina hit as well. ”
Bahaha, another republican lie!!!!
Bahahahahaha
Who told you that lie – god you’re stupid and gullible!!!!
September 26th, 2005 at 9:11 pmFEMA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DISTRIBUTING EMERGENCY SUPPLIES – ITS PART OF THE CHARTER!!!
Bahaha, stupid republican!!!!
They believe lies so easily! It must be a genetic thing… Maybe someday we’ll be able to fix the ‘republican gene’ that can make an otherwise (hopefully) rational person into a complete moron!
Bahahahaha
September 26th, 2005 at 9:12 pmHow old are you, Ryan? Twelve? So juvenile. “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” Grow up.
From the “liars” at the American Red Cross:
September 26th, 2005 at 9:31 pm
Forgotthe URL i nthe last post: http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html
September 26th, 2005 at 9:32 pm“# The state Homeland Security Department had requested–and continues to request–that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.”
The ’stand homeland security department’ is FEMA you retard! Fema is now part of homeland security, that’s why it’s now as incompetent as the rest of the bush administration!
Why are republicans always so STUPID?
September 27th, 2005 at 3:00 amIts not the *authority* to act that was lacking. It was the *desire* to act that was not there. Come on, why would Our Leader care about non-billionaires in New Orleans when there was birthday cake and rich white people in Arizona. Get real.
September 27th, 2005 at 3:43 amRyan,
The STATE homeland security dept. is an agency of the STATE of Louisiana. That’s why it’s called the STATE homeland security dept. and not the FEDERAL homeland security dept. It is not a federal agency. FEMA is a federal agency. FEMA stands for FEDERAL Emergency Management Agency.
Like the Red Cross said, “Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities”
Please make a note, and get a clue. *LOL*
September 27th, 2005 at 11:40 am“Its not the *authority* to act that was lacking. It was the *desire* to act that was not there.”
This remains baseless idiocy.
September 27th, 2005 at 11:41 amWallace,
You watch too much faux news. Your story is fully debunked as conspiracy nonsense of the fascists propagandists. You really should do better, you look stupid!
http://mediamatters.org/items/200509090002?is_gsa=1&final=1
The only thing you are correct on, and I relent is that there is a state homeland security that is louisiana. I was incorrect in what I said about them and I acknowledge that mistake. However they did not BLOCK the red cross, they ‘requested’ the red cross not go in because it was safe. This is an intentional distortion on the part of your Swiftboat spin machine to take the heat off the incompetent federal response!
September 27th, 2005 at 6:45 pm“…they did not BLOCK the red cross, they ‘requested’ the red cross not go in…”
Nice spin. *LOL*
You believe the Soros funded leftist propaganda mill Media Matters, I believe the American Red Cross. So be it.
September 27th, 2005 at 9:49 pmBlah Blah Blah Clinton
Blah Blah Blah Moveon
Blah Blah Blah Kennedy
Blah Blah Blah Soros
There you have it, the extent of the creativity of the reichwing. Too bad they have so few liberals to hate, and we have so MANY conservatives to stop!
“Nice spin. *LOL*
You believe the Soros funded leftist propaganda mill Media Matters, I believe the American Red Cross. So be it. ”
Nice spin. Actually I beleve the analysis which showed that clearly the story had changed, and that the red cross had contradicted itself. I see your hatred for Soros is right up there with your gullibility of the swiftboats. Republican idiots like you are a Rovian dream!
September 28th, 2005 at 12:41 amOh and OLeily hates media matters – a sure sign they’re honest!
September 28th, 2005 at 12:44 amOh and as I understand it, the ‘ties’ to soros are much less than Cheney to Halliburton. This is just a smokescreen bull crap propaganda argument that you’re clearly too stupid to see through. You’ve definitely picked the correct political affiliation!
September 28th, 2005 at 12:49 amNow let me you supply you with the actual references that media matters use, since as a republican I know you’ll never do your homework, and only listen to limbaugh or the other bastion of lies and propaganda.
Here’s the ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT before the redcross became a full on republican whore
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/02/lkl.01.html
Now as for who’s into propaganda, lets look at the redcross leadership shall we? Maybe it will inform us of their ‘biases’.
The Red Cross has political ties to the Bush administration as well. Evans donated $500 to the Republican National Committee in September 2004, while Red Cross chairman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter has donated more than $100,000 to Republican candidates and political committees since 1999. Media Matters found no record of any donations to Democrats by either Evans or McElveen-Hunter. President Bush, in fact, appointed McElveen-Hunter ambassador to Finland in 2001, a position she held until 2003.
There’s a step by step here, but my guess is you prefer to fall lockstep with the propagandists who are KNOWN to lie for the administration. The fact is this administration is covering its ass so it isn’t held responsible for its screw ups. Your little rant about the red cross just goes to show you how desperate you are to shift the blame from your incompetent fuhrer!
September 28th, 2005 at 1:26 amRyan is obviously a complete and total loon.
September 28th, 2005 at 3:32 pmYahoo Sign In Chess Games
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