PocoLoco wrote:
On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 20:09:41 -0400, "Starbuck's"
wrote:

Gould,

No I didn't miss that response. Since I am not blinded by my political
beliefs, I understand the magnitude of the disaster was substantially
amplified due to the mismanagement of local authorities and the state
authorities. If a city, county or state do not take appropriate action 72
hrs in advance, there is nothing anyone can do to prepare for locals who
refuse to implement a evacuation plan.

I think most people realize FEMA needs to make vast improvements, and
hopefully they will.

Only an biased political hack would expect FEMA to be able to compensate for
the inability of local and state agencies to implement an effective
evacuation plan. That would be similar to me pouring gas all over my home,
setting it on fire, and then yelling at the fire dept. because my home
burned to the ground.

Since I have always assumed you were not a biased political hack, I thought
you might have reconsidered your position about placing all the blame on
FEMA. We should be worried about having an organization made up of local,
state and national agencies to protect us from natural or man made disaster.
It is not acceptable to say, yeah, I might have screwed up, by why didn't
you realize I was too incompetent to implement my evacuation plan.

If we are going to stop further lose of life, all agencies are going to have
to admit their mistakes and take concrete steps to correct these mistakes.

Chuck's response:

I guess I don't really know, but none of those questions relates to my
opinion that the newspaper columnist is wrong about Katrina damaging
the long-term propects for the GOP. Aging people become increasingly
self centered, cautious, financially reluctant (particularly when
retired on a fixed income), and nervous about security. You guys have a
lock for another 25-30 years. Don't worry. :-)


Perhaps we need a "Can't Handle the Problem Act" whereby the governors
immediately transfer operational control of all assets to the FEDGOV. The
National Guard units would not be federalized, but the operational control would
rest with FEMA, or whoever the big cheese becomes.

What else should the act contain?
--
John H

A color code, of course. Hell, we've spent billions of dollars on the
new Homeland Security department, and all that we've gotten out of it,
is a color code for terrorism. Still yellow, too.