FEMA is not a first responder

[sgtmac_46]

I doesn't tell us anything until we know yea or nay and information about any other attempts they've made at reconstructing the levy.

And you know, the point here is that a disaster happened. You can point fingers at victims and talk about prevention all you friggin' want to. The bottom line is, once again, that there is absolutely NO WAY TO PREVENT ALL DISASTERS! And BECAUSE THIS IS TRUE, we have organizations in place to organize relief.

I mean, get real! A guy is walking down the street, he gets shot in a drive-by and it's his fault because he was walkin' down the wrong street. Come on.

Not even remotely the same thing, this is nothing like a random drive by. That would insinuate that this was a wild chance happening, that could not have been foreseen. That is not the case. We're not talking about ALL disasters, we're talking about this one.

A better analogy would be if you had a hot-water heater in your house that you knew needed to be replaced because it could start leaking carbon monoxide in to the house. You've been told this, you knew this, you've known it for quite some time, but you didn't want to spend the money to fix it. You, instead, kept hoping someone else would come along and fix it for you.

Then, one night, a carbon monoxide leak, and a couple family members die, and several more are hospitalized.

This is like blaming the paramedics for not coming fast enough.

 

[sgtmac_46]

It's called "I had to save my own family." You and I are arguing apples and oranges here - your argument seems to be stemming from what people are capable of doing (turn a key, operate the steering wheel, gas and brake) and I'm talking about what people were compelled to do (save their families' lives).

I'm sure there were plenty of people in New Orleans who were CAPABLE of driving a bus. I'm also sure some of them were floating face down in the street already and others helping their kids up onto the roof or into the attic.

So are you saying that if you could drive a bus and tool around town trying to help evacuees out of the city at the cost of abandoning your own family, you'd do it? Most of the people in your profession in that city chose otherwise.

So your argument is that most of the law enforcement officers in the city chose not to stay? Some did not, many did. But that, as you say, is apples and oranges. Anyone can drive a bus. You don't have to 'tool around town' picking up evacuees, you can pick them up at your 'designated' staging areas. Moreover, I find it hard to believe that with ALL the evacuees they had, not one person could drive their OWN bus. Not one person, AMONG the evacuees on each bus, could DRIVE it? I find that laughable.

Here's how that conversation should goes.....<Across loud speaker> "Attention, evacuees, I need volunteers who can DRIVE a BUS, would all those who can drive a manual transmission bus please report to me, thank you....we have BUSES but no drivers, so we need anyone who can drive a bus"

Sure, that solution doesn't sound sophisticated, it doesn't sound bureaucratic enough, which means...it just might work. You might call that overly simplistic. I've found, however, that simple....WORKS.....K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple). No matter how you spin it, saying 'we couldn't find drivers' is not even remotely an excuse for letting buses sit idle.

What's my experience on the whole thing? I've personally taken a hand in several local accidents, disasters and incidents. You don't need large amounts of money and official protocals sometimes...just a little common sense and ingenuity. FEMA's great, but creative thinking is better.

As for the backhanded attack on my profession, I find it in bad taste as many law enforcement officers from all around the country FLOCKED to New Orleans (leaving their own families behind for weeks) in order to aid that city, and did so without payment. So, again, I think you owe law enforcement an apology for insinuating that we some how failed.

 

[Tgace]

I guess none of it means a whole hell of a lot to someone unless they're the ones who are reassured from the report that the feds are on the way and they don't arrive for days ...

What exactly did people think FEMA was going to bring with them?

 

[sgtmac_46]

What exactly did people think FEMA was going to bring with them?

A magic wand.

 

[arnisador]

What exactly did people think FEMA was going to bring with them?

Competence and organization, at least. Appointing a political flunky to head this group was a bad idea. Yes many people think FEMA is something it isn't--but this time, it wasn't even what it should have been: Organized, timely, reassuring, coordinating, and in general, helpful.

 

[sgtmac_46]

Competence and organization, at least. Appointing a political flunky to head this group was a bad idea. Yes many people think FEMA is something it isn't--but this time, it wasn't even what it should have been: Organized, timely, reassuring, coordinating, and in general, helpful.

Of course, that may have something to do with the extent of the initial problem this time. A fact that the local and state government should answer for as well. As for political flunkies, the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana had their share of those, too. When it comes to inept flunkyism, this presidential administration may have a few...but he's got nothing on many Democratic city mayors.

 

[arnisador]

Of course, that may have something to do with the extent of the initial problem this time. A fact that the local and state government should answer for as well. As for political flunkies, the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana had their share of those, too.

Full agreement. The city and state have much to answer for where preparation is concerned.

When it comes to inept flunkyism, this presidential administration may have a few...but he's got nothing on many Democratic city mayors.

I dunno...it's a toss-up.

 

[sgtmac_46]

Full agreement. The city and state have much to answer for where preparation is concerned.



I dunno...it's a toss-up.

Bush would have to hire his cousin as city engineer and his brother-in-law as head of sanitation, both fresh out of prison, to equate. I've yet to see a city government of a place like New Orleans, Washington DC, Detroit, Baltimore, East St. Louis, etc, that wasn't, possibly the most corrupt place on the planet. That's why, for YEARS, New Orleans had the reputation as the most corrupt police department in the country, because the mayors of that fine city appointed to it's chief position, their hand picked flunkies, who then hired more men like themselves, until officers were actually committing armed robberies in the early 1990's....ON DUTY!!!!

Again, many of these city governments end up being run like the private banana republics of the mayor, who then cash in by hiring every relative and political friend he knows for patronage jobs, whether or not those people can even SPELL the title of the position they've been appointed to. Then, when they DRIVE the city government in to the ground, they start looking for someone to blame (Usually, that ole' stand by, racism).