[Vision2020] Governor Blanco Begs Bush For Help Before Katrina Hit!

[Pat Kraut]

When I read this site I don't see that Washington is the problem I see that the state gov was supposed to do the calling and didn't. In any office a request would take a certain amount of time. But then like I've said...nothing would make you happy. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tbertruss at aol.com 
  To: vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 1:14 PM
  Subject: [Vision2020] Governor Blanco Begs Bush For Help Before Katrina Hit!


  All:

  There has been some flat out false nonsense presented on this list by people who apparently can't type appropriate search terms into Google... or perhaps they just can't see beyond their biases.

  I wrote comments below except where I indicate the source is quoted:

  Please carefully review the following FACTS: http://gov.louisiana.gov/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=973

  Friday, August 26 declaration of State of Emergency by Louisiana Governor Blanco.  This declaration did activate some Louisiana National Guard.

  In fact, some Louisiana National Guard were in New Orleans on Sunday before Hurricane Katrina hit.
  ------------------------------------
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680.html

  Senior Bush official erroneously declares Louisiana Governor Blanco had not declared a State of Emergency as of Saturday.  This lie is being repeated by various sources.
  ------------------------------------
  Governor Blanco sends letter to President Bush requesting that he declare a state of emergency Sat. August 27, 2005.  This letter makes it very clear that Governor Blanco wants federal help, that the pending disaster may be more than state and local resources can cope with, and it even contains details on sharing funding, granting right of way, and release from damages to do requested work!

  http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976

  ------------------------------------
  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard

  National Guard from other states were already being offered as help before Katrina hit, according to this source.  But rather than the slow deployment being Governor Blanco's fault, this source asserts Washington was the bottle neck.

  I quote from the above source:

  New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state's National Guard last Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn't come from Washington until late Thursday.

  One factor that may have further complicated post-Katrina deployment arose when Louisiana discovered it needed Guardsmen to do more law enforcement duty because a large portion of the New Orleans police force was not functioning, according to Lt. Gen. Steven H. Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau at the Pentagon.

  --------------------------------------

  The fact a large number of Louisiana and Mississippi National Guard and associated equipment are in Iraq is mentioned as a negative factor in the response to Hurricane Katrina by several knowledgeable sources quoted below:

  PM Thursday, September 1, 2005 

  New Orleans Disaster: Where’s the National Guard? 

  NANCY LESSIN, 

  mfso at mfso.org 

  http://www.mfso.org

  Lessin is a founder of Military Families Speak Out. She said today: 

  "The numbers we have are that there are 11,000 National Guard personnel 
  from Louisiana, of whom about 3,000 are in Iraq with most of the heavy 
  equipment. This included generators and high-water and other vehicles 
  which could assist with the rescue effort." 

  She added: "My daughter is in New Orleans in a hotel with no plumbing 
  and no electricity. Meanwhile, the residents of New Orleans -- 
  particularly working and/or poor people -- do not appear to be having 
  the rescue attempts that they desperately need right now." 
  ---------------------------------------------- 
  PHILIP CROWLEY 

  pjcrowley at americanprogress.org, 

  or via Jay Heidbrink

  jheidbrink at americanprogress.org] 
     
  Senior fellow and director of national defense and homeland security 
  at the Center for American Progress, Crowley organized the conference 
  "Transforming the Reserve Component for the 21st Century" in September 
  2004.

  http://www.kintera.org/htmlcontent.asp?cid=40075 
     
  He said today: "What Katrina brings home is the reality we are 
  pulling the Guard in several directions. ... Given the additional 
  strains of Iraq and Afghanistan, right now, the National Guard [at home] 
  only has about half the equipment it normally would." 
  -----------------------------------

  Vision2020 Post by Ted Moffett 


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