http://www.americaswetland.com/article.cfm?id=241&cateid=2&pageid=3&cid=16

Broussard was a prophet (scroll down):

Parishes Against Coastal Erosion (PACE) Response to the Bush Administration's June 14, 2005 Policy Statement on the Proposed Energy Act of 2005

By Parishes Against Coastal Erosion Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, NOAA and other federal and state agencies along with university experts agree that nowhere in the world is a coastal region losing wetlands and protective barrier islands faster than Louisiana. About this there is no doubt. It is predicted that by 2050, one third of coastal Louisiana will have vanished into the Gulf of Mexico. Our coast and its wetlands is a system on the verge of collapse. Without wetlands to buffer storms, our people and property and the nation's energy supply are at risk. Oil and gas pipelines and facilities, which provide 25% of the Nation's energy needs, are more vulnerable with each storm. Oil and gas activities and federal actions to control the Mississippi River for navigation and flood control are largely responsible for the drastic loss of our coastal. PACE believes we are completely within our right to ask the federal government to share money generated from offshore oil and gas revenues with the coastal states that bear a disproportionate burden in supporting this nation's energy needs.

Louisiana's congressional delegation has urged Congress for more than a decade to return to the state a fair share of the revenue from the production of offshore oil and gas both because of the impact of offshore production on Louisiana and because interior states get 50% of revenues from oil and gas production on federal lands.

The president has supported the concept, but has backed off when it comes to funding the restoration effort. PACE believes Louisiana can no longer afford to wait. Louisiana urgently needs guaranteed resources to thwart a catastrophe that is not being given the sense of urgency that it demands.

We believe the case has been made. Louisiana's wetlands - America's WETLAND - is crucial to the nations oil and gas production, commercial fisheries, navigation and commerce and national security. Restoring the damage hastened by years of inland and offshore drilling is clearly a national responsibility.

The President, in this Policy Statement, has failed us. To sidestep this as a key issue would be a serious deficiency, in the Energy Bill, and the entire nation will suffer as a consequence.

Our Louisiana legislature this month passed a constitutional amendment requiring any new offshore oil and gas revenue to be put in a trust fund dedicated to coastal erosion.

Louisiana has made a commitment. Now, it's time for the President to step up to the plate and support funding to prevent the untold damage to the ecology, economy and potential loss of life in large numbers.

With the National Hurricane Center predicting another active hurricane season, PACE President Aaron Broussard said he fears that it is going to take a major storm and significant loss of life before the nation acts responsibly.

The PACE organization's frustration with the Administration's Statement was reflected in St. Bernard Parish President, Henry "Junior" Rodriguez's comment that "Louisiana contributes much to this Nations energy needs. It's time we take a hard look at our alternatives and consider whether we want to keep up this level of oil and gas production."

If you have any questions, please contact Jefferson Parish President and PACE President, Aaron Broussard at (504) 736-6400.

but there was no way to foresee this disaster! everywhere you look there was friggin clues! everywhere! the only way you couldn't see it is if you willfully ignored it... squeezing your eyes shut and putting your fingers in your ears and saying 'la la la i can't hear you'.

omg

Watching W and his minions trying to put spin on this is even more disgusting then viewing the devastation.

"In a Washington briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said one reason federal assets were not used more quickly was "because our constitutional system really places the primary authority in each state with the governor"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680_2.html

Watching W and his minions trying to put spin on this is even more disgusting then viewing the devastation.

They are spinning their asses off.

In a Washington briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said one reason federal assets were not used more quickly was "because our constitutional system really places the primary authority in each state with the governor"

Just what you would expect to hear from a member of the Federalist Society.

if the guy who runs his building (assuming his story is true) has any person to blame for the death of his mother, perhaps it should be his mayor and governor.

the state of louisiana was placed under a state of emergency before the huricane, on august 26 the governor placed louisiana under a state of emergency. on august 29, so did the whitehouse.

maybe the people in the city who had the means to should have left. maybe the governor should have made a way out for those who had no means to leave.

i don't really ever defend bush, but i hardly thing it's possible for him to be the only one to blame here. not when there were many more things that others could have done.

FEMA looks like the point agency on the largest swiftboat operation to date. Blame Blanco, blame Nagin, and they'll get around to Broussard later. Why else is FEMA actively turning aid away?

They may be under orders. You know Karl has to be up to something, and this is his specialty. Bush must be protected if they are to be protected.

Brown is the single person most responsible for this disaster of a recovery operation. As head of FEMA, it is his responsibility to coordinate all federal relief efforts. He failed miserably and should be replaced forthwith. The DOJ should investigate whether charges should be brought against him.

The mayor of New Orleans, by all accounts a just and caring man, failed to properly prepare for the storm. For this he bears some responsibility. The city should have take active steps to remove people who did not have the means to evacuate themselves. This should have been done as soon as the evacuation order was signed.

The Governor of Louisianna bears some share of responsibility for the same reasons as the governor. As commander in chief of the LA National Guard, she should have coordinated their efforts much better than she did. She deserves to be voted out of office.

The Republican Party as a whole, especially those congressmen from LA, bear much responsibility for underfunding FEMA and ignoring the reality of global warming, wetland conservation (and improvement), and a host of other environmental issues that have contributed to the effects of this storm. Furthermore, they supported National Guard deployment overseas. That is a job for the regular army. If the wars overseas really are absolutely necessary for our safety at home, then institute a draft. If not, then call the wars off. They are interfering with our National Guards ability to meet their obligations at home.

The same applies to selected Democrats.

Finally, the president should be impeached. For all the reasons above, and because he is the one single person who could have taken control of the entire disaster, and he did not.

irony of ironies: "National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. National Preparedness Month 2005 is being co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross. Throughout September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross will work with a wide variety of organizations, including local, state and federal government agencies and the private sector, to highlight the importance of emergency preparedness and promote individual involvement through events and activities across the nation."

see http://www.ready.gov/npm/ and note the blonde-haired white girl, all safe and comfortable

Anyone wish to start the betting as to how low the Prez's approval rating will drop with this latest of faux pas'?? >:) I propose procedes go to disaster relief.

Im a guy of 18 living in the UK, and i just started crying at the end of that clip.

Me too. Right here in our office.

Oh boy, this vacation maker and his tax cutters and his war makers and his bigot "christian" crowd blaming New Orleans for its "sins" - they will burn in hell!!!

Please, you opportunist hippies, stop spinning this tragedy to try to justify your myths about 'global warming'. It would behoove you to study history. Hurricane Camille devastated the same area over 30 years ago, and it was a stronger hurricane. The only reasons it did less damage were that it was a less concentrated storm, and the population density wasn't so high in the areas hit.

This has nothing to do with the fairy tale of 'global warming', it has to do with a tremendously unlucky series of events, followed by some of the most inept and pathetic response actions in the history of mankind. It is tragic. But quit trying to use the deaths of these people to further your own little political agenda.

Must be miserable being you, Joe.

Yeah, it's a real drag being burdened with the necessity of factual data or proof before jumping on some hippie bandwagon. Jackass.

I teared up when I watched the Broussard video the first time. After watching it a few more times (and eventually watching it on the big screen after I Tivoed the CNBC replay, having missed the original broadcast), I found myself wondering if Broussard is maybe just a really good snake-oil peddler, southern-politician style.

It's a moving story, and he tells it well. But I find myself wondering if he maybe tells it a little too well.

If I'm wrongly impugning his integrity, shame on me. I guess it's one more cost of living in these cynical times.

Hey John, I really wonder where people like you come from. You seem to have some need to project your media-savvy 'expertise' into every matter: 'Well I studied the video and he doesn't really look sincere to me ... and I would know ... after all I watch a LOT of movies."

Maybe if he had practiced it in front of a mirror a few times? I mean, when someone we know dies pointlessly and tragically, what business do we have giving unconvincing performances on NATIONAL FUCKING TELEVISION?! It's a show! Get your SHIT together, practice it a few times! Juggle! Be entertaining! Hell, get Brad Pitt to play you.

Fuck's sake.

Now, that's strange: If you're the same Joe - I'm absolutely with you on this one.

John, don't watch all this coverage. It's all fake, you know..

Shiet, Joe and John dudes, thats damn cold. How collected and put together would any of us be if one of the worse national disasters hit our home turf and claimed many lives of people we knew? Working all week long with horror story afer horror story. I can't imagine, cut some slack, jeeze.

Joe, I've been talking about Global Warming for a decade now. AND FOR A DECADE I HAVE proved RIGHT!

Ignorant losers, like you believe the lies, and propaganda spread by the OIL companies. Yeah Joe, you twit, big oil spend MILLIONS each year trying to debunk good science.

Do you know what the IPCC is Joe? Do a google search and TRY TO LEARN SOMETHING!!

RE: thewebguy

You seem to believe the spin that people "chose" to stay in New Orleans.

Here's the facts. The urban population of New Orleans is 484,674 (2000 census). Of that, 28% (135,708) live below the poverty line. This means they don't have enough money to provide shelter and food without enduring extreme hardship.

Consequently they live paycheck to paycheck. A lot of them were waiting on their monthy check from the government (Katrina hit five days before the check was due). Most could not afford to get public transportation out of the city. Not even a bus ticket, this is what extreme poverty is all about. Even those who could afford a bus ticket, could not afford temporary accomodation outside the state (none was announced till the flooding started) and hold onto whatever slum they had back home.

They were stuck.

And thanks to government inaction, a lot of them died.

The media and government organisations say around 100,000 were stuck in New Orleans. The stats say 135,000 live below the poverty line in New Orleans. Figure it out. No-one had a choice.

I wouldn't mind if all those global warming-naysayers just were on their own. But we are stuck WITH them on this planet! And they sure don't inhabit Bangladesh, the Netherlands or New Orleans, no sir. When the coast sink they will go to their neat mansions in Colorado - and still tell us, "that the jury's still out there..."

Re: Reality Bites

Global warming wasn't what caused this, there has been a hurricane cycle in that part of the world for a while now. And while every one degree increase in sea temperature means a 5% increase in average storm intensity, that can't be blamed for this.

What has changed is that the disappearance of the wetlands - caused by the Army Corps of Engineers' efforts to control the Mississippi - has damaged a valuable defence for New Orleans. Hurricanes require hot water to keep them going, once they hit land they decrease in strength rapidly. Further, every 3-4 miles of wetlands can absorb one foot of storm-surge, but the Louisianna wetlands have been disappearing at a rate of 30-40 square miles a year.

In fact, 60 years ago, the coast was 40 miles further away. This would have further weakened the storm, and taken 10feet off the storm surge (estimated at between 15-30ft) before it hit New Orleans, which might just have been enough to stop the levees breaking. Remember, it was the overflow of water that caused the breack in the levees, not the pressure. They were designed to withstand outside pressure, it was when water came tumbling over them and eroded their foundations from the far side that they collapsed.

Environmentalist "hippies" had been proposed to replenish the wetlands, but at $10 billion, that was considered too expensive. The US government has now released $10bn for aid, and insurers are bracing themselves for a payout of between $10-$25bn.

Sometimes long-term planning helps.

Article on causes of devastation in New Orleans: http://arstechnica.com/columns/science/science-20050902.ars

Article on how the destruction of coral reefs increased the damage caused by the Asian Tsunami http://arstechnica.com/columns/science/science-20050806.ars

Addendum: I agree that had the wetlands replenishment been put into action, it would have been too little too late to stop this. But if it's put into place now, a similar catastrophe could be averted in another 50 years time.

Environmentalism has real social and economic benefits, you just have to take the long term view. Only a fool plans for only the next four years.

Bryan,

Thanks for an informed post. Perhaps you are only speaking to the mismanagement of this disaster, but I'm not referring to the devastion.

You cannot rule out any correlation between unusual/extreme weather activity and global warming. It's very likely that this IS a direct result of global warming.

Sure, it's debatable as to whether the flapping of a butterflies wings caused this (ala chaos theory). However, I come from the perspective that until mankind started burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere, the carbon system was relatively closed, or somewhat "balanced", if you will.

There seems to be no debate, even Bush admits this, that human activity is affecting the global climate. (How idiots like Joe miss these sorts of things I cannot fathom-I'd dig out some quotes if it were worth the time). Temperature affects weather, weather is things like hurricanes.

Scientists warned of "unusual" weather patterns due to global warming. Maybe this is unusual, maybe it's not. If you want to argue whether or not it's usual, go find a scientist. I'm convinced it's not, and most likely related to global warming, I don't find your points, although informative, not at persuasive toward the lack of correlation.

I have many more credible sources, that are considering the correlation, particularly as they have predicted events like Kat. Arguements that global warming isn't happening just seem weaker, more dangerous, and myopically idiotic all the time.

There's no way at this point to know whether Katrina was caused or intensified by global warming. That's the problem with global warming: it's a vague statistical trend, not a discrete event. Humans are by nature Point-A-to-Point-B thinkers; we don't do statistics. That's why there are so many gamblers.

Nonetheless we have to try as best we can to rationally consider global warming in relation to this disaster. It can never be known whether a particular set of human actions would have averted this particular hurricane, but it is quite clear that the aggregate of human activity can increase the statistical likelihood of devastating hurricanes, as well as numerous other terrible consequences. Regardless of the fact that it's difficult for us to intuitively grasp this association, we need to rationally examine the facts & take collective action.

<3

Actually it's not really important if Katrina would have struck as well in a world without global warming. But she sure as hell showed us, what's in store for us on a regular basis if we don't react.

And it is no coincidence that it is the creationist oil drillers and warmongers who tell us that "the jury's still out" on a worldwide accepted fact like global warming (and evolution, for that matter) - who fail to help the ones affected by weather change. It all fits together and maybe now people will finally grasp it.

"I've been talking about Global Warming for a decade now. AND FOR A DECADE I HAVE proved RIGHT!"

Um, no you haven't. Because there is no hard science backing the myth of 'global warming'. There are, however, numerous studies showing that such cooling/warming trends are natural, and more importantly that every attempt by reactionary 'liberals' to 'protect' the environment has been more destructive than simply continuing a course of managed usage.

When attempting to form an opinion, it is very important to stay focused on facts. Which is why I have no respect for you 'global warming' Chicken Littles. You have no facts. And when facts are published that disprove your nonsense, you immediately start with the 'oh, it's backed by OIL MONEY!' crap to try to discredit the science.

"But she sure as hell showed us, what's in store for us on a regular basis if we don't react."

Proof please? Show how Katrina is by any means a result of this myth you call 'global warming'?

Louisiana has been losing wetlands since the dawn of time. As another poster cited, Camille hit the area 30 YEARS AGO and it was STRONGER. Using your reactionary reasoning, wouldn't that indicate a trend of 'global cooling' - obviously if pumping carbon gases into the air brings about weaker storms, we should do more of it!

You people are so specious, and what makes it worse is that you honestly believe you are doing good. To do real good you will need to actually research your beliefs, look at the facts that both support and undermine your predetermined conclusion.

"And it is no coincidence that it is the creationist oil drillers and warmongers who tell us that 'the jury's still out' on a worldwide accepted fact like global warming"

It is precisely this type of ignorant rhetoric that exposes what a fallacy your position is. You use ad hominem attacks to attempt to discredit your opposition. And your true concern has nothing to do with 'global warming' - which is by no means an 'accepted fact' in any scientific circles, it is a THEORY, I suggest you look the word up. Your real concern is a straight, anti-capitalist agenda. You are using 'global warming' to attempt to lend your anti-capitalist beliefs credence, when everyone with intelligence can see it's just a hand-waving puppet show.

First, prove global warming. Then prove that what you want to do will stop it. Hell, even the vaunted Kyoto treaty is only expected to reduce 'global temperature' by 4 HUNDREDTHs of a degree celsius ... by 2100! And nobody who signed it is even following it!

Reactionaries.

All right McGoo...

First, cite a few sources, it might cause you to dig a little deeper. I can tell by your points, you have a fleeting at best, understanding of the issue. Second, you are largely reffering to controversial data in the study of global warming. I could go through your points one by one, but it's not worth my time. The bottom line is this. Look at what the IPCC stated. The IPCC was brought together to get an independent global consensus on what was or was not happening to the global climate. These are the worlds leading scientists and meteorlogists. An international grouping of them. I'm paraphrasing, but they concluded that urgent action should be taken in regards to global warming. There are lot of obvious reasons (unless you are Joe) why the US obfuscated, lied, and tried to downplay the findings. I'll bet McGoo, you've never even heard of the IPCC. Those are the "facts". You prove ME wrong, if you think you know the "facts".

You quote your "facts" from other posters.

" As another poster cited, Camille hit the area 30 YEARS AGO and it was STRONGER"

I got this from Wikipedia.

"Camille retained the record for the highest storm surge measured in the United States, at over 24 feet (7.3 metres) (see storm surge profile) until Hurricane Katrina in 2005."

Good job Mcgoo. Thorough.

The last bit of your post has a lot colorful rheteoric, but not much content or meaning. Come up with some salient points, and maybe I'll bother to educate you.

Oh and by the way McGoo.

Theory:

the·o·ry (th?'?-r?, thîr'?) n., pl. -ries. A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.

Gravity is a "THEORY". I suggest you be careful around tall places, or am I just being "reactionary"?

"I could go through your points one by one, but it's not worth my time."

Sure. This reminds me of another childish argument: "I DO know what it means! But I'm not gonna tell YOU!"

I'm also curious to know why you lend more credence to the IPCC than any other source. You honestly don't think they have a vested interest in finding a problem? You're probably one of those people who were railing on about how wonderful the UN is ... until the oil-for-food scandal and the news that UN soldiers have committed rape and war crimes all over the globe. Holier-than-thou always fails.

"I got this from Wikipedia."

You also selectively edited the fact that Camille was a stronger storm, only focusing on landfall storm surge. Disinformation. You also ignored the next paragraph in that article which cites the storm of 1780 as the deadliest in recorded Atlantic history. Because it shoots more holes in your 'theory'.

"Gravity is a 'THEORY'"

So was eugenics. The point is not that theories cannot have factual basis or shape policy. Rather that not every theory is correct, and that we must expect rigorous scientific and factual basis for the theories on which we wish to act.

First ... all prayers for new orleans and the mississippi coast...

There is one thing I dont understand though.

With as poor as new orleans is, why didnt people think that 1/6 of the population DOES NOT have cars ...

It would have been pretty easy to just take all the public transit buses on their routes and take everyone out of town ...

1-2% probably would have stayed anyway but at least most would be out and there would be buses to help them.

The whole thing is a terrible tragedy ... New Orleans is a beautiful city (i applied to Tulane years ago) and I hope it can return ...

May the gods be with you new orleans and mississippi ... things have to change for the better soon ...

blessed be.

I was watching MTP when Broussard had his meltdown, and it was pretty awful. I also think you have to have something wrong with you to automatically write it off as fakery. That, or you don't know a damned thing about body language and natural facial expression.

As for global warming vs. natural cycle, get over it. It really doesn't matter whether the intensity of Katrina was increased due to global warming or a natural cycle. The facts are that the Gulf waters are warmer than they have been, that warmer water increases hurricane intensity, and that everyone with half a brain knows this and could have deduced Katrina was going to pick up steam once it hit the Gulf, as probably will any other storms that enter the Gulf during the current warming trend, whether it's caused by natural cycles or global warming. So those of you whining about how Bush couldn't have known and did nothing wrong by cutting funds to build up the wetlands and improve the levees can stick it in your ear or some other dark place. Your ignorance disqualifies you from speaking.

The money taxpayers 'save' by defunding environmental programs like wetland restoration will consistantly be payed out as an even greater sum (in constant dollars) by future taxpayers (who just might be Joe).

And for anyone who is still confused, global warming is NOT A THEORY. While we may argue about the mechanisms of climate change, we cannot argue that the earth isn't warming. If we did, some of us would be idiots.

Could someone please explain to me how the left-wing-socialist-hippies benefit when claiming that world climate is being affected by human activity?

'Those f*ckin scientists are just jealous of my Chevy Behemoth.'

Have you read the articles on Freerepublic.com? I want every AMERICAN who visits this area to kick thier ass. Mr. Broussard is a fine human. Real AMERICAN. You communist mother &^%$s are on my list and the list of millions of AMERICANS at this time. Please assist us in identifying these idiots. I served this country two combat terms. I hate George Bush, most of the government, but, I love my AMERICANS. We the PEOPLE. Freedom of Speech you are granted. Because of my fuc& blood (two Purple Hearts) and my closest friends, dead. Fuc you Freerepublic.com. The boogie man is pissed. Try me. Please go to that site and see what real terrorism looks like. Thanks for the respect for our dead (my mother drowned in New Orleans). The rest we are still looking for. Freedom of speach is not freedom to be a prick. Be warned. I will never let this go. Louisianna is a wonderful state. Will you guys help identify these assholes?

I watched Aaron Broussard on Meet the Press Sunday night. After the tragedy of New Orleans, I was so sick to here how government officials were handling the crisis. Those people needed help. But when I heard him, it made me sick. It was completely staged. Russert interrupted Broussard and so Broussard asked him to let him talk he had one more thing to say. Perhaps had he not been interrupted, his presentation would have been seamless. But to hear his voice, the story, the fact that it wasn't his mother, not even his good friend's mother, that he told it so well, too well, and asked for money at the end, it was fake. Completely set up. When I heard him, he sounded like a televangelist, telling a story about a woman he'd saved, who'd found the light after embracing the Lord's work. "and she said she'd finally seen the light folks, this woman who'd never had much, never could walk, and she took a step toward me folks, and it was a miracle. Now you too can do the Lord's work and send us your prayers and money. Please rewatch the tape again. Try it with your eyes closed. His voice is completely fake. The whole thing was staged. To me, it was a slap in the face for all the people who were truly suffering. I saw someone on this forum that agreed with me, too. I think Broussard wanted money and conveniently did not have to answer Russert's harder questions. Russert had just asked him about before the hurricane and Broussard said he could ask him after he said his peace. He then "cried" and could not be stopped so Russert could ask anymore questions.

My heart goes out to the true victims of New Orleans. They do not include Bush or Blanco or Nagin or Brown. It just makes me sick to see these politicians lying or using this tragedy for their own gain and exposure.

P.S. I noticed the transcript and the last line I thought had a typo so I watched a video I had downloaded. Broussard's final line was, "For God's sakes, just shut up and send us some money."

for anyone interested, a story on the St. Bernards nursing home

http://cbs5.com/topstories/localstory250212859.html

heartbreaking

Shit! If that guy's co-worker carred so much about his Mama, why didn't he go and rescue her himself? After all he was a person of authority who could have gained access to the city to do it. Parish officials say nursing home management ignored the order to evacuate early. Who's friggin' fault is that? Bush? Think again folks. Sure there were screwups at the federal level, but local authorities and people in charge are just as much to blame. Do you expect the federal government to wipe your ass as well?

Dear Editor:

I personally lived through two natural disasters, (the snow storms of 1967 and 1977) and two race riots-the Long Hot Summer of ’67 and the Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination Riots. During those frightening days and sometimes nights, trapped smack dab in the middle of a West Side Chicago ghetto with the Vice Lords and other street gangs around to make things even worse, I can tell you that some Black people around me behaved badly-to put it mildly.

Most of us did not.

Back then I don’t recall Harry Belafonte, Sidney Portier, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Bill Cosby, or Dick Gregory ignoring the bullets being shot by Black people at Black people so they could grind on about racism. I don’t remember singers or groups like Marvin Gaye, The Temptations or the Four Tops ranting about how much our government “doesn’t love Black people.” Instead, they used their forum to call for peace and calmness in the face of chaos.

Right now, the nation and most of the world is once again being slapped in the face with horrific images of many Black people falling apart and dying in the wake of one of the worst Hurricanes in history. It’s sad. But what is worse are how our so-called Black leaders are responding to the crisis.

I have heard a Black mayor screaming obscenities at the White House. I have heard Black singers saying that our President doesn’t love Black people. I have heard every thing coming from the mouths of ministers, politicians and entertainers, except one little word: RESPONSIBILITY.

I think it’s disgusting-especially in the face of the hard, cold facts concerning New Orleans.

FACT: THE LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT WERE WARNED TO PREPARE FOR THE EXACT SCENARIO THAT TOOK PLACE IN HURRICANE KATRINA. Experts: Models predicted New Orleans disaster Friday, September 2, 2005; Posted: 3:11 p.m. EDT (19:11 GMT) WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Virtually everything that has happened in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck was predicted by experts and in computer models, so emergency management specialists wonder why authorities were so unprepared. “The scenario of a major hurricane hitting New Orleans was well anticipated, predicted and drilled around,” said Clare Rubin, an emergency management consultant who also teaches at the Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management at George Washington University. Computer models developed at Louisiana State University and other institutions made detailed projections of what would happen if water flowed over the levees protecting the city or if they failed. In July 2004, more than 40 federal, state, local and volunteer organizations practiced this very scenario in a five-day simulation code-named “Hurricane Pam”, where they had to deal with an imaginary storm that destroyed over half a million buildings in New Orleans and forced the evacuation of a million residents. At the end of the exercise Ron Castleman, regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared: “We made great progress this week in our preparedness efforts. “Disaster response teams developed action plans in critical areas such as search and rescue, medical care, sheltering, temporary housing, school restoration and debris management. These plans are essential for quick response to a hurricane but will also help in other emergencies,” he said. In light of that, said disaster expert Bill Waugh of Georgia State University, “It’s inexplicable how unprepared for the flooding they were.” He said a slow decline over several years in funding for emergency management was partly to blame.

QUESTION: SINCE THE CITY AND STATE OFFICIALS KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE FACE OF HURRICANE KATRINA, WHERE WERE THE SUPPLIES AND THE MONEY FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE SUPERDOME?

That same week marked the beginning of New Orleans’ 34th Annual “Southern Decadence”, which according to the organizers welcomed 125,000 people into New Orleans for a week of “sexual excess.” It was supposed to kick off on August 31, 2005.

Ray Nagin, that angry mayor we saw on TV, raging at the White House somehow managed to organize food, water and beds for thousands of people coming in for a sexual fest. He even had an official welcome ready a week before Katrina hit. Yet, this same politician couldn’t figure out how to place enough food, water and medical care for half that number in the place they had designated for a disaster shelter. Why? FACT: NEW ORLEANS HAD A LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. WHERE WERE THEY?

Many of the police officers were reported as taking off their badges and simply not reporting for duty when things began to fall apart. Thursday, Sept. 1 12:11am. New Orleans Police Department Status: The situation for the NOPD is critical. This is firsthand information I have from an NOPD officer we’re giving shelter to. Their command and control infrastructure is shot. They have limited to no communication whatsoever. He didn’t even know the city was under martial law until we told him! His precinct (5th Precinct) is underwater! UNDERWATER —every vehicle underwater. They had to commander moving trucks like Ryder and U-Haul to get around. The coroner’s office is shut down so bodies are being covered in leaves at best or left where they lie at worst. They don’t even know their own rules of engagement. He says the force is impotent right now. They have no idea what’s going on, no coordination, virtually no comms, etc. the National Guard is gonna airdrop a radio system for them with 200 radios? They are getting very little direction. The 3rd District bugged out to Baton Rouge because they flooded out. His quote: “It’s a zoo.” More firsthand information direct from him shortly. He’s trying to recover. I am not trying to be an alarmist, but until we get a military presence of significance in the city, the roving gangs of thugs own the streets

And there’s even worse news…

Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005 10:21 a.m. EDT New Orleans Cops Join in Looting A handful of police in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans joined with looters yesterday in cleaning out store shelves and pilfering merchandise that had nothing to do with survival. While the overwhelming majority of Big Easy cops were performing admirably under staggeringly difficult circumstances, an NBC camera crew filming looters at a local Wal-Mart captured two policewomen filling a shopping cart to the brim with shoes. Asked what she was doing, one of the unidentified officers told reporter Martin Savidge: “I’m just doing my job” Her partner apparently continued looting unfazed by NBC’s presence. The New Orleans Times-Picayune also carried reports of police looting, noting in Wednesday editions: “Some officers joined in taking whatever they could, including one New Orleans cop who loaded a shopping cart with a compact computer and a 27-inch flat screen television. Officers claimed there was nothing they could do to contain the anarchy, saying their radio communications had broken down and they had no direction from commanders.” “We don’t have enough cops to stop it,” one beleaguered cop told the paper. “A mass riot would break out if you tried.”

DAVID MARK: New Orleans citizen, Raymond Cooper, told CNN the situation was dire.

RAYMOND COOPER: When we got here there was no one to tell us what to do, no one to direct us, no authority figure. They had a couple of policemen out here, about six or seven policemen told me directly when I went to tell them, hey man, you’ve got bodies in there, you’ve got two old ladies that just passed, just had died, people dragging the bodies into little corners.

One guy, that’s how I found out. The guy had said, hey man, anybody sleeping over here? I’m like, no. He dragged two bodies in there. Now I just found out there was a lady and an old man. The lady went to nudge him. He’s dead. And (inaudible) bodies. And you’ve got these young teenage bodies running around, they’re raping these girls.

DAVID MARK: And the authorities don’t appear to know what’s happening.

QUESTION: WAS THIS LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT INCOMPETENCE THE FAULT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? NO. And quite a few of the officers who should have been out saving civilians were just as Black as I am. Yet, they refused to save Black people. Where was their “love?”

FACT: MANY OF THE RESCUERS WERE UNABLE TO GET NEAR THE SICK, THE ELDERLY OR THE STRANDED, BECAUSE SNIPERS AND LOOTERS WERE SHOOTING AT THEM. Many volunteers risked their lives to rescue residents stranded in and atop their homes. Other people selflessly shared what little necessities they had on hand. But food, fresh water and medicine soon grew scarce. Thousands of hungry and tired storm victims became restless waiting for buses to evacuate them from the ruined city. In the midst of this desperate situation, human nature reared its ugly head. Fights broke out. Police were fired upon. Vehicles were carjacked. Stores were looted. Women were raped in the restrooms of the Superdome. Every New Orleans hospital reported that, as evacuation helicopters tried to land, people shot at them, shouting, “You better come get my family.” At two hospitals, patients had to be moved to higher floors to escape looters. Because street gangs and other criminals vastly outnumbered the police, National Guardsmen had to be sent in to help restore order. Despite this, a National Guard military policeman was shot in the leg as a man scuffled with him for the MP’s rifle. Rescuers in boats and helicopters had to suspend rescue operations when their valiant efforts were met with gunfire. (“The Real Truth”) QUESTION: WHAT COLORS WERE THE PEOPLE SHOOTING AT THE RESCUERS? WHAT COLORS WERE THE RAPISTS? DID THEY COME FROM THE WHITE HOUSE OR WERE THEY LOCAL?

The people with guns weren’t forcing their way out so they can live, but running wild so people can die. Black and White people tried airlifting out the sick and the dying. But, snipers shot at them. Black snipers.

What does it say about our values as a culture when we shoot ourselves?

The singer, Kanye West says, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” Well, the Black people in that city and in that dome had every opportunity to care about each other as Black people right then and right there and for the most part they failed to care at all.

We, as a people used to hold ourselves responsible for our own behavior. Our elders said, “Clean up your own backyard, before you start pitching a fit at someone else’s mess next door.” Back then we didn’t blame good or bad White people for bad Black behavior. I think it is time that we followed that advice and started taking a good, hard look at what we are responsible for in our own lives.

It is easy to blame the people in Washington D.C. for the chaos in New Orleans. But the FACTS are that both the White and the Black politicians in the Big Easy have known for years that their ability to respond to a hurricane or flood was pathetic. The morals and civic honesty in that town with cesspool like factories and a sex trade that featured live Triple X shows with animals and children were a joke. No one cared about this underbelly of laziness and corruption when the sun was shining. But the storm suddenly turned the world’s attention to New Orleans and what we are seeing isn’t very pretty.

In the aftermath, we need to ask some questions about local responsibility. Where was the money that the local government had allotted for hurricane preparations? It certainly didn’t end up in the Superdome. Where was the local, financial in terms of support for the levees and gas for the buses that could have evacuated the people still left in the town before the levees broke? That was discussed in the many pages of reports written before the disaster. Why weren’t they implemented?

1) There was local and state money available to purchase what was needed days before that storm hit. WHY WASN’T THAT USED? HOW WAS THAT SPENT?

2) There were buses and trains ready to take everyone out of the city. WHY WASN’T THAT DONE? WHO WAS LOCALLY IN CHARGE?

3) There were enough people and guns able to band together and protect each other when the rapes and the looting started. WHY DIDN’T THE PEOPLE PROTECT THE WEAK AND INNOCENT?

I mentioned that I had been through four instances of both natural and manmade disasters. I survived rioting and looting many years ago because Black people stopped blaming the “Big House” and took care of our own, instead of shooting each other.

And then, once the smoke cleared, many people wanted to blame the officials somewhere else for they saw as an inadequate response to our problems. But in Chicago’s case back in 1977, we found that the money earmarked to clean up our natural snow disasters turned up in the pockets of many of the local officials who were supposed to be in charge of emergency preparedness.

Could we have the same situation in New Orleans 2005? Could there be money earmarked for hurricane response missing from the local coffers? Is anyone going to ask at all? Or is that being too politically incorrect?

When a super storm came to one of our biggest cities, our Black leadership was found to be inadequate in every way. It’s time to repent, Black America! It’s time to get back to our old values and do what’s right instead following after Sodom and Gomorrah.

Now, as a people, are we going to take some responsibility and deal with these hard questions? Or are we going to continue to blame the White Man in the Big, White House?

Yours truly,

Trimelda C. McDaniels, Episcopal Pastor Christ Charismatic Liturgical Church

RE: Mr. Broussard's "heart breaking" story. Pay attention to the details people! Doesn't it strike you as ood that this elderly lady in a nursing home can call her son four days in a row, but no one else in New Orleans is able to get any phone, cellular, even satelite connections? Doesn't it seem odd (as another poster pointed out) that this gentleman who was in charge of the emergency responders in neighboring Jefferson parish would tell mom "someone" would come get her, rather than go himself? Doesn't it seem odd that she "drowned" on Friday night, when high water was Tuesday and Wednesday and had started to recede by Friday? Have you done a directory search for St. Bernard Nursing Home where Mr. Broussard claimed this woman died? (There is no such place, but there are many Nursing Homes in St. Bernard's parish- keep reading.)Actually the person that Broussard refers to as "the guy who runs this building I'm in,..." is one Tom Rodriges who, according to his appearance on CNN, is the former Director of Emergency Management for the Louisiana National Guard. He was according to CNN directing emergency personnel in Jefferson Parish during the hurricane. Mr. Rodriges 92 year-old mother was a resident of St. Rita's Nursing Home in St. Bernard's Parish. His version of his mother's death goes like this (as told by himself to CNN); He was out of town when the evacuation order was issued by Luoisiana and New Orleans. He called the nursing home (Sat 27 Aug evening) to see when they were evacuating. The management informed him they had decided not to evacuate the patients. He insisted they needed to. He called again Sunday 28 Aug evening and was told by St. Rita's management that they were going to try to evacuate. He then called the sheriff's office in St. Bernard's parish and told them that the nursing home was stalling in evacuating the patients. The sheriff more or less told him he could not do anything about it because he had his hands full. Mr. Rodriges mentioned no pleeding phone calls from his mother. No one has been able to contact the nursing home owners regarding this unfortuate woman's death, or the deaths of the other 31 people reported to have drowned in St. Rita's Nursing home. The Attorney General of Louisiana is also trying to locate those parties responsible.

Kind of late getting in on this thread. Old news but thought I'd post anyway in regards to some of the comments. As far as global warming causing this or the increase of hurricanes of late are not proven. It is possible. As far as global warming being real. Most scientists agree that there is a thing happening that we call global warming although as Bill Maher said, "global warming" is quite a cute name for something so devastating. Look around, the planet is being used as a toilet bowl.

When I saw this video clip and the guy starts crying, I didn't get all teared up but was upset. Upset at our govt. What the fuck are they doing. Hello? Let's take care of our own here in the states before we go spending billions in foreign lands. And that plucking people off of buildings one by one. What's up with that? Boats? Got any boats?

Let's just impeach Bush and get it over with.

p.s. I made it through a couple of disasters myself, although nothing even close to Katrina. The Riots of 92 in LA and the quake of 94 in LA.

Broussard is a lying dog! Don't take my word for it - here's a link: http://wuzzadem.typepad.com/wuz/2005/09/anotherkatrina2.html

He's no prophet - he's a lying coward that abandoned his parishioners and left them to die.

Disgusting!

The one's who were skeptical of Broussard were right to be skeptical. Tom Rodrigue, the son in Broussard's saddest story, says he heard nothing from his mother or the nursing home for four days after the hurricane - when his on found a list of evacuees from her nursing home, St. Rita's. ( She was not on it and presumed dead).

34 persons died in the flooding in the immediate aftermath of the storm, on the 29th of August...horrible and tragic. No one was trapped for days after the storm, waiting days for promised rescue, only to drown four days later the eve before any help arrived.

Broussards point was that this woman died because of an inadequate Federal response. That's utterly untrue.

The woman, Eva Rodrigue, perished because the owners of her nursing home did not follow the evacuation plan the had filed ( and had been required to file and implement) with local authorities.

Aaron Broussard wants to sit on his read end and let ever one else do the work. He, like Nagin and Blanco, should be investigated for manslauter - there would not be any problem getting the convicted.

With his second appearance this morning (9/25/05) on Meet The Press, we all were laughing it up at the stupid yankee Tim Russert. Talk about being "Stuck on Stupid!" Can't imagine Broussard having this kind of luck!

Two chances on national TV to make the Feds the goat, so that he can use that in his future bribery and rackets trial.

Aaron Broussard is the biggest crook in and president of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. He was an enforcer for the New Orleans mob before he became parish president.

He is currently under Federal investigation for bribery and racketeering.

To know him is to despise him.

The real story behind people trapped by floods when the levee broke hasnot been told yet, as anybody from N.O. knows. We all do know.

Governor Blanco HATES Mayor Nagin with a pasionate revenge seeking spite. This arose from when Nagin endorsed Bobby Jindal for Governor in 2003. Nagin and Blanco are Democrats and Jindal is a very popular and highly regarded Republican. He's a U.S. representative now.

So Nagin endorses Jindal. BOOM! Oh boy, did the fireworks blow up. You would a thought they was gonna fight the battle of new orleans all over again.

You never ever go against your own party anywhere, but in Louisiana, it's worse than political suicide! It actually could be real suicide. Kinda like our neighbor state's "Arkanicide" deliverd by FOB's in years gone by.

Moving on, Blanco says that she will never forget this and privately it was widely reported in the press that wanted to "get Nagin", no matter what.

Dumb Nagin gave her everything she wanted. He gave such a weak evacuation warning and order on a local Sunday morning talk news show that maybe 12 people heard it. When the storm hit, she thought it was perfect. But then the levees started to collapse. She had made no preparations for caring for the city or it's residents.

Busted, she was. And, Mary Landrieu just backed her up. Stupid is as stupid does. Oh my! "We in a pickle together, trying to eat our way out of this." (old cajun expression)

People who knew this kinda dirt, just got up and left town before the storm. Only the stubborn and the poor stayed. It never pays to be poor, you will always be screwed by a Louisiana politician. I guarantee it.

I saw the Meet the Press story today too. Broussard is a complete buffoon. Caught in a lie he raged on in an attempt to draw attention way from that fact. Russert let him off the hook. Maybe he was afraid he'd start to cry again.

Broussard looks and acts like a crook. No surprise he's under investigation. Let's face it. The Dems have f*cked that state up beyond belief. Yea, you can blame Feds for somethings, but when the complete stroy gets out we'll see the muni and state were the blame. Of course, if the heat gets too hot Dems will play the race card. Seems to work with many in this country.

I guess Aaron Broussard is actually responsible for summoning Katrina to Louisiana so he could conjure up a story about the government AT ALL LEVELS woefully failing the citizens. Tim Russert should be fired by CBS for his heartless, evil sandbagging of this guy. Malign his character however you want --Broussard is right about the government's pitiful handling of Katrinas, starting with George W, Bush, and down from there (settling a low bar to start with). Russert is an overstuffed buffoon -- and woth his eyes bulging and face red (from a hard night of boozing?) attacks and interrupts Broussard on the basis of questions from "a number of bloggers"! Hey, reliable sources, no doubt. Russert's botched attempt to defend the federal government in these dire circustances is worse than pitiful.