Katrina passed over and that delightful city of fine food and great jazz, New Orleans, vanished. Not long ago this paper published a picture of one of our own at Mardi Gras; I’ve had a soft spot for “the big Easy” since my first meal at Antonine’s some 35 years ago.
In articles, and a previous column, I’ve mentioned the need for blood donors – given disease potential, and dangers associated with damaged, it wouldn’t hurt to call the Red Cross, 1-800-448-3543, and see if you can donate. Please, share your life’s blood, and help save a life.
Our president would like it if there was no “finder pointing”; and he has declared personal oversight of the “cover my own butt” investigation into the preparedness and response failures. Maine’s Senator Sue Collins stated, "Governments at all levels failed." Her committee will also investigate.
Mike Michaud summarized it nicely: "We would not have this kind of warning in a terrorist attack ... the Department of Homeland Security was caught unprepared, ..."
New Orleans demonstrated a gross failure of the Right-Wing agenda, and leadership. An unnecessary war in Iraq, and tax cuts for the wealthy, paid for by cutting funds for pump, levee and safety upgrades in New Orleans. Category 3 protection because the GOP didn’t consider the poor worthy of a full 5.
The Army Corps of Engineers had its budget cut to the point of being crippled in a time of dire need. It is clear, our National Guard – those who respond to domestic emergencies – cannot respond from Iraq.
FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – was downgraded to a post-event agency. Even worse, the GOP appointed head told the GOP Congress who approved his appointment: FEMA was only ‘an oversized entitlement program." At what cost was that “entitlement program” cut?
Right-wing incompetence – in emergency management and fiscally – has created record national debit; the world, not just our nation, is feeling the effects of Bush’s right-wing GOP failures.
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