Where Are The Buses?
In a parking lot, in New Orleans.
Via Drudge who seems to be the first one asking how many of the poor, the very young and disabled, could have been moved out of New Orleans with that fleet, while the highways were still open and the streets dry and unobstructed?
I’ve been listening to Canadian talk show host Charles Adler and others today while I work. The lack of attention on cases of negligence of those civic officials charged with the first line of defense is predictable. In their world, the only politician alive in America is George W. Bush.
These know-it-all Canadian media pundits remind us that America is the wealthiest country in the world, criticize the delay in federal assets getting to the storm victims, raise the opportunistic hot button of racism – but while they’re at it, neglect to share with their audience which fingers they’d snap.
And before you answer in their defense, here’s another question to ponder – if you believe the only factor lacking is federal will and organization.
Where are the lawyers?
Heard of any class-action suits?
Me either. That – more than any shortage of personnel carriers or rescue helicopters – should tell us everything we need to know about how difficult it is to access New Orleans.
Those are just the schoolbuses. Bill Hobbs has also reported that the New Orleans mass transit system owns/owned 324 buses. My quick count shows another 200 or so in this picture.
I live in a community of seniors who average everywhere from greatest generation to left over hippies. We all are amazed that both the local pols and the feds don’t know you do something, anything immediately in an emergency. Without leadership, people get crazy. NO is a classic example of ineptitude. Did no one there ever hear of Dunkirk? The hospital workers are to be commended, but the feds failed in a major way. Day one should have been action, action, action. You can always do long term planning after the fact, but immediate keeps things under control. Bush should be impeached purely on the basis of “preserve and protect” his failure of oath.
Class action suits by people who are presently trying to stay alive? Give people a chance to get to safety, breathe, have a drink of water…
The defense of this President is astonishing.
Over the past week he could have commandered every bus, plane and helicopter in the South to get those people out. We’re still waiting. It is REPREHENSIBLE and now you would like to blame it on people beneath his authority? Please.
Nancy, here’s how class-action lawsuits work: lawyers see an opportunity. They research the facts and the law and draw up the paperwork.
And then they file the paperwork on behalf of a class, the members of which usually have no idea they’ve hirede a lawyer and filed a lawsuit until they get a letter in the mail from the court telling them they’re going to receive a check for 89 cents, their share of the clients’ portion of the settlement.
Meanwhile the lawyers get a percentage of the whole settlement, which can be in the millions of dollars.
Trust me, if there’s money to be made and access to facts that can support the case, “people who are presently trying to stay alive” need not be involved at all.
At all.
How silly of him to assume that the mayor of New Orleans, who actually had the authority to do that, would.
After all, Nagin’s counterparts in every other part of the affected Gulf Coast did their parts. Only Nagin and the City of New Orleans failed.
Meanwhile you’re attacking the President for assuming Nagin was competent.
Janet, Nancy,
..and how much disaster service training have *you* had?? Do you have *any* clear ides what it takes to assess and secure a neighborhood, let alone an entire city? Do you *really* expect the fire department to come and get Fluffy the Cat out of a tree in the middle of all this?
Requests for aid are always triggered from the lowest level – city to state, state to fed. And, by the way, President Bush asked for mandatory evacuation on the 28th, but the *local* authorities, whose decision it was, ignored him.
Janet, Nancy,
..and how much disaster service training have *you* had?? Do you have *any* clear idea what it takes to assess and secure a neighborhood, let alone an entire city? Do you *really* expect the fire department to come and get Fluffy the Cat out of a tree in the middle of all this?
Requests for aid are always triggered from the lowest level – city to state, state to fed. Incident command starts with the first person on scene – in this case, it would be the mayor, who then calls the governor, who then calls the Feds. President Bush asked for mandatory evacuation on the 28th, *and* declared an emergency before katrina hit land. The *local* authorities, whose decision it was, ignored him.
When you two understand the concepts of assessment, security and triage, let me know. We can have an intelligent conversation. Otherwise, lead, follow, or shut up and get out of the way.
I’m just sittin’ here astonished that you would defend him. Still.
He should be put on trial, for Chrissakes. How devoted can people be?
This is not about left or right. This is about humanity. The President failed. Miserably.
You can’t spin this no matter how hard you try.
McGehee:
And class action suits should happen how soon? 6 days, huh?
It’s…
Actually, it’s not even worth debating.
No offense, McGehee. Thanks for the information.
So let’s say you load up all 500 buses with people, average 60 per. That’s 30,000 people.
1. Where do you put them all?
2. What do you do with the other 70,000 or so left in NOLA?
As for class action suits… there’s no court to file them in, since it was destroyed.
I don’t think the President should be blamed for everything. But he still has to account for his actions over the past week. Which were reprehensible.
Where are they putting them now?
Go back and get them. Repeat as needed. Really, are you trying to sound stupid?
Oh? Every courthouse everywhere was destroyed? Louisiana has no more courts? There are no federal courts?
Moron.
Is there a reason my comments are not showing up here?