COL Gene COL Gene

KATRINA SHOWS THE BUSH PRIORITIES ARE ALL WRONG !

KATRINA SHOWS THE BUSH PRIORITIES ARE ALL WRONG !

America needs a change



This disaster and its impact on New Orleans and the Gulf coast was not only predicted but there were detailed plans prepared showing what needed to be done to strengthen the levees around New Orleans and the coastline along the Mississippi river. These studies and simulations were prepared in 2001 and 2002 for the Bush administration. They were almost 100% accurate as to the consequences of failing to rebuild this infrastructure in the largest port in the United States. George W. Bush ignored these studies and the warning contained in them.

The studies clearly indicated what it will take in terms of rebuilding the levees to withstand category four and five hurricanes as well as repairing the coast line along the Mississippi. The cost to rebuild the region would have been in the $20-$30 Billion range according to the studies. Bush, rather than starting to implement ths essential rebuilding, actually cut the funding for the Corps of Engineers to that region beginning in late 2001. He diverted the money to the war in Iraq. The truth is that our priorities are DEAD WRONG! With 10% of what George W. Bush has spent in Iraq, we could have completely rebuilt the levees in New Orleans and the Mississippi coastline and prevented this disaster from occurring. Now we need to rebuild an area as large as Great Britain and still need to repair the levees and the Mississippi coastline. The cost in human lives and dollars are many times what it would have been if Bush had his priorities in line with the NEEDS of this country!

In addition, water levels are rising because of the global warming and here again the Bush administration has done nothing to protect our environment and ignores a growing problem that the use of fossil fuel is helping to create. Rather than seek alternate energy sources with the hundreds of billions of dollars that we are dumping in the Iraq War, we ignore our energy needs. There are studies that show the infrastructure of the United States is aging and that it will take more than $1 trillion dollars to repair all the levees, bridges, roads, electrical grids, dams, schools, water and sewer systems throughout this great nation. There is NO money for these needs but we have SPENT 1/3 of what it would cost to rebuild the infrastructure across the entire Unites States with what we have spent in Iraq. The time has come to redirect the priorities in America to meet the long term needs of our people and not the political ideology of the conservatives in this country! Bush cuts the federal revenue with tax cuts and ignores essential repairs. He starts a war that did not make us more secure and spends the money needed to help rebuild America on that war. WAKE UP AMERICA!

IF THERE IS ONE USEFUL THING KATRINA HAS DONE, IT IS TO SHOW HOW WRONG THE BUSH AGENDA IS FOR AMERICA!


24,652 views 88 replies
Reply #51 Top

Where would local and states get 30 Billion which was the estimate to rebuld that area? Bush reduced the federal funding.


Idiot!!

The city isn't supposed to have $30 billion to rebuild, they are supposed to be able to have done a legitimate evacuation (using the vehicles they had contracted with when that part of the Emergency Management Protocols were being created); a good assessment of the situation; a list of the shelters, where they are, an estimation of how many people are there, what facilities are available at each; among a few other things... They are also supposed to be able to tell the state what their police, fire, EMS.. and other emergency agencies are doing; a list of what logistical supplies they have and what they need....

Basically what the state requires from the local authorities, and what the Fed requires from the stae is the Emergency Management equivolent of a "SALUTE" Report for each division of the Emergency Management Protocol.

No real evacuation occurred, No real shelters were established, the Mayor had no idea what was going on in his city, the mayor was clueless to what his city needed. Since he had no way to give a complete report to the state, the Governor had no idea what to request from the feds.

All the Mayor could do was call for unenforceable "Martial Law", and run to Baton Rouge to whine that no one was doing his job for him. the Governor was left with giving such a professional request as "We need everything you can give us!" as she paniced.

Seriously Gene, if I requested support from your unit and I couldn't tell you anything more about my unit's situation, or what I needed from you, would you ever be able to give me the support I need? You'd have no idea what support I need....

Of course all that doesn't matter does it... "hate bush... hate bush... hate bush..."

Sad, I'm sure at one time you had a brain.
Reply #52 Top
Been gone for a week. Knew this would be here when I got back. Pathetic.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #53 Top
Been gone for a week. Knew this would be here when I got back. Pathetic.

Cheers,
Daiwa


Welcome back to the fray. We kept your foxhole warm for ya.
Reply #54 Top
I see everyone slamming col, but no one saying anything about the fact that Bush saw what could happen and did not act on the info and later cut the funding to the area in question.

Does anyone have anything to say about that particular?

To me its politics as usual, whether it be Bush or Gore or whoever.

New Orleans was continually in peril for a while (raising water table, the city sinking, the wetlands disappearing, being surrounded by water on 3 different sides and all of them on average are above sea level), but sometimes people have to die before something is done.

I don't think it was a Bush error, but there is defiantly enough blame to go around for this one.
Reply #55 Top
We need a person with a VERY different outlook!


You had that chance col, and you lost. Do you even understand why democrats keep losing?
Reply #56 Top
I see everyone slamming col, but no one saying anything about the fact that Bush saw what could happen and did not act on the info and later cut the funding to the area in question.


So now Bush can see the future? If Bush could see so could the mayors and governors. But they chose things like building a new sports arena. Cutting the funding does make one bit of difference in this situation.
Reply #57 Top
Bush did not have to be able to see the future. The studies in 2001 and 2002 showed what would happen to that area if a Cat 4 or 5 storm hit. Bush controlls the Corps of Engineers funds and the locals do not spend that money on other projects. Bush did NOTHING to implement the requiremenets of his own study and would NEVER have invested the 30 Billion in that area to rebuild the levees et al. He was too busy spending the money in Iraq. If anyone who believes the States would have had 30 Billion to spend, they is nuts. That area is among the poorest areas in our country and that ports supports the entire United States This was a Federal responsibility!.

As for the 700 buses, it is unlikely they could have made more then one round trip out of the area in two days prior to the storm. If they made two round trips they could have moved 7,000. We are talking about 25-30 times that number that needed to be evacuated. The ONLY agency that has the assets needed was the Active Military and they were under the control of Bush! The National Guard took 6 days to arrive in the numbers needed to do the job.

You Bushies are the scum of the earth. You have not shown what I have said to be untrue. The facts are clear. Even the Republicans in Congress gave Bush and his staff an "F" for the way they handled the storm. When you look at how Bush helped prevent or reduce the disaster by rebuilding the area, he gets another "F".

.
Reply #58 Top
You Bushies are the scum of the earth. You have not shown what I have said to be untrue. The facts are clear. Even the Republicans in Congress gave Bush and his staff an "F" for the way they handled the storm. When you look at how Bush helped prevent or reduce the disaster by rebuilding the area, he gets another "F".



Yes we have col, many times.
Reply #59 Top

I see everyone slamming col, but no one saying anything about the fact that Bush saw what could happen and did not act on the info and later cut the funding to the area in question.

Does anyone have anything to say about that particular?


Yeah! Because Bush is NOT ALLOWED to go in with active military without someone from the state asking for help! To go in without that call being made is against the constitution and therefore unlawful!
Reply #60 Top
NOT TRUE.

The Possie Act allows the president to act to preserve order. It also allows the Navy to assist the Coast Guard in ANY emergency.

WRONG AGAIN BOYS Look at what IKE did on Alabama if you want proof!
Reply #61 Top

NOT TRUE.

The Possie Act allows the president to act to preserve order. It also allows the Navy to assist the Coast Guard in ANY emergency.

WRONG AGAIN BOYS Look at what IKE did on Alabama if you want proof!


Try again! By your "own" words! "To "preserve order". Preserve order is NOT a natural disaster! Just to help you out oh clueless one. Alabama was to preserve order. Now how does that equate to a natural disaster?
Reply #62 Top
You Bushies are the scum of the earth.


The level of intellectual argument on Gene's part just keeps getting better & better.

I repeat, pathetic.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #63 Top
It's nuts to think that the friggin President of the United States has knowledge of every corps of engineers report. One town out of tens of thousands, one state out of 50, amid all the international issues to keep track of. It's funny how the Col says "his report" as if the penned it and slept with it under his pillow.


I think that anyone who thinks he should have woken up one morning and said "Hey, wasn't there something about a levee?" is an idiot. Even if those levees were his responsibility, which I am not convinced they were, I'm sure there were 100 people between them and the President in terms of chain-of-command.


"We are talking about 25-30 times that number that needed to be evacuated. "


30 times 7000 is 210,000 people you nit. There wasn't anything like that left over in New Orleans, and most of those who stayed behind could have gotten out, they simply chose not to. In terms of the the infirm and people without transportation, those buses could have most certainly got them all in a trip or two.
Reply #64 Top
The reports I read said in excess of 150,000 remained. They still believe there are 15,000. If you think 700 busses would have solved the problem, you just do not understand the size of the problem. Only the Active Military could have handled this problem. The looting and the inability of the police or national Giarg to control the situation gave the President the authority to send in Federal Troops. He has Federal troops in there now!
Reply #65 Top
The reports I read said in excess of 150,000 remained. They still believe there are 15,000. If you think 700 busses would have solved the problem, you just do not understand the size of the problem. Only the Active Military could have handled this problem. The looting and the inability of the police or national Giarg to control the situation gave the President the authority to send in Federal Troops. He has Federal troops in there now!


Col, they never even tried the buses. That's the start of the problem. You keep blowing this off and going back to the usual "it's Bush's fault". This is why you are not taken seriously.
Reply #66 Top
How do you know where the people are? Was there a local hotline set up for people who needed a ride? If there was a list of people to pick up, then the buses most certainly didn't need to be sitting there doing nothing. Since the buses couldn't carry them all, it was wise to leave those they COULD carry behind?

let's pretend that we had the ABILITY to move 20,000+ troops and enough vehicles there to move 150,000 people there in a couple of days. Would they have gone? Why didn't all the ones with the ability to go do so?

I don't think for a moment 150,000 people stayed behind because they didn't have transportation. (I honestly don't believe 150,000 people stayed behind.) I don't believe even a 10th of the ones that did stay behind would have left, even if the government had been standing there begging.

I DO, know, however, had Bush sent in the military in a house-to-house operation dragging US citizens from their homes, you'd have been right here bitching about how he overstepped his authority. You'd have made up a thousand inane conspiracy theories about how Bush was starting a new reich or something.

Bush, Bush, Bush. Don't you see how sad you seem Col? Don't you realize that every time you do a hack job like this it just depletes the menial amount of credibility you have? You have no motivation beyond your hatred for Bush.

No one is going to believe you feel anything about New Orleans. Hell, I don't even think you believe a lot of this is Bush's fault. It's just another blunt little tool in your one-job toolbox.
Reply #67 Top
I DO, know, however, had Bush sent in the military in a house-to-house operation dragging US citizens from their homes, you'd have been right here bitching about how he overstepped his authority. You'd have made up a thousand inane conspiracy theories about how Bush was starting a new reich or something.


Exactly. I can just see col's thread now. "DICTATOR BUSH HAS TAKEN MILITARY CONTROL".
Reply #68 Top
So done with this IDIOT conversation. I stated what should have happened at the state level, and the states impacted (and those that could have been) DARN WELL COULD HAVE RAISED 30 BILLION to fix the levees them darn selves!!!!! BUSH CUT FUNDING, he sure as well did, and I would have too since the FUNDING wasn't funding the Levies, it was funding CORRUPTION AND BRIBES!!!

THE Army is NOT allowed to "police" without a request from LOCAL Government. That's why EACH STATE has a National Guard under the Governors control! What is the National Guard going to do if the Governor don't even know what's going on and needed. Stand around with their thumbs up their butt and get shot at?

HEY BUSH, DECLARE WAR ON NEW ORLEANS!!! Then he could send the Reserve.

OH, and just for your information, I am NOT a Bush Supporter!! If you would spend 3 seconds reading the titles to my blog, you would see I voted Nader. I was in the Reserves, Stationed in Nebraska 63S, Trained FT. Lenard Wood A-2-10, So GET OVER YOURSELF.

If you are so die hard military, you would support YOUR president REGARDLESS!
Reply #69 Top
The reports I read said in excess of 150,000 remained. They still believe there are 15,000. If you think 700 busses would have solved the problem, you just do not understand the size of the problem. Only the Active Military could have handled this problem. The looting and the inability of the police or national Giarg to control the situation gave the President the authority to send in Federal Troops. He has Federal troops in there now!


Hey clueless one...just how many active military vehicles would it take to transport 150,000 people? Go on take a guess for us. The active military couldn't move ALL those people at one time! That means multiple trips. And on top of all that, it was pointed out "YOUR" math is WRONG! 40 people per bus and 700 buses equal 28,000 people. NOT 3500 like you claim. That being the case, 2 trips for each bus would have been 56,000 people! And 4 trips for each would have been 112,000 which almost would have taken care of the problem, wouldn't it? BIG difference huh? So find something else to get goofy about!
Reply #70 Top
#54 by Community AT Work
Thursday, September 08, 2005

I see everyone slamming col, but no one saying anything about the fact that Bush saw what could happen and did not act on the info and later cut the funding to the area in question.



#56 by Island Dog
Thursday, September 08, 2005

So now Bush can see the future? If Bush could see so could the mayors and governors. But they chose things like building a new sports arena. Cutting the funding does make one bit of difference in this situation.


Ummmm... Bush could have and did red the very same thing that FEMA read and most of the insurures read about the area. No future or suth saying here. NO was in peril for years before this and they, including Bush, knew about it.


I can understand why people are bashing Col, but it seems what he brought up was ignored. There is plenty of blame to go around for this one, but uts not Bush's fault alone by no means.
Reply #71 Top
I also agree with how many people would have actually left. You have people who live in these neighborhoods that do not have much. They are less likely to leave it so that their neightbors can steal it. They knew who their neighbors are and plus, poor people just tend to want to hang on to what they have gotten because of how hard they worked for it.

Also understand that lack of education and wealth can create more doubt in understanding of what is ahead of them.

I dare say the school buses would have made 3 trips and that would have been it and no more than 50,000 would have actually left.
Reply #72 Top
I did not claim the military was to evacuate the people before the storm and neither could have 700 school busses. The point was that on Monday when it was clear how big of a problem there was, and we saw the lawlesness on TV , why did Bush not send the Active Military to maintain order, distribute food and water, treat the injured and evacuate the people. It took until Saturday before the gurad arrived which is 6 days after the storm hit that area. It was clear the local police, the state police nor the National Guard could respond quickly. So we allowed 1.5 Million Americans to go unhelped from Monday till Saturday when help got started. If that is the best Bush can do, he should step down and let someone else do his job! This storm was more then the local and state officials could handle and the President, with hundreds of thousands of men and women on active duty in this country were not called upon to help their fellow Americans! Why? Becaure the Commander-in-Chief did act with the most effective resources that he could of used to help those people. God help us if we have another terrtorist attack. Bush will wait for the Boy Scouts.


Reply #73 Top
You know something, COL Gene? My 10 year old son just sat down and read through your intial article, plus all of the responses that have been posted (all 72 as of this writing).

His initial response? "How clueless can this jerk be?" After I stopped laughing (because he has no idea what ID I use here and what I think of it all and he pretty much pegged it.), I got onto him for calling a retired veteran (sad but true) names.

Even if he was 100% correct.
Reply #74 Top
So we allowed 1.5 Million Americans to go unhelped from Monday till Saturday when help got started.


Help didn't start on Saturday col. Do you think absolutely nothing was happening during the week?
Reply #75 Top



I did not claim the military was to evacuate the people before the storm and neither could have 700 school busses


Again a clue for you. The evac was called for "BEFORE" Katrina hit!

So we allowed 1.5 Million Americans to go unhelped from Monday till Saturday


And yet "another" clue for you. There was NO 1.5 million left in N.O.! Only 150,000! Since you seem to have a problem lately doing the math.....That's LESS > than a quarter of a million. Get real! Hell there aren't that many people living in New Orleans.


population of Greater New Orleans at 1,337,726


So sorry, WRONG AGAIN!