Buses? You want buses? Here are the goddamned buses: Under water in New Orleans.
Here's my little take on things:
As far as I am concerned, the failure rests primarily on the government of the City of New Orleans and secondarily on the government of the State of Louisiana. I don't care what anyone says, the federal response to disaster is always slow and is not meant to be the primary responders to any disaster.
New Orleans knew that their city was below sea level. They border the ocean, the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. They knew ahead of time the potential problems of a hurricane strike, and the likelihood of levy breaks. The State of Louisiana also knew these problems. They held tabletop emergency exercises and were made painfully aware of the problems that could occur. But apparently nothing was done in preparation for such an eventuality.
You don't order a mandatory evacuation and then not provide adequate transportation for the poor and infirmed. Knowing that a hurricane is coming and that you might need transportation, you don't leave buses parked in a damned lot. You stage them throughout the city and evacuate accordingly. You don't use a "last resort" evacuation center without making plans to feed, shelter, or care for the evacuees.
Yes, opening up the highway as a route of egress is great, for those that can afford it, or even have cars.
Sorry, the federal response is not designed to provide initial rescue and recovery operations. In addition, people comparing this tragedy to NYC and 9/11 need to take a step back. Supplies, equipment, personnel and the like could be brought directly to the disaster site. The entire city of New York was not off the power grid. Police, fire, all emergency services throughout the rest of the city could still respond and provide aid. This, is completely different.
I am completely disappointed and unimpressed with the response of the NOPD as well. Notorious throughout the country as one of the most corrupt police agencies, images of officers caught looting a WalMart by Martin Savidge from MSNBC do nothing to help their cause. Their administration as well, was ill-prepared for this disaster. Sickening.
Even more sickening is the Mayor of New Orleans, the bigmouth critic of the Federal Government. According to news reports, he ordered chartered buses to take stranded tourists in the Hyatt across from his headquarters, to the Superdome evacuation site, then ordered that they be placed in the front of the line for evacuation out of the city. Ahead of poor New Orleans residents, some that had waited for five to six days for evacuation, and ahead of hundreds stranded on a section of Highway 10 for days. It cracks me up to see him complaining about the federal government not being quick enough to respond and how his police officers held the city together for two days. CYA, as a result of piss-poor planning. It's always easier to blame up, ain't it?
EDIT: One other thing regarding looters. Looting started early on in this situation. Don't tell me that people kicking in doors of electronics stores the night the flooding started "needed something useful" If you are going to stop looting, you do it immediately, get a handle on it, and restore order. At the point that a disaster goes into multiple days, and stranded people need to survive, I have no problem with taking food stuffs, emergency supplies, legitimate medication and survival equipment. Pickup truck loads of televisions, name brand tennis shoes, and other assorted electronics, is not for personal or familial survival, and I doubt very seriously that these groups are part of a distribution effort.
