Is the government responding poorly to this hurricane disaster?

[gr8fuldodd]

What the hell is going on here?

They knew it was going to be terrible.

The flooding was expected.

Why weren't there more resources ready to be mobilized to help with this?

 

Does anyone else feel that this country could and should help more?

 

I can't believe what I'm seeing on the television.

 

I have donated some cash (not saying I'm a saint), but I felt I had to do something.

 

Maybe if we didn't have so many soldiers and resources abroad, these poor people wouldn't be starving, dehydrating, and literally dying on freeway overpasses!

[Eddie]

To me it's hard to believe some of the things I've seen in the US in this regard.
When we had the California fires there were a lot of stories saying they could have been controlled and suppressed very quickly, but officials did not accept volunteer help, and government response was very slow.
It's scary to think that in the most powerful country in the world The Terminator was elected governor, and a schmuck was elected president.

[gr8fuldodd]

bump

[Sir H C]

Diane Sawyer and GWB in an interview:

Sawyer: "Mr. President, this morning, as we speak . . . there are people with signs saying 'Help, come get me'. People still in the attic, waving. Nurses are phoning in saying the situation in hospitals is getting ever more dire and the nurses are getting sick because of no clean water. Some of the things they asked our correspondents to ask you is: They expected -- they say to us -- that the day after this hurricane that there would be a massive and visible armada of federal support. There would be boats coming in. There would be food. There would be water. It would be there within hours. They wondered: What's taking so long?"

Bush: "Well, there's a lot of food on its way. A lot of water on the way. And there's a lot of boats and choppers headed that way. Boats and choppers headed that way. It just takes a while to float 'em! . . . "

Sawyer: "But given the fact that everyone anticipated a hurricane five, a possible hurricane five hitting shore, are you satisfied with the pace at which this is arriving? And which it was planned to arrive?"

Bush: "Well, I fully understand people wanting things to have happened yesterday. I mean, I understand the anxiety of people on the ground. I can imagine -- I just can't imagine what it is like to be waving a sign saying 'come and get me now'. So there is frustration. But I want people to know there is a lot of help coming.

"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees. They did anticipate a serious storm. But these levees got breached. And as a result, much of New Orleans is flooded. And now we are having to deal with it and will."

Later, Sawyer asked about gas prices and oil company profits.

Sawyer: "Gas prices going up at the pumps. We have seen in Atlanta the lines backing up. And some of the prices are going up to $4, $5. First of all, what do you want to say -- what is the government putting in place to guard against price gouging? And also, is this a time to call on Americans simply to pull back and not use the gas? . . . "

Bush: "First of all, you are right. We ought to conserve more. And I would hope Americans conserve if given a choice. Secondly, we have done some things to help on the gas prices. . . ."

Sawyer: "Some people have said that the oil companies themselves should simply forfeit some of their profits in this time of national crisis. One conservative commentator, a popular one, called for a 20 percent reduction in the profits. Do you -- "

Bush: "Well, what I'd like to see in corporate America, is to make sure they contribute to helping these victims. . . . "

And what about the long-term federal role?


Sawyer: "The prospect, some people are saying, [is] of a million American refugees in place for a very long time. . . . What are you saying to them about how far the federal government will go to get their lives back? Do you promise jobs? Do you promise that they will be moved back into housing and how soon?"

Bush: "Well, first of all, we've got to get a handle on the situation. In other words, we have to stop the flooding in New Orleans and, you know, rescue the folks. Get them out of harm's way. Get food and medicine to people. Then take a serious assessment about what it is going to need to rebuild New Orleans. And parts of Mississippi."

Sawyer, her interview over, turned things back over to anchors Charlie Gibson and Robin Roberts.

Said Roberts: "Diane was right. People are asking: Where is the help? We need it now. We keep hearing, they keep hearing, that's it's coming. But they need it now."

[Jebus0000]

Originally posted by gr8fuldodd Why weren't there more resources ready to be mobilized to help with this?

 

They're all in Iraq.

[Thelonius]

We were talking about this yesterday. The Government will soon be opening some big ass contracts up to contractors that will help. Granted in the immediate you do need assloads of help. But some of it is so sloppy and thrown together that it's hard to even blame the failures because such excellent intention is behind it. After the contracts open up you will have a lot better logistics going up solving these problems.

{censored}, I saw this guy from the Corps of Engineers on CNN. That {censored}ing douchebag young guy with grayish hair was on there asking him what he was going to do. He was talking about all of these plans they they were going to try, and the guy interrupted him and was like "SO YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW YET HOW YOU'RE GOING TO SOLVE THIS!"

Nice work CNN....let the {censored}ing politicians you interview that need to be grilled smear that asshole all over your nose and tongue so you can get your next 'exclusive' and bombard and bully this man who's actually trying to help and do something and not stand at the edge of the water exploiting personal tragedy.

[OLORIN]

I don't know about your government but God seems to respond quickly in some cases...