With all this information (and others I've heard about)having been done on this very situation occurring, why did the local government in Louisiana do nothing?

I can't imagine that they never heard any of it.

With all this information (and others I've heard about)having been done on this very situation occurring, why did the local government in Louisiana do nothing? I can't imagine that they never heard any of it.

I don't know why.....

Remember, dubya declared a federal emergency three days before Katrina made landfall. Not to absolve the local politicos of some responsibility, but as a nationally declared disaster, it was encumbent upon the federal authorities to mobilize their disaster relief. In fact, they did. But then, they didn't deliver it. All the water, food, medical supplies, mobile surgical units, etc. sat and sat and sat and sat, for a week after landfall before it finally got sent in. That is inexcusable.

I'm sure that the local politicians were expecting some help. But, it never came. Nagin should have declared a mandatory evacuation sooner. No doubt. But, as anticipated, there would have been, and in fact were 100,000 people who remained in the city. Those are the people who the feds failed. Michael Brown should be fired for his incompetence and his padded resume. Chertoff should be fired for hiring him. Bush should be fired for hiring Chertoff.

It's not just the locals who are to blame. I hold the feds the most accountable, as they, via the dubya dummy, had already declared a federal emergency. Now, they are saying that, on top of the declaration, the locals should have asked for help. WTF????

It's not just the locals who are to blame.

I can agree with that.  EVERYBODY failed, from the bottom of the food chain all the way up.  Saying "I didn't know that we had to ask specifically for help" doesn't absolve the governor or the mayor, and the Feds are equally accountable for not saying "this is what you have to do in order for us to come and help y'all out". 

Beaurocracy cost lives, and that's both shameful AND unacceptable.

It reminds me of the lady who stood in front of the oncoming freight train.  She lost her legs and then screamed that everyone was negligent because of her loss.

Same scenerio here, except instead of legs, lives were lost.

Nova on PBS had a segment about what would happen too. It's available online at mms://video.pbs.org/general/windows/wgbh/nova/

whoops... mms://video.pbs.org/general/windows/wgbh/nova/nsn-3204-0 2-220.wmv

OK, you can tell it's been a long day... not checking to make sure I have the right link. It's this one: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3204/02.html

"Appearing on NBC's "Dateline," Nagin was asked by host Stone Phillips: "What was mobilized? I mean were national guard troops in position. Were helicopters standing by? Were buses ready to take people away?"

"No. None of that," the Big Easy mayor replied.

"Why is that?" an incredulous Phillips asked.

Nagin replied: "I dont know. That is (a) question for somebody else."

All the people who failed should go. Bush, LA Governor, the FEMA Hacks and the Mayor of New Orleans. Bush should take the lead as the top of the pile!

Remember, dubya declared a federal emergency three days before Katrina made landfall. Not to absolve the local politicos of some responsibility, but as a nationally declared disaster, it was encumbent upon the federal authorities to mobilize their disaster relief. In fact, they did. But then, they didn't deliver it. All the water, food, medical supplies, mobile surgical units, etc. sat and sat and sat and sat, for a week after landfall before it finally got sent in. That is inexcusable.

Wrong! Bush declared it on Saturday and Katrina hit New Orleans Monday at 8AM. At best that's 2 days not 3. And I can't find a time as to when he declared it. It could be as little as 36 hours. If you're going to talk bad about anyone concerning this. At least use correct info. Here's your proof.

Link

Michael Brown should be fired for his incompetence and his padded resume. Chertoff should be fired for hiring him. Bush should be fired for hiring Chertoff.

Apparently, you didn't get back to Gene's thread on this topic, dabe. I replied to you there:

...Brown was appointed to his present position during Ridge's tenure in January of 2003 and was a deputy director of FEMA prior to that, appointed in 2001. Chertoff's only been SDHS since February of this year.

Appears you have a "depraved indifference" to facts, to paraphrase. And Chertoff was widely praised by even the liberal media as a good choice for DHS, in part because of the ass-kicking it needed, but he's been on the job barely 6 months. Those folks who were so eager to trash Kerik before he saved them the trouble by backing out may be rueing the day.

Cheers,
Daiwa

All the people who failed should go. Bush, LA Governor, the FEMA Hacks and the Mayor of New Orleans. Bush should take the lead as the top of the pile!

Just admit it. You could care less about everybody else. It's all about Bush.

All the people who failed should go. Bush, LA Governor, the FEMA Hacks and the Mayor of New Orleans. Bush should take the lead as the top of the pile! Just admit it. You could care less about everybody else. It's all about Bush.

Dead on with that statement! Do you doubt it? If "only" Bush left and none of the others, you'd be dancing in the streets! Grow up!