Dear George...

Dear George,

As a student at Louisiana State University, I was profoundly affected by the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. As a student of black heritage, I was heartbroken to see thousands of African-Americans abandoned and alone in New Orleans.

Why did this have to happen this way, Mr. President? I understand the majority of people stranded in New Orleans were too poor to evacuate, to which I reply:




Mr. President, why didn't you deploy or ask the mayor to deploy those buses? Mr. President, why didn't you use some of our airliners to evacuate them? Mr. President, why not trains? I'm confused, sir.

You couldn't have been too busy. After all, you took a month long vacation.

A month long vacation...

A month long vacation...

Sorry, I got caught up in the sheer magnitude of that statement, especially since it applies to the President of the United States.

I will give you some credit, though, Mr. Bush: You cut your vacation short. A whole 2 days short.

Lets take a look at the brave actions you took and sacrifices during the course of the Hurricane:

August 27, 2005: You were on vacation having a grand old time

August 28, 2005: You were still on vacation having a grand old time but at least you urged residents to listen to the other officials. Kind of like what my parents used to do when they told me to listen to a babysitter while they went to Atlantic City. Except they probably would have come back if the house was destroyed or in danger of being destroyed.

August 29, 2005: Finally, you boarded Air Force one. Bravo. However, you went to Arizona. Perhaps you should fire your navigator - Arizona is in the opposite direction.

August 30, 2005: Once again, Commander-in-Chief, you boarded Air Force one and left Arizona. Once again, Leader, your navigator failed you and you ended up in San Diego. Oh well, at least you were able to receive a guitar from Mark Wills while you were there. Gnarley, dude.




I'm sure, however, that this guy would be quite proud of you.

Finally, though, you did indeed head back...

Back to Good Morning America.

You then made the following comment that kind of confused me, sir...

On September 1, 2005 - during an interview on Good Morning America, you made the following comment: "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

Really?

He wasn't so forgiving with Chertoff on Monday night. He teased his September 5 program: "And what did the administration know, and when did it know it? The Director of the National Hurricane Center says he warned them -- the head of FEMA, the head of Homeland Security -- that the levees could break.

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Experts have warned for years that the levees and pumps that usually keep New Orleans dry have no chance against a direct hit by a Category 5 storm.

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Former Louisiana Sen. John Breaux, a Democrat, said it was clear during his time in Congress that flood control projects were shortchanged.

"Those levees are OK under normal times but once every hundred years, that's not enough," he said in an interview. "We've all said for years that a category 4 or 5 hurricane hit just right on New Orleans, there was nothing there sufficient to prevent New Orleans from being 20 feet under water."

I'm getting bored linking these for you, Mr. President, but here are some others:

ABC's Nightline, 9/15/04: "If it sounds overly dramatic, it is not. This city is surrounded by water on three sides. Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Mississippi below. A major hurricane hitting right here would breach the levees. Water would cascade in, submerging the city. And because of the levees, it would have no way of escaping."

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Associated Press, 5/16/04: "Officials have warned that if a major hurricane hits New Orleans, thousands of people could be killed and the city could be flooded for weeks as flood waters breach the levees ringing the city, which has the topography of a saucer that dips several feet below sea level in many places."


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The Advocate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 9/19/03: "... the Hurricane Center has developed an 'extremely detailed' map of New Orleans because the city, which sits about 6-feet below sea level and is surrounded by levees, is a 'worst-case scenario' for a major storm to hit. Knowing how far and how fast the water in the inlets will rise, evacuations and cleanups can be better planned, [LSU Hurricane Center director Ivor] van Heerden said. In the case of south Louisiana, a breach of the levees would trap the flood water on the wrong side of the bank once the bayous and rivers receded, van Heerden said."

------

Richmond Times-Dispatch, 8/6/02: "New Orleans, with more than 460,000 residents, lies entirely below sea level and depends on a system of levees to hold back the Gulf of Mexico. Some researchers say a Category 3 hurricane could breach the levees and kill thousands of people."

----

Mr. President, it was obvious that the breach of the levees was predicted. Why did you lie? There are times to play politics and times to be a man. This was the time to be a man. You were elected to lead, so lead us.

Mr President, why did it take so long for you to cut your vacation short? It was obvious that no matter where the hurricane hit there would be major damage. You should have cut it short regardless. Why did you wait until after it hit?

Mr. President, why did you delay the relief efforts?

According to an interview on the BBC, Lt. Cmdr Sean Kelly said the following:


"Northcom started planning before the storm even hit. We were ready when it hit Florida, because, as you remember, it hit the bottom part of Florida, and then we were planning once it was pointed towards the Gulf Coast.

So, what we did, we activated what we call 'defense coordinating officers' to work with the states to say, 'OK, what do you think you will need?' And we set up staging bases that could be started.

We had the USS Bataan sailing almost behind the hurricane so once the hurricane made landfall, its search and rescue helicopters could be available almost immediately. So, we had things ready.

The only caveat is: we have to wait until the president authorizes us to do so. The laws of the United States say that the military can't just act in this fashion; we have to wait for the president to give us permission."


What took you so long to authorize the help, Sir? Was your vacation schedule that filled?

Sir, why did you not consider the recommendations to fire Michael Brown, the highly unqualified "head" of FEMA - the man who claimed on August 29 that they (FEMA) had just found out about the Convention Center refugees?

I don't get it. You were supposed to lead us, Sir. You were supposed to protect us prior to 9/11 and you failed. You were supposed to lead us to a swift and, according to reports, casualty free (your words, not mine) war in Iraq and you failed. You were supposed to find Saddam's weapons of mass destructions and you failed. You were supposed to help people in need before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina and you failed.

You can be excused for your failure prior to 9/11 because that was impossible to foresee. You can be excused for the Iraq war because it was faulty intelligence and you did what you believed was best for the country.

How can you be excused for vacationing while thousands of people died horrible, agonizing, painful deaths needlessly? If you were doing your job, thousands of lives would have been saved. You weren't and they weren't. Inexcusable, Sir.

Disgusted in Baton Rouge,
Cutwolf


[edit on 8-9-2005 by Cutwolf]

Hi,

I just wanted to express my profound sadness at the needless loss of life and the complete and utter destruction of peoples lives and livlihoods in the affected areas. well researched cutwolf

Unfortunately we all know where Bush's priorities lie and it not with the poor or black!

Although Bush shouldn't be let to get away with this tragedy which amounts to the mass-murder of civilians, I feel that every US president over the last 20 or so years (maybe longer?) is jointly responsible for this by failing to face up to their responisibilities in protecting the basic human rights of the poor.

Hope your family and friends are safe, I visited New Orleans April 2003 and it was one of the highlights of my trip east to west across the top and back across the bottom of what is one of the most beautiful countries on earth. You are all so friendly and helpful it makes me sad that all we see representing you to the world is some bumbling idiot with a thirst for blood. I can't understand why 50% of Americans still support him after all the lies? I know that we can't really speak over here as Blairs nearly as bad but compared to the opposition he's our best hope for the time being so I suppose it's a similar story for you?

You have voted Cutwolf for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

Cutwolf,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.

I almost went to LSU myself. Beautiful campus. How did it fare?

You should mail your post to the White House. I doubt Bush would see it, though. He doesn't read, remember.

That is profoundly clear. Especially given his statement to Diane Sawyer last week re: not seeing this disaster coming. I'm sure he wasn't lying. He was simply and terribly oblivious, for his handlers most probably did not inform him of prior reports. But then again.. his administration did slash the money for the very project that would have bolstered the levee system. So maybe he's just a GD lying Ahole?

It's probly a little of both. At any rate, let's put this simply: The Bush administration is now responsible for ALLOWING the GENOCIDE of the multitude of helpless New Orleaneans left behind, the destruction of the USA's biggest port (which is a NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE) and the destruction of a city that is one of our national treasures.

Impeachment of the whole lot of BushCo. wouldn't be near enuff. What they deserve can only be meted out by the hand of God.

This was just emailed to me:

"In our country, the local government is the first responder in the event of a crisis. And if you are in New Orleans, you are screwed in that case, because your local government is made up of incompetent criminals, and the "law enforcement" that they supposedly oversee is arguably the dirtiest in the nation.

Now, the next in line is your state government. If you are in LA, you are, surprise surprise, screwed, because Governor Blanco didn't ask for help until pretty late in the game. Sorry to all you old women and dehydrated babies waiting for busses at the Superdome!

Up next, the Feds. They only help if you ask them to! Do you know why? Because if the federal government could just come swooping in to help whenever, and declared themselves in Control of The Situation, with the commandeering everything and you know, putting boots on the ground, and OH THE CAVALRY IS HERE, then we would live in El Salvador, not here. We limit their powers so that we can remain a nation of free people.

In other words, you can only be directly responsible for something you have DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY OVER. Do you want the Feds to have that power? Think carefully before you answer.

It is not George Bush's responsibility to airlift you a Fresca and an egg-salad sandwich, okay? That is the job of your local government. And since in NO, the local government was on the take, and the police force was hindered by the presence of crooks, rapists, and murderers in their midst, people died. And it is terrible that people died. It is terrible that people from NOLA are forced to arrive in other cities, and will probably never go back home again, and won't be employed in the hard work of making their city a viable place to live once more. It is terrible, and you know, blaming the President isn't going to make anything any better, so I suggest you stop that (censored) nonsense and help somebody out, instead"

End.

*******

Now, I'm not about to agree with this email exactly; in part because I don't have knowledge of the criminal allegations therein.

It does however seem imprudent to blame Bush for everything.

Any comments, particularly relating to the bits about it being local first, then state, responsibility?

You cannot possibly be a student at Louisiana State University. If so you must be studying tittlywinks. Read your post again. Read it carefully. You are posting a situation and a picture of a parking lot full of busses underwater are you not? Under whose jurisdiction do those busses reside?? Not the president of the United States. Please try thinking not emoting. This is the responsibility of the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. How much education do you need to know to get the city and school busses rolling? A mayor needs the president of the United States to tell them this?? You must be joking?
I am not defending the president but asking you where you cultivated your thinking potential and emotions.

One more thing ..I have relatives that are poor. I help them often. Being poor is not a pass to play through. Lots of people In the three or four states are in the same boat and have lost loved ones and property. They will be in dire straights no matter what their economic status. You dont seem to be speaking for them. Are you economically prejudiced??
Being poor in the United States to many people has become a default setting to prostsitute out politics and the publics emotions for political purposes. Being poor is not a default pass to play through. It is cheap politics of the lowest kind. It has become a political institution and this is becoming obvious to many Americans and they are tiring of this kind of gutter politics on the backs of poor people. Even poor people are becoming aware of it.
The lowest form of this the blame game is that it is being done on the backs of people who have real problems " all the people" ..not just the poor and these people need help not cheap politics. Understand???
I hope this kind of cheap emotional politics backfires on the state of Louisiana and others and gets them out of office ..all of them.
Stay focused on the very difficult job at hand..not cheap politics and the blame game. Good grief..dont they teach you that in LSU??? I dont have to got to college to understand this!!!
I will remind you that cheap blame politicians will not be around when the difficult task of body collecting or rebuilding is being done...they "will" be there for the ribbon cutting ceremonies. Where will you be Cutwolf????What does this tell you about politics...even the politics of education???


Thanks,
Orangetom

My response to your "letter" resides here :

politics.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by Tinkleflower
This was just emailed to me:

"In our country, the local government is the first responder in the event of a crisis. And if you are in New Orleans, you are screwed in that case, because your local government is made up of incompetent criminals, and the "law enforcement" that they supposedly oversee is arguably the dirtiest in the nation.

Now, the next in line is your state government. If you are in LA, you are, surprise surprise, screwed, because Governor Blanco didn't ask for help until pretty late in the game. Sorry to all you old women and dehydrated babies waiting for busses at the Superdome

Guess what? This whole thing is complete partisan nonsense, based on a LIE a White House source told the Washington Post. They were DUMB enuff to repeat the lie - RETRACTING it several hours later.

If they were worth the paper they print on, they would OUT that source for the fraud they are. It would also be helpful to the American people to KNOW exactly who these anonymous LIARS are.

If I were you, I'd delete my name from that list or source. It's not doing you any good.

It actually came from a woman who claims authorship; she's a friend in real life

ECK - ok, but which part are you referring to?

Please understand my stance here; I'm simply asking for clarification of the local vs state vs national responder parts.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Elevatedone: Help me out here....I'm not sure what you're actually saying (though I do love Ben Stein).

Sorry, I must be mistaken.

The government only gets involved if the situation is like Ruby Ridge where one family is pinned down by the FBI.

The governemnt only gets involved with a Waco situation where a bunch of people are living in a compound led by a religious zealot.

The government only gets involved when busing involves education.

The government only protects the government with hideaways, shelters, and minor things above the bare necessities in times of crisis.

Cutwolf, you did good! Now go out and study law so you can help some of these people and those to come in the future that will mean nothing in times like these.

Kudos!

The examples you use are of histronics...I asked and implyed in my post clear thinking and performing. I did not ask for emotions or emotional politics. What is needed in the South is clear thinking people who are not easily stopped by emotional hurdles. People who specialize in performance values..not emotions. People who can do and get things done ..not politicialize. Understand the difference?????
I will also tell you that there are people out here who know that politics are heavily innundated with lawyers. Tons and tons of lawyers... All politicians no... .but still tons and tons of lawyers. In your summation lawyers is not a good closing posture for you to use in support of your position. People out here know what the term "Philadelphia lawyer " means. They are also aware of the woredom that politics has become. The prostituting out that politics has become emotionally ..especially for votes.

What is happening down in the south is that someone has identified a opportunity to gain political leverage nationwide on the backs of people suffering. Translation of this is opportunity to get votes in the future. This requires the age olde technique of "Victimization" made popular years ago by Phil Donahue et al and taken over by politics for votes. Victimization is standard baillywick for certain political partys. It is also very predictable.
I am now days insulted by this technique..especially on the backs of people who have real problems. All of these people not just a particular group. No matter who is doing it. It has become a circus. Divide and conquer. Standard Hegelian dialectric. It gets olde and does not make one group more rightious and moral than another. Especially politicians who should know better but pimp this positon for votes.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Originally posted by orangetom1999
You cannot possibly be a student at Louisiana State University. If so you must be studying tittlywinks. Read your post again. Read it carefully. You are posting a situation and a picture of a parking lot full of busses underwater are you not? Under whose jurisdiction do those busses reside?? Not the president of the United States. Please try thinking not emoting. This is the responsibility of the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. How much education do you need to know to get the city and school busses rolling? A mayor needs the president of the United States to tell them this?? You must be joking?

I understand this. However, when it became abundantly clear that the Mayor was too incompetent to manage this, the higher ups should have stepped up. And what about trains? Planes? Does the mayor have jurisdiction over those, as well?

I will remind you that cheap blame politicians will not be around when the difficult task of body collecting or rebuilding is being done...they "will" be there for the ribbon cutting ceremonies. Where will you be Cutwolf????What does this tell you about politics...even the politics of education???

I've been volunteering at the PMAC on LSU Campus which is serving as a shelter and medical facility for some of the refugees. I will continue to you volunteer. What have you done?

Originally posted by Tinkleflower
ECK - ok, but which part are you referring to?

The Washington Post ran a story claiming, based on an anonymous source, that the Governor of Louisiana did not declare a state of Emergency until Sat. or Sun. That was a bald faced lie. She declared a state of emergency on Friday. Within hours WaPo issued a clarification. They should go further and out the liar in the administration who gave them that bogus information.

The Bush administration is doing its level best to pin the blame on state and local officials in the matter of hurricane Katrina. It's abominable.

Well said TinkleFlower, in your first post. Of course, when a tragedy happens, many people seek to blame a single person. It's a natural thing that we all do. However, this isn't the case in this situation. People just like to skip over the local and state governments, and go straight to president Bush. Many people like to pretend that Bush can do anything he wants and is not restricted by our laws. Many people pretend that congress doesn't exist, and that they don't look at all of the same bills as the president does...

And that response letter is genious . Did Ben Stein really make that???

Herman,
You're missing a piece of the information pie.

To skip over BushCo's federal levee cuts is unconscionable. You are aware of them, right?

Originally posted by EastCoastKid
Herman,
You're missing a piece of the information pie.

To skip over BushCo's federal levee cuts is unconscionable. You are aware of them, right?

Yes, he cut funding, but that was a small part of a big problem. The hurricane was stronger than anyone anticipated. Even if he hadn't cut funding, the same results would have occured. We also had corrupts politicians spending the money for the levees on other things. Also, in order for Bush to have cut funding, he would have had to pass it through congress first. Bush is not solely to blame for this. Bush didn't kill those people. At the most extreme, Bush made the water level go from 13 feet to 15 feet.

Glad to hear your helping out. I submit to you that if you get out in the field you will get as much or more education of a different kind than what you will get in class. Thinking processes honed for which they cannot possibly educate you in school.

I got mine around here during Hurricane Isabel a couple of years ago. I was the only one on this block with a generator and the know how to keep it going. I am also a ham radio operator and put up a temporary antenna when the phones were out. The severity of the Hurricane here was not as extensive as Katrina but it was definitely a experience in human behavior and wildlife. We were one of the last neighborhoods to get our power back. I ran extension cords to some of my neighbors. Some of them tried to run stuff like their airconditioners along with necessities and overloaded my generator like I was the power company. I unplugged them quickly before they damaged it and we would all be without electricity. One neighbor was actually irate with me for cutting him off...astonishing. We dont speak to this day. Talk about entitlements. Many people around here are asleep at the wheel when it comes to hurricanes..they know how to order pizzas etc..but not much about preparation. Planning here to get a power inverter so that I can convert my 12 volt battery electricity in my truck to 115 volts ac as an alternate and more portable source of power. A nice option in addition to a regular generator.
Did alot of work here with my chain saw ..clearing mine and my neighbors yards and driveways. It is scary working with some people with chain saws under conditions like these...very unsafe..you have to be on your toes around them. Stay sharp..stay frosty.

I had not heard about the incompetance of the Mayor spoken of in the manner you have here. I gave up on the news becasue of all the sniping and whining as it became tiresome to me when it is obvious that there are more important needs down there than politics. Much more important.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Originally posted by orangetom1999
The examples you use are of histronics...I asked and implyed in my post clear thinking and performing. I did not ask for emotions or emotional politics. What is needed in the South is clear thinking people who are not easily stopped by emotional hurdles. People who specialize in performance values..not emotions. People who can do and get things done ..not politicialize. Understand the difference?????/

Uncle Tom, I don't know what your problem is but I don't appreciate being sniped by arrogance, insensitivity or the posturing I must be half-wit
because I don't agree with you. You did not ask. You replied to a post that was written with emotion. Understand the difference?????

I will also tell you that there are people out here who know that politics are heavily innundated with lawyers. Tons and tons of lawyers... All politicians no... .but still tons and tons of lawyers. In your summation lawyers is not a good closing posture for you to use in support of your position. People out here know what the term "Philadelphia lawyer " means. They are also aware of the woredom that politics has become. The prostituting out that politics has become emotionally ..especially for votes.
/

I am sure that if lawyering is ignoring human suffering and emotion it must be far from what you would consider 'a good closing summation.'

However, my posturing is the same as Janet Reno. You do recall the former Attorney General and her writings on Gideon v. Wainwright? Or do you not?
According to her, we need a better class of citizen to become lawyer exuding the same inkling of wisdom as Gerry Spense who so aptly calls many lawyers today, "piddling little trophy huunters." Are these not emotional statements?

What is happening down in the south is that someone has identified a opportunity to gain political leverage nationwide on the backs of people suffering. Translation of this is opportunity to get votes in the future. This requires the age olde technique of "Victimization" made popular years ago by Phil Donahue et al and taken over by politics for votes. Victimization is standard baillywick for certain political partys. It is also very predictable.

I am now days insulted by this technique..especially on the backs of people who have real problems. All of these people not just a particular group. No matter who is doing it. It has become a circus. Divide and conquer. Standard Hegelian dialectric. It gets olde and does not make one group more rightious and moral than another. Especially politicians who should know better but pimp this positon for votes.

To this I have agreed, and continue to do. However, I will not take the emotions of people and toss them out to sanitize and release the system for failures of perfomance. Nor will I refuse to admit yours, and their, emotions are just as strong.

I suppose I am in good stead with Thomas Jefferson and that gang of 56, twenty-four of whom were lawyers, and did sign the Declaration of Independence. For each of them demonstrated a fervor for good government of a free people. And each gave their lives for the same.

Now, if I have misread your intent then your writing is not clearly stated as your thinking appears to you. (I am often guilty of the same.)
If you misread my intent then my apologies for not dummying it down enough.


[edit on 9-9-2005 by garyo1954]
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[edit on 10-9-2005 by DontTreadOnMe]