Mayor Nagin holds his own on 'Meet the Press'

When asked why the flooded out buses were not used before the disaster to get people out in time he responded "that is something that is going to be debated". Debated by who? Why didn't he answer the question?

Originally posted by eeper69
When asked why the flooded out buses were not used before the disaster to get people out in time he responded "that is something that is going to be debated". Debated by who? Why didn't he answer the question?

Glad you brought that part up. When reading the transcript it does not come out the same as it did on TV and you are right at that point he did appear to avoid the direct question. He just danced around by giving the answer you posted.

That is just the point I was trying to get at when I stated using the transcript is just not the same as it came out on live
TV

Since the bus question keeps coming up...I have to ask just who was supposed to be driving them around the city in the hours leading up to Katrinas' landfall...

Should Nagin have started the process of calling up every citizen who normally drives those buses during school season? When does school start in NO? Were those buses in daily use already or were they just parked until school started?

If Nagin was to start the process of calling Mrs. Doe and Mr. Smith, how many of those good folks would have said...no, my husband and I are packing up and leaving?

Perhaps he should have pressed the police into service...they could have driven those buses...maybe they should have...or perhaps they had other things to worry about.

So, the main question is...WHO was going to be driving that fleet of yellow buses for Nagin and how was he going to co-ordinate driving them, let alone partitioning the city to do a planned pickup of all those folks throughout the city who had no way of getting out?

How was he to know who couldn't go? Do you mean he should have done a house to house search?

[edit on 13-9-2005 by masqua]

[edit on 13-9-2005 by masqua]

In the final hours, of course it would have been hard to find drivers. But this was predicted to hit New Orleans for days. I'm sure he could have found plenty of drivers to utilize these buses days before landfall.

Originally posted by masqua
Since the bus question keeps coming up...I have to ask just who was supposed to be driving them around the city in the hours leading up to Katrinas' landfall...

Should Nagin have started the process of calling up every citizen who normally drives those buses during school season? When does school start in NO? Were those buses in daily use already or were they just parked until school started?

The city of NO had a website up with the evacuation plans on them and evacuation was included. As it appears now that was not the case. Had it been the case they would already have had the drivers lined up to evacuate. Since that does not appear to be the case it clearly lays the blame right in his lap.

Originally posted by shots

The city of NO had a website up with the evacuation plans on them and evacuation was included. As it appears now that was not the case. Had it been the case they would already have had the drivers lined up to evacuate. Since that does not appear to be the case it clearly lays the blame right in his lap.

By that information, I agree...had there been a planned evacuation drawn up, using all available buses and having routes laid down with assigned drivers, then, yes...there would have been a lot less people stuck in NO who wanted out. This is a perfectly sensible preventative action to save lives in the case of a strong hurricane, as Katrina was.

I'm still confused, though, you mentioned an evacuation plan as having been on a website. If I know anything about planning (which I do, btw), drivers should have been assigned, with keys in hand and routes laid out before Kartina was spawned in the Atlantic.

If such a plan had been laid it should have begun without any more than a 'GO' from Nagin or one of his underlings.

The big question is, even if the plan was laid down...who was to drive those school buses? It wouldn't be Mrs. Doe who drives the neighbourhood picking up kiddies for school...it would have to be someone driving an evacuation route, armed and prepared for medical emergencies, outfitted with communications and fully aware of where s/he had to go to co-ordinate an effective evacuation.

The logistics are very confusing even as a practiced event...remember, 80% got out on their own volition and would do so again. Who are the 20% to pick up, where do they live and how do you have them waiting for your bus on what corner?

Originally posted by masqua

By that information, I agree...had there been a planned evacuation drawn up, using all available buses and having routes laid down with assigned drivers, then, yes...there would have been a lot less people stuck in NO who wanted out. This is a perfectly sensible preventative action to save lives in the case of a strong hurricane, as Katrina was.

I'm still confused, though, you mentioned an evacuation plan as having been on a website. If I know anything about planning (which I do, btw), drivers should have been assigned, with keys in hand and routes laid out before Kartina was spawned in the Atlantic.

This may help answer some of your questions. The cities website page that existed early in the week is down or has been removed, but this article does explain and answer some of the questions you asked.

City had evacuation plan but strayed from strategy

As you can see they did have a plan, now I just wonder why suddenly it has disappeared from their website

The whole bus situation can be debated endlessly, but how could the Mayor predict a huge hole in a levee? A good amount of the devastation was caused by that alone. Who's fault is that? The Federal Government's? The State's? The Mayor's?

Peace

Originally posted by Dr Love
The whole bus situation can be debated endlessly, but how could the Mayor predict a huge hole in a levee? A good amount of the devastation was caused by that alone. Who's fault is that? The Federal Government's? The State's? The Mayor's?

The fault lies with the Mayor , he had an evacuation plan but did not use it. What is the sense in having a plan if you are not going to use it? The original plan had a time frame that stated it would take 3 days I might add; which would bring up another question why did he wait so long to do what little he did? Again he had the warning yet he waited, had he not waited they would have been long gone before the levee broke.