Mayor C Ray Nagin Governor Kathleen Blanco When are you two going to do something. People in the media are starting to question the leadership in Louisiana. Can you blame them? Colonel Henry L. Whitehorn Mitchell J. Landrieu Lieutenant Governor This is getting ridiculous. The people in N.O. are begging for some guidance. There is no one there to give it. The above people need to step up and be leaders. Someone needs to. This situation is really making me angry. Someone, anyone, get down there and take charge.
I think Nagin is the only one who has stepped up to the plate. He's remained calm, cool, and collective throughout this entire ordeal. And he finally declared martial law in the city. I don't think Blanco has any idea what she is doing and it looks as though she's about to crack with every interview she gives.
This is a catastrophe on a magnitude of unprecedented proportions. It's hard to gage how our leaders are handling it, as there is no historic reference with which to draw a comparison.
What I heard tonight is they are getting people off of some rooftops and dropping them off on a highway near by. These people are dying. You would think they would start immediately building refugee type camps on the nearest dry land that is safe from the flooded areas and bring all food and supplies to those areas. Therefore taking the rescued to the camp areas. You would think that this would have been the plan as soon as the first floods began. Maybe I'm wrong. It's usually always the case after a disaster that the mistakes are figured out but it seems like nobody knows who really is in charge. Is it the Feds, the state? Who? The Navy is arriving and National Guard but is it FEMA that is in charge of the effort? I don't know? Who on this forum knows what type of coordinated effort is in play here?
I agree. The whole pick people up off the roof and drop them on the interstate to fend for themselves with no food or water idea didn't seem to be to well thought out.
Were they supposed to just leave them in the water? One problem at a time guys. Get them out of the water, then get them fed and watered, then find them some shelter. The guy in the boat isn't equipped to do much more than get people out of the water. Others will have to pick up the ball on the other issues and they are coming.
I'm not casting stones at her and I'm sure she is overwhelmed but she is not handling the situation very well publicly. I wish she would let someone else do the talking most of the time and focus on getting things accomplished behind the scenes. I'm going to pray for her and all of our officials.
gotta admit red, even though I am trying to be lenient in my judgment in such a dire time, there has been logistical nightmares that even boyscouts could have handled better. this wasnt a tornado that happened without warning nor in a place not susceptible to such an occurrence. while the magnitude could never be properly prepared for, something is definitely outta whack here. if even I knew the levee was breached and there would be people all over the bridge coming throughout the night then i definitely would have had some water source knowing the heat index was projected 116. these are the simplest things that cannot be explained nor excused regardless the levels of people involved. people were close to dying on that ramp and bridge today. many were likely looters so its hard to show concern but many were our elderly and children but that's not the point either way.
I live in and evacuated the greater new orleans area and for the situation I think Nagin and Blanco are doing as good of as a job as could be done in such dire situations. Everyone can be an armchair QB and say how things are being handled the wrong way, but these people are in the trenches and are doing a fine job. I was never a big fan of Blanco and still aren't, but she is doing as best as she can. As for nagin, I was a fan before and am now even a bigger fan. The only thing that was handled poorly was reshoring the levee. Our Corp of Engineers must be the laughing stock of the nation. To have no idea how to stop the break and then take so long to jump into action is mindboggling. The Corp should have had a plan way in advance to stop something like this, instead of jumping into action after the problem. Lets just keep our fingers crossed and hope that loss of life is as low as possible in light of the situation. We will learn from this and move on. Please keep everyone in New Orleans and all effected areas in your thoughts and prayers.
