This is the "nail in the coffin" that puts the blame game to bed

[Horse with no Name]

in the Emergency Declaration issued by the President on SATURDAY.
The President himself put FEMA in charge on Saturday.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts

What part of ALL do they not understand?:shrug:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

[Justyce]

1. Wish the media would point this out!

[ecoflame]

2. Link? (n/t)

n/t

[Horse with no Name]

4. Here it is

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

[Dogmudgeon]

3. It's on the White House and FEMA web pages, too

The audit trail is as clear as it can be. Thus explains the hurricane of spin.

--p!

[Old and In the Way]

5. Watch for a page revision

That has an asterisk after that sentence.

At the bottom in 4 font will be a disclaimer: "Except when we really screw it up...then it will be someone else's fault."

[shraby]

6. I sent the whole statement to Olbermann.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Thanks.

:)

[GreenPartyVoter]

30. Good going!

------------------------------------------------------
Save the Gulf:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=22507&mesg_id=22507

Then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[Straight Shooter]

8. It's only 4 paragraphs, you can post it in its entirety:

Dated August 27, 2005.

The resident today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.

The resident's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Representing FEMA, Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Department of Homeland Security, named William Lokey as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

[Ms. Clio]

14. Aren't there some parishes missing from that list???

Why would that be?

[Horse with no Name]

19. read post 17 eom

[Horse with no Name]

20. Exactly.

Point I was making that as soon as Bush put it "ALL" under FEMA...there was no further arguments. The buck stopped RIGHT there.

[spuddonna]

9. Wait... look what's missing here, and tell me if it was in the original...

Not all the parishes are listed: Jefferson, Orleans...

[Tennessee Gal]

16. That changed on the 29th

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050829-2.html

[proud patriot]

10. MEDIA Please please talk about this

Pretty please with cherries on top

[NewJeffCT]

11. I have already fired off an LTTE on it

Walt Starr had posted it this morning on DU... great catch by him.

[NewJeffCT]

12. But, all doesn't mean "all"

I mean, the mayor first has to declare an emergency, then go up to the governor & then the governor has to sign some form giving the feds control of the National Guard, right?

:sarcasm:

[maxrandb]

29. That Depends on what the definition of "all" is

[spuddonna]

13. This FEMA declaration doesn't include any of the southern parishes!

What the hell? I'm looking at a map of the parishes of LA (here: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/louisiana/lacty.htm )

I'm comparing it to the FEMA declaration...

None of the hardest hit, southern parishes are in the FEMA declaration?! wtf?!!

[Ms. Clio]

15. jinx n/t

[Horse with no Name]

17. You aren't reading this correctly

On the map on their page--green are secondarily affected parishes, white are affected parishes.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, today announced that Federal resources are being allocated to support emergency protective response efforts response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina.these are the white parishes on the map.

On the secondarily affected counties:The parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn were designated eligible for assistance(because of the high probability of rain, tornadoes, floods).these were the parishes designated in green on the map.

[WritersBlock]

27. Actually, I think they are reading it correctly....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4680990#4682095

I am not trying to start an argument. I agree totally with you that the buck stops at the White House, and he gave FEMA authority to respond, because it says in the original declaration that they can change it if necessary.

The point I am trying to make is that the omission of the coastal parishes in the original declaration very likely meant two days of confusion on the ground, while the FEMA people tried to figure out what they could, and could not, do.

I think the omission is a large part of the reason for the slow federal response, and is therefore evidence of either extreme incompetence or criminal negligence on the part of this Administration. Or, more likely, both.

I think it's a smoking gun.

[Spazito]

18. It is in the first paragraph of the President's declaration

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.

"parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina"

[spuddonna]

22. Spazito and Horse With No Name, thanks....

I hadn't seen the map that was associated, and I hadn't seen the additional letter from Brown discussing those named parishes as 'available for assistance'.

Thanks! I just read it from the White House page, without the FEMA maps, and focused on why the individual parishes were being identified...

[Ms. Clio]

24. Yes, did the same thing, thanks

[Mr_Spock]

21. This IS the blame administration. They have NEVER taken responsibility

for ANYTHING.

These people are acting just like the childish babies over at Freeperland.

There really IS no hope for Republicans, they either rule by fear and intimidation or don't rule at all.

[never_get_over_it]

23. Repunks are the opposite party and the projection party

whatever they say they mean the opposite

party of responsibility - party of pass the buck
culture of life - only if you're in the womb or on a feeding tube

whatever they accuse the other side of you can be sure they are guilty of it.

[cthrumatrix]

26. rethugs should rename thier party "teflon"

[Mr_Spock]

31. It's amazing isn't it - that they have been able to get away with it for

so long!!

We are not such a smart country after all. This sucks.

[underpants]

25. Yes it is-using the 50 firefighters for a photo op doesn't help either

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4680394&mesg_id=4682135

[mzmolly]

28. This is inarguable.

We have to blast this far and wide.

[Ratty]

32. "The President BEGGED the governor to declare a State of Emergency"

Man I'm getting sick of hearing that one again and again.

[enough]

33. kick