[ren]

Actually I'd blame the weather people. For about a week they were saying Katrina would turn north and head towards NY and turn into a tropical storm. Then at the last minute they say its heading straight thru Florida and into the gulf coast.

Then I'd blame whoever was in charge of the evacuations, cause they didn't do their job. Then I'd blame the head of FEMA for the screw up with the national guard and late aid. Come on 5 days for aid, and what do the National guard do, fire on civilians trying to survive anyway they can. Not to mention that the media was there within a day of the huricane to report. So then you can blame Bush and his cronies cause they are in charge of FEMA.

Guess I'd have to say that the chain of blame goes right up to the top of the political food chain.

[Jason Vines]

ren, on Oct 14 2005, 04:13 PM, said:

what do the National guard do, fire on civilians trying to survive anyway they can.

The National Guard only fired on people who had already fired on them.

I agree with the rest of your post.

[Yoda]

For years warnings went unheeded.There were many many predictions of New Orleans risk since 1965 when Hurricane Betsy brought floods. There were numerous articles and documentaries on the risk. I have been hearing about the danger of New Orleans for years. December 2001 The Houston Chronicle published a story, "New Orleans Faces Doomsday Scenario". September 2001 Popular Mechanics ran a story "New Orleans is sinking". October 2001 Scientific America ran a story "Drowning New Orleans. June 2002 New Orleans Times, said, " New Orleans is washing away", June 2003 Civil Engineering Magazine ran a story, Category 3 hurricane could find New Orleans under 20 ft of water. October 2004 National Geographic ran a good article called "Gone With The Water". November 2004 Natural Hazard Observer, "Levee System Will Not Keep Up With Flood Threats". May 2005 PBS science show Nova had "Threat to New Orleans". Thats just a hand full of warnings, yet nobody did anything about it.

[-January-]

If Bush had not cancelled so many programs protecting the enviorment as well as coastal reform then these problems truly could of been so much less then the magnitude they reache di nthe years of neglect since his office has taken power. Almost all programs eco related were if not toally cut were cut at least in half and several new proposals for clean air and water pollution as well as enviorment reconstruction to help prevent the kinda of climate and enviorment changes form happening that are that truly had a hand in the magnitude of the storms and problems. It's an old name game blame so on but i truly for this one blame the way of cutting the PRes choose for such things he deicded wouldnt bite his generation in the arse but oh whoops they did.

[Jason Vines]

Star*Crossed, on Feb 22 2006, 12:04 PM, said:

If Bush had not cancelled so many programs protecting the enviorment as well as coastal reform then these problems truly could of been so much less then the magnitude they reache di nthe years of neglect since his office has taken power. Almost all programs eco related were if not toally cut were cut at least in half and several new proposals for clean air and water pollution as well as enviorment reconstruction to help prevent the kinda of climate and enviorment changes form happening that are that truly had a hand in the magnitude of the storms and problems. It's an old name game blame so on but i truly for this one blame the way of cutting the PRes choose for such things he deicded wouldnt bite his generation in the arse but oh whoops they did.

I agree, Bush was negligent not to consider the environmental ramifications of his decisions. But, we must keep in mind, even had Bush acted differently, no program would have gotten off the ground for at least a few years. Bush could have done nothing, vis-a-vis the environment, to ameliorate Katrina's devastating impact.

The poor urban and ecological planning that made New Orleans suffer all the more under Katrina is the sad product of nearly a century's worth of short-sighted greed and negligence.