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Effects of the Storm :: Hurricane Katrina :: Criticisms : City and Local
Many have also criticised the local and state governments, who have primary responsibility for local disasters. Mayor Nagin has come under criticism for allegedly failing to execute the New Orleans disaster plan, which called for the use of the city's school buses in evacuating residents unable to leave on their own.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_Hurricane_Katrina_on_New_Orleans
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Criticisms :: City and Local
Many have also criticised the local and state governments, who have primary responsibility for local disasters. Mayor Nagin has come under criticism for allegedly failing to execute the New Orleans disaster plan, which called for the use of the city's school buses in evacuating residents unable to leave on their own. [52]
Having chosen the Superdome as the refuge of last resort, some have alleged that the Mayor did not preposition food and water. While accepting that if the Superdome had not been opened up to the public, as requested by the Mayor, the casualties would have almost certainly have been far greater, some claim had he used the plan the city developed, the people would have been bused out of New Orleans and the catastrophe would have been ameliorated.
However, Governor Blanco has said FEMA had asked for school buses not to be used as they were not air-conditioned, and a potential risk of causing heat stroke, and that FEMA had informed them of more suitable buses they would be providing. Concerned over the slow reaction, Blanco sent in the state's fleet of 500 buses to aid in the evacuation process. It was not until late on August 31 that Blanco learnt the FEMA buses were being sent from outside the state, and could not arrive immediately. [53] It is not known if FEMA was acting on the mayor's rejection of school buses and that "every Greyhound bus in the country" be supplied.
Governor Blanco issued a voluntary evacuation order and acknowledged that she received a call from the President on August 27, 2005, urging her to make it mandatory in order to get as many people as possible out of the path of the storm. On Saturday August 27, Governor Blanco did request [54] that President Bush "declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina." The White House responded to Governor Blanco's request that same day, August 27, by declaring the emergency and authorizing FEMA "to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency."[55]
Others have also leveled criticism at Governor Blanco for not having activated Louisiana National Guard sooner. These critics claim that there was inadequate preparation at the state and local levels in the case of Hurricane Katrina. Past disasters have relied on some federal assistance but with the state and local governments taking the lead.
According to a Washington Post report on Sunday, September 4, "Shortly before midnight Friday [September 2], the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans." Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request, and doubted that it would provide better managment of the crisis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_Hurricane_Katrina_on_New_Orleans
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