Bill Clinton could have been President and the end result wouldn't have been much different. Blaming George Bush is too easy an answer, especially for those who are against him.

The complete truth is that a LOT of people in leadership roles, at ALL levels of gov't (regardless of party) didn't listen to the scientists and didn't proactively plan or act (or FUND).

A lot of people would still be dead today because trying to help that many of them spread out over such a large area after the fact is a logistical nightmare that no one was ready for.

Perhaps the people of North California should start thinking about what to do when the "big one" hits them, as scientists continue to predict. Now's the time to plan, not after everything has been shaken apart.

My understanding is that FEMA was usurped into Homeland Security and that it was made perfectly clear that a minimum of 75% of the funds allocated to Homeland Security were to be spent on actively fighting terrorism. And that this left little for the other types of risks our country faces. I have heard that FEMA as an agency had been stripped essentially to bare bones.

Not sure where the blame falls or frankly if I even give a shit. I just know that no one can help us recover from this better than us. The American people.

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<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
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You are right that this is not about blame. The obvious will be in front of us and they will continue to play their games like cheap magicians with their slight of hand. That IS their one and only expertise. It WILL be the people that overcomes this disaster and it will only be the people that force a change by SHOUTING that we see what the other hand is doing.

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I recently received a pdf handbook on what to do in case of earthquake....I think people here are preparing for that eventuality

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I think men talk to women so they can sleep with them and women sleep with men so they can talk to them. ~ Jay McInerney

osuche,

Interesting. Is that effort a local, state, or federal initiative?

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Eudaimonia

There is no question that many conscientious civil servants are working for us, but it is the their management that CANNOT be allowed to be filled with ignorant ‘Old Boys’ ….. or ‘Old Girls’. I know you are well aware that good management of anything consists of careful planning, implementation, monitoring and review.

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(((osuche)))

Please be careful!

But if Bill was President it would have still happened but it would be just the other party point the finger at him. Most likely they would have got ken star on him trying to prove the not only the lack of help was his fault they would want to blame Katrina on him too.
In reality that what our poltical system has become insted of pointing out your or your party good point point out the other perties bad. One has to wonder if this is because neither of the parties have any good point to point out.

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it's only kinky the first time

it's not the orgasm but getting there thats fun

a shot in the bush is worth two in the hand

whip me, beat me, tie me up, break my arm, but please don't break my heart

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid people are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt" -Bertrand Russell

Very true!

Respectfully rabbit...I just don't think Bill Clinton would have had a similar "end result". In all honesty I think Bill Clinton, or just about any other president other than GWB (and I include his father in this determination) would have jumped to the ready and started up efforts of evacuation and repair to the levees well before GWB did. He is commander in chief for shit sake...and could have done so many things so much faster and with more authority! He's just recently proclaimed that he does take the fault for the lack of response...and again in all honesty, this is the first thing he has ever taken responsibility for where it was necessary for the people of this country to hear him say it out loud! If he would just do this a bit more often whenever he fucks up...I might get off his case a bit!

But I have to say (before you get your cute li'l undies inna bunch) that my entire statement wasn't directed just at him...though I may have eluded to it being about him alone. I was also referring to the more local elected officials and to those in the Bush administration who were appointed to their positions without the education and experience for what they were appointed. Sorry...I shoulda been more concise.

About your statement of "a lot of people would still be dead"...I reiterate... I feel in my heart (and from general knowledge of the capability of past leaders) that nearly any other administration would have been more levelheaded just beforehand...calling for a different/better course of action to get those people out before the big hit...and then more authoritative and faster at response of rescue and repair just after the incident. And I don't think as many would have perished with such disinterest and lack of understanding and compassion for a more common folk (no means of escape or place to go when out of harms way) that doesn't fit into the understanding/comprehension of a leader/leaders that seemingly don't care till they are called out for their faults!

AND...I've never known a more disconnected president than GWB! And might I add, his Mom and wife were pretty unrealistic too, with some of their disfunctional statements of the situation. Eeeeek!

Sorry to piss anyone off...but those are my feelings and I can't let it go by that I should feel better about him because some think it is not patriotic of me when I speak out against his actions. He's given "ME" no reason to respect his so called authority. I'm not trying to sway anyones loyalty to him...I'm just stating my thoughts! I'm not a sheep (no WI...this isn't directed to you...lol!) and I'll never be herded by anyone, let alone a leader I don't respect!

I don't need any Amen's to this response...and I swear I ain't looking for anyone to "get my back". I'm NOT trying to cause a ruckus. I'm just stating my thoughts to a response to my reply.

I love ya rabbit...you know that! So, take this as banter back and forth and nothing more...k?

I have a right to my opinion...as does everyone here at Pixies...and so it is said!

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Minds are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

~Thomas Dewar~

LixyChick,

Yes mam, everyone at Pixies has a right to their opinion! Good heavens, what a dull place it would be were we all stampde from the same mold

I find your assessment pretty much dead on Lixy...the details being that the Homeland Security Act absorbed FEMA & took away much of its funding to do its job, the Iraqi War has hollowed out the National Guard to the point wher they couldn't do their directed mission of keeping the peace in domestic situations, & W's "buddy system" made sure there was nothing but hacks in charge...I recall that Slick Willie had a very trying time getting his appointments thru, since he seemed to be trying to screen people for a certain minimum of qualifications, & not just offering govt. jobs to his golfing pals...

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Plug me into somethin'

If the theory does not conform to the facts, then the facts must be discarded.

No good deed ever goes unpunished

Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level, & beat you with experience.

We're cool, hun. I am not really looking to stand up and defend the Administration...which I could type paragraphs doing...I just want to encourage people to dig deeper. A lot went wrong during Andrew and a lot of what went wrong was not FEMA's fault.

rabbit

So true, and but the basic problem is that the whole system is shot in the first place. It's not that the system broke down; it's that the system was basically designed to fail. Remember, the basic function of government is to keep the rich and/or powerful in their positions of wealth & power. Fuck the common people.



Yes, but if you want to keep this analogy, then any idea that the whole rotten coop is anything but rotten is counting your chickens before they hatch.

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On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

gekkogecko,

Not everyone would agree with you.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,


When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…

…That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

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Eudaimonia