The Mayor of Big Easy Speaks With CNN's Soledad O'Brien
MAYOR NAGIN: Look, I'll take whatever responsibility that I have to take. But let me ask you this question: When you have a city of 500,000 people, and you have a category 5 storm bearing down on you, and you have the best you've ever done is evacuate 60 percent of the people out of the city, and you have never issued a mandatory evacuation in the city's history, a city that is a couple of hundred years old, I did that. I elevated the level of distress to the citizens. And I don't know what else I could do, other than to tell them that it's a mandatory evacuation. And if they stayed, make sure you have a frigging ax in your home, where you can bust out the roof just in case the water starts flowing. And as a last resort, once this thing is above a category 3, there are no buildings in this city to withstand a category 3, a category 4 or a category 5 storm, other than the Superdome. That's where we sent people as a shelter of last resort. When that filled up, we sent them to the Convention Center. Now, you tell me what else we could have done.
S. O'BRIEN: You're telling me the president told you the governor said she needed 24 hours to make a decision?
NAGIN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Regarding what? Bringing troops in?
NAGIN: Whatever they had discussed. As far as what the -- I was abdicating a clear chain of command, so that we could get resources flowing in the right places.
S. O'BRIEN: And the governor said no.
NAGIN: She said that she needed 24 hours to make a decision. It would have been great if we could of left Air Force One, walked outside, and told the world that we had this all worked out. It didn't happen, and more people died.
Everyone is looking who to blame. Personally, when reviewing the magnitude of this storm and the devasting damage, it is remarkable how many American Citizens were evacuated, how many shelters were put together with volunteers and supplies, in such a short time. Airlines, private citizens with boats, volunteers from Red Cross, Church Groups, Salvation Army, etc. took action and immediately headed down to the South. I think this storm took the Nation by surprise as far as the extent of the damage. I don't think anyone was thinking, that it had the power to wipe out whole towns.
Mistakes made, yes, I don't think elderly people or people who were homebound would have the strength to take an axe up into their attic and bust their way out. Instead of looking back and blaming, we must look forward and make sure we make available evacuation buses to everyone who needs them.
There is no time to waste time blaming and focusing on negative energys. Now is the time to be positive and look to rebuilding and getting our citizens back in homes and schools and to work. Blaming and fingerpointing is a waste of energy, energy that is so needed to be focused in a positive direction.
posted by Michele @ 7:14 AM
8 Comments:
"Blaming and fingerpointing is a waste of energy"
No, calling what is going on "blaming and fingerpointing" is a slick way of painting a negative light on candid debate. Candid debate, ideally, brings accountability to those responsible for bad things. Accountability is the only way things ever change for the better. It was the same way with the Democrats in the 90s... remember the moment of accountability on their tax-and-spend policies, when the voters sent them packing? Well guess what... Republican priorities have left a lot of the poor people in this country behind and everybody in this country just saw it firsthand on national television. The Republicans are going to get creamed in the midterm elections, and this country will be better for it because it is exactly what this country needs right now.
the Republicans left a lot of poor people behind? They were behind way before the Bush Administration took office. As a matter of fact the education for the poor has improved greatly with the Bush Administration.
What the American people saw first hand was a National disastor. Having to evacuate a complete city and surrounding areas. I don't think in this case it even mattered if you were rich or poor, everyone was affected.
Do you actually think if Democrats were in office the pictures on TV would look any different?
the Republicans left a lot of poor people behind? They were behind way before the Bush Administration took office. As a matter of fact the education for the poor has improved greatly with the Bush Administration.
What the American people saw first hand was a National disastor. Having to evacuate a complete city and surrounding areas. I don't think in this case it even mattered if you were rich or poor, everyone was affected.
Do you actually think if Democrats were in office the pictures on TV would look any different?
No, no. Thing more globally:
Significant numbers of Guard troops in Iraq (Bush's war) = slightly slower response, costs hundred of lives.
Bush arrogantly places friend Michael Brown into FEMA directorship with no emergency management experience = somewhat incompetent federal response, costs hundreds of lives.
Republican financial policies in general favor more well off Americans. Rising poverty levels (a fact) mean an extra few thousand residents didn't have the means to evacuate beforehand.
Republican prioirities turn away from environmental legislation in the name of free market economy. This promotes global warming and a warmer-than-normal Gulf of Mexico, which scientists agree has made storms more intense over the last several decades. So say this had a direct effect is a stretch, but it's hard to argue that it's not at least a possibility.
Believe me, I'm not here to defend gutless Democrats, but it's clear if they were in office there would have been 10-20% fewer deaths.
Governor's call in National Guard.
Governor's and Mayor's are responsible for evacuating their citizens, if they feel they can't they can request help from the Federal Government. The Governor of Louisiana was late in calling for help. There are laws and red tape to our Government, these laws and red tape were created to keep the Federal Governemnt out of the State's buisness.
gutless Democrats were in office, the mayor and governor
Actually, I grew up in Florida in the 50's and 60's and there were very strong hurricanes during that time. The difference was, the area was not as developed as areas today.
Katrina hit a populated city.
I remember hearing Neal Frank hurricane director at the time, warn people very effectively of the danger of storm surge. Storm surge is what destroyed Missiippi's Gulf Port.
Hurricanes and other extreme weather are patterns and they run in cycles.
During the 70's and 80's there were very few intense storms. The topography of the land continued to change and increase in population during the late 80's and 90's, which make the effects and cost of hurricanes, monetary and human toll much higher.
The environmentalist have been fighting their favorite enemy, The Army Corps of Engineers for years. It is the environmentalists who have lobbied and succeeded in making us a country with too little refining capability, too little oil drilling, and stopped the construction of new nuclear plants.
France, Germany, and other countries have continued with energy progress, leaving us behind in the dark with the environmentalists.
You know storms happen. People die. They die in auto accidents, work accidents from cancer, etc. That is the risk you take when you are born. Any day something can happen and you may not survive.
I don't feel that it is the government's job to protect me. I hate that the government regulates drugs, tobacco, etc. I hate that you have to wear a seat belt or you will be fined.
I guess in some ways I am more of a Libertarian. I want to live my life, make my decisions, and come what may, i did it my way. LOL (cute) lol
All I know is if I was totally broke, had no car, etc., and someone told me that a category 5 hurricane was coming my way, I'd find a way to get out. I'm no fool.
And another thing, if everyone in the city had evacuated in the time alloted for evacuation, there would of been a traffic jam to nowhere.
I bet you think the governement should of been responsible for giving every citizen in New Orleans swim lessons.
At some point, we as people need to take responsibilty for ourselves. To depend on the government is a person's first mistake in life. To succeed and thrive, you have to look after yourself and not expect others to do that job for you.
The day people were evacuating for the hurricane, and I saw all those people lined up in front of the dome, I said to myself, wow that's going to be one disaster when the power goes out. All those people and so few toilets without the ability to flush without electricity. Now I could see that right from the start, and actually feared that building more than I feared the hurricane.
We must remember that this was the biggest disaster in our Nation's history. No practice. Was it hard? Yes. Did people die? Yes. But that is life. Just like a rat who gets eaten by a snake, he can't sue his government, no one to blame but fate. And so I believe, we can do the best job we know how to protect ourselves, but in the end, it's up to a higher power as to what happens. Just as a mother can't protect her children when they go out in the world, the government can't protect everyone, all of the time, and government shouldn't have to.
My survival advice:
Buy a gun.
Always have canned food and clean water at the ready.
Take a swim lesson.
Get a Ham Radio.
Always have a full tank of gas on the ready in your car, or make sure you know at least one good friend who has one.
Know your exit strategy.
Never ever wait for the government to rescue you. RESCUE YOURSELF.
“I never thought that at a National Guardsman I would be shot at by other Americans,” said Spc. Philip Baccus of the 527th Engineer Battalion. “And I never thought I’d have to carry a rifle when on a hurricane relief mission. This is a disgrace
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