Blame Game

Ok I was planning on not writing at all if possible about this, but today I feel I must. Blame is being thrown around all over the place. It's politics, it's what they do. Unfortunately alot of people don't understand how things really work, which is why politics work so well.

Take for example that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was created in 1979 to assist state and local governments in times of disaster, not to be solely responsible. So why are these people calling for their resignation even when two months ago it was a someone else's responsibility:

Staff writer Bruce Nolan reported some 7 weeks before Katrina: "In scripted appearances being recorded now, officials such as Mayor Ray Nagin, local Red Cross Executive Director Kay Wilkins and City Council President Oliver Thomas drive home the word that the city does not have the resources to move out of harm's way an estimated 134,000 people without transportation."

"In the video, made by the anti-poverty agency Total Community Action, they urge those people to make arrangements now by finding their own ways to leave the city in the event of an evacuation.

"You're responsible for your safety, and you should be responsible for the person next to you," Wilkins said in an interview. "If you have some room to get that person out of town, the Red Cross will have a space for that person outside the area. We can help you."

Here is the City of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The plan states that New Orleans evacuation of the civilian population was the primary responsibility of the city – not the federal government.

As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness

The evacuation was the responsibility of the govenor and local government:

The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.

Also New Orleans was responsible for moving out the citizens that couldn't

The City of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When specific routes of progress are required, evacuees will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed. ...

Evacuation procedures for small scale and localized evacuations are conducted per the SOPs of the New Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police Department. However, due to the sheer size and number of persons to be evacuated, should a major tropical weather system or other catastrophic event threaten or impact the area, specifically directed long range planning and coordination of resources and responsibilities efforts must be undertaken.

Now I am not trying to place blame of the state or local government, just pointing out that blaming the Federal Government is silly. Bush admitted the response could have been quicker, but thats government for you. (as I finish writing this Bush is doing something about that) Bush or FEMA aren't slowing the response down on purpose, or rascist, or ageist or whatever else.

Maybe the blamers need to step up their actions more than just blame everyone else.