What's up with this?

[Relsek]

It just so happens that 80+ % of Katrina's victims were predominantly black and poor. And didn't even have the resorces to leave if they wanted to.

Based on the fact that there is such a large group of people in this City below sea level without the means to escape, there ideally should be an evacuation plan to get these people out before a storm. Here in Florida we have such plans. It appears that the plan up until Katrina was to have the residents go to the Football stadium. I guess that was a bad plan. I'm not armchair quarterbacking here, just giving suggestions for next time.

One more thing, it should be the responsibility of the City that chooses to build below sea level to accomplish the planning, not the rest of the country. It's great that the rest of the country can and does help, but it should not be expected.

 

[Relsek]

The sick, old, young, and those who care for them.  I can understand why can't leave.  But just because they're poor, no way.

They were all betting on the hurricane missing them, bottom line.

On this poor issue.

Evacuating is a neccessity, it's more important than a TV, gameboy, case of beer, etc... If they had any of these non essential to live items, they have put the non essentials ahead of the essential. I am not blaming them, just stating a fact of our society. Too many have no plan for tomorrow, just live for today then expect someone else to bail them out when they are in trouble.

 

[Charlesbusa]

One more thing, it should be the responsibility of the City that chooses to build below sea level to accomplish the planning, not the rest of the country. It's great that the rest of the country can and does help, but it should not be expected.

Exactly!

 

[StageRulz]

Oh.....oh.....OH!!!! But we have "HOMELAND SECURITY"

 

[werdkat]

Oh.....oh.....OH!!!! But we have "HOMELAND SECURITY"

lol!!! That is designed to instill fear, err I mean protect us from "theyum people that ain't liike us", not protect us from ourselves and our whacked out media.

 

[StageRulz]

But I thought before the election he "PROMISED"!

 

[Rhythm]

Kevin Kesler[/QUOTE]

What the hell are you talking about ?

If you have somthing you want to get off your chest about how you feel about me or some of the black Americans here on the board then do so.  
Please dont twist my words up or anyone else's. What I have stated is my opinion based on the coverage down in LA. and the media basic approach to how the cover situation, like so.

political message across.[/QUOTE]

I dont have or am I trying to get a politcal message across. I have stated and in the past, that people here need toget exposure while doing their own research and use their own judgement and common sense when forming their on opinion on anything.

If the truth hurst, then so be it !

Broke down Pimp !



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Reason for Edit: None given...|1125706144 -->

 

[Rhythm]

Second, how ong did it take for our President to react swiftly with 2 billion to Malaysia when the Tsunami hit over their and other oversea countries.

Third just to show how much you know, when there was looting going on in some of the other countries while going through their hardship. Some of the refuges llike here where stealing food from the pallets of food that was being passed out . The U.S. was told to only shoot when they felt their lives was in danger only not just because they where stealing material bullshit. Once again I'm not condoning stealing but under the circumstances in LA is, they only thing I would be concerned about is my family and friend and food and water.

But you didnt here anything about that on the news media, now did we.

Believe this champ, everyone who had the oppurtunity to steal for survial did so. Unfortunately the media only coverd the looting and friction that was going on in the city and not the surrounding counties which are majority consisted of white americans.
Personally I felt this type of media covering should have been avoided and more focuses placed on the aftemath and support the people of LA. needs, point period, blank. Rather than stirring up confict between the races like the media always seem to do.



I feel sorry for everyone down there black, white, hispanic etc. pray for them too .

 

[Relsek]

I have a question, I've seen the pictures of the people at the football stadium telling how they need help to get out of there. If the buses are able to get in to pick them up, doesn't that mean that there is a road that they can begin walking out of town on? I'm assuming of course that the buses don't have to ford any water to get there.

 

[Rhythm]

Well, one teenager took a bus from downtown and pick up everyone the he could on his way out of town and is now being processed for auto theft.

Just cant win !

 

[Rhythm]

Since the flood didnt kill everyone in the stadium, maybe they hope that with alittle bit of time and no help everyon would eventually kill themself off fighting for survival.

 

[Relsek]

Well, one teenager took a bus from downtown and pick up everyone the he could on his way out of town and is now being processed for auto theft.

Just cant win !

I think that's a bit crazy, I would probably done something similar to escape the city.

 

[Relsek]

Since the flood didnt kill everyone in the stadium, maybe they hope that with alittle bit of time and no help everyon would eventually kill themself off fighting for survival.

Who was it that set the stadium up as the safe place?

 

[NCBusa2001]

Who was it that set the stadium up as the safe place?[/QUOTE]
Very, VERY good question. I'm sure heads will roll for that "mistake".

Chris

 

[pure_ego]

I don't get that stuff about the stadium not being safe...

would you rather have left them in their homes/streets when the water came in?

I know the stadium isn't exactly a great place to be.. but uh... well they aren't swimming.

the thing that gets me is you have all these people who should just be happy to be alive whinning about not having a buffet laid out for them as soon as they got dropped off the helicopter that plucked them from whats left of their home.

I just don't get it...

 

[Relsek]

I don't get that stuff about the stadium not being safe...

would you rather have left them in their homes/streets when the water came in?

I know the stadium isn't exactly a great place to be.. but uh...  well they aren't swimming.

the thing that gets me is you have all these people who should just be happy to be alive whinning about not having a buffet laid out for them as soon as they got dropped off the helicopter that plucked them from whats left of their home.

I just don't get it...

My point about the Stadium is.. It's great that there was a place to ride out the storm, but unfortunate that no way was made to escape an underwater city after it floods.

 

[mjn]

I still say that the burden of responsibility lies with the city's government.

They SHOULD have had a better plan in place for a flooding such as this.

They SHOULD have made the dikes stonger.....could they have been made strong enough? Who knows.. But if it was common knowlege that they could not withstand a cat 5 storm....wouldn't you think that it should have been a priority long ago?

I know, I know....armchair quarterback.....

 

[RandomNickname]

I still say that the burden of responsibility lies with the city's government.

They SHOULD have had a better plan in place for a flooding such as this.

They SHOULD have made the dikes stonger.....could they have been made strong enough? Who knows.. But if it was common knowlege that they could not withstand a cat 5 storm....wouldn't you think that it should have been a priority long ago?

I know, I know....armchair quarterback.....

The levy and flood control system are actually all under federal control, (the Southeast Louisiana Flood Control Project, referred to as SELA) and administered by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The problem is SELA's budgets have been slashed by phenomenal amounts over the past three or four budgets, a sort of robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario. (This is not the first time it's happened, and has in fact budgetary issues with SELA have gone back at least to the Reagan presidency, possibly before... I didn't research THAT far back) Essentially this past year's budget awarded did little more than allow salaries to be paid, even though the money requested was earmarked specifically to go to trying to complete the SELA project, strengthening the levies to Cat4 - Cat5 preparedness, amongst other projects. Unfortunately with the amounts of cash actually budgeted in, the Corps of Engineers in the New Orleans district had to put a hiring freeze in place, and could do little more than maintain its current state, as lacking as it has proven to be.

Breaking it down by year over the past three FY budgets (I couldn't find any info on 2006FY except for Bush's request) it reads like this:

2004:

Army Corps request: $11 million
Bush request: $3 million
Approved by Congress: $5.5 million

2005:

Army Corps request: $22.5 million
Bush request: $3.9 million
Approved by Congress: $5.7 million

2006:

Bush request: $2.9 million

It's interesting to note that regardless of the money drains from previous years, 2004 was the first year in the history of SELA -- 37 years -- that construction was stopped completely because of funding issues.



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[Relsek]

I still say that the burden of responsibility lies with the city's government.

They SHOULD have had a better plan in place for a flooding such as this.

They SHOULD have made the dikes stonger.....could they have been made strong enough?  Who knows..  But if it was common knowlege that they could not withstand a cat 5 storm....wouldn't you think that it should have been a priority long ago?

I know, I know....armchair quarterback.....

The levy and flood control system are actually all under federal control, (the Southeast Louisiana Flood Control Project, referred to as SELA) and administered by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The problem is SELA's budgets have been slashed by phenomenal amounts over the past three or four budgets, a sort of robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario.  (This is not the first time it's happened, and has in fact budgetary issues with SELA have gone back at least to the Reagan presidency, possibly before... I didn't research THAT far back) Essentially this past year's budget awarded did little more than allow salaries to be paid, even though the money requested was earmarked specifically to go to trying to complete the SELA project, strengthening the levies to Cat4 - Cat5 preparedness, amongst other projects.  Unfortunately with the amounts of cash actually budgeted in, the Corps of Engineers in the New Orleans district had to put a hiring freeze in place, and could do little more than maintain its current state, as lacking as it has proven to be.

Breaking it down by year over the past six FY budgets (I couldn't find any info on 2006FY except for Bush's request) it reads like this:

2004:

Army Corps request: $11 million
Bush request: $3 million
Approved by Congress: $5.5 million

2005:

Army Corps request: $22.5 million
Bush request: $3.9 million
Approved by Congress: $5.7 million

2006:

Bush request: $2.9 million

In my opinion, if you build a city below seal level, it should be the city's responsibility to protect it. For example, if a developer decided to buy some ocean front property in Florida, build some dikes out into the water and then build a city there, should the rest of the country have to foot the bill to keep the city safe. I know that New Orleans has been around a long time and wouldn't expect it to be just left to sink into the earth, but I still think it is their responsibility.

 

[RandomNickname]

Kevin,

It has something to do with federal statutes that apply to waterways and that sort of thing. Since the Mississippi River is a National Waterway and is used to float goods to port from multiple countries, it's a federal expense, basically the same way interstate highways are.

I'm not sure exactly how Lake Ponchartrain works into that classification as well, but hey, there you go. Your tax dollars at work.