Stop criticizing the officials

[DoctorHurricane2003]

I have had enough of people saying how 'horrible' of a job the governor, mayor, etc. etc. are doing. Frankly I would like to see you handle the situation and see how far you get in the plans for 4,000 vehicles to bus people out of New Orleans. Stop the politics of destruction and please resume talking about the weather. Saving people's lives is much more important than pointing fingers. People can only do so much.

[Stephanie]

To tell you the truth, I've been impressed with the way the mayor of New Orleans has been conducting his news briefs and handling the whole situation. He's telling it like it is and doing what he has to do to get the people safe.

[Anonymous]

I have worked in emergency services since 1989. I am a firefighter, a nationally certified paramedic, and a rescue diver. It never ceases to amaze me how everyone knows everything there is to know about how you are not doing your job. It is like snatching the controls of a plane from the pilot as soon as there is a problem.

[DoctorHurricane2003]

I agree Stephanie, but some people apparently think the government officials can create miracles.

[Seele]

I have had enough of people saying how 'horrible' of a job the governor, mayor, etc. etc. are doing. Frankly I would like to see you handle the situation and see how far you get in the plans for 4,000 vehicles to bus people out of New Orleans. Stop the politics of destruction and please resume talking about the weather. Saving people's lives is much more important than pointing fingers. People can only do so much.

Why not, they've been incompetent. The mayor having to check with lawyers to see if he can legally call a mandatory evacuation 36 - 48 hours before landfall?? Then going on the news basically saying he can't legally call for a mandatory evac but pleading for people to leave (and only doing this on one news station). This is in a city where people have said that evacuation needed to start 72 hours beforhand. All of these details should have been already in place to be put into action within a moments notice.

[RichG]

I am sorry but we live in a democracy and being critical of government when it fails us is something men and women are dying for right now as we speak. I again say that they have had 30 years to plan for this and the best the mayor could do was order a mandatory evacuation this am. When you live in a bowl surrounded by water you plan for the bowl to fill. And yes as a firefigher I am sure you are first rate and I applaude you however I am sure if you sat down and thought about it for more than few minutes you would come up with a better plan then NO seems to have in place. I would plan to get everybody out failure is not an option when you are talking about thousands of lives. The bristish evacuated several hundered thousand soldiers at dunkirk under fire accross the english channel. I think we could do at least the same if not better 65 years later in peace time.

[inotherwords]

He's stuck between a rock and a hard place, though. If he calls for an evacuation and the storm veers away, he can be sued. It's ridiculous but it's true. He also can't call for an evacuation until he can establish shelters for those not leaving. Evidently New Orleans really doesn't have many places suitable for shelter other than the Superdome.

I am not going to point fingers at him. You go into a hurricane with the resources you have. Seriously, I think he is in a tough position. He is powerless to change the system, he can only work the best he can within it.

I would bet it changes after this storm, though.

[Stephanie]

I have had enough of people saying how 'horrible' of a job the governor, mayor, etc. etc. are doing. Frankly I would like to see you handle the situation and see how far you get in the plans for 4,000 vehicles to bus people out of New Orleans. Stop the politics of destruction and please resume talking about the weather. Saving people's lives is much more important than pointing fingers. People can only do so much.

Why not, they've been incompetent. The mayor having to check with lawyers to see if he can legally call a mandatory evacuation 36 - 48 hours before landfall?? Then going on the news basically saying he can't legally call for a mandatory evac but pleading for people to leave (and only doing this on one news station). This is in a city where people have said that evacuation needed to start 72 hours beforhand. All of these details should have been already in place to be put into action within a moments notice.

It should be something that's investigated before a potential disaster, but in this day and age of lawsuits, all I can say is that I think that we the public have done this to ourselves.

[Mello1]

Why not, they've been incompetent. The mayor having to check with lawyers to see if he can legally call a mandatory evacuation 36 - 48 hours before landfall?? Then going on the news basically saying he can't legally call for a mandatory evac but pleading for people to leave (and only doing this on one news station). This is in a city where people have said that evacuation needed to start 72 hours beforhand. All of these details should have been already in place to be put into action within a moments notice.

I disagree. You seem to believe that by issuing a mandatory evac that peeps would be more compelled to leave.

Over 1 million people who had the means to leave have already left. Those evacs DID start to occur 72 hrs ago.

But now, since you seem to have a better plan, I suggest that you relocate to New Orleans and run for mayor, then we can see what you will do.

Some of you folks have NO idea what's involved in a situation like this, but quick to criticize when you don't know what you're talking about.

[seaswing]

Jim Cantore made the comment several hours ago that he was astonished to see people out walking around down on the Gulf. He attributed it to the fact that NO hasn't seen a hurricane of this magnitude since Camille and a lot of people weren't even around for it then. He also went on to say that he was sure that if this had been happening in Florida right now, the state would be empty of people on the beaches and the streets. I believe he is right because although we haven't see a hurricane of this magnitude in quite a few years, we did go through a rough '04 season and we got 'seasoned' in a real hurry!

You can't make people believe what they don't or can't invision. I saw a family on t.v. in NO with young children that were going to stay and 'hunker down'. They were some on the beach showing their children what the Gulf looked like when it was angry. I wondered as I saw them walking away if they would be alive by tomorrow night....

[Seele]

I disagree. You seem to believe that by issuing a mandatory evac that peeps would be more compelled to leave.

Over 1 million people who had the means to leave have already left. Those evacs DID start to occur 72 hrs ago.

But now, since you seem to have a better plan, I suggest that you relocate to New Orleans and run for mayor, then we can see what you will do.

Some of you folks have NO idea what's involved in a situation like this, but quick to criticize when you don't know what you're talking about.

And thank god those people took steps on their own to protect themselves (though I think 1 million is a high number for Orleans parish proper, but I don't know for sure).

Your argument basically says that I have to have complete knowledge of every detail to critisize the officials and yet you give me no details that show that the government did everything they possibly could beforehand to protect their citizens. Notice a problem with your argument. Your simply giving the elected officials the benifit of the doubt and then telling me that if I think it can be done better, do it myself. If there is a major loss of life, I'm sure a citizen there will.

[Rainband]

Unreal. They are doing the Best they can. Nuff said

[therealashe]

I really don't think a mandatory evac sooner would have made that much of a difference. Come on. A Cat 5 hurricane is barrelling down on your town. Do you really need your mayor or gov. to tell you to leave?

Maybe it's because I've lived in FL most of my life, maybe it's because this last year has really changed how I feel about hurricanes... I don't know, but what I do know is that if I lived there, I'd have been gone several days ago.
I sure wouldn't have needed the mayor to tell me it was a smart thing to do.

[Seele]

Sorry for stoking the fire. They are doing everything they can now. It's probably not the appropriate time to have this argument. We just need to keep the people in the path of this storm in our thoughts.

[Mello1]

And thank god those people took steps on their own to protect themselves (though I think 1 million is a high number for Orleans parish proper, but I don't know for sure).

Your argument basically says that I have to have complete knowledge of every detail to critisize the officials and yet you give me no details that show that the government did everything they possibly could beforehand to protect their citizens. Notice a problem with your argument. Your simply giving the elected officials the benifit of the doubt and then telling me that if I think it can be done better, do it myself. If there is a major loss of life, I'm sure a citizen there will.

The 1 million number comes from the NO Mayor and the other surrounding parish officials as so stated tonight. If you combine the greater NO area, the population is well over 1 mil and if anyone with common sense is being told that a Cat. 5 storm is coming their way and have been urged to get out, those who have sense have already done so. My point is that a mandatory evac is not going to make much of a difference. They cannot force people from their homes in any case, but the EMTs will take their names and next of kin for death notification.

Furthermore, you also did not provide details as to how the situation could have been done better, so your counter argument is moot. The bottom line here is that you do the best you can with the resources you got and I invite you again to mosy on down to the Big Easy and tell them how to do it better.

But something you can do that doesn't require criticizing the officials in LA is pray for them. How bout you doing that?

[Stephanie]

I really don't think a mandatory evac sooner would have made that much of a difference. Come on. A Cat 5 hurricane is barrelling down on your town. Do you really need your mayor or gov. to tell you to leave?

Maybe it's because I've lived in FL most of my life, maybe it's because this last year has really changed how I feel about hurricanes... I don't know, but what I do know is that if I lived there, I'd have been gone several days ago.
I sure wouldn't have needed the mayor to tell me it was a smart thing to do.

I couldn't agree more. People need to take responsibility for their own actions.

[Anonymous]

I beg to differ. We went door to door in the mobile home parks for Jeanne last year, begging them to evacuate. Many would not. They have ther reasons, and it is nominally a free country. Just don't expect me to risk my life saving you from your own poor decisions.

[caribepr]

Unreal indeed. As was shown last (not quite) year in Florida...as was stated, people *seasoned up* in a hurry. NO ONE is prepared for the reality of disaster when they think the *officials* will tell them what to do, where to go, how to be safe.
Like...ok, take a pill and this too will go away. Maybe that is why I like living in the islands where we don't assume anyone knows f***all, and we're pretty much up to figuring it out ourselves, which means...good decision, live, bad decision, oopsy. And no one to sue or blame or whatever because that is not happening here.
What a crazy idea, to take responsibility for your own self, your property, your loved ones. Rather than ASSUME some *official* will tell you, like some benevolent Mommy/Daddy what to do and you will be all safe and comfy. And if they don't you can whup their butts...if you are around.
Sorry for the rant but wake UP!!! Has America become so complacent, so willing to shift the responsibility of life situations, that there is a complete willingness to blame *officials* for bad decisions? MANY left...some stayed with the wherewithall to leave, chose not to...they will live or die by that choice.
Some - way too many - stayed because they didn't have the choice to leave. Period. Some know more than others, but have no resources. Some don't get the information, and don't care if they do because there isn't a damn thing they can do if the worst comes...no resources again. This sucks. But..this is reality.
If you who are lambasting so much care at all, start up some sort of awareness program, to alert those without computers or tv. Go start a program to bring extra busses in to take out the homeless and poor. But for god's sake - please!!! During moments like this, think of something to be positive about, how you can HELP rather than how you can be the next day quarterback. It makes me sick.

[elliotj]

You have to appreciate the lady who said on CNN that my city owes me a shelter. Many peeps in NO feel like govt. will keep them safe. Not so really. It would be great if govt. could keep us safe. Not so really. Yo, I am an evacuee.

[RichG]

caribepr, In the USA we like to try to imprrove things, make things better. In islands, well you like to keep things laid back, that is fine as we like to go there to relax and kick back but when there is work to do, we come back the good old USA where things get done. Keep up the good work and keep the islands laid backwards.