NOLA Blogathon - When is it right to jettison a Democratic Officeholder?
Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:06:40 AM PDT
The story of Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard's handling of emergency preparations for suburban New Orleans and his leadership post-storm have been widely discussed and documented. When Broussard stood for re-election, the division of the vote in Jefferson Parish was clear: Voters whose houses were flooded as a result of Broussard's decision to evacuate pump operators out of the parish voted against him. Voters in neighborhoods unaffected by these man-made floodwaters supported him.
The Isle d'Orleans Part 2 - The Metairie Story
Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 09:42:43 AM PDT
Sixth in a series
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
It can't be stressed any stronger that the devastation of metro New Orleans from the storm was not a natural disaster. We certainly expect a certain amount of damage when natural phenomonon like a hurricane strikes a city, but we've believed for decades that the city was prepared for just about anything nature could throw our way. The collapse of the floodwalls on the drainage canals in New Orleans was not natural, but the result of the ineptitude of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Had the true state of those floodwalls been known, alarms would have been sounded in town halls, council chambers and legislative bodies from Grand Isle to Washington, DC.
But the Corps lied to us all.
Katrina Cries - Political Music
Wed Nov 09, 2005 at 01:04:16 PM PDT
I'm a musician. And I was appalled by Bush's performance during Katrina. I mean, frankly, much as I dislike Bush, I didn't expect him to be THAT out of touch.
So I've tried to "immortalize" Bush's absurd, insulting, criminal response to Katrina in an audio montage titled "Katrina Cries."
FEMA -- Fatally Erroneous Malfunctioned Agency
Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 11:11:38 PM PDT
New Guidance for D.C. Hillbillies:
FEMA » Fatally Erroneous Malfunctioned Agency
Michael Brown » Whiny Brownie
Chertoff » Tzar of Horror
Director of Disaster » Disastrous Director
Bush's bureaucracy » Bureaucrappy
Bush » idiot in chief
The last definition is now my mantra, came up from a perfect definition
by Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish.
Here, his great words shot like auto-rifle bullets:
"Bureaucracy has murdered people in the greater New Orleans area,
and bureaucracy needs to stand trial before Congress TODAY.
So I'm asking Congress, please investigate this NOW.
Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency,
and give me a better idiot.
Give me a caring idiot.
Give me a sensitive idiot.
Just don't give me the same idiot."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9244682/
10,000 Body Bags For Hurricane | No Red Cross Shelters in NO
Sun Sep 04, 2005 at 09:50:35 PM PDT
Just to add another "everyone -- local, state, federal,
everyone -- knew" article to the stack, here's a
WP article from last year [2004] when Hurricane
Ivan was on track to hit New Orleans. The article has had paragraphs chopped out of it for clarity and concision, and those cuts are not noted, so read the actual article too:
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 14 [2004]-- Walter Maestri, an emergency manager here in America's most vulnerable metropolitan area, has 10,000 body bags ready in case a major hurricane ever hits New Orleans. As Hurricane Ivan's expected path shifted uncomfortably close to this low-lying urban soup bowl Tuesday, Maestri said he might need a lot more.
Aaron Broussard breaks down on MTP
Sun Sep 04, 2005 at 07:51:48 AM PDT
Unbelievable, the poor guy breaks down on national TV. His director of emergency services mother dies as he is trying to deal with the catastrophe in his parish.
Update [2005-9-4 11:26:1 by SteveLCo]: as Southern Bird points out below, the the director of emergency services' mother kept calling him up asking when help was going to arrive. He kept saying "soon momma", this went on for five fucking days. His mother drowns because no one could get there. I thought Mr. Broussard said this man's mother lived in a nursing home, but I may be mistaken.
Update [2005-9-4 11:51:39 by SteveLCo]: inclusiveheart below asks that a link be provided to Maryscott O'connor's
diary entry on the continuing catastrophe. Reading this diary, one wonders if there was a reason FEMA wanted to cut those emergency communication lines. Maybe so no news could get out?? But our government wouldn't be that callous, would it?? Nah, I'm just hitting tin-foil hat territory here, right?
