(NBC) If Louisiana Was Florida

Some have noted the contrast in the response to last year's hurricanes
in Florida compared to the Katrina response. Key differences seem to be
W on the campaign trail as the all powerful protector of the nation and
Florida happening to have a Repub governor related to W with
presidential aspirations himself. Now how could Louisiana possibly
measure up to all that?

Angela


http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=917053#3
If Louisiana Was Florida

Between August and September of 2004, four hurricanes -- Jeanne,
Charley, Frances, and Ivan -- belted the Florida coast. At the time,
President Bush was engaged in a close campaign, with Florida shaping up
to be a key battleground state that would swing the election. The Bush
administration's response to the four hurricanes was quick and generous;
it requested over $12 billion in emergency aid for the state (the
outpouring of aid was so generous that the inspector general of the
Department of Homeland Security later found millions of dollars in
unjustified disbursements, including $8 million given out to people for
temporary housing even though they hadn't asked for it). By comparison,
prior to yesterday's supplemental request for additional hurricane
relief due to Katrina, Bush initially asked for $10.5 billion for the
most damaging hurricane in history, four days after Katrina made
landfall. Across the board, the comparisons between the administration's
actions in the aftermath of the 2004 Florida hurricanes and the recent
Katrina catastrophe indicate an uneven response.

BUSH ADMINISTRATION RESPONDED WITH FINANCIAL AID QUICKLY AFTER FLORIDA
HURRICANES: Almost immediately after the four Florida hurricanes made
landfall, the Bush administration was quick to call on Congress to
provide massive resources to the state. The total amount of aid, the New
York Times noted, was "more than three times as much as the
administration [was] channeling into an urgent effort to provide more
security and create more public works jobs in Iraq before the elections
scheduled for January there." White House Press Secretary Scott
McClellan tried to tamp down allegations that political motivations may
have been at play in the quick disbursement of financial aid by citing
the enormity of the disaster. "Florida is the first state in 120 years
to be hit by four hurricanes," McClellan said. "The people of Florida
have been hit hard by these hurricanes, and it's important that the
federal government do everything it can to assist and recover in those
efforts." Four days after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, the White House,
according to McClellan, was still "making an assessment of what
additional funding may be needed," and he could not even offer a
ballpark estimate for its initial request.

ADMINISTRATION PREPARED FOR DISASTER IN FLORIDA: While the
administration demonstrated through Katrina how not to prepare for a
hurricane, Florida offered the opposite lesson. The St. Petersburg Times
noted in August 2004 that Bush approved federal assistance for Hurricane
Charley "about an hour after the hurricane made landfall." Rescue teams
and National Guard troops were on the move to the hardest-hit counties;
11 truckloads of water and 14 truckloads of ice were immediately
available. Federal and state officials applauded their increased
coordination in responding. One former Florida director of emergency
services remarked, "It amazed me how they got over 4,000 National Guard
troops in there that quick." As Hurricane Frances followed, FEMA sent
out a press release noting that it had pre-positioned disaster response
personnel, equipment and supplies "to help those who are displaced or
suffer losses." And FEMA made the same preparations for Hurricane Ivan
after that. The response to Katrina, however, has left the American
public, the media, and members of Congress questioning why those same
actions weren't taken in the Gulf Coast as quickly as they should have
been.

BUSH ADMINISTRATION PATTED ITSELF ON THE BACK FOR A JOB WELL DONE IN
FLORIDA: The White House sought to take credit for the federal response
to the Florida hurricanes. McClellan said at the time, "[T]he President
has a responsibility to make sure that the federal government is
assisting in every way possible. And that's what he's here to do." Bush
made five storm-related visits to the state. The White House put out a
fact *** extolling presidential action in response to the Florida
hurricanes. In response to Katrina, White House officials have tried to
shift blame to state and local officials. Now-embattled FEMA Director
Mike Brown gave a commencement address at the Florida Institute of
Technology in December, in which he dedicated a large opening section to
applauding the work of FEMA in meeting the needs of Floridians. By
contrast, Brown "waited a mind-boggling five hours" after Katrina hit to
contact Secretary Chertoff, despite identifying the storm as a
"near-catastrophic event."

POLITICS PLAYED A PART IN FLORIDA RESPONSE: The Chicago Tribune noted
yesterday that top-level FEMA officials have "little or no experience in
disaster management," but they do have "strong political connections" to
Bush. That experience seemed to help Florida out in 2004, and it may
explain why Louisiana was not treated similarly over the past few weeks.
The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel revealed official records in March that
suggested Bush's re-election concerns played a part in FEMA aid. FEMA
consultant Glenn Garcelon wrote a three-page memo on Hurricane Frances,
against the backdrop of the president's reelection, that said the
administration should "develop a communication strategy" to minimize any
political liability Bush would face."Two weeks later, a Florida official
summarizing the hurricane response wrote that the Federal Emergency
Management Agency was handing out housing assistance 'to everyone who
needs it without asking for much information of any kind.'"


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
.