Why isn't there more federal help in New Orleans?

Parent Cafe
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<p>One of the reverands noted that “people are being treated like animals. We still can’t get help for stranded people on rooftops, and can’t get food and water to many people, yet we are spending billions abroad and have more than enough troops there.” </p>

<p>I think he is absolutely right! We have all kinds of shooting and looting in New Orleans but not enough troops there! It is horrendous how little and late our aid is getting. I think we will lose tens of thousands of people because of our lack of fast response and lack of resources that the federal government is committing. We should have had thousands of troops with helicopters and gun ships patrolling by now. Everyone at the Carrier Dome should have been evacuated by now. </p>

<p>However, we surely have 100 billion or so for a losing cause in Iraq, and they don’t even like us!</p>

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<p>Agree, but at least they have AC at the Carrier Dome…</p>

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<p>Taxguy:
You raise many interesting points. First, do we have “more than enough troops in Iraq”? Most of the bien-pensants seem to say not. Where would we deploy all of these troops in this underwater city? And as for the gunships patrolling the city…they would have to be willing to shoot the looters to have any significant effect. What do you think the media–and our fellow CC posters–would have to say about helicopter gunships blasting away at black Americans in the waters of our new Atlantis?</p>

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<p>I don’t think the problem in New Orleans is lack of resources. Rather, I suspect that we are seeing a total failure of planning, communication, and coordination among dozens of agencies. Simply put, the authorities literally don’t can’t tell their [posteriors] from their elbows.</p>

<p>What is continuing to amaze me is that transportation is readily available to the Convention Center/River Walk area and is not being used. The Convention Center is not only on dry land, it backs up to the Mississippi River, which is capable of handling gigantic oil tankers in that stretch. Something like 50,000 barges a year navigate the river between Baton Rouge and N. Orleans – a route that more or less parallels I-10 and would provide ready access to transportation and communication for refugees.</p>

<p>St. Bernard’s Parrish police officers have organized ferry boats to lift their survivors off levee staging points and transport them to the west bank of N. Orleans (despite receiving zero food or water). Why can’t emergency officials start thinking outside the box and get some river transportation in place? At the very least, don’t tell me that the Marines don’t have supply vessels that could get some food and water to the Convention Center.</p>

<p>Busing people, 40 at a time, out of New Orleans is clearly not getting the job done.</p>

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<p>What also concerns me about this situation is that it clearly shows that the US is NOT ready to react quickly and efficiently to the after effects of a major bioterrorism strike. Forget about natural disaster, we are showing the world that our society can quickly be brought to its needs in a situation requiring massive medical and relief evacuation. That is quite troubling.</p>

<p>That said, if anyone is watching CNN right now, the military is said to be moving 40,000 troops to the area. Problem is the major airports that could handle massive troop movements are closed, including Keesler Air Force Base in Gulfport, Miss. So, it is going to take time. But I agree, it is hard to understand why things are so out of control and taking so long. However, having lived through a major hurricane in Biloxi myself and the massive fires in San Diego County, I do know that sometimes the news does not show the complete picture of what is going on, if only because their resources are also limited, so we may not have full information about the situation.</p>

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<p>Unbelievable.</p>

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<p>Carolyn:</p>

<p>I think CNN was referring to the Miss. airports. The New Orleans airport runways have been open and functional since Tuesday.</p>

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<p>That’s interesting because the head of FEMA and some military guy were just saying that New Orleans airport is not operable for moving troops. As I said, it sounds like there is a lot of cross information and communications.</p>

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<p>ID, just checked: According to this release from the U. S, airforce, The NO airport is not yet operable - they are sending in special forces to get it ready for massive movements:
<a href=“http://www.blackanthem.com/World/2005090113.html[/url]”>http://www.blackanthem.com/World/2005090113.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS OPENS NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT RUNWAY</p>

<p>U.S. Air Force personnel with the 621st Contingency Response Wing load a palette of Meals Ready to Eat onto a truck at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., Aug. 31, 2005. The 621st is loading cargo and preparing for departure to New Orleans to help with Hurricane Katrina disaster, in support for the American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency. The wing is sending 29 members and 110,000 lbs of cargo, including water, food, communication equipment, and generators. U.S. Air Force photo by Denise Gould
Blackanthem.com, HURLBURT FIELD, Fla., September 01, 2005</p>

<p>Air Force Special Operations Command will fly an MC-130 aircraft into New Orleans International Airport tonight with a small team of special operations forces to work to reopen the runway.</p>

<p>A team of combat controllers and a small medical team will work to establish operations at the airport, which has no electricity or air traffic control. Combat controllers are certified air traffic controllers and special operators who can open airfields deep behind enemy lines or in other hazardous areas. </p>

<p>The combat controllers will set self-powered lights and other navigational aids, then function as air traffic controllers with portable radios so that other military aircraft can land and help evacuate around 2,500 ill, or injured persons from the New Orleans area.</p>

<p>AFSOC has also flown more than 34 aircraft to Jackson, Miss., to support Hurricane Katrina relief.</p>

<p>The deployed aircraft include 19 HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters specifically designed to find and recover individuals in hazardous areas. AFSOC has also deployed 11 C-130 aircraft with various special mission capabilities, including helicopter refueling and the ability to operate from dirt or unimproved airfields.</p>

<p>AFSOC has sent pararescuemen and combat controllers to Jackson to work in conjunction with the aircraft. Pararescuemen are highly trained emergency medical technician special operators. Combat controllers and pararescuemen are accustomed to operating in the most difficult and hostile conditions and are trained in numerous special operations skills such as SCUBA and parachute operations. </p>

<p>Source : Secretary of the Air Force, Office of Public Affairs</p>

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<p>This, on the other hand, says a single run way is operational. Again, maybe not enough to bring in massive airlifts of supplies, or airlift large numbers of people out:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/12527110.htm[/url]”>http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/12527110.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Here’s a better link - one run way is open, but the airport manager says only very"restricted" flights will be available for several weeks:
<a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/08/31/new.orleans.airport/[/url]”>http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/08/31/new.orleans.airport/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Certainly, doesn’t sound like enough to move 50,000 people out of the city, or massive troops in.</p>

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<p>And, the Navy is trying to speed ships down there. The problem with Navy ships is they move rather slowly.
<a href=“http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050830224209990007[/url]”>http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050830224209990007&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Looking ahead (and remembering my experience in both Santa Cruz after the earthquake and south India following the tsunami), the issue that politicians of neither party will want to tackle is this:</p>

<p>There are likely 200,000 poor, mostly Black, former residents of New Orleans, Biloxi, etc. who are NEVER going back. It’s that simple. Their houses, if still standing, will be condemned and bulldozed. There is no insurance, and no one is going to step in and build low-income housing, either there, or anywhere else. These 200,000 people have NO resources, and no jobs. Without this workforce, upscale New Orleans and the port, can never really make it again, either. </p>

<p>So you have a situation which parallels that of 1866-1867, when freed slaves wandered rootlessly around the south, looking for their loved ones, looking for work, and looking for a place to lay their heads. What politician is going to step forward and say, “Rebuilding New Orleans can wait - first we have to take care of these people?”</p>

<p>If experience is any guide, no place is going to want to make them feel “too comfortable”.</p>

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<p>The issue has been air traffic control. The airport was never under water and the only real damage was to terminal buildings and the like.</p>

<p>Why did it take the military three days to get in there and set up temporary air traffic control command?</p>

<p>Did FEMA not anticipate the need to get a functioning airlift capability in the New Orleans area?</p>

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<p>Mini, My daughter and I were discussing that same issue last night. You’re right, it is a topic that is being danced around on all levels.
I am horrified at the thought that they are apparently just planning to warehouse these people for months in the astrodome. No mention of how they will be re-installed into society, or where, or when. It’s all short term thinking: get them to the astrodome, enroll their kids in Houston schools, then…???</p>

<p>ID, I think the blame lies on all levels of government: the city, the state, the federal government. There seems to have been an amazing lack of communication and coordination. Which brings me back to my other point: if this is an example of how the country would respond to a bioterror attack, we are sunk.</p>

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<p>It’s the elephant in the middle of the parlor that no one wants to talk about.</p>

<p>(In America, race usually is.)</p>

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<p>Yes, I agree. </p>

<p>One other issue, that actually made me think of you, is the way the entire gulf coast has been allowed to develop for at least the past 20 years. Even when I lived in Biloxi 20 years ago, it was clear that it was only a matter of time until something like this occurred, simply because of the geography of the area and the lack of building regulation. The infrastructure has never been there along the gulf coast to safely evacuate large number of people or react to a disaster of any sort of major scope. CNN keeps showing the bridge between Biloxi and Ocean Springs. We lived a block away from that bridge 20 years ago, and even then it was inadequate for moving people or supplies along the coast but it had been there for 40 or 50 years so no one was talking about updating it or widening it. Now, of course, it’s gone. Add in all of the casino’s that have been allowed to be built along the coast without much regulation, and this was a long time coming.</p>

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<p>mini and Carolyn:
You may be right, but doesn’t it seem sort of soon to be expecting that plans for “low income housing” for 200,000 people would be in place? I’m usually the most cynical person around, but I really think the mess down there is simply poor planning, poor funding priorities, and, evidently, an exaggerated expectation on the part of US citizens for what FEMA and Homeland Security are really prepared for. It’s scary. Those poor people. I feel so sorry for them.</p>

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<p>"It’s the elephant in the middle of the parlor that no one wants to talk about.</p>

<p>(In America, race usually is.)"</p>

<p>Yes, it seems that no plans were made to evacuate or comfortably house those who were poor and lacked transportation. </p>

<p>I don’t understand how a city could call for a mandatory evacuation, yet not make any plans to help out those who lacked the resources to leave. </p>

<p>The most vulnerable people were set up to die. This also includes people of all races who were ill. </p>

<p>Those who had “got.” Those who had nothing got left.</p>

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<p>You really cannot rely on the TV news for an accurate picture of the aid picture, Taxguy. In fact, I would guess that we cannot rely on any one assessment of the situation from any source–it is too early yet.</p>

<p>There are incredible logistical problems that have nothing to do with the desire, will, or intent of the relief givers, whether it be non-profit or government. Disaster declarations were issued before the hurricane ever hit, and the FEMA people had shelters set up on the periphery by the time the rain started. It would be unconscionable to send rescue workers in willy-nilly when you don’t know what they would be facing, or if they had enough resources (gasoline, batteries, equipment) to come back safely. What would you do with that 100 billion if it instantly appeared in NO? Plug the hole in the dyke? This sort of argument is irrelevant and completely disconnected from reality.</p>

<p>I heard on the radio yesterday that 1000+ members of the Maryland National Guard flew out at noon with C130’s filled with vehicles, equipment and supplies. Where do you suppose they landed? I don’t know, but it had to be at least 50-100 miles outside of “ground zero.” How long do you think it took to get them organized and transported to the emergency zone? These things do not happen instantly, and these brave people must be supported with food, water, and shelter once they are there.</p>

<p>The frustration is widespread and rampant everywhere–you cannot blame the reverend for his feelings–everyone is frustrated by how long the situation remains critical. But those of us outside should not complain. Not only do we not have a complete grasp of the situation, we should be grateful that we are not the ones making the decisions to send rescue people into harms way. </p>

<p>Think of it this way: Your wife is stricken with an unknown illness, but is conscious, terrified, and in mortal danger. What is your response to the hospital personnel who are trying to help? Without question (and I have been here myself) you must take care of yourself and be positive and supporting. You cannot be critical, complaining, and discouraging if you want your wife to survive.</p>

<p>In short, no amount of resources instantly at hand is going to change anything. Don’t complain, don’t judge, do something positive.</p>