Democrats Failed Blacks in New Orleans

Democrats Failed Blacks in New Orleans

In the aftermath of the disaster wrought by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the question becomes how did that city get into such a horrendous condition?Facts that provide answers to that question are being ignored by the Democrats in their rush to condemn President Bush while turning a blind eye to the failures of the Democrats running the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.

Here are some of the basic facts being Ignored by the critics:

1. New Orleans is an inner city composed of 67% blacks and run by Democrats. The mayor is black, the chief of police is black and the local emergency personnel are black.

2. The State of Louisiana is run by a white woman Democrat governor.

3. Since the Posse Comitatus Act passed by Congress in 1878 prevents the President from sending federal troops to a state without the governor's consent, President Bush asked the Louisiana governor to please evacuate the people from New Orleans four days before the storm hit. The governor refused.

4. President Bush then asked the Mayor of New Orleans to please evacuate the people four days before the storm hit. The Mayor refused until he was finally ordered to issue a mandatory evacuation by the governor only 24 hours before the storm hit. There were over 2,000 school buses and city transit busses that were available to the Mayor for an evacuation. The Mayor let those busses stay in parking lots and become ruined by the flood. Pictures of some of those buses, standing in window high water, were shown on some television stations.

5. The Mayor and city emergency personnel had access to the local emergency water and food supplies before the hurricane hit, but did not execute an emergency plan to get the supplies to the people after disaster struck. The Mayor and local emergency personnel did not pre-position any supplies in the Superdome, even though they told the people to go there when the storm hit, and the Superdome had been identified as an emergency site years before Hurricane Katrina. They did not set up any emergency generators in the Superdome, even though they had two days of notice. They did not position any police officers in the stadium before the people arrived.The morning of the hurricane, the Mayor fled to Baton Rouge, where he is now, leaving the people in New Orleans leaderless and suffering.

6. The Louisiana National Guard is under the control of the governor. Unlike governors in such states as Florida, the Louisiana governor refused to order the Louisiana National Guard to standby 48 hours prior to the hurricane with trucks loaded with relief supplies. After the hurricane hit, President Bush asked the governor to allow him to federalize the Louisiana National Guard so that they could participate in the relief effort along side the federal troops under the President's control. The governor refused.

7. The Red Cross asked to be allowed to take truck loads of food, water, and other emergency supplies to the people in the Superdome and the convention center. The Democrats in the State of Louisiana's homeland security office refused. Incredialy, they allowed some of the black people there to die, because Democrats in the state homeland security office didn't want the Superdone or the convention center to be "magnates" for other black evacuees.

8. For years, Louisiana emergency personnel have predicted a disaster would happen in New Orleans if city and state officials did not adequately prepare for a big hurricane, particularly a category 4 hurricane such as Hurricane Katrina. For instance, in 2001, Kay Wilkins of the Southeast Louisiana chapter of the American Red Cross stated that during a strong hurricane, the city could be inundated with water blocking all streets in and out for days, leaving people stranded without electricity and access to clean drinking water. Ms. Wilkins also stated that many in the city could die because the city has few buildings that could withstand the sustained 96-to-100-mph withstand 6- to-8-ft. storm surges of a Category 2 hurricane.

9. Since 1980, Louisiana emergency personnel knew that the levees in New Orleans would not withstand a category 4 hurricane. Yet, the Democrats in Congress filibustered President Bush's energy bill which was introduced in 2001 and contained $540 million for repairing the levees in New Orleans. It was only this year, 2005, that the Republicans were able to break the Democrats' filibuster and pass the energy bill. The bill has come too late to help the poor people of New Orleans, and the blame rests squarely on the heads of the Democrats.

10. In the midst of the chaos and lawlessness in New Orleans, the Louisiana governor ordered the newly arriving National Guard to use "all necessary force" -- a directive that caused concern among some black leaders. Snipers have fired upon rescue helicopters and workers trying to evacuate Charity Hospital in downtown New Orleans. Why were black people, mostly Democrats, trying to stop rescue workers from helping their fellow black citizens?

This is a question the main stream media will not ask.11. In the midst of all of this chaos, the incompetence of the Democrats running the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana, plus the trashing of President Bush by the Democrats and their media allies, President Bush has remained gracious and in command.

President Bush stated: "The results are not acceptable. I want to assure the people of the affected areas and this country that we'll deploy the assets necessary to get the situation under control, to get the help to the people who have been affected, and that we're beginning long-term planning to help those who have been displaced, as well as long-term planning to help rebuild the communities that have been affected."