Marcus Simon

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September 17th

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September 18th, 2005 

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Flix Page 2

I posted them on my website, www.marcussimon.com.

Can y'all let me know if you are able to view them?

Thanks.

 By Dana Milbank

Friday, September 23, 2005; Page A04

Some commentors on my earlier post think me naive, ignorant, unrealistic, or just stupid.  Here is the Parish President talking about what could have been done and what he as a local leader was able to accomplish by himself.

http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=4911

MR. BROUSSARD:  Sir, they were told like me, every single day, "The
cavalry´s coming," on a federal level, "The cavalry´s coming, the cavalry´s coming, the cavalry´s coming."  I have just begun to hear the hoofs of the cavalry.  The cavalry´s still not here yet, but I´ve begun to hear the hoofs, and we´re almost a week out.

Let me give you just three quick examples.  We had Wal-Mart deliver three trucks of water, trailer trucks of water.  FEMA turned them back.  They said we didn´t need them.  This was a week ago.  FEMA--we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel docked in my parish.  The Coast Guard said, "Come get the fuel right away."  When we got there with our trucks, they got a word.  "FEMA says don´t give you the fuel." 

Yesterday--yesterday--FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines.  They cut them without notice.  Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards on our line and says, "No one is getting near these lines."  Sheriff Harry Lee said that if America--American government would have responded like Wal-Mart has responded, we wouldn´t be in this crisis.

But I want to thank Governor Blanco for all she´s done and all her leadership. She sent in the National Guard.  I just repaired a breach on my side of the 17th Street canal that the secretary didn´t foresee, a 300-foot breach.  I just completed it yesterday with convoys of National Guard and local parish workers and levee board people.  It took us two and a half days working 24/7. I just closed it.

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Water, fuel, communications!

You don't send a convoy without tanker trucks as well (to the anon comentor who thought I was that stupid) and you don't turn away water and diesel and you don't cut lines of communication.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/audio/2005/09/02/AU2005090200888.html 

Having worked in local government before I have to agree that if the President and Governor would delegate their authority to the Mayor things would get done.  The failure to get relief to Lousiana has less to do with logisitics than with Will.  With enough will we could do better.

Don't believe me?  Read this:

CHICAGO - A visibly angry Mayor Richard Daley lashed out Friday at the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina, saying his offer to send hundreds of emergency workers and dozens of pieces of equipment has been met with a request for one truck.

"We are just waiting for their call," the mayor said of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a news conference in which he was flanked by city, business and religious leaders.

Look what the Mayor of Houston is doing!

Thousands of children displaced from their homes by Hurricane Katrina have been enrolled in schools throughout the Houston area, and government officials were kicking conventioneers out of several centers so the buildings could be turned into shelters.

“If it takes someone suing us, then sue — and then explain to the American public,” White said.

Full story is here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/09/02/MNhouston02.DTL

That is the kind of polical will and leadership that is required to bring some relief to the people that need it.

Big city Mayors know how things work and how to get things done. 

The President campaigned for office by telling us that as a former state Governor he knew how to govern.  Clearly he does not.  I am so outraged I am beside myself.  As a former Army officer I am embarassed by the images I am seeing on television and the stories I am reading about our response. 

Why haven't we sent every troop carrier at Ft. Polk and Ft. Benning to evacuate the city?  Over 100 buses were sent today to evacuate, but barely made a dent.  Why didn't we send 1000?  Why not 10,000.  Overwhelming response is required.  Who could complain if we sent more help than was actually needed?  Instead people are dying inside the Superdome while they wait days for food and water.  People are dying unnecessarily from lack of attention - from pure neglect.

I'm so furious right now I think the President should be impeached for negligent homicide.