why do people blame bush for katrina disaster?

Question

He dosen't control the weather. its the states job to look over the levees not the goverment. mybe its just because im a kid and i dont get it.. but warnings were issued yet no one left

Katrina was a level 3 hurricane level 5's hit citys often and not as much damage never happens just a little fact to throw at you

Answer 1

I know that this will sound partisan but there are some people who will use disasters and people in danger to score political points.

Katrina did not hit New Orleans directly. The flooding was an after affect of the flood surge. Mississippi was hit directly and the people responded well.

Federal Aid can not be sent to a state until the Governor of that state requests the aid. Blanco waited for days before asking for aid. Last decade, when Hugo hit Florida, the Governor waited four days before requesting aid from GHW Bush.

Note today; the governor of Texas has already called out the National Guard before the hurricane hits.

The two bad governnors were democrats and the governor of Texas is a republican.

One more thing from here in the Midwest; the governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sibelius, admitted to a US Senator that she was instructed by Rahm Emmanuel to delay asking for aid when Greenburg was destroyed by a tornado. Yes, they were both democrats making points out of death and destruction.

Answer 2

It's an endless argument.

Bush was not responsible for the hurricane. He's not the Weather Wizard.

People are blaming him for the slow response, which I agree with to an extent. He was on vacation and didn't really take time off to handle the situation properly. However, this could've been prevented if the politicians had provided the state with fundings they needed to repair the levees. Apparently they had been in need of repairs for about 10 years. And guess who was in office back then?

Even then, I can't blame the previous President over the situation. It's common sense. Again, I believe that all politicians have some blame in not handling the situation, but not the hurricane itself.

By the way, just a footnote: Before the hurricane, I took an environmental class I needed for my upper division courses. My "professor" blamed the Bush Administration for the increase in the "unusual weather" we were having. (This made sense for most students of San Francisco State). I'd hate to see what she was saying of him after the hurricane.

Answer 3

Bush appointed the director of FEMA and wanted the agency rolled into Homeland Security, and holds the power to declare emergencies and influence to provide federal aid. Many people use those actions to assign fault for the miscommunication and lack of preparation in the government's response.

No, Bush doesn't control the weather, and past presidents and state officials are as responsible for the levees' deterioration, which took place over decades. Many in the state understand that, despite the media's portrayal of us.

There aren't many people who blame Bush who don't also blame Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, both Democrats, at least as much for the same lack of preparation for the immediate response, over which those officials had the most sway.

Answer 4

Historically, the federal government has furnished resources (manpower and funding) to local/state agencies as a result of a declared state of emergency. However, the mindset of many of these politicians - as you know - is to get re-elected, rather than to do the job for which they were elected. As a result, they spend their time and effort primarily on the social programs, rather than meeting the NEEDS of their constituents - so nothing is accomplished. It's easier to do nothing prior to a disaster and blame someone else for failure to act - compared with planning ahead. Think about it - what politicians REALLY did the job they were elected to do - then got out of office? I've seen it too many times. Calif Deputy

Answer 5

Because he left the people of New Orleans for days without food or water. There was not an efficient overseer. He is commander in charge, our Emergency support team should have been in New Orleans the very next day, but it took 3-4 days. The National Guard should have been called the day it hit! And the media called them refugees, refugees are from another Country not from an neighboring State, they are American citizens. People died that should not have died.

New Orleans is still in direr straits and so is the gulf coast.
Their lives will never be the same, thanks to the people in charge!!

Yes, warnings were issued, but most of these people that were hurt so bad, the majority had no vehicles. The school buses should have been pulled in advance to a much higher location, a way to get those who do not have a vehicle out.

Answer 6

We have a networked system of emergency response. If cities do not have the resources to deal with an emergency, The state steps in, and if the State cannot adequately cope with the situation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is supposed to help.

George Bush put a crony in the person of Mike Brown in charge of FEMA. A man who had no business in that position. And when it was obvious that he had --no idea-- what he was doing, Bush supported him.

Days after the storm, there are still people trapped on roof tops, with FEMA aid sitting in Northern Mississippi, and George Bush did nothing but take the word of his friend. He never pushed for action, or answers.

Guilty via inaction.

Answer 7

They don't blame him for the hurricane, they blame the governent for the lack of emergency response and medical help after the hurricane hit. New Orleans was pretty much abandoned to fend for itself with little to no aid from government departments. People didn't leave because it was either too late or they had no where to go. The main reason people blame bush about katrina is because the government wasn't there to help the residents of New Orleans after the hurricane had done it's work.

Answer 8

The State, county and city gov't were too busy fighting each other..and because of that, the whole emergency system failed and as usual their failure is ignored and everyone Blames Bush. Florida went through 11 hurricanes without federal help.

Edit:::::they had 3-4 days warning to prepare.

Answer 9

most believe the federal govt did not act quick enough but I think the Louisiana governor & Ray Nagin is much more to blame. naturally, they are both democrats, right? New Orleans has a lot of problems. so many poor & wellfare dependent people. why? as another person pointed out - Florida has had many more hurricanes and didn't whine & cry for govt assistance.

Answer 10

You may be a kid, but you get it. There are a lot of people who were responsible for what happened. Bush had nothing to do with it. The Federal government couldn't get it together afterwards, for reasons I don't fully comprehend, but the finger pointing afterward was ridiculous. Mayor Nagin and the governor were much more to blame than the feds, but they didn't accept responsibility at all. It may have to do with their party affiliations or other political correctness factors.