Fact Check: About those buses now under water

[Tesibria]

We keep hearing that Mayor Nagin should have used those school buses now under water to evacuate those who didn't have cars. (E.g., it just came up on Hardball again)

It's time for a fact check. Based on the Times-Picayune Blog (i.e., CONTEMPORANEOUS report, not after-the-fact CYA), when he announced the mandatory evacuation, Nagin provided a toll-free number for people to call to get picked up by bus (RTA):

Mayor Nagin issues mandatory evacuation for New Orleans

As of 9:30 a.m., Mayor Nagin has issued a mandatory evacuation for New Orleans.
* * *
The city has set up ten pickup areas to take people to emergency shelters. RTA buses will be picking up citizens for free and take them to these shelters. The number to call for pickup areas is 1-800-469-4828.

The pickup locations are (list of multiple pick up locations follows)
* * *

See http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_08.html (You have to scroll way down to Aug 28 - the "permalinks" are not working)

================
I've seen no reports about whether the RTA buses were overwhelmed; whether the school buses were needed; whether people called, but didn't get picked up.

However - the contemporaneous documents PROVE that Nagin offered those without transportation a way to call to get a ride to a shelter, and had buses picking people up.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Nagin begged all day Sunday for FEMA to tell him where to send

people. Nagin had the buses but FEMA wouldn't authorize him to send them anywhere.

FEMA finally decided that the Superdome could be used as a safe shelter, even though they knew that there were no provisions for even 10,000 people no less 30,000.

Even once FEMA said it was okay to use the Superdome, they made little attempt to provide food or even water for the people that would be stuck in there. But they did have the manpower to make sure they searched everyone going in.

The public record will prove Nagin is the hero in this whole mess.

[5X]

2. He starved his own people

Worse than saddam.
I mean bush, of course.

[Scout1071]

3. Thanks for clarifying. I was just going to ask you to do so!

[Mr_Spock]

12. LOL

Glad you clarified that :D

[demo dutch]

5. Not quite. The city had always designated the Superdome as shelter of

of last resort, and people were delivered by bus to the Superdome and other shelters, it was part of their hurricane prepareness plan. During Ivan 1200 showed up at the Superdome, and this time 20,000 - 30,000 showed up. The only mistake that the city might have made was not designating a second shelter of last resort in advance, such as the Convention Center which the police opened up for the overflow during Katrina. Had that been done in advance there would have been more security in place at the Convention Ctr. Mind you as horrible as it sounds had the city not opened up the Convention Ctr many more thousands would have died in the flood.

The city however simply did not have 200 bus driver volunteers to evacuate the entire city. No city in the country has that kind of infrastructure for that matter, so that's where the Feds are supposed to come or Natl. Guard. They never showed up or returned the mayor's calls, and of course 65-75 % of ACTIVE LA Natl. Guard is in Iraq.

[klebean]

4. freepers still in the dark on this

someone could shed some light perhaps?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1478215/posts?q=1&&page=74#74

[demo dutch]

7. They don't read- the crap is fed to them by right wing sites/talk shows

[Pacifist Patriot]

9. It's a heartbreaking revelation but I've realized I am a snob.

I am so grateful I am not as heartless and stupid as those idiots.

[guruoo]

10. freepers in conflict on Katrina

This is about the way it was 3 days ago when I last checked.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1478215/posts?q=1&&page=74#comment

To: ForGod'sSake

"Understand something, there were countless people on the ground in the early going doing evacuations and rescues"

No there was NOT! The Convention center had no food or water for 5 days.

And this is while Red Cross Trucks and other non political Relief Organizations were blocked! Yet - the Hollywood and MSM icons get thru?

Homeland blocked the good guys and I guess there are quite a few here that don't care about the Repubs that have to run in 2008.

66 posted on 09/06/2005 9:14:05 AM PDT by spanalot

To: ForGod'sSake

"Now, the Red Cross is a quasi gov't agency"

No its not - its a c-corp.

And it was STOPPED by FEMA from going in - as were other disaster relief organizations.

Look, I don't make the rules and this is going down as one of the biggest embarassments to the fed gubmint - not just the state and local.

69 posted on 09/06/2005 1:05:34 PM PDT by spanalot
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies >
To: joholso

Telling an entire city population, "You're on your own" is an inexcusable abandonment of responsibility and a recipe for disaster.

72 posted on 09/06/2005 2:29:27 PM PDT by GVgirl
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies >
To: ForGod'sSake

"And I honestly don't think you can see past your nose on the issue"

And why was it appropriate to stop the Red Cross and not the Travolta's and the Oprah's and the Penn's?

73 posted on 09/06/2005 2:58:58 PM PDT by spanalot
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies >

[SofaKingLiberal]

13. You can't post facts like that on FR, It will get pulled in 2 seconds.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. kick and nominated

[SillyGoose]

8. Thank you for posting this important info. Nominated n/t

[Window]

11. Thank you for sharing this info.

I need it to slap somebody up against their head.

Peace