Reply #29: Bush Administration Touts Rita Readiness [View All]

Bush Administration Touts Rita Readiness
By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Association Press Writer

Wednesday, September 21, 2005



(09-21) 08:28 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --


The Bush administration is advertising its stepped-up response plans for Hurricane Rita before the storm hits the Gulf Coast, eager to avoid the public pounding it got for its reaction to Hurricane Katrina.


Hundreds of truckloads of water, ice and ready-made meals arrived Tuesday at locations in Rita's path along the Florida and Texas coastlines, and rescue and medical teams were standing by as the storm swept across the Gulf of Mexico.


"I think we're going to be ready when it does hit land," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff promised Wednesday.


snip...
"It's nice to have the Bush administration recognize the importance of a federal response to Rita, but why weren't they proactively mobilizing and organizing like this for Katrina?" said Rebecca Kirszner, a spokeswoman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.


"These are the questions that need to be asked by an independent commission," Kirszner said.


more....
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/09/21/national/w043149D03.DTL