my OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS

A full investigation is demanded of the Senators and House
members of Congress. Based on the actions of the Republican
Senate to NEVER do anything to hold the Bush Administration
accountable (example S.Amdt 1222 "Reid Amdt"
(http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00188),
I am asking the few Democrats in Congress who know what is
still right and wrong in this world.

At a minimum, Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and FEMA Head
Michael Brown must resign or be fired. It is not far reaching
to hold President Bush accountable in some way. All of these
men either were not aware of what was going on or for some
unknown reason did not know how to react until late Thursday,
September 1, 2005, in spite of Hurricane Katrina hitting the
US on early Monday, August 29. Millions of viewers watched as
newscasters reported live from New Orleans and other
devastated areas and there was no federal agencies in sight
for days. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday were all nice
sunny days and still the entire world wondered why there was
no FEMA rescue for the people in New Orleans.

The major networks were on the ground almost immediately in
downtown New Orleans and celebrities such as Harry Connick Jr
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9160710 /) and Rev Jessie Jackson
found their way to the devastated areas, yet in a press
conference on September 3 Mr Chertoff gave us the excuse that
it was unsafe for FEMA and National Guard troops to begin a
rescue because of looting. A jazz musician made his way safely
to downtown New Orleans and yet our federal troops are held
back because of danger?? American forces face graver danger in
Iraq every day in an effort to rebuild Iraq, but why is New
Orleans so unimportant that American forces cannot be deployed
to SAVE AMERICAN CITIZENS??

By Wednesday, the media was reporting from downtown New
Orleans that great numbers of people were dying of thirst and
starving. In interviews on Wednesday night, FEMA head Michael
Brown seemed shocked to learn of these conditions, in spite of
the major news networks reporting this all day. Meanwhile
numerous news helicopters filmed thousands of people at the
New Orleans Dome and everyone was left to wonder why FEMA was
not evacuating these people.

It has been argued that FEMA could not act as soon as it did
because of FEMA did not have authority to act. The Governor
was supposed to ask for help, I have read in some spots.
However the Governor of Louisiana did request help on August
28 (http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdf)
in 
accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act
(http://www.fema.gov/library/stafact.shtm ). This act gives
the President authority to act to save lives:

"§ 5192. Federal emergency assistance {Sec. 502}

1. Specified

In any emergency, the President may--

1. direct any Federal agency, with or without reimbursement,
to utilize its authorities and the resources granted to it
under Federal law (including 

personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and managerial,
technical and advisory services) in support of State and local
emergency assistance efforts to 

save lives, protect property and public health and safety, and
lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe;

2. coordinate all disaster relief assistance (including
voluntary assistance) provided by Federal agencies, private
organizations, and State and local 

governments;

3. provide technical and advisory assistance to affected State
and local governments for--

1. the performance of essential community services;
2. issuance of warnings of risks or hazards;
3. public health and safety information, including
dissemination of such information;
4. provision of health and safety measures; and
5. management, control, and reduction of immediate threats to
public health and safety;

4. provide emergency assistance through Federal agencies;

5. remove debris in accordance with the terms and conditions
of section 407 

6. provide assistance in accordance with section 408 

7. assist State and local governments in the distribution of
medicine, food, and other consumable supplies, and emergency
assistance. "

And still we waited and we waited for days for the Helicopters
to come. We all watched on CNN and MSNBC as no Feds came to
the rescue of the dying citizens of New Orleans, Louisiana,
USA.

How exactly did President Bush react to the news of the
Hurricane hitting New Orleans and the Gulf Coast? He gave a
few speeches on medicare in Arizona on Monday
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050829-5.html),
he gave some nice speeches in sunny San Diego, California on
Tuesday 
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050829-5.html)
and then returned for some rest at his ranch in Crawford,
Texas where he figured maybe he should cut his vacation short.
It was only on Wednesday that he flew over New Orleans in Air
Force One that he even started to become aware of the grave
situation. Finally on Friday, Mr Bush decided to visit the
devastated area and only then did the Army trucks and
Helicopters start arriving in force. Mr Bush commented on how
sad it was that Trent Lott's house was destroyed and promised
that it would be built again so we can sit on its porch.

What was his Secretary of State Condi Rice doing during all of
this? One would expect her to be on the phone with other
nations requesting funds and equipment. That was not the case.
She went shopping for shoes and saw a musical in New York City
(http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/342712p-292600c.html).

Meanwhile, due to inaction of the federal government,
countless thousands of AMERICAN citizens died of thirst and
starvation amid horrible conditions that can only be compared
to a third world country.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Chertoff have repeatedly claimed that nobody
could have known something like this would happen. However
they apparently do not read Scientific
America(http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=00060286-CB58-1315-8B5883414B7F0000)
or National Geographic
(http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature5/).
Numerous studies and articles in many print magazines warn of
this exact disaster; of a major hurricane hitting New Orleans
and flooding the city causing thousands to die. Even the
cartoon character "Mr Bill" 
did public service announcements warning of the danger
(http://espn.go.com/outdoors/conservation/news/2004/0122/1715528.html).
How could the head of Homeland Security and the President NOT
KNOW the danger of a hurricane to New Orleans?? Are they lying
or completely uninformed??

There are reports of the federal government not accepting aid
from numerous countries, states and cities 
(http://www.suntimes.com/output/hurricane/cst-nws-daley03.html).
The Red Cross was not allowed into the City of New Orleans
(http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html#4524).
WHY?

There are so many questions that must be answered. The United
States is right now a laughing stock and there are questions
that the President and his cabinet must answer and be held
accountable to. I therefore demand that the United States
Congress investigate all these matters fully. In the age of
the post 9/11 era, the United States has been shown to be
GROSSLY UNPREPARED to react to a disaster. This must change at
all costs. We have seen an inept Congress for many years that
does not do its job in holding the Executive Branch of the
United States in check as specified in the Constitution. It is
time to start right now.