DeLay points to local officials

House cancels hearings; joint panel to look at Katrina response
Wednesday, September 7, 2005; Posted: 10:12 a.m. EDT (14:12 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House majority leader late Tuesday tried to deflect criticism of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina by saying "the emergency response system was set up to work from the bottom up," then announced a short time later that House hearings examining that response had been canceled.

Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said House Republican leaders instead want a joint House-Senate panel set up to conduct a "congressional review" of the issue.

Tempers flared Tuesday during a contentious closed-door meeting between House members and Cabinet secretaries in charge of directing Katrina relief efforts. A Republican representative stood up and said, "All of you deserve failing grades. The response was a disaster," CNN was told by lawmakers emerging from the meeting.

But DeLay countered that assessment later in a news conference by saying that the onus for responding to emergencies fell to local officials.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/07/katrina.congress/index.html

infestation in his home district.

Located here: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/rrr/dec_proc.pdf

It is true that the "the emergency response system was set up to work from the bottom up," the problme for DeLay is that it was being worked from the ground up.

August 26, 2005 - Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco declared a state of emergency for the state Louisiana
August 27, 2005 - Mayor Nagin issued a voluntary evacuation request late in the day
August 27, 2005 - Governor Blanco asks President to Declare an Emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina
August 27, 2005 - Press Release - President declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana
August 28, 2005 - 9:30 a.m. Mayor Ray Nagin orders mandatory evacuation
August 28, 2005 - President Bush called Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. Personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding
August 29, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina made landfall Early Morning in Biloxi, Mississippi (Aprox 1:30 am)
August 29, 2005 - Levy Breaks
August 30, 2005 - Two Navy helicopter pilots and their crews rescue 100 hurricane victims. Punished and for their actions and assigned to guard dog kennel
September 1, 2005 - FEMA Arrives to assist in aftermath of the hurricane Katrina
September 2, 2005 - President Bush Arrives in Mobile Regional Airport
September 2, 2005 - FEMA begins assistance for hurricane victims (4 days AFTER Katrina made landfall in Biloxi, Mississippi, 8 DAYS After assistance was requested from Governor Kathlee Blanco)


I think he is counting on people NOT reading The Declaration Process as part of it calls on the Nation Guard - 40% of which is in IRAQ

The mayor did use city buses to get people to the safety of the superdome.

After the storm hit, it was impossible for him to mobilize any assistance, the local government was destroyed. There ARE no working phones or power.

To try and shift the blame to local officials is ridiculous. In the event of a dirty bomb going off in a local city do they really expect the mayor to react first and then wait to ASK for assistance?
I hope Delay keeps this up, it exposes his stupidity and general incompetance.