Position:New Orleans Superdome refugees were neglected
From dKosopedia
'A Hurricane Katrina issue, emergency preparedness issue, poverty issue, race issue.
The position that New Orleans Superdome refugees were neglected was advanced by many actual Hurricane Katrina refugees and all domestic and foreign press who visited them - in particular the fact that some bodies were not evacuated.
What is undisputed is that people in the Superdome were not provided adequate security or evacuation after hurricane, though there was a National Guard presence, confiscation of guns, and distribution of food and water.
In the Convention Center, on the other hand, people and were left entirely on their own. Nobody came. The question is why, and whether their not coming was due to neglect or a totally unanticipated problem that somehow made them inaccessible.
Some arguments for the position that the refugees were in fact neglected:
- The American Red Cross was not in there from the start, before the hurricane? Regarding that position are some questions:
- Who made that decision? Were they asked to be there?
- The Mayor announced use of Superdome as facility at noon on Sunday. What was the expectation of the Mayor for how long people would have to be there? What was the expectation for who was responsible for providing resources for provisions and evacuation?
Some arguments against "neglect" explain it as a simple problem of scale and higher priority problems: people in much worse need elsewhere in the city
- Clearly it was never possible for local resources to handle the scope of the needs even just at the Superdome without outside assistance (or at least clear to me. Is that self-evident or not?) Local police were considerably overwhelmed: 1,000 police officers on the force, with approximately 100,000 people left in city, NOT counting the Superdome and Convention Center.
- EACH AND EVERY ONE of those people needed either rescue, medical help, evacuation, or to be handcuffed and put in jail, WAY beyond the scope of local officials. Some of those officials were initially stranded as well, and then later some deserted. How many STATE Natl Guard went to NOLA, as opposed to other areas of Louisiana, other counties? Sheriffs Dept also needed to secure jails and make sure there weren't jail breaks. (Where are THEY now, by the way? They were camping on that overpass in handcuffs for days. Now what? Presumably the jail is in the same condition is was before.)
Some arguments that the local officials had already received substantial help, and therefore could and did rely on state, federal and military officials:
- Coast Guard was Johnny on the Spot. Who called them? Who coordinated that?
- The CONVENTION CENTER filled up after flooding began, I presume. Local officials had knowledge, presumably, that it was being used. Were they expected to communicate this need to Fed officials? Press was reporting on existence of need there starting when? Tuesday?
- Where was central search and rescue command post and who was in charge of that? Honore? When did Honore arrive? What exactly is the scope of his responsibility? Just NOLA? Does he command Coast Guard too? Does he command STATE National Guard as well? Who was he reporting to? Was HE responsible for reporting on existence of and needs at the Convention Center as well, since presumably he was Fed Man in Charge in NOLA? Did he? Did it go unheeded?
- FEMA is not in charge of security, but is in charge of provisions, along with Red Cross, but can't go where it's not secure. Who tells Red Cross where to go and when? FEMA