Obama Failing in Haiti

[vurbano]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2429519/posts


We watched Friday as aircraft arrived nonstop, carrying massive amounts of food, water and U.S. military personnel along with it.

Some 20,000 large water containers arrived today and 80,000 more are on the USS Carl Vinson off the coast of Haiti, along with 600,000 daily food rations which are continually flowing in.

But all this effort and all these supplies moving does not mean Haitians are getting the large supplies of food and water that they need. Instead, most of the supplies are sitting idle at the airport

You have to do better than this Mr Messiah. Bur Obama is on his way to campaign for the Boston Mass seat.. puke.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[stevenl]

I guess the fact that the road systems in haiti have been almost wiped out, so getting supplies in and out is VERY difficult. You can only move so much by helicopter... Its also NOT OUR COUNTRY. the supplies are there.

[stevenl]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/15/world/main6099012.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Dam you Obama.. Why cant you just PART the sea!

[Bob Haller]

He is doing better than bush did right here in the USA, during katrina

[vurbano]

He is doing better than bush did right here in the USA, during katrina

really??? Compare the dead.

[msmith198025]

really??? Compare the dead.

Not the fault of either in either situation.

[vurbano]

at least something is working

http://crs.org/


Haiti Relief Begins Amid Crisis
CRS staff, fearing more building collapses, are sleeping and working outdoors while marshaling relief supplies for delivery to Haiti's earthquake survivors.
Author: Michael Hill


Residents pick through rubble in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. CRS is rushing supplies to quake survivors as the agency continues to build support networks during the aftermath of the quake.

Lifesaving supplies from Catholic Relief Services are reaching desperate survivors in quake-shattered Port-au-Prince, Haiti. CRS is distributing food and water from its warehouses in the Haitian capital and the city of Les Cayes. Additional aid is on the way from CRS' warehouses in the Dominican Republic.

CRS is increasing its original $5 million funding commitment and is planning an emergency response with an expectation of raising $25 million from its generous supporters for its relief effort.


"Our teams on the ground say the needs are beyond belief," says Ken Hackett, president of CRS. "This money will help us go even further to reach people who are suffering."

CRS was able to respond immediately thanks to existing emergency supplies in its Port-au-Prince warehouse. "We are fortunate to have had water in our warehouse," says Karel Zelenka, country representative for CRS Haiti. "We also trucked in family food kits from Les Cayes." CRS will also distribute hygiene kits, cookware and plastic sheeting that were stored in Port-au-Prince.

CRS has a permanent staff of 313 on the ground and additional staff are arriving daily. CRS' Haiti headquarters building was damaged but did not collapse. Until its structural integrity is assured, Zelenka said newly arriving personnel will join the CRS staff in sleeping outside in tents or cars as aftershocks continue to be felt in the city.

"Our main office building shows many cracks and people just sort of run in, pick up things that they need, and we do everything outside," Zelenka said. "We have a table set up outside, we pulled out electric cables, we bring computers there and so cannot ask our staff to go in."

Zelenka called the earthquake "something I've never experienced and hope that I never see it again."

"It is so stressful. I can hardly sleep and when I get to the building, our office, a little noise makes me immediately jump," he said. "You drive up and down the streets and you see all these bodies that are just laying down there because there they have no common grave and they cannot do a proper funeral. The worst part are the children—these little bodies.

"I mean, can I tell you, in general earthquakes are the worst, worst disaster that can happen," Zelenka said.

CRS is shipping additional aid quickly. "Fifteen hundred metric tons of wheat and oil will arrive in port soon," says Schuyler Thorup, regional director for CRS Latin America. "We will distribute it immediately."

In the neighboring Dominican Republic, CRS is preparing packages to feed 50,000 people. Five-gallon buckets are being loaded with juice, sardines, sausage, peanut butter, nuts, granola bars, canned fruit, black beans and saltine crackers. Water storage containers, water purification tablets, mosquito nets, and hygiene kits are also en route to Haiti.

Donal Reilly, CRS' emergency response team leader, said that these shipments will begin to fulfill the most pressing needs of Haitians whose recovery is hampered by their poverty.

"Haitians live on a day-to-day basis, in which things like food and charcoal are bought daily. Many people's houses were damaged and markets aren't even selling, so we'll need to get food in immediately," Reilly said. "Water infrastructure is bad even on a good day, so this is essential."

Four CRS staff members travelled by bus from the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince as CRS began to increase its presence in Haiti to respond to this unprecedented disaster. They will be joined by CRS experts in water and sanitation, shelter and health.

Bill Canny, CRS' director of emergency operations, has arrived in Haiti where he was CRS country representative until last year. He oversaw the response to massive hurricanes in 2008.

"We're moving additional emergency staff in as quickly as possible," Canny said. "We know it's chaos in Port-au-Prince and help is needed immediately."

"There's been an outpouring of support from Catholics and others of good will in the United States," says CRS Executive Vice President Michael Wiest. "We're so grateful for the generosity of our donors, especially because the massive destruction caused by the quake will require a long-term recovery process." Among the donations is a $225,000 gift from the New York Yankees baseball team.

CRS has been working in Haiti for 55 years, often responding to disasters such as the hurricanes that hit the country in 2008. The agency has an extensive network of aid partners in the country, including Catholic schools, hospitals and health centers.

"We will work with our Church partners to reach the most vulnerable survivors, including orphans and the elderly," says Hackett. "We are acting swiftly to help people who have suffered so greatly."

[iceturkee]

well, considering it took bush 6 days to just hold a press conference regarding katrina...that was the one where he lauded his fema director for doing a good job....i wouldn't bitch.

there are estimates that almost 150,000 people are dead in hatii. they will probably never know for sure. i hear that number could reach half a million. so i'm sorry if aid for the masses isn't reaching hatii fast enough for you verbs.

[DodgerKing]

He is doing better than bush did right here in the USA, during katrina
True, but the blame for Katrina lands mostly on the Governor. Mississippi had worse devastation directly after the Hurricane, but they also had a more confident governor.

Feds cannot step in without local or state permission, something the government did not know and something she forgot to do.

[Bob Haller]

Feds cannot step in without local or state permission, something the government did not know and something she forgot to do.


So if a nuke attack took out the governor and his staff the feds would standby waiting for a invite?

If that was the procedure it should of been changed.

AS I tell stressed out customers with broken machines:(

I will fix it now even a temporary patch, let the paperwork catch up later........

Theres no EXCUSE for any president to watch the news and not deploy help.

[vurbano]

well, considering it took bush 6 days to just hold a press conference regarding katrina.

Press conferences do not solve problems. Blanco held up the aid and Nagin left the buses sitting in the parking lot. Incompetent LIBERAL BOOBS who should have been put on trial for mass murder. Get your facts straight and please try to stop the mindless liberal shilling. If you can. Its better to be just mindless.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007219

Blame Amid the Tragedy
Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin failed their constituents. by BOB WILLIAMS
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 12:01 A.M. EDT

As the devastation of Hurricane Katrina continues to shock and sadden the nation, the question on many lips is, Who is to blame for the inadequate response?

As a former state legislator who represented the legislative district most impacted by the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, I can fully understand and empathize with the people and public officials over the loss of life and property.

Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn't fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible--local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city's mayor, Ray Nagin.

The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his emergency operations center.

The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved.

In addition to the plans, local, state and federal officials held a simulated hurricane drill 13 months ago, in which widespread flooding supposedly trapped 300,000 people inside New Orleans. The exercise simulated the evacuation of more than a million residents. The problems identified in the simulation apparently were not solved.

A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan. Again, they did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not corrected.

The New Orleans contingency plan is still, as of this writing, on the city's Web site, and states: "The safe evacuation of threatened populations is one of the principle [sic] reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan." But the plan was apparently ignored.

Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation and supervising the actual evacuation: His Office of Emergency Preparedness (not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation.

The city's evacuation plan states: "The city of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas." But even though the city has enough school and transit buses to evacuate 12,000 citizens per fleet run, the mayor did not use them. To compound the problem, the buses were not moved to high ground and were flooded. The plan also states that "special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific lifesaving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed." This was not done.

The evacuation plan warned that "if an evacuation order is issued without the mechanisms needed to disseminate the information to the affected persons, then we face the possibility of having large numbers of people either stranded and left to the mercy of a storm, or left in an area impacted by toxic materials." That is precisely what happened because of the mayor's failure.

Instead of evacuating the people, the mayor ordered the refugees to the Superdome and Convention Center without adequate security and no provisions for food, water and sanitary conditions. As a result people died, and there was even rape committed, in these facilities. Mayor Nagin failed in his responsibility to provide public safety and to manage the orderly evacuation of the citizens of New Orleans. Now he wants to blame Gov. Blanco and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In an emergency the first requirement is for the city's emergency center to be linked to the state emergency operations center. This was not done.


The federal government does not have the authority to intervene in a state emergency without the request of a governor. President Bush declared an emergency prior to Katrina hitting New Orleans, so the only action needed for federal assistance was for Gov. Blanco to request the specific type of assistance she needed. She failed to send a timely request for specific aid.
In addition, unlike the governors of New York, Oklahoma and California in past disasters, Gov. Blanco failed to take charge of the situation and ensure that the state emergency operation facility was in constant contact with Mayor Nagin and FEMA. It is likely that thousands of people died because of the failure of Gov. Blanco to implement the state plan, which mentions the possible need to evacuate up to one million people. The plan clearly gives the governor the authority for declaring an emergency, sending in state resources to the disaster area and requesting necessary federal assistance.

State legislators and governors nationwide need to update their contingency plans and the operation procedures for state emergency centers. Hurricane Katrina had been forecast for days, but that will not always be the case with a disaster (think of terrorist attacks). It must be made clear that the governor and locally elected officials are in charge of the "first response."

I am not attempting to excuse some of the delays in FEMA's response. Congress and the president need to take corrective action there, also. However, if citizens expect FEMA to be a first responder to terrorist attacks or other local emergencies (earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes), they will be disappointed. The federal government's role is to offer aid upon request.

The Louisiana Legislature should conduct an immediate investigation into the failures of state and local officials to implement the written emergency plans. The tragedy is not over, and real leadership in the state and local government are essential in the months to come. More importantly, the hurricane season is still upon us, and local and state officials must stay focused on the jobs for which they were elected--and not on the deadly game of passing the emergency buck.

[Bob Haller]

again i ask a nuke takes out the govenor and big part of new york.

so we just ignore it?

send the troops and worry about states rights later. save lives first.

heck during katrina a choppper pilot got charged with miss conduct or something for dis obeying orders.

rather than take pictres he saved a bunch of familys and kids who were on the roof of a disengrating home. without rescue they would of died

pilot had more common sense than bush.

[DodgerKing]

So if a nuke attack took out the governor and his staff the feds would standby waiting for a invite?
Do you really need me to explain the difference between federal and local jurisdiction?

The feds are the ones responsible for national defense, the state and local governments are responsible for local disasters. The feds cannot come in unless the locality ask them to.


If that was the procedure it should of been changed.
So Federalism, the Constitution, and jurisdiction laws mean nothing then?

[Bob Haller]

again when the situation warrants it, do whats needed to save lives, and deal with the lawsuits later..........

so whats the procedure if a govenor cant or wouldnt respond?

lots of situations could knock out national communication

[wildbill129]

again i ask a nuke takes out the govenor and big part of new york.

so we just ignore it?

send the troops and worry about states rights later. save lives first.

heck during katrina a choppper pilot got charged with miss conduct or something for dis obeying orders.

rather than take pictres he saved a bunch of familys and kids who were on the roof of a disengrating home. without rescue they would of died

pilot had more common sense than bush.

You are talking about two different things Bob. Natural disaster, state still has to request help, the Governor, or his designee, must request disaster area recognition. Nuke, act of terrorism, Fed's would have jurisdiction, but would work with the state and locals, not take over like the movies....

[Blackhitachi]

True, but the blame for Katrina lands mostly on the Governor. Mississippi had worse devastation directly after the Hurricane, but they also had a more confident governor.

Feds cannot step in without local or state permission, something the government did not know and something she forgot to do.confident and competent governor

[Bob Haller]

You are talking about two different things Bob. Natural disaster, state still has to request help, the Governor, or his designee, must request disaster area recognition. Nuke, act of terrorism, Fed's would have jurisdiction, but would work with the state and locals, not take over like the movies....

A natural disaster could take out the govenor and staff.

I beleve obama would do the right thing and deploy help, rather than get hung up on the paperwork.

If bush had common sense our country would be in much better shape today and republicans probably would of kept the white house and congress

[vurbano]

A natural disaster could take out the govenor and staff.

I beleve obama would do the right thing and deploy help, rather than get hung up on the paperwork.

If bush had common sense our country would be in much better shape today and republicans probably would of kept the white house and congress

But Katrina did not take out the governor. Your point would be? If there is one..

[msmith198025]

A natural disaster could take out the govenor and staff.

I beleve obama would do the right thing and deploy help, rather than get hung up on the paperwork.

If bush had common sense our country would be in much better shape today and republicans probably would of kept the white house and congress

Trying to follow you here bob. Like vurb said, katrina did NOT take out the governors.

In the exact situation, I think Obama would follow the law.

That is not saying things werent mishandled in some cases with Katrina. I will say though that more was mishandled in La, than was in Ms, as dodger pointed out. Alot of that falls on local leadership, or the lack thereof

[DodgerKing]

confident and competent governor
Sorry, I was half a sleep when I typed that.

[Bob Haller]

If obama watched the news seeing people dying on the streets for lack of help, unlike bush I think he would just send help and worry about the paperwork later.

certinally bushes reputation was hurt by katrina.

[wildbill129]

A natural disaster could take out the govenor and staff.

I beleve obama would do the right thing and deploy help, rather than get hung up on the paperwork.

If bush had common sense our country would be in much better shape today and republicans probably would of kept the white house and congress

The odds of it taking out everyone, the Gov, Lt. Gov, Senate and Assembly leaders, AG, et. al. is highly doubtful. They are rarely all together in the same place, for this exact reason.

On to the topic. I am no Obama cheerleader, but you can't blame him for the slowdown in Haiti, just like you can't blame Bush for New Orleans.

There is so many nations in Haiti right now, so much U.N. bureacracy, and so many infrastructure issues and civil unrest, it will slow down the deployment of aid. They will start making headway soon....I have a lot of faith in our military leaders, they will get the job done...