The Lowdown On That Katrina Chick

There seems to be some confusion as to whether the substandard response to Hurricane Katrina was the fault of the federal government or the state/local government of New Orleans and LA. While this is certainly a topic worth debate, it would seem that both sides are promoting a well-defined "It's the OTHER guy's fault!" style argument. The truth is that there were definite, horrible mistakes made on both sides of the proverbial fence. Were the Louisiana authorities partly to blame? YES! Due to the lack of a mandatory (and enforced) evacuation beforehand, thousands still remained in the affected area during and after the hurricane. School busses, which were earmarked as part of the published evacuation procedure, stood dormant prior to the storm. The issue of the already-filthy canal and sewage systems were not addressed properly. And so on, and so forth...
As to the federal side, there have also been numerous hiccups. There was the slow initial response from the President, which probably sowed much paranoia and fear in the citizens of New Orleans, possibly contributing to the current nightmare state that currently exists in the area. It took nearly a week for National Guard troops and extra police to arrive (in part due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East), which also created a detriment to orderly assistance and evacuation. There has also been talk of the previous cuts in funding to the Army Corps of Engineers in the area, who were working on numerous projects to strengthen the area against just such a disaster. All in all, the federal government has done little to remedy the situation, which is becoming increasingly out of hand. The veteran is rather tired at the moment, so he'll be signing off for now. As always, he welcomes your comments, both supportive and critical.