Comments on: AP IMPLIES CRITICISM OF FEMA FOR TAKING TWO DAYS TO BRING PAPER SHUFFLERS TO LA

By: TMH's Bacon Bits

TMH's Bacon Bits — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 14:34:19 +0000

Bad Science, Worse Journalism

The arrogance and hubris that can breed bad science maps perfectly onto the MSM. After all, not unlike scientists, journalists are an elite corps, chosen from on high and trained to distribute knowledge and information to the lowly masses.

…

By: Lance

Lance — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 11:56:19 +0000

“They had nothing to do with even coordinating any of these activities. All these people were already there, on the ground, in New Orleans working tirelessly to save lives.”

Yeah…like the almost 1,000 firefighters and policemen, trained in emergency search and rescue techniques, who were brought first to Atlanta for a day of intensive training in, among other things “sexual harassment” issues, to prepare them to be shuttled to New Orleans to…drum roll please…hand out leaflets?

Oh, wait…the first fifty sent in were given the urgent job of being human wallpaper for a Bush photo op.

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3004197

By: From the Swamp

From the Swamp — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 11:17:32 +0000

The whole Katrina episode proves beyond a shadow of doubt that once the hurricane touches land, if you have not prepared in advance you are toast. Maybe that is why all hurricane plans, all hurricane public notices, all hurricane public seminars I have ever attended stress that fact.

The mere fact the leftist-MSM keeps dancing around the issue of prior preparation and evacuation being the only answer to hurricanes is evidence of massive bias being levied on an uninformed public.

By: The MaryHunter

The MaryHunter — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 11:08:40 +0000

Joseph, you may have a wee point, but only because of the utter incompetence of the state and local authorities pre- or post-hurricane. However, Rick has a excellent point re AP's clearly playing Monday quarterback for a chance to bash the administration over something as ludicrous as, as... positioning bureaucrats on the ground, in the midst of a disaster, with no infrastructure and few resources for them to do their oh-so-useful bureaucratizing. Rick, you wrote this:
For the Associated Press to release an article like this is flabbergasting. It reveals a breathtaking bias in reporting that should be pointed out and condemned by not only bloggers but anyone in the MSM who is concerned about the credibility of their industry.
Aah, but my friend, their industry has no credibility. Indeed, that's why there are bloggers, conservative talk radio, the Media Research Center, and Fox News. (And RWNH!)

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 03:58:45 +0000

In war (in this case political war), truth is the first casualty.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 03:47:30 +0000

Rick,

Your timeline is one of the most useful tools on this story in the blogosphere, but I don’t get how after pulling all those facts together you’ve gone back to picking a nit with this ‘paper shuffler’ stuff. You’re right that the MSM seem hyper-focused on the Feds and saying precious little about local and state responsibility…

But, aren’t these the FEMA administrative people on the ground that should help coordinate all that other stuff that ‘didn’t get to the people?’ Aren’t they the ones who would have appeared at the major assembly and evac. points and provided basic info., started name lists, etc. so that those first few days after the storm wouldn’t have been so chaotic and traumatic for survivors who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) get out?

It’s exactly that kind of simple on-the-ground info. and coordination that gets harried masses to relax, and makes them feel like someone gives a damn. I think depicting them as some kind of useless bureaucrats who would have just gotten in the way, and didn’t need to be there moments after the storm is off the mark.

By: SoCalPundit » Associated Press Blasts Fed, Ignors State & Local Screw-Ups

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 21:13:40 +0000

[...]

UPDATE, CHANGING FOCUS and BUMP TO THE TOP ON Wed, 09/07/05 02:06… Ri [...]

By: Rick Moran

Rick Moran — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 14:49:14 +0000

“Departmentally engaged” takes into account where a sizable chunck of FEMA’s budget and personnel are; disaster assistance and community outreach.

FEMA assets having to do with disaster coordination, search and rescue, military liaison, and disaster relief were all deployed (according to AP) “in a semi-circle” around New Orleans.

Why most of that stuff didn’t get to the people who needed it will be one of the major scandals of this disaster.

FEMA screwed up plenty. But for the AP to complain about paper shufflers not getting into New Orleans for a couple of days is disingenuous at best and deliberately biased at worst.

By: Dean

Dean — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 14:43:41 +0000

Rick,
I have a lot of respect for your writing and work on Katrina.

However, in this case you have left out a key paragraph:

Before then, FEMA had positioned smaller rescue and communications teams across the Gulf Coast. But officials acknowledged Tuesday the first department-wide appeal for help came only as the storm raged.

This is the key point I found in this report.

– Only after the storm was bashing the
coast was FEMA departmentally engaged —

That is a massive failure.