Why does a US national catastrophe like Katrina, become a failing of the Republicans?

Question

If you believe the DNC this catastrophe was the Republicans fault. Wasn't Congress responsible for the funding of the response? How were we to know the levees would be breached? How were we to know what to do if such a thing were to occur?

Answer 1

another good question would be why do people who lose "everything" in New Orleans have to be taken care of  by the government for ever now. Yet people who lost everything in Mississippi do not?

Answer 2

Hahaha. Its funny that you clicked a button that says "answer this question" and you didn't answer the question.

Its because repulicans are supposed to have thier feet on the necks of minorities. I am from New Orleans and trust me...the government can't help those that won't help themselves. Some people have become accustomed to living within a system of handouts and they rely on handouts. I mean hey....there are tons of illiegals with nothing working construction and making money for thier families...why can't natives work these jobs?

Answer 3

Because the Liberals expected the FEMA and the Republicans to do the impossible.

I was one of the initial responders to Hurricane Katrina.  I worked in a command center coordinating military relief efforts.

We did the math and immediately realized that getting adequate relief supplies to the people who needed them in during the first week was literally impossible.

All of you who were criticizing the response - can you explain exactly how we were supposed to do more when we only had one damaged airfield to bring supplies into?

Answer 4

There were failures on every level, beginning with someone's decision to build a city below sea level.

Answer 5

Bravo! At least your willing to admit that the Republicans are not all seeing and all knowing. That is a start. Now allow yourself to open the rest of your mind and you'd be suprised just how much is out there.

Once again. Bravo!

Answer 6

No one lays the complete blame at the Republicans feet but Bush, the Republican congress, and FEMA screwed up that response. To be fair Democrats Senator Landreiu and Mayor Nagan screwed up too. However it is only Republicans that I see blaming the victims of Katrina for the storm and aftermath asserting that its not the governments' responsibility to help. Excuse me, a major American city is under water and the Federal government has no responsibility.  

Answer 7

I don't know why when we talk about Katrina, everyone in America seems to forget that we have a state government.  

It wasn't the president's fault nor that of congress.  It was the state government of Louisiana who have been warned for years and years that this exact thing could happen because the levees weren't adequate.  

Instead of making life better for their people they rather line their pockets inappropriately.  

Answer 8

No one has said Katrina was the Republicans fault, just their response to it ..."Good job, Brownie".   The Congress and the White House was Republican controlled and therefore was the responsible party for the response (or lack of it).

Answer 9

At the time Congress was majority Republican.  Anyway you slice it, the Republicans were in charge of the government during Katrina.

Answer 10

"Wasn't Congress responsible for the funding of the response?"

At the time of Katrina, Congress was under Republican rule.

"How were we to know the levees would be breached?"

One, New Orleans is under sea level. Two, there had been reports before Katrina even hit questioning the levees' structural integrity.

"How were we to know what to do if such a thing were to occur?"

This is not rocket surgery. You know how you have periodic fire and tornado drills at work and school? This is "in case of emergency" stuff. The government, the people who tell us what to do, didn't even have a proper emergency plan in the case of a natural disaster, and could not come up with one even during the interim between Katrina being projected to hit the gulf and when it actually did hit.

Answer 11

Because NBC news could get onto the bridge where hundreds of african american people were stranded, dehydrated and sick, and several had died, one had jumped over to kill himself, and FEMA couldn't get there.  Thr Rebublicans (Bush) appointed his friend, a horse trainer, as head of FEMA.  Scientists had predicted before the storm that the levees would be breached.  FEMA ordered evacuations, but didn't give anyone without the funds the means of evacuation.  Congress funds FEMA, FEMA makes decisions in conjunction with the administration.