This is NOT a policitical statement, as it involves BOTH/ALL parties... Our President was on Vacation for a few days still, after Katrina, and our Congress STILL is.
The relief agencies need the orders to go. And the only way they get those orders, is if thier managers give the order. And thier managers and directors don't give the order unless they get the word from the Federal Government. And the Federal Goverment is on vacation. For instance: Joint Task Force Katrina has been organized days ago by the military, and have not recieved the word to go yet.
This is going to dwarf 911 in size and scope when its all tallied up at the end, and its getting more expensive financially, and
socially by the minute. By the time resources, funding and more importantly,
organization truely arrive, I believe they will be used to initially institute martial law. There are people saying that war zones are better organized than what is happening in major cities of the south of this country.
As for people who didn't take heed to the order to evacuate. Think about the time it was given. (Much farther in advance than anytime in history.) About 24 hours, from when it went to Cat-5. And you didn't know where to run until 12 hours before. Thats if you own a car. Many people there don't. Even then there were traffic jams hundreds of miles long.
Talked to my friend yesturday, (who also doesn't own a car, one of the reasons I was worried about him.) he and a Bosnian friend of his
borrowed another friend of thiers car, who was on vacation at the time. They figure they did him a favor by, and wont mind them stealing it. As he put it, "it would be an aquarium by now."
They then had to take this Corrola, and four wheel it north, and then east. He said it was like three whole states had the bomb dropped on them. He also said that the attention being given to the looting, and gas prices is ridiculous compared to the REAL problems. Like food, water, and medical personel. That was his opinion, and I think I share that.