Open letter to Bush from victims of Katrina calls for firing of FEMA officials 


An open letter to President Bush in The Times-Picayune of New Orleans calls for the firing of every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, especially Director Michael Brown. 

The letter says, "Please forgive us if we wait to see proof of your promise [Bush promised, 'What is not working, we're going to make it right.'] before believe you. But we have good reason for our skepticism."

In response to bureaucrats who said they could not gain access to New Orleans to bring aid to the victims, the letter notes that journalists were going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection and a caravan of 13 tractor trailers from Wal-Mart were heading into town to bring food, water and supplies.

The letter says that it should have been clear to the government that the Superdome was not suitable as a long-term shelter for tens of thousands of people and asks, "So why weren't they evacuated out of the city immediately?"

FEMA Director Brown said on national TV that his agency had not known until Thursday that thousands of victims were stranded at the Convention Center. Then on Friday morning he said, "We've provided food to the people at the Convention Center so that they've gotten at least one, if not two meals, every single day." The letter responds, "Lies don't get more bald-faced than that, Mr. President." 

Posted: Monday - September 05, 2005 at 10:53 PM          

©