For the past week, all the public has heard is the blame-game going on about what happened in New Orleans. We’ve all heard the points and what the other guy did wrong, but I ask what about Major Ray Nagin himself? Well, take a look at what he wrote for the citizens of New Orleans seven months ago:

The safety and well-being of the citizens of New Orleans is my greatest priority. For this reason, our Office of Emergency Preparedness has prepared this Guide to help individuals during times of natural or man-made disaster. The information contained is designed to help everyone deal with these emergencies in an effective and successful manner. Knowledge is power and knowing what to do during an emergency can be lifesaving. [Source]

Ouch, I guess since nearly 10,000 people stayed behind ignoring a mandatory evacuation or the ones that didn’t ignore but just couldn’t get out, there really wasn’t much knowledge happening down their in the party city, huh? I only call it the party city quoting the major himself from a news conference on Tuesday. What strikes me about the majors open letter is that he claims that, “The safety and well-being of the citizens of New Orleans is my greatest priority,” when in fact it took a phone call from President Bush on Saturday evening pressuring Nagin to evacuate the city right then and there. When Nagin did announce New Orleans first mandatory evacuation in history, he neglected to follow his own guidelines:

During the Recommended Phase of Evacuation:

1)The City of New Orleans Emergency Operating Center (EOC) is staffed for 24-hour operation.
2)Local transportation will be mobilized to assist persons who lack transportation.
3)Bus routes and locations of staging areas for those needing transportation to shelters in or out of the Parish, will be announced via radio and television.
4)Relatives and neighbors should help family and friends who need transportation and other assistance.

There’s all this talk about what everyone else didn’t do, all the way up to the highest office, but the guy actually running the town ignored his very own emergency plan. There was no transportation, no 24 hour emergancy staffing, and and no bus routes (though we heard about them!) Heck, they emphasize the plan so much that they double printed the instructions!

So, why doesn’t Nagin step up to the plate and just admit his responsibility? I’m not saying others where not at fault but I am saying that New Orleans is HIS city and thus the pre-hurricane preparation was HIS responsibility. Because of his poor implementation and choice to ignore his own plan, his city was left with a floating morgue that could have been minimized if not completely prevented.

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