Presidential response to Gulf Coast tragedy

Lot's of people - public and private - are helping. The helped started even before the hurricane hit! The help has continued.

The problems faced are very difficult. It is a terrible ordeal for all those caught up in it. It doesn't help that the flooding came, unexpectedly, after the hurricane passed or that violent thugs among those seeking shelter seriously hampered assistance efforts. It doesn't help that so many didn't evacuate - whether they could or not - when advised to do so.

It takes time to assess situations, set priorities, mobilize resources, and get things going. It can take days to react at full strength. A lot of things are figured out as you go. No plan can anticipate every need. Every agency - government or private - has that challenge when responding to a disaster.

Why are so many of you so critical about what is or isn't being done? Why do engage in so much blame? Why do you find it necessary to be so critical of our leaders? Do any of you truly believe you could actually do a better job? Do you think if you snapped your figures everything would immediately fall in to place?

Do you really think the President doesn't care about the "babies ... dying in their mother's arms"? Do you think it might hurt a bit to have someone suggest that about you because you couldn't help them fast enough?

Surely those of you who've ever participated in or maybe even actually managed any kind or crisis situation even on a much smaller scale understand how things don't happen as quickly or perfectly as you'd like.

 

Yes. Or at least I can think of several people who could.

The President has the authority, power, and resources to do just that, my friend. He can "move and shake" things into action when action is required. All it takes is a phone call.

That's why you plan for worst case scenarios. The "what if's" and have things ready to fall into place before the crisis happens. It's done that way all the time in health care. It's called disaster planning. There is someone in charge. There is a chain of command and center of command and control. You make several plans based upon possible scenarios and institute the plan A, B, C, D, or whatever that fits the appropriate plan to appropriate need and then execute it.