Pic Of The Moment: George W. Bush Returns To New Orleans

[EarlG]

Bush Returns to New Orleans for 10th Anniversary of Katrina

Follow @demunderground

[azureblue]

1. eff you Bush - it was you who caused the flooding

February 2001
Bush’s first budget proposed more than half a billion dollars worth of cuts to the Army Corps of Engineers for the 2002 fiscal year. Bush proposed half of what his own officials said was necessary for the critical Southeast Louisiana Flood Control Project (SELA)—a project started after a 1995 rainstorm flooded 25,000 homes and caused a half billion dollars in damage.

Bush did this to offset the tax break he gave to the top 1% of rich Americans. The first major economic initiative pursued by the president was a massive tax cut for the rich, enacted in June of 2001. Bush signed his massive $1.3 trillion income tax cut into law-a tax cut that severely depleted the government of revenues it needed to address critical priorities.

February 2002
Bush provided just $5 million for maintaining and upgrading critical hurricane protection levees in New Orleans—one fifth of what government experts and Republican elected officials in Louisiana told the administration was needed. Bush knew SELA needed $80 million to keep working, but the he only proposed providing a quarter of that.

February 2004
The SELA project sought $100 million to repair the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain levees, but Bush offered only $16.5 million. The Army Corps of Engineers asked for $27 million to pay for hurricane protection upgrades around Lake Pontchartrain—but the White House cut that to $3.9 million. Gaps in levees around Lake Pontchartrain & the Industrial Canal, which were supposed to be filled by 2004, were not filled because of budget shortfalls. Repair work on the levees, including the ones that failed, was stopped due to lack of funds.

June 8, 2004
Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; told the Times-Picayune: "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can't be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us."
Also that June, with the 2004 hurricane season starting, the Corps' project manager Al Naomi went before a local agency, the East Jefferson Levee Authority, and essentially begged for $2 million for urgent work that Washington was now unable to pay for.

From the June 18, 2004 Times-Picayune:
"The system is in great shape, but the levees are sinking. Everything is sinking, and if we don't get the money fast enough to raise them, then we can't stay ahead of the settlement," he said. "The problem that we have isn't that the levee is low, but that the federal funds have dried up so that we can't raise them."
The panel authorized that money, and on July 1, 2004, it had to pony up another $250,000 when it learned that stretches of the levee in Metairie had sunk by four feet. The agency had to pay for the work with higher property taxes. The levee board noted in October 2004 that the feds were also now not paying for a hoped-for $15 million project to better shore up the banks of Lake Pontchartrain.

[tclambert]

8. "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."

Bush and his people said some version of that for every disaster they caused. Hell, our local weatherman did a demonstration with a bowl and a basin of water of what might happen to New Orleans when Katrina hit. Max Mayfield, head of the National Hurricane Center at the time specifically warned them of the risk.

Hell, I knew it was a possibility days before the hurricane hit, and I'm just a spectator in Michigan who heard "Category 5" and thought, "Oh, shit, New Orleans is in for trouble."

[mountain grammy]

40. Yep, saw the same demo on my local news..

but Bush famously said he didn't watch the news.

[SusanaMontana41]

64. He's an arrogant asshole, isn't he?

So, did he know where to find New Orleans this time, or did someone have to show him?

[tooeyeten]

68. "The Big Uneasy" why levees breached

Harry Shearer made this documentary about levees, engineering, Federal responsibility, a few years ago and is free to watch this week

https://vimeo.com/137159734

Pass it on. Btw Katrina veered from south of New Orleans and directly hit in Mississippi.

[mountain grammy]

20. As long as there were tax cuts for the rich, nothing else matters,

tax cuts for the rich while the poor drown..

[valerief]

39. Right. Making rich people richer is the most important thing in the world.

Everything drives off that. Everything.

[polynomial]

57. The preditor prey economics of Bush Crime Inc.

Bending, corrupting, or twisting history via the modern technology is happening to America by Bush Crime Inc. This tour of Katrina is the perfect storm of the deep embedded corruption cover up this GOP family is classical at.

Azureblue presents a compelling argument in the economic planning that is showing the predator prey style of governance Bush Crime Inc. is natural at since the recorded time of grandfather Prescott Bush as a Nazi conspirator.

Azureblue points out how George held the door open to disaster or what the GOP in common has transformed and morphed into profiteering in bogus news, bogus wars to tap money for personal wealth, torture, with the utmost in crime as the instigators and perpetuators of identity theft exampled massive metadata abuse exposed by Edward Snowden.

Bush Crime Inc. introduced terrorism into Americas’ mainstream media to legislation to the advantage in profit for the few one percent, properties catalyzed by hatred division bias in a continuum of uncertainty.

This family had America’s finest technology resources in several spectrums that ultimately is now questionable because of its dedicated personal planning to profiteering and family fortune building.

More of America is realizing in video especially major news in television or radio broadcasting, even commercials that generate basic revenues that hate radio has now traversed to Hollywood glitzy commercials for population manipulation.

Statistics reveal storm refugees similarly as Iraq refugees did disperse but likely professionals in Iraq took millions to billions as bribe American tax money with them. Unlike the poverty victims of Katrina, Iraq terrorism is now dispersed for a new economic geographic foot print, called terrorism. Yes, billions in free money to perpetuate the new world order of uncertainty.

Bush Crime Inc. does not have to watch the media because they controls it...

[SusanaMontana41]

65. I LOVE that! Thanks for posting it.

Where can I find more analyses?

[BlancheSplanchnik]

67. Not the easiest read, but I liked it.

Good explanations; interesting.

[tooeyeten]

69. Harry Shearer's Big Uneasy documentary on engineering, $$, & who did it

You're possibly familiar with this venture of his explaining what and who failed, when a Katrina direct hit was no longer the culprit, free for viewing this week,

https://vimeo.com/137159734

[azureblue]

2. and it was you who effed up the emergency efforts

George Bush (43) -- August 2005 -- Cat-5 Hurricane Katrina bears down on New Orleans and the Mississippi gulf. Both states are down nearly 8,000 National Guard troops because they are in Iraq -- with most of the rescue gear needed.
Bush is on vacation. The day before Katrina makes landfall, Bush rides his bike for two hours. The day Katrina hits, he goes to John McCain's birthday party, and lies to old people about the multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical company welfare boondoggle.
People are dying, the largest port of entry in the United States (and fifth largest in the World) is under attack. Troops and supplies are desperately needed. The levees are cracking and the emergency 1-1/2 ton sandbags are ready, but there aren't enough helicopters or pilots to set them before the levees fail. The mayor of New Orleans begs for Federal coordination, but there is none, and the sandbagging never gets done. Bush goes to San Diego, to play guitar with a country singer and lie to the military about how Iraq is just exactly like WWII. The levees give way, filling New Orleans with water, sewage, oil and chemicals. Ten percent of all US exports, and 50% of all agricultural exports ordinarily go through this port. It is totally destroyed. Bush decides he'll end his vacation a couple of days early -- BECAUSE HE HAS TICKETS TO A PADRES GAME.
He goes back to the farm in Crawford, with every intention of doing something on WEDNESDAY about this disaster that happened starting last SUNDAY night. He had time for a couple of rounds of golf, too.

[Roy Rolling]

12. That's right

From one who was there, it wasn't even on his radar until the bodies started floating down the streets.

[Bossy Monkey]

3. Shouldn't he be at John McCain's birthday party? n/t

[Jamaal510]

4. Cut him some slack;

prezdintin' was hard work!

[sarge43]

13. For him apparently so is being an empathetic human being. n/t

[azureblue]

5. and your people played politics with the relief efforts

From Blanco's testimony before Congress:

"I requested massive federal assistance in letters to President Bush on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 -- before the storm's landfall," she said in one. "I spoke with President Bush on Sunday (Aug. 28) and Monday (Aug. 29) and told him I needed everything he had. I believed FEMA officials who told me that every federal resource was at my disposal. I believed this meant every single available resource."
Later on in the talking points document, she responds to a hypothetical question about what she did wrong in response to Katrina.
"I believe my biggest mistake was believing FEMA officials who told me that the necessary federal resources would be available in a timely fashion," she said.”

[hibbing]

6. Go Away

Just slither your way back down to your mansion in your gated community and keep trying in vain to paint your soul clean.


Peace

[tclambert]

7. Fiddling while New Orleans drowned.

[Blus4u]

27. Yeah, the jerk is playing a G

Chord on the 4th fret instead of the 3rd fret. It is sounding like shit....and check the guitar's owner expecting the asshole to drop it.

What a colossal asshole!!!

How does he sleep at night?


Sorry - rant over

Peace

[C Moon]

41. HA HA!!!

It would have been nice to have that guitar up in the mix! That would have sounded awful!
It looks like the other guy is trying to help him. At first glance, I thought he was playing with a group.

[47of74]

9. That takes a lot of nerve on his part.

Shrub showing his fucking face in the city after how bad he fucked up the response to Katrina.

[Dont call me Shirley]

10. George the Genocider. How dare you!!!!!

[Roy Rolling]

11. It's the old saying . . .

A criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.

"Heckuva job Brownie"

[Live and Learn]

14. Sick f*ck. Don't know how he has the nerver to ever show his face there.

Maybe he really is clueless.

[rladdi]

15. This guy is so brain dead, he has the nerve to return to NO. His support staff was as bad as he.

And then the criminal politicians of LA and NO. Thinking only of themselves not of the people of the state.

[annabanana]

16. Someone PLEASE tell me he was met with at least *one* pitchfork

or a torch
or a brickbat
or a hammer handle

The media is giving him a 100% pass...

[Fritz Walter]

22. Or even just a shoe?

[Hotler]

17. Hey George, where is your mean, nasty, hateful mom....

and why isn't she walking around with you??????

[lunatica]

18. His popularity numbers just dropped by a many more percentages

I, for one, didn't think my opinion of him could go lower. I was wrong. The thing about numbers is that there's negative ones. That's where he is for me. In the triple digits.

Dubya is an example of someone who can go lower than zero.

[flygal]

19. WTF is this the Onion?

He of all people should stay away right now. How insulting.

[LW1977]

21. I bet there's not a lot of debris lying around anymore.

[trof]

32. Seriously? You'd be wrong

I was in NOLA two weeks ago. Still debris piles in some of the poorer neighborhoods. Places where folks can't afford to clear it and rebuild. There are a lot of abandoned lots. The city will have to deal with this sooner or later.

[LW1977]

62. I was just quoting something duhbya actually said when he was visiting New Orleans after Katrina.

"There's lots od debris lying around"

[trof]

63. Oh. Sorry.

[Angry Dragon]

23. That is progress

it only took him ten years to take an interest in Katrina

[Fritz Walter]

24. NOW, we hear from Brownie that it wasn't his fault

Michael D. Brown (not to be confused with the young man shot dead in Ferguson MO), who had to resign from his job at the Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association, (IAHA) -- was in WAY over his head at FEMA.

And now he tries to tell his side of the story in this article ,which must been ghost written for him.

But the blame was not placed on those responsible. The blame was placed on me—the one person who had no authority to do anything at that point except get out the checkbook and start paying the Department of Defense to evacuate people from that hellhole to a place of safety. And that is exactly what I did.
...
But unfortunately for me, the media still thought I was solely in charge, unaware of the political machinations going on behind the scenes. This was hardly the only time that journalists failed to understand what was really happening in New Orleans. And that was partially my fault. My mishandling of the press during the disaster response was among my greatest mistakes.

What's he doing now? Hosting a radio talk show in Denver CO.

Caution: do not read this unless your stomach is empty -- it could induce

[Blus4u]

28. Oh now I understand...

Boo fuckin' hoo

[d_legendary1]

25. This piece bothers me a lot more than it should

-Partying while the city drowns.

-Waiting a week to send help.

-Ban the media from reporting about the disaster

-The help that arrived came in the form of a private rescue service that got paid based on how bad the situation was (hence the week long standoff).

-Brownie Brown

-The FEMA trailers that were toxic

-The scape goating of Ray Nagin

-The people who lost their lives, homes, and way of life

Why is this guy not in prison?

[BlueStreak]

26. Why isn't "Brownie" there to get the credit he deserves?

[RoccoR5955]

29. I am so ashamed to admit

that this poor excuse for a human being was once our freakin' president.

[Botany]

30. Only because the SCOTUS ruled that counting the vote in FL was illegal and in 2004 ...

.... he cheated in Ohio to win again.

[RoccoR5955]

45. Not just that,

but look at the damage that he has done to the country.

[lonestarnot]

47. 9fucking11, Katrina, economy crash that dirty fucker.

[Botany]

48. w bush going along w/Cheney's war for profit made ISIS and those poor .....

.... people who died in that truck in Austria might have very well been trying to
get away from ISIS in Syria and Iraq. But please look @ Hillary's emails.

[PoliticAverse]

31. Returning to the scene of the incompetence. n/t

[DhhD]

54. Many serial criminals return to the scene of the crime because the criminal mind is one that

believes he can get away with it. It is import for investigators to record or film persons standing around the place of the killing or at any news conferences given.

[Ilsa]

33. Did anyone else notice his voice yesterday

during the interviews? It sounded to me like there was a lot more "sh" phonemes in his speech, even if just barely there. I think his language has become even lazier than before his presidency. Or maybe he has a brain issue (seriously!) going on.

[Fritz Walter]

35. From dry-drunk to full-fledged

He's an alcoholic. One who has apparently "fallen off the wagon."
Which doesn't excuse ANYTHING.
It does however, explain a great many things.

[Surya Gayatri]

59. Or, he's been hitting the bottle...wouldn't be surprised.

I thought he sounded sloshed.

[trof]

34. HE DIDN'T! REALLY? HE DID?

Haysoos Fucking Keeryst on a crutch.
S'cuse me.
I gotta go throw up.

[bucolic_frolic]

36. "HECKUVA JOB, BROWNIE"

is the only thing I remember from Katrina

Though I do remember heading out for gasoline at 5am that Monday, buying
all I could carry, regular was all that was available.

When I asked a bunch of GOP Trolls on Yahoo "Why doesn't George
part the waters?" they became rather incensed.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT UP?" one finally begged.

I just kept asking.

[MarianJack]

42. Another thing I remember is...

..."F**K YOU, CHENEY" from a guy in deep red Mississippi.

PRACE!

[Surya Gayatri]

60. Classic moment--brave citizen, right on live TV.

[tavernier]

37. Pleeeeze go back to your paint by numbers crap

and leave the heroic citizens of this town to remember and mourn and celebrate. You were not a part of it then, and you shouldn't intrude on it now.

[CarrieLynne]

38. 10 years and u still need a hardhat in NO?

This is an old pic right? Lol...cause if not.....just....wow.....

[chapdrum]

43. W is a diluted version of Trump

Just another in a tedious series of poseurs that we are obliged to take seriously.
That these sociopaths receive tens of millions of votes does speak well for our country.

[GoCubsGo]

44. Back to the scene of one of his numerous crimes.

If one ever needed proof that this sack of feces is a sociopath, this is it. Any decent person would be too ashamed to show their face in that town after fucking up the response the way he did. Does he think people have forgotten?

[lonestarnot]

46. Did anyone get him shown out of the back door yet?

I miss John Stewart's heh heh heh.

[SusanCalvin]

49. My god that's disgusting.

Go back to your paintbox, Georgie.

[rpannier]

50. Returns to the scene of the crime

Criminals often do

[Major Hogwash]

51. President Obama is the best President of the United States in the last 50 years!!!

Preceded by the worst President in the entire history of the United States!!

In order to remain positive, I am forced by decorum to talk about President Obama because there is nothing positive to say about President George W. Bush.

[merrily]

52. killer.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

53. I think he should go tour Iraq

And Afghanistan

[DhhD]

55. New Orleans was flooded on Monday morning. Thursday morning, Bush flew over on his

way to the White House. FEMA Aid was sent to the northern fringes of Southern Louisiana on Friday. Saturday, Bush flew into Baton Rouge and thank Brownie. Aid was just getting started to New Orleans.

During the preceding week, people kept asking when will FEMA aid or Army aid get started. Private vehicles loaded up with donated supplies and headed to New Orleans. Bush was and is a disgrace to the citizens of this country.

His speech was made at the same expensive Private School that he visited 10 years ago. Now it has been converted to a Charter school receiving taxpayer money (Louisiana education is completely privatized except in poorer neighborhoods where no extra tuition is available). Charter school limit which students they will accept by adding tuition over the voucher from the state.

I believe that the Bush's mother made a statement about how the poor needed to be done away with; so what GW did was right.

[tooeyeten]

70. Mama Bush

Having seen all the people brought to Astrodome with Red Cross and volunteers, with nothing but a few suitcases, clothes on their backs, how they didn't have much to begin with, "this should work out well for them."

[ejbr]

56. True, Earl

...we couldnt blame him for forgetting which disaster he caused or made worse or ignored.

[bulloney]

58. I'm surprised he didn't wear a codpiece to remind everyone how manly he is.

I'm surprised anybody in NOLA would let that idiot back into their city.

[Surya Gayatri]

61. Here he is in all his mighty masculine magnificence in a hilarious musical

parody of the carrier landing.

[indivisibleman]

66. Bush trying to

salvage his reputation. FAIL.

[sofa king]

71. He's just as effective now as he was then.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

72. Next Step ! Bagdhad !