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September 06, 2005

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Okay, I realize this is a semi-stupid idea, and not one I'd ever expect the "no one tells us what to do" Bush gang to even consider, but...

If the folks who worked FEMA under Clinton had plans for things like this, and their successors don't -- can we issue a call for the predecessors to step in and take over? They can't have forgotten everything they knew in four years. And even if it takes them a while to get back up to speed, won't they be further along than a bunch of people who aren't even thinking about it?

I know; I'm starting to sound like a disgruntled street-mutterer. But that's how far this situation has reduced me. I jus want to try something, anything, that will make things a little better, a little faster.

the predecessor is James lee Witt and he now works for Blanco. Expect LA to organize it.

Sure, why develop a plan for dealing with the bodies.

Most of the plans for collecting and burying bodies probably involve (A) counting them, (B) assembling them together in a central site [that may be accessible to photographers], (C) burials and memorial services -- many, many burials and memorial services.

I think they're hoping the bodies will just sort of go away. We'll see how that pans out for them.

See Froomkin today...

This crisis finds the president looking impotent at best, incompetent at worst. And there is an element of whining to Bush's refusal to shoulder his responsibility -- especially should the press continue to make it clear how intensely he and his top aides are trying to pass the buck.

The men behind Bush's bubble are clearly hoping that their tried and true methods will serve them well yet again and that over time, Bush's reputation will recover.

But with every body removed from the attics of New Orleans over the coming weeks, America will remember the colossal failure of government to protect its people.

Bush failed his challenfge; let's see how thwe press does with theirs, and how they will handle the morbid details of body counts etc.

But with every body removed from the attics of New Orleans over the coming weeks, America will remember the colossal failure of government to protect its people.

Bush failed his challenfge; let's see how thwe press does with theirs, and how they will handle the morbid details of body counts etc.

I so hate this bunch of thugs, hacks, legacies, bagmen and gross incompetents for so many reasons, but one of them is that they have me thinking in terms of conspiracies, like "is it possible they're not doing anything to collect the bodies so that the death toll will seem lower than it really was.

Jesus, what the hell did they think was going to happen? Nobody was going to die? Or not very many people were going to die?

As for this:

Or it's not like there's a limited time to collect the bodies before decomposition or mutilation by vermin and stray or wild animals will make them unrecognizable, thus denying whatever solace the loved ones of the dead may get from at least being able to bury their dead.

Of course, bodies can be identified using dental records, but you have to have some idea of who the body was, more or less, based on location, people who are reported missing, etc. Then you'd have to pull dental records and compare... um, you get the idea.

It's damned near impossible, or at least it would be very, very difficult.

</forensics nerd>

Maybe I'm wrong, though.

although the thought occurs to me, i think not. That's up to the locals to do.

I also think they call it the 'worst nautiral disaster' on purpose... but of ourse it wasn't. Spanish flu killed 975,000 people in 1918-9. But to bring that up would raise preparedness questions they don't wish to and can't answer.

Did you all see this?

IMO, No president, no administration should be allowed to continue if this is true. That should be a new constitutional amendment. If >30,000 Americans die at home for any reason, you must resign, period!

Neil

http://www.t-g.com/story/1116806.html

Funeral director deploys to hurricane region
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
By Clint Confehr



A co-owner of Shelbyville-based Gowen-Smith Chapel has been deployed to Gulfport, Miss., to help with recovery since Hurricane Katrina, and his business partner here has described the grim task there.
"DMort is telling us to expect up to 40,000 bodies," Dan Buckner said, quoting officials with the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team, a volunteer arm of Homeland Security.

Oh my God...

"Amateurs study tactics; professionals study logistics" is sonething to keep in mind here.

A "generic plan" is useless. It's not like you can take a task list, assign jobs, and expect things to start rolling. For plans to be effective, you need specifics -- you need to know available locations, sources of supply, staffing, and methods of getting people and materials from one point to another. You need to evaluate contingencies and have backup plans if problems develop in the primary plan. That's all stuff that CANNOT be done without in-depth local knowledge and forethough.

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