Katrina Anniversary

On the one year anniversary of Katrina, we need to remember the lives of those lost. We also need to remember that Katrina shows that the Bush administration is unable to keep us safe. The failed response and the fact that things got as bad as they did in the days following Katrina showed all of us that 4 years after 9/11, the administration still can’t handle the response to a natural or terrorism disaster.

Katrina also reminds us that poverty is still a major problem in America. President Bush vowed then to learn from Katrina and renew a commitment to fight poverty in America. This is a promise he has either broken, or forgotten.

This was a massive failure of government. Back then, the President told America that there was no way to anticipate that the levees would breach, but the Associated Press reported months ago that he was given a private briefing about how likely it was that they would breach. Even ex-FEMA head Michael Brown warned the President in advance if New Orleans flooded, the Superdome would not have enough capacity or supplies for the survivors and it would be a "catastrophe within a catastrophe."

One year later, the President is on a public relations blitz while little progress has been made. Close to 60 percent of the businesses in New Orleans have still not reopened, a third of the trash has yet to be picked up, and 60 percent of homes still lack electricity.

What a disgrace.