It Pains Me

It pains me to say this, but I have to wonder, what the hell is the government going in New Orleans. Despite the overwhelming liberal bias of the press on many issues, I am finding it hard to believe that thre is not some significant kernal of truth to the reports of the lack of National Guard presence, the lawlessness, the lack of basic necessities for survivors. I have a large number of questions myself and I have a few suggestions for the next time (and make no mistake, there will be a next time).

If President Bush declared the areas a disaster area BEFORE the hurricane hit, why then FEMA not start staging manpower, material and making plans?
If, as has been reported, everyone and their grandmother in New Orleans knew that if a strong Category 3 hurricane or stronger hit New Orleans a strong possibility of hte levees breaking existed, where were the contingency plans for that?
On a city level, with a city that is completely below sea level, and knowing that a fairly predictable percentage of the city's population, cannot or will not be able to leave, why are no provisions of food and water stored ABOVE sea level for distribution?
On a person by person level, if you know you live in a city that is below sea level, why don't you have a contingency plan and supplies?
Realizing that a flooded city may need more than just boats, whey hasn't the government asked for helicopter assistance from the Canadians, Mexicans, Carribean nations, etc? There are plenty of bases between those countries and New Orleans where the helicopters can fuel up, it is not a problem getting them there?

Some suggestiosn for the future:
When you know where the hurricane is going to hit (and you will), start moving some Navy vessels toward the area. Navy ships do several things very well.

• First, each Navy ship, particularly largers ships and logistic support ships like this one have great big, high capacity desalinators-a way to make hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a day. You will have a water source, even if the ship can't make it to a dock--they have helicopters to move the water around.
• Second, if the ship can get to a pier, the ship can provide some power to an area immediately around the ship.
• Third, ships can carry a lot of people a decent distance in a relatively short period of time. If my maps are accurate--New Orleans to Houston on a ship is about 500 hundred miles. The 1000 mile round trip would take a ship cruising at 20 knots a little over two days to make. Aricraft carriers can move a lot faster--say around 50 knots, making the round trip in just under a day, plus, with no airwing aboard, that hangar deck can carry a couple thousand people.
• Forth, Cruise ships. I have heard that Carnival Cruise Lines have offered up a couple of ships to move people. Take them up on the offer and get them going. Remember a couple of thousand people to a cruise ship, two day round trip to Houston--not bad. Plus, cruise ships have even more desalinators on board.
• Fifth, enlist the Navy's Seabees. This unit made their name during World War II by building airstrips in teh Pacific under enemy fire. Their motto of Can Do is not just a PR ploy, they can do just about anything. Need a airport runway cleared, drop them in with a couple of bulldozers and you have a runway in a couple of hours. Need some roads cleared, same thing. Need shelters built--no one is better at doing is faster than the Seabees. Every Seabee unit within 500 miles of a disaster area should have been alerted, told to pack up and be ready to move. These guys can build and repair bridges and do lots of stuff to help rebuild.

There are so many things that I can think of that can provide immediate help that just don't seem to be part of any planning or response. am I being obtuse?