We need to make some changes in the law.
Right now, the federal government can declare a disaster, releasing federal funds and resources to be made available,
but they cannot force a state or municipal government to implement their disaster plans, call up the national guard, or allow relief workers into the affected areas.What is clear from the New Orleans debacle is that these inabilities - the ability of local and state governments to slam the door not only on federal offers of assitance but also on private relief efforts, contributed mightily to the death and suffering in New Orleans.
This is malfeasance of the worst order, and if we're going to call for the Federal Government to be "involved", then we must change the law.
Specifically, the President must have the power, under a declaration of emergency, to override state and local officials when it comes to orders keeping both NGO organizations (e.g. the Red Cross) and the federal government out of a given disaster area.
I know that this will alarm many. It alarms
me, to a significant degree.
However, this is the essence of the choice here - we must elect either:
1. To allow state and local governments to effectively have the power to KILL people during times of crisis by refusing access to those who would provide food, water and basic human supplies
OR
2. Allow the federal government to come in and override these decisions, by force if necessary, to insure that both governmental and non-governmental organizations have the right and ability to provide relief.
I'm not sure whether I like solution (2), but its the only way out of the box that we saw formed by New Orleans with hurricane Katrina.
We saw the results of the implementation of policy #1, and it sucked.
Especially if you were black and poor.
