No, the local authorities didn't have to ask the Feds to come in

[nancylebov]

http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001784.html

National Response Plan

Guiding principles for proactive Federal response include the following:

■ The primary mission is to save lives; protect critical infrastructure, property, and the environment; contain the event; and preserve national security.

■ Standard procedures regarding requests for assistance may be expedited or, under extreme circumstances, suspended in the immediate aftermath of an event of catastrophic magnitude.

■ Identified Federal response resources will deploy and begin necessary operations as required to commence life-safety activities.

■ Notification and full coordination with States will occur, but the coordination process must not delay or impede the rapid deployment and use of critical resources. States are urged to notify and coordinate with local governments regarding a proactive Federal response.

■ State and local governments are encouraged to conduct collaborative planning with the Federal Government as a part of "steady-state" preparedness for catastrophic incidents.

Link from Kip Williams in rec.arts.sf.fandom

Comments

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

I got it from Making Light.

[(Anonymous)]

...and they did all that.

You want National Guard sent in? Talk to the states, it's *still* not something the Feds can do.

You want the Red Cross in New Orleans? Talk to the Louisiana disaster response agency, since they were the ones who decided that they didn't want the Red Cross in there (and the Guard is following their direction in this).

You want *anything* from the Feds in New Orleans? Ask the Governor of Louisiana, since it's still her job to decide. Governor Blanco has *still* not relinquished control over the state. Attempting to interpret the PR description above as a law does not remove that.

For a counter-argument, note that there's Federal help all over the state of Mississippi, and if the Feds were falling down on the job, they wouldn't be there...

Nancy, why don't you bar anonymous posting

[mouseworks.livejournal.com]

This is all stuff that is getting batted back and forth, with everyone pointing to this state or federal website. My impression is that what we saw was quick response to state with Republicans in charge and not to states with Democrats in charge. The other impression is that NO suffered until it had sporatic incidents of violence (I saw riot damage in Martinsville and have seen photographs of what various cities looked like in the 60s after riots and NO wasn't getting riots at that level, even though things were getting nasty in places) at which point troops could be sent in to squash the insurgency (Army Times paper).

Interdictor had an interesting story to tell about the 82nd breaking into the building where he's working.