Women bus drivers too afraid to drive in New Orleans

New Orleans Police looting Walmart

Highlights from the NY Times investigation of New Orleans:

1. Women bus drivers in New Orleans refused to drive the buses because they were afraid, according to Louisiana Governor Blanco. This left the state scrambling to find qualified replacement drivers.
2. As the New Orleans violence started, local parishes afraid for their buses, resisted turning them over for the evacuations.
3. Seventy percent of the nursing homes ignored mandatory evacuation orders dispite laws requiring evacuation plans including private contracts for buses.
4. Two thirds of the 24,000 people in the Superdome were women, children or elderly. Security consisted of 90 New Orlean policemen and 300 Lousiana Natl Guard troops.
5. (NOTE: These activities may not have occurred. It's unclear.] Gang rape, murder, robbery and assaults were carried out by armed gangs of 15 to 25 men without resistance from security or evacuees. If these thugs were caught by the police they were simply moved to another hall and with the hope "they would not find their way back".
6. Governor Blanco admits she didn't always know exactly what to request and that she didn't even know how the supply chain works.
7. Pentagon, White House and Justice officials debated for two days whether the President should seize control of the relief mission from Governor Blanco. However they were concerned about using combat forces in an American city without the governors consent. Defense Secretary Rumsfield said "the way it's arranged under our constitution, state and local officials are the first responders."
8. Firefighters from across the nation were forced to undergo community relations and sexual harrassment training in Atlanta before going to devastated areas.
9. New Orleans had used $18 million in federal funding since 2002 to stage exercises, train for emergencies and build relay towers to improve emergency communications. After years of delay, a new $16 million command center was to be completed by 2007.