Bush declares emergency for inauguration

[Grinchie]

Source: MSNBC.COM

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush on Tuesday declared an emergency in the District of Columbia that will let the nation's capital tap deeper into federal coffers for Barack Obama's inauguration.

Bush said that an emergency exists and ordered federal aid to supplement the $15 million in federal funds already appropriated for the event.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty requested the emergency declaration on Jan. 7 because he decided that the crowds expected for the nation's 56th presidential inauguration would exceed the city's ability to protect the public.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28650363/

---

I'm sure we all feel safer now.

[Uben]

1. I bet the plan is.........

..... to use that $15 million by taking the 10,000 republicans that were going to attend the inauguration to a $1500/plate fundraiser dinner for Bush's library. That would reduce the number of attendees to the inauguration by 100,000!

Hey, that's how them bastiches think! Can't turn your back on em a second!

[Zywiec]

2. Maybe you would be safer now if you were going to DC

The mayor of DC, not Bush, needed the emergency declaration to get some additional funds for the inauguration. The White House approved. That's it.

What sinister plot or episode of incompetence did I miss?

[Grinchie]

20. Sure thing, believe everything written

And take it at face value.

It's a sad day, when an area is declared an emergency for 15 million in funds for the citizenry, while 700 billion dollars is fed to the Military industrial complex. I guess the Military cannot do more than one job at once.

Do you know exactly what powers plice have in an Area that is Officially declared as an emergency? People have been shot trying to get back to save their homes, so no, I don't think this is appropriate.

[DUlover2909]

3. Geezus, $15 million? The dollar ain't worth what it used to be.

How many Fererris is that? Man, I can remember in my youth when $15 million meant something, like an aircraft carrier, or a stealth bomber, or huge amounts of food for the poor.

[No Elephants]

18. He is supplementing the $15 million because the $15 million is not enough.

[FreepFryer]

4. HAHAHAHA! Yes, I can see how he'd see it that way. Loser. (n/t)

[minnesota_liberal]

5. Another Bush Failure

When campaiging for reelection in Cedar Rapids (IA) on July 20, 2004, Bush-the-Lesser promised, "Four more years and America will be safe and the world will be at peace."

How is it possible that America isn't safe enough to hold a little inauguration party?

And about that world peace thing...

[TygrBright]

6. Thereby invoking the Law of Unintended Consequences...

My darling esposo and I are in DC doing a consult for a District-run rehab facility. Prior to the Chimperor pushing the panic button, they had done a clear, reasonably well-designed plan for maintaining minimum staffing and getting the minimum staff to/from work over a three-day period when they estimated there might be problems.

HOWEVER...

As the rehab facility appears in the "Health Department" section of the DC government org chart (albeit several layers and branches from the top/center...) technically all of the staff fall under the category of "essential personnel."

"Essential personnel" means that, in the event of an EMERGENCY, Chimpy... they are expected to fully staff the facility and all staff must remain on standby, etc.

Prior to numbnuts deciding this was a great idea, many/most of the staff not holding down the fort had either decided to stay home altogether or attend events/parties/concerts/etc. in their own neighborhoods. Now several dozen MORE people are going to be trying to get back and forth in extremely sub-optimal travel conditions.

Multiply this by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of District and Federal employees who fall under the "essential personnel" designation. Most of whom work for agencies or departments that had ALREADY planned for adequate function and various emergency contingencies with a focus on the kind of congestion expected here. Plans that are now hosed. They have four days to re-plan everything.

In the District.

Among Feds.

Yeah, that's gonna work.

Thanks, Chimpy.

irritatedly,
Bright

[seafan]

7. Makes it easier to *declare martial law* and bring in the shock troops.

Bush declares emergency for inauguration, January 14, 2009

....because of fears over crowd size.



A stark reminder:

National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, May 9, 2007


NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51

HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/HSPD-20

Subject: National Continuity Policy


Purpose

(1) This directive establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. This policy establishes "National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency.

Definitions

(2) In this directive:

(a) "Category" refers to the categories of executive departments and agencies listed in Annex A to this directive;

(b) "Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions;

(c) "Continuity of Government," or "COG," means a coordinated effort within the Federal Government's executive branch to ensure that National Essential Functions continue to be performed during a Catastrophic Emergency;

(d) "Continuity of Operations," or "COOP," means an effort within individual executive departments and agencies to ensure that Primary Mission-Essential Functions continue to be performed during a wide range of emergencies, including localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attack-related emergencies;

(e) "Enduring Constitutional Government," or "ECG," means a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government, coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers among the branches, to preserve the constitutional framework under which the Nation is governed and the capability of all three branches of government to execute constitutional responsibilities and provide for orderly succession, appropriate transition of leadership, and interoperability and support of the National Essential Functions during a catastrophic emergency;

(f) "Executive Departments and Agencies" means the executive departments enumerated in 5 U.S.C. 101, independent establishments as defined by 5 U.S.C. 104(1), Government corporations as defined by 5 U.S.C. 103(1), and the United States Postal Service;

(g) "Government Functions" means the collective functions of the heads of executive departments and agencies as defined by statute, regulation, presidential direction, or other legal authority, and the functions of the legislative and judicial branches;

(h) "National Essential Functions," or "NEFs," means that subset of Government Functions that are necessary to lead and sustain the Nation during a catastrophic emergency and that, therefore, must be supported through COOP and COG capabilities; and

(i) "Primary Mission Essential Functions," or "PMEFs," means those Government Functions that must be performed in order to support or implement the performance of NEFs before, during, and in the aftermath of an emergency.

Policy

(3) It is the policy of the United States to maintain a comprehensive and effective continuity capability composed of Continuity of Operations and Continuity of Government programs in order to ensure the preservation of our form of government under the Constitution and the continuing performance of National Essential Functions under all conditions.

.....

(MORE)

ENDGAME, February 14, 2008







He still has 6 more days.

[Doctor_J]

9. I might buy this IF he still wanted to be president

As joyously as we are counting the minutes until he slithers into history, Smirky is even more ecstatic to be done.

[seafan]

11. I wonder about Cheney, if for some reason, he takes over before next Tuesday.

I agree that Bush has checked out (in the 1970's).

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Anybody here in DC during 2004 Bush Inaugeration?

1. Did they dhut down all public bathrooms so Rethugs could not pee?
2. Was an "emergency" declared?
3. How many people packed the area in 2004?

Anybody know?

[Doctor_J]

10. Here's a photo

?v=0

Looks like crowd control was not a problem, and these people probably don't know what a toilet is anyway

Dunno why the pic isn't showing up

[Tyler Generation]

12. The picture is showing up

It's just hard to see all those white people on this white background, lol.

[Myrina]

13. Considering the weather and the crowds anticipated ....

... I think this is actually a decent thing for Dimson to do.

"Crowd protection" means more than jackboots with billy clubs.
It means port-a-potties, first aid teams, ambulances, warming sites, extra officers to be on the lookout for people in distress because of the weather, etc etc.

[Dorian Gray]

22. Exactly

I don't get the criticism in this thread. He's helping out the city for Obama's inauguration, knowing it's going to be hopping with people. The extra security is necessary, and he's doing the right thing by the people who will be there. (I think that's the first time I've ever uttered those words about Bush.)

[Algorem]

14. and that's just the sniper budget

[davsand]

15. Have they ever done this before when huge crowds are expected in DC?

Maybe I'm just not paranoid enough, but it makes sense to me that if you are gonna have a huge number of people concentrated in one area for an event (like this inauguration) that you'd want extra precautions taken to provide for public safety. Remember, this is not only gonna mean a need for extra "man hours" in law enforcement, but also fire protection, EMS, and even local trauma centers. Those folks don't work for free and the municipalities probably NEED funds to pay that over time.

Dubya is an ass, no doubt about it. Having SAID that, however, in this particular case I think his action is warranted. Imagine how much (justifiable) outrage there would be if anything bad ever did happen and they had NOT stepped up security...


:shrug:



Laura

[Mojorabbit]

16. yes

I have a family member who is working the medical side of this in the military. She is holding her breath. With that many people just the normal minor accidents, heart attacks, medical problems that show up will overwhelm the ER's there. That is not counting some yahoo who may decide to start trouble.
Doing medevac will be overwhelming just for the regular stuff due to the crowds.

[davsand]

17. I can't even imagine how they will manage it.

When there is no room to walk how could the First Responders ever even GET there, let alone transport somebody that was down? The scope of it just boggles my mind, if you want the truth. The need for hospital facilities has got to be way beyond anything the hospitals usually deal with--in spite of being in a metro area.

My hat is off to your sister and everyone else on duty for this. They are unsung heroes and very few people stop to think about it, let alone offer comment.


Laura

[Grinchie]

21. Do the math.. We are now running a 1.7 trillion dollar deficit

Due to incredibly generous spending of borrowed money on security and defense.

Is this not an ongoing event that happens every 4 years or so?

With all the money that's supposedly been spent in the name of security, and the fact that this event is actually pretty common in the scheme of things, one has to ponder what thought process the "Decider" came up with to do this.

Sure sure, the Mayor asked for it.. But nobody is asking why the Mayor is in shortfall? It's not like they don't have tons of Secret Service, Police and other security crawling all over that town to protect Chimpy, Cheney and the rest of the Fascists from a pissed off citizenry.

Another sad that they needed the money for Porta potties.. Isn't this like the Capitol where they have Museums and Monuments all over the place extolling the virtues of living in the land of the free? Where do these people take a dump? In the pond in front of the mall?

I don't buy it.

[No Elephants]

19. Supplementing, with tax dollars, the first $15 million of tax dollars. Because

the public is not safe. And people say this is a private event.

[Lagomorph]

23. It is mostly a private event.

It's running over $150 million for the entire event, most of it paid for by donations from the private sector and Obama supporters.

The $15 million is just what the government is spending for government services to support it.