During Hurricane Katrina or during any hurricane for that matter, local and state governments bare the lions share of the responsibility for coordinating relief efforts, evacuating civilians, opening shelters etc. The federal government’s role is largely advisory, unless state and local officials request additional federal assistance. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, inept local and state officials bickered amongst themselves. Even Mayor Nagin in New Orleans admitted that Louisiana Governor Blanco, dropped the ball and failed to ask for needed assistance in a prompt and timely manner.

The criticism of FEMA and the federal government largely highlights the failure of our educational system as so many people came out of the woodwork to deride Bush for the failed federal response. Had these leftist critics paid closer attention in their government, civics and poli-sci classes they would have realized we live in a de-centralized federalist system, with limited powers invested in the federal government and a number of duties delegated to the states (for the same reason public schools are local, not federal and states issue drivers licenses, not Washington). These critics argue that a centralized federal response was needed. Leftists, for years, have sought to strengthen the power of the federal government, at the expense of the state, and thus the individual. Leftists around the world champion the cause of an overarching forever-dominant centralized government.

Indeed, centralization proponents from every corner of the globe criticized the US government, while ignoring Louisiana’s incompetence during Katrina. In the wake of the current crisis on French streets, we now see how well centralized government performs in a crisis and clearly the answer is: not very well. Jacques Chirac and his centralized government have been about as effective as Nero in 64 AD as Rome burned around him. Indeed, one has to ask where are all the critics now? Where are all the Bush detractors who argued Bush “did nothing” because the people in New Orleans are poor? Should we therefore conclude that Chirac is doing nothing because these people are poor as well? What’s good enough for the goose is good enough for the gander, or in this case…the frog.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/08/D8DOD9487.html