NEW ORLEANS NURSING HOME OWNERS ACQUITTED

NEW ORLEANS

The owners of St. Rita's nursing home was acquitted in the deaths of 35 residents that drowned during the flood caused when the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina. The residents that did survive were laying on plastic covered mattresses, which allowed those mattresses to float.

The Manganos, who claimed that they stayed with the residents and did all they could to save them, blame LA Governor Blanco for ordering an evacuation of New Orleans. I agree that both Blanco and Mayor Nagin should share in the responsibility for those deaths. The National Weather Service had warned that New Orleans was going to be hit by Hurrican Katrina. Washington had even called Blanco, wanting her to call out the National Guard. Her and N.O. Mayor Nagin thought they could just call for help and it would arrive. In all previous hurricanes to hit the US, the local government and the states Emergency Management System is supposed to kick in and do what they can to protect their citizens. The after the storm, FEMA rolls in to set up temporary shelters and emergency supplies.

Governor Blanco didn't want to call out the National Guard unless she had control of them, not Washington. Mayor Nagin had a parking lot full of school buses he could have commandeered to be used for evacuation. And as for drivers, in an emergency, you don't have to have "bus drivers" to drive a bus. Anyone who can drive a truck should be able to drive a bus. So, no the Manganos weren't directly complicit in the deaths of those resident, they tried their best to save those they could. Those in local government who dropped the ball should be found guilty of those deaths.