Mayor, Governor at Odds Over Evacuation

FOXNews reports Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco seemed at odds with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Wednesday, hours after the mayor ordered the mandatory evacuation of the crippled Crescent City by force if necessary. As floodwaters caused by Hurricane Katrina began to slowly recede with the ruined city's first pumps returning to operation, Nagin late Tuesday authorized law enforcement officers to force the evacuation of the estimated 10,000 residents who refuse to heed orders to leave. But in a Wednesday interview with FOX News, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she had not signed off on the decision.

"The mayor certainly has ordered that but the governor, and that would be me, would have to enforce it or implement it.

If the Governor decides not to have forced evacuations, will she order the National Guard, that report to her, to arrest the police, that report to the Mayor?

This assumes the Governor can decide anything. She certainly prevented federal aid from coming in for several days because she insisted on being the sole one in charge, even though both the state and local disaster plans had not been followed.

We are trying to determine whether there is an absolute justification for that," she told FOX News. "I think the most important thing driving that decision would be the possibility of disease. If indeed the disease problem is evident, is inevitable, we'll have to move to the next stage," she said. And developments suggest that "next stage" may come soon. Floodwaters in New Orleans contain bacteria associated with sewage that are at least 10 times higher than acceptable safety levels, making direct contact by rescue workers and remaining residents dangerous, the first government tests confirmed Wednesday.

Marc @USSNeverdock blogged While rescue operations are still underway and while the left continues to try and put blame, any blame, on President Bush, The governor and the mayor are still feuding over how to handle the situation. Unbelievable.

John Hawkins blogged Mayor, Governor at Odds Over Evacuation

TheAnchoress blogged I’m sorry but this lady’s indecisiveness is very alarming. After reading this, I don’t want to hear another freaking word about how tardy the feds were. They could have done better? Sure, fine - they could have done better - everything could have been better! But this woman is in the thick of it - she is in charge, as she has been from the start - as she clearly WANTS to be. Yet she’s still trying to figure out the basic, common sense stuff. And she still won’t let the feds take this enormous - clearly too large for her - duty off her back!