Burnt Orange Report

Emails Show Workings Of Gov's Office During Katrina

By Vince Leibowitz

If you haven't read the Houston Chronicle story on how e-mails from Rick Perry's staff show what was 'really' going on during the Katrina disaster, I urge you to do so. It's a real eye-opener.

Given that it's one of the best 'tick-tock' stories I've ever read using internal government documents to track response to a major crisis, I won't dwell on the story or offer my own interpretation. However, I do want to be sure to point out some of the more interesting and entertaining exchanges from the emails the Chron used as the basis of the story. Here are a few, sans any commentary from me:

Texas would have to start diverting evacuees to Dallas and San Antonio and smaller cities throughout the state and consider a statewide cap, perhaps 100,000, McCraw advised.

"I do not believe we will be able to 'cap' very well," responded Phil Wilson, Perry's deputy chief of staff. "It seems like a very difficult challenge to put a hard and fast number on, though it makes sense."

"We have no choice than to cap," added Deirdre Delisi, Perry's chief of staff. "Otherwise the feds will send more and more. Can we get them to engage other states, like Ark or tenn?"

Despite glowing TV reports that juxtaposed the war-zone scene at the New Orleans Superdome with the clean, organized haven of the Astrodome, security quickly deteriorated at the Dome, messages show.

Perry's office received reports of fights, thefts, car vandalism, an assault and confiscations of handguns, knives and a bayonet.

"Houston PD has confiscated enough alcohol to fill two 55 gallon drums and a small amount of narcotics," said e-mail from the Texas Department of Safety's Criminal Intelligence Service.

A message to McCraw noted that Houston police had asked the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to send 32 enforcement officers because "the situation is growing out of control."

"Apparently tensions are high because alcohol and weapons were taken away from the evacuees," Delisi wrote Sept. 1. "Don't ask me how they got alcohol."

Officials also worried they were sheltering pedophiles and gang members alongside women and children, McCraw said.

The crowd became so unruly the first day that the Red Cross advised officials with the Texas Education Agency not to visit because law enforcement couldn't guarantee their safety.

"I have real concern developing about lawlessness breaking out in Texas as a result of our generosity," Walt wrote. "We need to make certain we do not exceed our ability to provide necessities for those we are agreeing to take. What's the plan for those who see the Astrodome as their rightful home for the next 90 days? What's the plan for handling increase in prison/jail population?"

DeLay apparently shared that concern.

On Sept. 2, Wilson wrote McCraw and Perry staff that someone with the Sugar Land Republican's office called, wanting to know whether Perry planned to call the National Guard to "protect Houston" from what was happening in New Orleans.

Houston had direct access to as many state troopers as needed, McCraw responded. The Guard, understaffed after deployments to Louisiana and overseas, would be deployed only if necessary, he added.

"Houston or any other city in Texas will not turn into a (New Orleans). Thanks," McCraw wrote.

"DeLay's office called again," Wilson wrote 18 minutes later. This time, DeLay's staff said the city of Houston was asking for the Guard to patrol the perimeter of Reliant Park and the George R. Brown Convention Center and to provide logistics support.

The Guard would take too long, McCraw responded. He had requested 360 troopers instead.

A couple of hours later, Wilson wrote, "DeLay's staff called again and DeLay was standing right there. He REALLY wants to talk to the gov-especially about the national guard."

An hour later, McCraw was writing Perry's office for permission to activate 1,000 members of the Army National Guard to support evacuation and shelter operations throughout the state.

Perceived breakdown

As busloads of evacuees waited outside the brimming Astrodome, Perry staffers grew so concerned about a perceived breakdown of leadership among Houston politicians and law enforcement that officials proposed either a stern talking-to by Perry or a state takeover of the Houston operation, according to a Walt e-mail message.

"Steve McCraw advises big problems with leadership at the local level in Houston," Walt wrote to other Perry staff. "Decades of infighting between city and county, sheriff's office and police office have resulted in a total breakdown of leadership."

Walt listed options.

The first: "Take over by sending someone to Houston and letting Harris county and Houston officials know the state is in charge," she wrote. "Obvious political ramifications if we do that."

The second was for Perry to call Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, Mayor Bill White, Sheriff Tommy Thomas and Police Chief Harold Hurtt and "tell them the bickering has to stop," Walt wrote.

Neither option was ever used because Houston-area officials settled their differences among themselves, McCraw said. Although the e-mail credits him with the idea for the takeover, McCraw said someone else recommended it.

"At no time did I think the state should go in and take over," he said. "We were in fact very proud of what they were able to do there in Houston."

...

The next day, it was Dallas' handling of the shelter efforts there that drew criticism from Perry's staff.

A Sept. 3 story in the Dallas Morning News about the city's struggle to find room for evacuees infuriated Perry's staff.

Outspoken Dallas Mayor Laura Miller was quoted as saying Perry had done nothing to help, besides showing up for a photo opportunity.

"This story is unbelievable," Walt wrote staff. "so much whining and nay-saying."

"In my opinion, the story makes them look like (expletive)," Delisi responded. "For cities as wealthy as those in the metroplex, the kind of rhetoric is underwhelming."

A tiff with Miller appeared to be resolved in e-mail McCraw sent just after noon.

"I called Laura Miller and we had a long talk and I was able to figure her real source of anger and we concluded on cordial terms," McCraw wrote. "She promised to be supportive at the next conference."

But late that night, Miller, a Democrat in a nonpartisan post, was quoted in another Morning News story reiterating her complaints about evacuee overload in Dallas.

"My advice to laura miller: stop talking to the press. She's making herslef look terrible," Delisi wrote.

"Any faint hope she may have been clinging to for a statewide run is now gone," deputy press secretary Robert Black wrote. "The moment came to be a leader and she met it with a whine and a complaint."

"That is almost poetic," Delisi responded.

Posted by Vince Leibowitz at January 22, 2006 05:45 PM | TrackBack