what went wrong

it is absolutely imperative that we empty canals of ships prior to a storm or make damn certain that the ships are properly secured. there is NO excuse for barges or retired navy ships to be playing bumper cars with each other and the levees during storms. they could easily have breached the levees and then we would all be watching in horror as part of new orleans yet again succumbed to horrific flooding. there needs to be a criminal investigation. now!!
the other problem that must be addressed in the future is being flexible enough to alter re-entry plans. i understand trying to keep citizens at bay if conditions are dangerous but when those conditions are only inconveniences, such as the loss of power, then let us come home. it is not the role of the government to treat us as though we are children. we all endured the harsh conditions of post-katrina living and are up to the task of the post-gustav landscape. besides, the sooner we come home, the sooner things get back to normal. many people were financially taxed to the limit by this evacuation and desperately needed to get home. barring them from re-entry does nothing but ensure that they will not leave the next time a storm approaches. when a mandatory evacuation is ordered, the government does not have the authority to force its citizens to leave, how then does it have the authority to bar us from re-entering our homes? nagin, this is not your private kingdom. my property is not your property. step down here and mingle with the rest of us. nagin continued to push for lock down even though members of the city council were in favor of lifting it and allowing people to return. if we desire people to leave in the future then we must allow them to return at the earliest possible time.
chief of police riley needs to step down. he is increasingly isolating himself from criticism, going so far as to call into a radio show and complain that the host of that show was using the storm's aftermath to be political. please! get over yourself. we have problems with crime. we have problems with nopd. these are legitimate concerns as were the checkpoints into the city and if riley cannot handle that level of criticism, then he needs to step down. instead of whining like a child, he should step up and do his job. the woe is me attitude is getting tiring.
over all i am proud of how things were handled but these issues must be addressed before another storm threatens our region. period.