First, I want everyone to know that the people of New Orleans and Louisiana have my most profound sympathy. You were the victims of others’ incompetence. No, it wasn’t the evil President Bush or the slow-moving federal government response. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of your New Orleans mayor and your Louisiana governor.

Yes, the federal government (FEMA) was slow to respond, but where the blame truly lies is on the first responders, of which FEMA is not, and the poor planning by the state of Louisiana.

Why do I say this? First, let’s compare Hurricane Katrina to the 9/11 attack. Even though the 9/11 tragedy was totally unexpected, remember how the firefighters, police and all other emergency departments reacted quickly and effectively? Their swift actions and heroism saved countless lives.

Now look at the first responders of New Orleans. What did the mayor and governor do, even though they had days (actually decades) to prepare for the hurricane’s impact? They did absolutely nothing. Where were the bus drivers to assist in the evacuation of New Orleans citizens? Remember the 500-plus buses partially submerged? Where were the police and other emergency personnel? There was no plan, and as a result, many lives were inexcusably lost.

First of all, the mayor didn’t even have a plan for response, and he was the one responsible for having one. There is an evacuation order in the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that simply says the mayor is in charge of everything.

Secondly, the governor could have easily called up the National Guard much sooner to protect people’s abandoned property from looters and to prevent other criminal acts. These actions, or rather lack thereof, are indefensible. It’s just easier to blame President Bush, even though he and his administration had zero responsibility.

Not to be overlooked — what about an article in a December 1995 issue of The New Orleans Times-Picayune? It states that the New Orleans Levee Board received federal dollars to protect the region from hurricanes. At this time the board promised the newspaper that the few manageable gaps in the walls would be completely sealed by 1999.

CSNnews.com senior staff writer Jeff Johnson stated that in 1998, Louisiana had a $2 billion construction budget, and less than one-tenth of 1 percent was dedicated to levee improvements in the New Orleans area. As Johnson stated, "They got the federal money and didn’t spend it on what it was supposed to be for."

Here is a novel idea. Since the city of New Orleans had 35 to 50 or more years to prepare for this inevitable tragedy, why didn’t it create the necessary programs and funding to provide security for their constituents?

This includes development of a long-term plan of levee re-enforcement, using state funds to pay for the cost. I know. What a cold-hearted (though many would say practical) thought. But please tell me why I have to pay for someone else’s lack of action. Why is the federal government blamed for the inaction and lack of leadership in Louisiana? It is their state, their responsibility, their cost, and only theirs.

I feel the same way about other costs. I don’t want to pay for someone’s choice of building on a flood plain, on an earthquake fault line, in a tornado alley or in a city that is below sea level. The states should bear the responsibility for building the reserves to cover such catastrophes, and those funds should come from the state’s citizens.

How were they supposed to do this? Anybody hear of state income taxes and state sales taxes? Louisiana has ridiculously low rates in both areas of taxation compared to other states. It has a three-tier income tax structure with the top rate being 6 percent. Its sales tax is 3.97 percent with an additional .03 percent "Louisiana Tourism Promotion District Sales Tax."

How about a 1 or 2 percent "Let’s Include in Our Own Budget The Costs To Protect Our Citizens" tax? This additional tax, collected over 35 or 50 years, would have allowed the entire state to be enclosed in one gigantic dome, to say nothing of strengthening a levee or two. Hey, this could also work for repaying the federal government for funds advanced to Louisiana.

The federal government cannot be a do- all, end-all solution for everyone. Now, the federal government (that’s all of us) is absorbing untold billions of dollars of hurricane relief, and then Bush gets blamed again. What happened to our Founding Fathers’ idea of a weak federal government and strong state powers?

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Tom Sears is a professor of accounting at Hartwick College in Oneonta and serves on the Unatego Central School Board of Education. He can be reached at SearsT@hartwick.edu. His column appears every other week.