I have been standing back, somewhat bemused, at the poutrage on conservative—and some mainstream—media about Obama golfing while Baton Rouge drowns. There was a good diary yesterday by jerseyjoew titled, “Obama golfing/Louisiana flooding.” Most everyone commenting on that diary gets it, but as I watch social media, the ginned up faux outrage continues.
Aside from the obvious fact Governor John Bel Edwards asked the President to stay away and not come until later, the right wing propaganda machine remained in high gear. As a pilot, as well as a frequent consultant to law enforcement and first responder agencies, perhaps I have a perspective many have not thought much about. I can vouch that some of my Republican friends have not thought about it.
Let’s start with the most obvious, and one I heard a sheriff talking about earlier. Presidential visits suck up needed resources. Resources needed for rescue, getting food and water to people, escorting people back to what is left of their homes so they can see if anything is salvageable, and making sure the south Louisiana wildlife doesn’t snack on humans wading in the water. When that part of the country floods, people are not at the top of the food chain. They are also having to cope with looters, lowlifes who sneak in to see what they can steal from people who have lost everything, or almost everything.
Substantial numbers of those law enforcement officers will be pulled off that kind of duty in order to provide security for the President, at the control of the US Secret Service.
Another issue is the TFR that goes wherever the President goes. TFR stands for Temporary Flight Restrictions. There are different sizes of TFRs for the President, Vice President, presidential candidates and other VIPs. The Secret Service asks (orders) the FAA to issue a NOTAM (Notice to airmen) that a TFR exists where the Presidential airplane goes. Pull out a map of Baton Rouge and locate the airport. Now draw a circle with a radius of about thirty miles around it. When that TFR is in effect, no air traffic moves without the express permission of the Secret Service. Scheduled airlines, flying on a flight plan under positive air traffic control is allowed, but even then they may be ordered to deviate from normal flight paths in order to ensure the security and safety of the President or other VIPs present.
Here is a link to the FAA page with all current NOTAMS, and the reasons for them. Pilots are obligated to be aware. At the time I posted this, I don’t see a Presidential TFR indicated.
That means all general aviation, and even model airplanes. News organizations and law enforcement have discovered the usefulness of camera equipped quadricopter drones for searches, news gathering and surveying damage. All grounded. Nothing flies in the disaster area if it is anywhere near the President. There are a few exceptions to that; one of them being the F-16s which will intercept any potential threat. Air ambulances and law enforcement on an official mission may fly also, but all must be under positive control at all times.
This is an actual air traffic control recording of what happened when a Cessna Cardinal wandered into a Presidential TFR:
x YouTube VideoIn case anyone is interested, there are photos of that actual Cessna Cardinal online here. I don’t know what happened to the pilot, but in most such instances there will be a suspension of pilot privileges for at least a month, possibly more. Fines and mandatory retraining with a flight instructor is usually part of the package. An expensive lesson, when a NOTAM of a TFR pops up due to a Presidential visit on short notice.
However, there is one thing a Presidential visit to a disaster site always does: it brings a swarm of media types looking for news stories. They get in everyone’s way, and some of them have a tendency to sandpaper people’s last nerves with insensitive questions.
In other words, a Presidential visit will more or less bring search, rescue and salvage operations to a halt.
Here is a question for your right wing friends when they profess outrage. Once the President or Vice President shows up, what can they do that will advance the salvage and rescue operations? Fill sandbags? Drive a motorboat? Hand out water bottles to the thirsty?
Presidents give orders to aides and assistants. Those people make stuff happen. It does not matter if the President is taking a nap, playing golf, or holding top secret meetings with Pentagon brass. His (or her) physical presence simply gets in the way and slows the rescue and salvage efforts in the big middle of a crisis.