WOW! The President has declared a state of emergency because of a few inches of snow. Wonder if this is a test of his pen? Why do I ask just read a wiki here:
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that announces that the country is in a state of emergency. This means that the government can suspend and/or change some functions of the executive, the legislative and or the judiciary during this period of time. It alerts citizens to change their normal behaviour and orders government agencies to implement emergency plans. A government can declare a state of emergency during a time of natural or man-made disaster, during a period of civil unrest, or following a declaration of war or situation of international/internal armed conflict. Justitium is its equivalent in Roman law. It can also be used as a rationale for suspending rights and freedoms, even if those rights and freedoms are guaranteed under the Constitution. Some countries do not have an embedded Constitution such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Israel. Legislation covers a state of emergency in these countries. Under the protocol of the ICCPR, rights and freedoms may be suspended during a state of emergency, for example, a government can detain citizens and hold them without trial. All rights that can be derogated from are listed in the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights. Some sources argue that non-derogable rights cannot be suspended.[1] However this theory is contested. Emergency law does and can override non-derogatory rights during a state of emergency.[2] Some countries have made it illegal to modify emergency law or the constitution during the emergency, other countries have the freedom to change any legislation or rights based constitutional frameworks, at any time that the legislative chooses to do so. Constitutions are contracts between the individual government and the citizens of that Country. The International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is an international law document signed by states. Therefore the Covenant only applies to states not citizens. However signatories to the Covenant are expected to integrate it into national legislation. The state of emergency (within the ICCPR framework) must be publicly declared and the Secretary-General of the United Nations must be contacted immediately, to declare the reason for the emergency, the date on which the emergency is to start, the derogations that may take place, with the timeframe of the emergency and the date in which the emergency is expected to finish. Although this is common protocol stipulated by the ICCPR often this is not strictly followed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_emergency
Obama declares Georgia in state of emergency, trucks possibly diverted through AthensU.S. President Barack Obama signed a Georgia State of Emergency Declaration Tuesday and semi trucks may be directed through Athens from Atlanta, both as a result of the weather. (PHOTO: © 2014 Randy Schafer, randy.drum.schafer@gmail.com)Posted: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 1:30 pm | Updated: 5:36 pm, Tue Feb 11, 2014. By Nicholas Fouriezos @nick4iezos | The government's reaction to the weather conditions this week can be contrasted drastically to that of the snow storm in the last week of January. President Barack Obama signed a Georgia State of Emergency Declaration Tuesday, which will send relief efforts across the state. This declaration will authorize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency — FEMA — to coordinate efforts, minimize the threat of catastrophe and provide the “appropriate assistance for required safety” in 45 counties including Athens-Clarke County, according to a FEMA news release. Public officials across the state promised changes to safety response plans after a couple of inches of snow catastrophically shut down Atlanta two weeks ago. Here is one of the changes: Send the semis to Athens. Commercial trucks traveling in Atlanta could possibly be re-routed from Interstate 85 to highway US 441, which travels through Athens, as part of the state’s contingency plans for an ice storm which started Tuesday night and is expected to rage through Wednesday. Jeff Montgomery, a public information officer for ACC, said the state had not made the call to start sending trucks through Athens yet, but that it was being reserved as a possibility. “The plan is in place for them to use that route,” Montgomery said. “However, the state would make that decision if it was necessary to close I-285.” In response, the ACC Police Department released three rules for trucks coming through town: - Stay in the right lane at all times on all roadways.
- Use only the outer loop of the GA 10 Loop (Athens Perimeter) to circumvent the core of Athens.
- Do not enter the Perimeter except to make deliveries.
These restrictions are in effect for all trucks, not only those coming from Atlanta. Montgomery said he expects the rules to remain in place at least until Thursday. A Georgia Department of Transportation release at noon Tuesday provided an update to the conditions. “We are starting to get reports of icing on bridges so please slow down, give yourself plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front of you and use lower gears on your vehicle for additional traction,” said Bayne Smith, district engineer for northeast Georgia, in the release. “We ask you to please stay home and not drive unless it is an emergency.” The National Weather Service predicted “catastrophic” ice totals from Tuesday to Thursday, forecasting a third to three quarters an inch of ice on roads from Atlanta eastward along I-85. Gov. Nathan Deal upgraded 43 counties to a state of emergency Tuesday morning after announcing 45 previously. ACC was among yesterday’s announcements. “We’ve included health officials and power companies in our preparations because heavy downfalls of ice can knock out power supply,” Deal said in a release as his administration prepared for the storm this weekend. “I want to make sure we’re reaching out to health care facilities so they can have backup plans in place.” Authorities expect “a significant increase in commercial truck traffic” throughout the area and will also provide message boards at key positions. Montgomery said there had been no reports of heavy ice or major traffic accidents as of 12:45 p.m. Tuesday. The University of Georgia and area schools cancelled class for Tuesday and ACC schools have cancelled classes for Wednesday, keeping most people home. Georgia Power ramped up its presence but only reported two power outages as of press time. President Obama Signs Georgia Emergency DeclarationWASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of Georgia to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from a severe winter storm on February 10, 2014, and continuing. The President's action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Jackson, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, Murray, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield, and Wilkes. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding. W. Michael Moore has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area. FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications. You are receiving this transmission from PR Newswire on behalf of the issuer of the information contained in this email. If you would like to stop receiving information of this nature via email for this issuer, click here for auto-removal. Associated Press News Release CALHOUN, Ga. (AP) -- State transportation officials say that some lanes of Interstate 75 between Chattanooga, Tenn., and Atlanta's northwest suburbs were becoming impassable as snow spreads across north Georgia. Authorities say that some of the iciest conditions were being reported around Calhoun, about 70 miles northwest of Atlanta. The Georgia Department of Transportation reported that some lanes of southbound I-75 were blocked in the Resaca area just north of Calhoun shortly before 7 a.m. Tuesday. Nearby, on the east edge of Calhoun, authorities reported that some northbound lanes of I-75 were blocked. WSB-TV reported that vehicles were using one lane on the interstate to get through the area. News Release: Georgia Department of Transportation TIFTON, Ga. – Eleven plow trucks and 54 employees from southwest Georgia were deployed to Atlanta Monday afternoon to assist with the approaching winter storm. The employees include drivers, managers and mechanics. Atlanta is under a winter storm watch from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Thursday. The forecast calls for snow and freezing rain. The winter weather is not expected to reach as far south as the Tifton area. However, if snow and ice develop in southwest Georgia, the employees of GDOT’s District 4 will be ready with motor graders and spreaders, District Maintenance Engineer Stacy Aultman said. District 4 encompasses the counties of Atkinson, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Grady, Irwin, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth. Approximately 2,130 GDOT maintenance and construction employees are available for active duty across the state. Nearly all GDOT personnel will be on call across affected parts of the state. Statewide, the Department has:
- 705 pieces of available equipment
New equipment, including snowplows, liquid saddlebag tanks for dump trucks, liquid deicer sprayers and a brine maker, are now part of the Department’s arsenal. In addition, several contractors have signed agreements and are ready to assist to address hazardous winter precipitation. Motorists are asked to avoid roadways where icing occurs unless travel is absolutely necessary. Those who must be on the road are reminded of these safety tips:
- Motorists should be mindful of Georgia DOT crews working to clear the snow and ice from interstates and state routes.
- Motorists should not pass a DOT dump truck spreading a mixture of salt/gravel, as gravel may bounce up and could break windshields. Please follow at least 100 feet behind DOT vehicles.
- SLOW DOWN to at least half your normal speed and use a low gear as you drive.
- If you come to a traffic signal that is not working, treat it as a four-way stop.
- Beware of black ice, especially on bridges.
- Watch for fallen trees or power lines.
Associated Press News Release ATLANTA (AP) -- With memories of thousands of vehicles gridlocked for hours on icy metro Atlanta highways fresh in their minds, emergency officials and elected leaders in north Georgia are preparing for another round of winter weather, with the governor declaring a state of emergency. Gov. Nathan Deal says on Twitter that he's declared a weather-related state of emergency for 14 counties. He said in the Monday morning tweets that he'll expand the declaration as necessary. Deal was criticized for his response to the Jan. 28 storm that paralyzed the area, stranding motorists in vehicles overnight. He's scheduled a news conference for noon Monday. The National Weather Service forecasts that rain Monday night will change to snow by Tuesday morning, likely mixing with sleet during the day. Snow is expected from Tuesday night to Thursday morning. Associated Press News Release ATLANTA (AP) -- With another round of winter weather bearing down, Georgia's governor plans to hold a briefing to discuss preparations. At a news conference at noon Monday, Gov. Nathan Deal also plans to provide updated information about when drivers need to be off the roads. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather watch from 7 p.m. Monday through 7 p.m. Tuesday and a winter storm watch from Tuesday evening through Thursday morning for the metro Atlanta area. The weather service says the metro area could see an inch of snow by Tuesday and possibly an additional 1 to 2 inches and some ice by Thursday. Parts of north Georgia could get even heavier snow. Emergency officials throughout the area have been urging residents to prepare their homes and vehicles. http://www.wctv.tv/news/georgianews/headlines/Georgia-Bracing-For-Another-Round-Of-Winter-Weather-244695111.html ============================================== Now what do you think? Should the president have such authority during emergencies?
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