Whose idea was it to lock refugees in the NO convention center & block the highway

I am seeing that the convention center was locked and checkpoints were created to keep people in New orleans. Whose idea was this and why was it enforced.

Blog by union organizers Larry Bradshaw Lorrie Beth Slonsky, who were trapped in NO: http://www.livejournal.com/users/sfsocialists/3687.html

Muffin, that story was amazing and appalling. How did you find it? I am surprised there hasn’t been more discussion about it here on the boards.

Another doper posted the link, or a link to the same story on another site – can’t recall which.