The destruction of New Orleans?

“Im sick of hearing the mayor complain. This fool refused to issue the mandatory evac until the last minute. He's more to blame than anyone else in this situation.”

“While the government response is slow, the public response is picking up fast. I'm in awe of all the things that are happening. As some of you know I work at School of Theology and Archabbey home to 110 monks. Since the hurricane we have sent chaplains to the area, sent monatery contributions to relief organizations, donated a number of caskets from our casket line, taken in more than 20 seminarians from a Louisiana seminary forced to close, and sent hundreds of "Care Notes" a specialty line from our Press operation. They are little booklets many of which are geared toward children on how to cope with disaster and other topics.

In the scope of things its not much, but this kind of relief is pouring in from all over the country. I hope that this continues and we can show that we as people can cope with disaster.”

“I don't think a fraction of the relief effort is being reported.”

“I think you're right HPM. I'm on the state board for the structural engineers assoc and have seen some email traffic where pretty much every SEA in the entire country is getting teams together to go evaluate damage from a safety standpoint when the time comes. I supsect this will come in the next couple of weeks once the humanitarian issue has been mostly solved. Think of the thousands of buildings that may or not be damaged. Someone has to go in and say whether it's safe or not.”

“Bush is in Mobile Al, saying how great the response was. And how there has been zero tolerance to looting!

Jesus is this guy so out of touch or what??? He is not even going to touchdown in or near New Orleans, which we all know is where the problems are!

Do you think the looters are going to fire on his helicopter?”

“Bush is moron.....no need for furthar discussion”

“Actually he just said this morning that the efforts havn't been good enough. Mind you, I hate Bush. But it does sound like he knows - and admits - that its been too little, too late.

http://robots.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/katrina.impact/index.html”

“Another note, I talked with the executive director for a eng. group I'm in yesterday. She said she'd received hundreds of emails and calls this week from all over the country asking what can be done to help. This is in AL, which did take some pretty severe damage, but is no MS or LA. Folks do care.”

“I saw what he said earlier but he just said (after he talked to the big wigs in Mobile) that it was a wonderful response and the American people should be proud.”

“Sounds like somebody just got back from a trip to the woodshed with Uncle Dick.”

“On Anderson Cooper's show on CNN:

COOPER: Does the federal government bear responsibility for what is happening now? Should they apologize for what is happening now?

LANDRIEU: Anderson, there will be plenty of time to discuss all of those issues, about why, and how, and what, and if. … Let me just say a few things. Thank President Clinton and former President Bush for their strong statements of support and comfort today. … I want to thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for their extraordinary efforts.

Anderson, tonight, I don’t know if you’ve heard — maybe you all have announced it — but Congress is going to an unprecedented session to pass a $10 billion supplemental bill tonight to keep FEMA and the Red Cross up and operating.

COOPER: … I haven’t heard that, because, for the last four days, I’ve been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated.

And when they hear politicians slap — you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now. Because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats, because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there’s not enough facilities to take her up.

Do you get the anger that is out here?

LANDRIEU: Anderson, I have the anger inside of me. Most of the homes in my family have been destroyed. Our homes have been destroyed. I understand what you’re saying, and I know all of those details. And the president of the United States knows those details.

COOPER: Well, who are you angry at?

LANDRIEU: I’m not angry at anyone. I’m just expressing that it is so important for everyone in this nation to pull together, for all military assets and all assets to be brought to bear in this situation.

And I have every confidence that this country is as great and as strong as we can be do to that. And that effort is under way.
COOPER: Well, I mean, there are a lot of people here who are kind of ashamed of what is happening in this country right now, what is — ashamed of what is happening in your state, certainly.

And that’s not to blame the people who are there. It’s a desperate situation. But I guess, you know, who can — I mean, no one seems to be taking responsibility.

I mean, I know you say there’s a time and a place for, kind of, you know, looking back, but this seems to be the time and the place. I mean, there are people who want answers, and there are people who want someone to stand up and say, “You know what? We should have done more. Are all the assets being brought to bear?”

LANDRIEU: Anderson, Anderson…

COOPER: I mean, today, for the first time, I’m seeing National Guard troops in this town.

LANDRIEU: Anderson, I know. And I know where you are. And I know what you’re seeing. Believe me, we know it. And we understand, and there will be a time to talk about all of that. Trust me.

I know what the people are suffering. The governor knows. The president knows. The military officials know. And they’re trying to do the very best they can to stabilize the situation.

Senator Vitter, our congressional delegation, all of us understand what is happening. We are doing our very, very best to get the situation under control.

But I want to thank the president. He will be here tomorrow, we think. And the military is sending assets as we speak.

So, please, I understand. You might say I’m a politician, but I grew up in New Orleans. My father was the mayor of that city. I’ve represented that city my whole life, and it’s just not New Orleans. It’s St. Bernard, and St. Tammany, and Plaquemines Parish that have been completely underwater.

Our levee system has failed. We need a lot of help. And the Congress has been wonderful to help us, and we need more help.

Nobody’s perfect, Anderson. Everybody has to stand up here. And I know you understand. So thank you so much for everything you’re doing.

COOPER: Well, I appreciate you joining us on the program tonight. I can only imagine how busy you are. Thank you very much, Senator Landrieu.

LANDRIEU: Thank you, Anderson. Thank you so much. Thank you.

COOPER: And good luck to you and all the people working to solve this problem. Because, at this point, it is very hard to try to figure our how this problem is going to get solved.
last edited: 9/02/05 11:47:13 AM”

“It's hard to get a sense of anger from a helicopter above the city. I mean, they strain their ears to hear and all they hear is wopwopwopwopwopwopwopwop as the chopper's blades turn above their heads.”

“A convoy of trucks with supplies are getting to the convention center.”

“Must be some mistake. Moron Chertoff said they were there yesterday.”

“The Mayor of New Orleans is telling it like it is.

Go to CNN and click on "get off your asses".”

“I wonder who the oligarchs will let us have as el presidente next? Wish they would pick someone who had a clue.”

“President is going to land in NO and speak to some people on the ground!”

“http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/nagin.transcript/index.html

WWL: What can we do here?

NAGIN: Keep talking about it.

WWL: We'll do that. What else can we do?

NAGIN: Organize people to write letters and make calls to their congressmen, to the president, to the governor. Flood their doggone offices with requests to do something. This is ridiculous.

I don't want to see anybody do anymore goddamn press conferences. Put a moratorium on press conferences. Don't do another press conference until the resources are in this city. And then come down to this city and stand with us when there are military trucks and troops that we can't even count.

Don't tell me 40,000 people are coming here. They're not here. It's too doggone late. Now get off your asses and do something, and let's fix the biggest goddamn crisis in the history of this country.”

“How is complaining about Bush helping anything?”

“I am not going to jump on the "its bush's fault" bandwagon.


But let me say this:

I would like him to show some anger. I would like him to show some passion.

I would like him to hit the ground in new orleans and make some #&%!$ happen.

I would like him to find the director of FEMA, grab him by the ankles, tip him upside down and shake a damn response out of him.


Don't get me wrong, I know that the men and women of FEMA are working harder right now than I have ever worked in my life.

But they need to get REAL, TANGIBLE RESOURCES . ..food and water on the ground, in mass quantity. NOW.

They need to get national guard or other troops, in mass quanitity on the ground NOW.

Not in staging area, not at an assembly point. On the F-ing ground (or in the water as it may be) in F-ing New Orleans.

NOW.”

“Thursday, September 1st, 2005
10:46 pm The Real News
The following is the result of an interview I just conducted via cell phone with a New Orleans citizen stranded at the Convention Center. I don't know what you're hearing in the mainstream media or in the press conferences from the city and state officials, but here is the truth:

"Bigfoot" is a bar manager and DJ on Bourbon Street, and is a local personality and icon in the city. He is a lifelong resident of the city, born and raised. He rode out the storm itself in the Iberville Projects because he knew he would be above any flood waters. Here is his story as told to me moments ago. I took notes while he talked and then I asked some questions:


Three days ago, police and national guard troops told citizens to head toward the Crescent City Connection Bridge to await transportation out of the area. The citizens trekked over to the Convention Center and waited for the buses which they were told would take them to Houston or Alabama or somewhere else, out of this area.

It's been 3 days, and the buses have yet to appear.

Although obviously he has no exact count, he estimates more than 10,000 people are packed into and around and outside the convention center still waiting for the buses. They had no food, no water, and no medicine for the last three days, until today, when the National Guard drove over the bridge above them, and tossed out supplies over the side crashing down to the ground below. Much of the supplies were destroyed from the drop. Many people tried to catch the supplies to protect them before they hit the ground. Some offered to walk all the way around up the bridge and bring the supplies down, but any attempt to approach the police or national guard resulted in weapons being aimed at them.

There are many infants and elderly people among them, as well as many people who were injured jumping out of windows to escape flood water and the like -- all of them in dire straights.

Any attempt to flag down police results in being told to get away at gunpoint. Hour after hour they watch buses pass by filled with people from other areas. Tensions are very high, and there has been at least one murder and several fights. 8 or 9 dead people have been stored in a freezer in the area, and 2 of these dead people are kids.

The people are so desperate that they're doing anything they can think of to impress the authorities enough to bring some buses. These things include standing in single file lines with the eldery in front, women and children next; sweeping up the area and cleaning the windows and anything else that would show the people are not barbarians.

The buses never stop.

Before the supplies were pitched off the bridge today, people had to break into buildings in the area to try to find food and water for their families. There was not enough. This spurred many families to break into cars to try to escape the city. There was no police response to the auto thefts until the mob reached the rich area -- Saulet Condos -- once they tried to get cars from there... well then the whole swat teams began showing up with rifles pointed. Snipers got on the roof and told people to get back.

He reports that the conditions are horrendous. Heat, mosquitoes and utter misery. The smell, he says, is "horrific."

He says it's the slowest mandatory evacuation ever, and he wants to know why they were told to go to the Convention Center area in the first place; furthermore, he reports that many of them with cell phones have contacts willing to come rescue them, but people are not being allowed through to pick them up.”

“And Bush needs to get that response from HIS people NOW.

He nees the director of FEMA to get it done NOW.

He (Bush)needs to demonstrate in REAL ways that #&%!$ is hapening. Not GOING to happen. IS happening.

He is the commander. He better step up.”

“Lee, around here, it's all in the hands of the people, not government officials. Many people are bringing in all kinds of supplies to depot points around town; stores, firemen, etc. are organizing convoys heading west into Mississippi and Louisiana. You can't buy bottled water around here because it's all been bought up to be donated. Same for gatoraid, ready to eat foods, formula, things like that.”

“if i was going to bash bush . .. which I said I wouldn't . .


I would echo something from the last paragraph or so of your caut and paste.


If the folks trapped this way were rich white voters . . ..they would have gotten a better response.


There wouldn't be excuses . .. there would be action.”

“"Heyyyy, this aint Crawford!"”

“How is complaining about Bush helping anything?”
lumberzac
12:09:19 PM
9/02/05

If enough people 'complain' about him he will change how he may approach the problem? May be he may hear the critcism through the media and not be so quick to listen to the feel good reports he is getting from his advisors? Maybe???”

“Silly woman.”

“3 of my students in one class of 17 told me that they are taking in families from NO/Miss. This is good. I hear that it's spreading.

I agree with the sentiment about Bush, FEMA, etc. I'd rather turn my feelings in to action. School just started and I can't get away. Lots of folks here are talking about going down to help.”

“(sigh) Some people turn their frustrations towards negative, fruitless pursuits of whining and complaining and finger pointing, even in the midst of dire circumstances. Oh well. Carry on.”

“Hey, Geo and Buck, he's landing in NO now. It wasn't in the plans earlier!”

““(sigh) Some people turn their frustrations towards negative, fruitless pursuits of whining and complaining and finger pointing, even in the midst of dire circumstances. Oh well. Carry on.”
Buck
10:38:49 AM
9/02/05

Quit complaining, there's a crisis here.”

“But mind you, lee's not getting on the blame Bush bandwagon...


























He's driving the damn thing!”

“I'll push it if I have too....



Here is good news:

"Convoy brings relief supplies to New Orleans"

from CNN go listen to the video.

The three star general is Gen honoree or something like that.


I believe he is the same "take charge" "john wayne" guy that the mayor of New Orleans says was the only one on the ground actually getting stuff done.



this is what they need.

its not necessarily the actual food and actual water . . .

it is the hope.


not just words. Tangible hope. here is a fleet of trucks with food water . . .it is HOPE.



I just reada study that was done with rats in water.


researchers put a bunch of rats in water where they had to constantly swim.


They pulled one group out after awhile .. .just briefly, then put them back in the water.


The group that never got lifted out drowned in a short period of time.

the group that got briefly lifted out swam for 3 more days.




These folks need some TANGIBLE hope . ..not just politicans saying that help is on its way.


I (hope) that this convoy provides that Hope . . .as well as the food and water (and civil order).”

“CNN is stealing my stuff:


This is the their latest headline:

CONVOY OF HOPE

Bush kisses a Biloxi storm victim; aid arrives at the New Orleans convention center. Days after storm, aid arrives”

“Chernoff should be sacked. He is a disgrace.”

“it's hard not to expect more. we're the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world and our planning and execution was pitiful.

we shouldn't complain? what a bunch of crap. if i don't do my job, i get fired and i don't get paid.

we elect these politicians, both democratic and republican, to provide service and leadership. they have the resources to do their jobs. they have the expertise. and they failed miserably. a complete lack of anticipation, cooperation, and communication.

i'm not about to make excuses for politicians who fail to do their jobs.

if these politicians can't do the job, we should find someone who can. thank god for elections.

this wasn't a typical hurricane. it was a category 5. it wasn't heading for georgia or texas or south carolina, places that are above sea level. it was heading for a city with 500,000 people that is below sea level. the writing was on the wall. you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a Category 5 hurricane heading towards a city below sea level may cause some problems.

you don't need to be a rocket scientist to realize that an abandoned city with compromised law enforcement may result in looting.

thank goodness hindsight is 20/20, maybe our politicians and leaders will do better next time.

pray for the victims and send money.
last edited: 9/02/05 2:11:30 PM”

“The whole operation should be turned over to the military. They're the only people who have their s#&%!$ together. The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA are no more than organizations set up for bureaucrats to get their welfare checks. Same thing for the VA Hospital System, FCC, FDA, and Dept of Housing and Urban Development.”

“jmitch, it'd be nice to complain afterwards instead of pointing fingers in the process of people trying to help others. A lot of good that does. Liberals* are such blaming whiners.

* "liberal" used stereotypically and does not apply to all liberals and if you are liberal, this may or may not apply to you.”

“So if people are dying because the federal government can't get off its fat ass, nobody should complain?

Maybe everybody should walk around in circles and sing Glory Glory Halleluhiah?

--A centrist blaming whiner”

“Attention Minutemen. Please refrain from complaining about being taxed without representation until after the tax is collected. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

--King George”

“Ya, Geo, like whining and complaining in the midst of a crisis really helps. Uh huh.”

“I see you belittle the largest natural disaster in our country's history and compare it to "taxes". OooOOookay.”

“It's not the "midst" of the crisis, Buck. The crisis is five days old. The criticism is warranted.”

“Don't criticize republicans. That's whining.

Criticizing democrats is called righteousness, though.”

“Oh, I see, everything is okay and fine and dandy, crisis over. Me apologies. I'm oudda here, got more important things to do than banter with a whiner when people are still in jeopardy. Take care, hope nothing like this happens in your area. Adios amigos.”

“buck,

sure, and i guess conservatives are whining apologists.

why even raise the conservative/liberal garbage? both dems and repubs are to blame.

they didn't do their jobs.

this hurricane wasn't a surprise.

i will not make apologies for POLITICIANS who did not do their jobs. they deserve to be b!tched at.

the doctors, police, military, rescue workers, etc. are incredible.

by any test, the response and preparation was poor. and for thousands, it is too late.

as americans, we should be upset, not complacent. we should demand better, not make apologies.”

“Uhhh... Phaed, leave it to you to use "Republicans vs. Democrats" during a natural disaster. I truly don't understand you guys, but oh well. Buh-bye.”