FEMA Director Blames The Victims

[Nbadan]

CNN) -- The director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday those New Orleans residents who chose not to heed warnings to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina bear some responsibility for their fates.

Michael Brown also agreed with other public officials that the death toll in the city could reach into the thousands.

"Unfortunately, that's going to be attributable a lot to people who did not heed the advance warnings," Brown told CNN.

"I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans," he said.

"And to find people still there is just heart-wrenching to me because, you know, the mayor did everything he could to get them out of there.

"So, we've got to figure out some way to convince people that whenever warnings go out it's for their own good," Brown said. "Now, I don't want to second guess why they did that. My job now is to get relief to them."

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin have both predicted the death toll could be in the thousands.

Nagin issued a "desperate SOS" Thursday as violence disrupted efforts to rescue people still trapped in the flooded city and evacuate thousands of displaced residents living amid corpses and human waste. (Full story)

Residents expressed growing frustration with the disorder evident on the streets, raising questions about the coordination and timeliness of relief efforts. (See video on the desperate conditions -- 4:36 )

CNN

FEMA called in a company that owns and operates a fleet of air boats, to aide with the search and recovery of citizens trying to survive the disaster and who are still in their homes, etc. A friend of mine (from Arkansas) is one of the owner/operators of an air boat in that fleet. He responded to FEMA's request and went down to assist, all at his own expense. When there,
he reported to a FEMA manager or supervisor who told him, and I quote: "We need your assistance and can use your help every day, there's a lot of folks who have not been found. But, you will have to pay for your own gasoline for your air boat."

The cost of gasoline for that air boat, for each day, amounts to approximately $550.00 per day, minimum. With the current gasoline crisis, it could cost considerably more, up to $600 - $700 per day.

This young man volunteered his time AND his boat to help - and was then told by FEMA that he would have to pay, additionally, out of his own pocket, all of the costs for his gasoline - to find the people who were in flooded homes across the entire flooded area in the City of New Orleans, where FEMA is assigned.

This young man doesn't have the money to donate his costs for gasoline for FEMA's project, so, guess where he is right now: yup, on the way back to Arkansas.

Has FEMA bungled this operation? Yes-sir-ee.

Can FEMA locate gasoline and have it trucked in, for these purposes? Yes-sir-ee.

The consequences for this short-sighted "decision" by a FEMA supervisor? More people dying, due to a major delay in locating them and rescuing them.

When will this "decision" be reviewed and questioned? Not till after many more victims have died.

[Nbadan]

And guess who is siphoning relief money intended for Katrina victims from FEMA? That's right none other than Pat Robertson.

FEMA Directing Donations To Rev.
Pat Robertson
09/01/05 02:45 PM Eastern

SPLOID EXCLUSIVE: FEMA is directing Katrina donations to none other than the Rev. Pat Robertson …

Millions of Americans and people around the world have rushed to donate money to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which is shaping up to be one of the worst U.S. disasters in history, if not the worst.

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is the lead federal agency in the rescue & recovery operation at work in New Orleans and the Mississippi gulf coast.

FEMA has released to the media and on its Web site a list of suggested charities to help the storm’s hundreds of thousands of victims. The Red Cross is first on the list.

The Rev. Pat Robertson’s “Operation Blessing” is next on the list.

“It’s an outrage,” said privacy watchdog Bill Scannell, who alerted Sploid to the FEMA / Robertson scam. “Operation f**cking Blessing? And it’s right underneath the Red Cross link!”

Sploid

[MannyIsGod]

Dan, I ing hate you sometimes. No, check that. All the time.

[Guru of Nothing]

Dan, I ing hate you sometimes. No, check that. All the time.

Come on, let the ghost of Bill Hicks do your hating while you sit back and laugh at NBADan.

*disclaimer - I did not read anything Dan wrote.

[whottt]

A blast from the past to catch the radical left passing the ing buck and whoring the deaths of thousands out to suit their own political agenda:


http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp...1&nav=5kZQdreP


August 28, 2005

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- As Hurricane Katrina churns toward New Orleans, the city's mayor is calling the storm a "once in a lifetime event."

Mayor Ray Nagin says the Big Easy has never been directly hit by a hurricane with Katrina's magnitude. The Category Five storm has winds of nearly 175 miles per hour.

The mayor has ordered a mandatory evacuation and says police and firefighters will fan out throughout New Orleans telling residents to get out. Still, authorities acknowledge some people might not be able to leave in time.

People can opt to go to the Superdome, but they're being told to come with enough food and supplies to last three to five days.

Louisiana's governor says President Bush personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding and relies on levees to protect it from surrounding water even when weather conditions are normal.

Some Panhandle residents urged to evacuate before Katrina

Northern Florida residents were keeping a wary eye on Katrina,
which hit the southern tip of the state on Thursday and was blamed
for nine deaths. It left miles of streets and homes flooded and
knocked out power to more than a million customers. It was the
sixth hurricane to hit Florida in just over a year.

Katrina's deadly eye and 175-mile-per-hour sustained wind
appeared to be zeroing in on southeastern Louisiana for a second
landfall early tomorrow morning. But forecasters say that the
Panhandle still could be hit by hurricane-force winds of at least
74 miles per hour, heavy rains and storm surge of six to eight
feet.

President Bush says the government will do everything
possible to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
In remarks from his Texas ranch where he's vacationing, Bush
urged people in the storm's path to evacuate to higher ground.

The president said Katrina should be taken seriously, adding that he couldn't stress enough the danger Katrina poses to the Gulf Coast.

Earlier today, Bush declared states of emergency in Louisiana and Mississippi to accelerate the emergency response to the storm. The Category Five hurricane has winds approaching 175 miles per hour.

A state of emergency is in effect and mandatory evacuations have been ordered all along the coast. Officials are warning that areas several blocks inland are in extreme danger.

[Nbadan]

Dan, I ing hate you sometimes. No, check that. All the time.

Sometimes you just read a post that makes this all worthwhile. Usually that post comes from Hookdem, but this time Manny really stands out.

[Nbadan]

Oh by the way..

From the FEMA website:

Beware of charity fraud. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) resources on how to make donations wisely.

Please check with your tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for more information regarding the tax deductibility of your donation.

American Red Cross
1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English,
1-800-257-7575 Spanish;

Operation Blessing
1-800-436-6348

America’s Second Harvest
1-800-344-8070

FEMA

[Spurminator]

And?

Maybe if you showed us why Operation Blessing was such a useless charity it would give your point some relevance.

Is it because it's faith based? Is it simply the association with Robertson? I hope you have something better.

[Nbadan]

Ask and ye shall receive...

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) -Airplanes sent to Zaire by evangelist Pat Robertson's tax- exempt humanitarian organization were used almost exclusively for his diamond mining business, say two pilots who flew them.

Three airplanes were flown to Zaire in September 1994 by Operation Blessing.

However, chief pilot Robert Hinkle said only one or two of the roughly 40 flights during his six months in the country could be considered humanitarian.

All the rest of the flights were mining-related, he told The (Norfolk) Virginia-Pilot.

Geocities

[scott]

I don't think Dan gets enough credit for his Google skills. Dude is amazing - ask him anything and he can come up with a source that supports his opinion, whether or not it is necessarily true.

[j-6]

Dan, if you want to throw dirt on FEMA, go look up Joe Allbaugh. That'll entertain you for at least an hour.

[Nbadan]

Dan, if you want to throw dirt on FEMA, go look up Joe Allbaugh. That'll entertain you for at least an hour.

Check out the dudes do



FEMA

In case you are wondering how Joe Allbaugh came to be FEMA Director, we need to briefly review his past credentials. He has been a very busy critter indeed. Prior to his appointment as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he served as Chief of Staff to then-Governor Bush. He was the point person for nine presidential disaster declarations and more than 20 state level emergencies. He also happened to serve as National Campaign Manager for the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign, with the responsibility and oversight for all related activities. He had a lot of experience having already served as Campaign Manager for Bush's first run for governor of Texas and also worked on the Reagan-Bush campaign in 1984. Allbaugh is obviously well-connected and quoted as saying, "There isn't anything more important than protecting Governor Bush and the first lady. I'm the heavy in the literal sense of the word."

So why in the world did Allbaugh resign? Here's where it starts to get interesting, tangled, and quite disturbing. Judge for yourself and I will reserve my comments until the end. The Austin Chronicle broke new ground about Bush's involvement in an influence-buying scandal regarding SCI, Service Corporation International, the world's largest cemetery company based in Houston. Reporter Robert Bryce said, "Bush got $35,000 in contributions from SCI. It appears Bush then helped them thwart an investigation by the Texas Funeral Commission. The former director of the Commission, Eliza May, was pressured by Bush's Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager Joe Allbaugh. She has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit." May said she was fired after resisting pressure from the governor's staff to end her investigation, which resulted in a $445,000 fine against the company for a range of offences including using unlicensed embalmers.

Bush was subpoenaed in 1999, but refused to testify as to what his involvement was in halting an investigation into SCI's embalming practices, among other things. A Texas judge put everything right for Bush just in time to campaign for the presidency, ruling that he could not be forced to testify by an ousted regulatory official, who had not produced enough evidence or that Bush had "unique and superior personal knowledge." Bush had filed an affidavit claiming he had no conversations with SCI officials, agents, or representatives concerning the investigation or any disputes arising from it, although by his own admission he said he dropped in on a meeting between Waltrip and Allbaugh, for a quick social visit and couldn't remember what he said. May's lawsuit claimed they did talk about the investigation and asked the judge to hold Bush in contempt of court and compel him to testify. In a news conference (held in August, '99) dominated by tough questions, the issue that really irritated Bush concerned funeral homes. His remarks were, "It's frivolous. It is frivolous."

In November of 2001, Governor Rick Perry approved a settlement of $210,000 in May's lawsuit. SCI was to pay $55,000 and the balance by the state of Texas. May's attorney, Derek Howard, said any terms of agreement were to be confidential and he could not elaborate under the terms in which the state did not admit to any wrongdoings. This took place only weeks before the gruesome discovery was made at two Florida cemeteries catching the brief attention of the media. Fox News reported on Dec.20, 2001 that Fort Lauderdale attorneys were suing a cemetery company (SCI, also known as "Dignity" Memorial) accused of "recycling" graves, removing bodies and throwing them in the woods at Menorah Gardens and Funeral Chapels in West Palm Beach, of which SCI is owner and said they have no knowledge of any wrongdoing. The attorneys showed grisly photos and video footage of crushed burial vaults and scattered human remains and also presented do ents they say show SCI and aforementioned cemeteries were aware of grave desecrations. Ten families are represented in the class action lawsuit that more than 1,000 people could become part of. The families say their loved ones were dug up, dumped in the woods, buried in the wrong vaults, or in vaults on top of each other instead of side by side as had been paid for. Co-counsel Neal Hirschfeld said, "There are several hundred people who purchased premium contracts years ago, that do not have a place to rest. We've investigated allegations that we thought were too heinous to be accurate and too horrible to be true, over the last several years." The general manager of Menorah Gardens Cemetery chain, Peter Hartmann, who was a central figure in the investigation is dead at 45 yrs. of carbon monoxide poisoning, treated as an apparent suicide by police.

Prison Planet

[Nbadan]

The Previous sins of Michael Brown

Florida lawmakers Tuesday called for state and federal investigations into how the government approved about $28 million in Hurricane Frances claims for new furniture, clothes and appliances for residents of Miami-Dade County, which was barely touched by the storm.

<snip>

The actions follow a report in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Sunday that hurricane relief in Miami-Dade bought thousands of new televisions, microwaves, refrigerators and other appliances. FEMA paid for new cars, dental bills and a funeral, even though the county Medical Examiner recorded no deaths from Frances.

FEMA inspectors attributed damage to tornados -- there were none recorded in the county -- and in six instances listed "ice/snow" as the cause, the newspaper reported.

<snip>

Shaw wrote to FEMA Director Michael D. Brown six weeks ago, after the newspaper first reported that thousands of Miami-Dade residents had collected hurricane relief from the Labor Day storm that hit 100 miles to the north. Brown announced that FEMA would investigate, but so far has not provided any results or returned phone calls from the congressman's staff, said Shaw, chairman of Florida's delegation.

Sun-Sentinel

[Nbadan]

As the second hurricane in less than a month bore down on Florida last fall, a federal consultant predicted a "huge mess" that could reflect poorly on President Bush and suggested that his re-election staff be brought in to minimize any political liability, records show.

Two weeks later, a Florida official summarizing the hurricane response wrote that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was handing out housing assistance "to everyone who needs it without asking for much information of any kind."

The records are contained in hundreds of pages of Gov. Jeb Bush's storm-related e-mails initially requested by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Oct. 13. The governor's office finally released the do ents Friday, after threat of a lawsuit by the newspaper.

Democrats in Washington said the records confirm su ions that the federal government used the hurricanes to funnel money to Florida, a key battleground state in the presidential election. "They weren't really asking for information, yet they were just doling out this money like it was Christmas," said Lale Mamaux, spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton.

Sun-Sentinel

[Nbadan]

Blaming the victims who were to sick, elderly, or poor to find transportation from NO is apparently catchy for Republican..

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff today:

"The critical thing was to get people out of there before the disaster," he said on NBC's Today program. "Some people chose not to obey that order. That was a mistake on their part."

Remember, there was no help available for citizens to evacuate. Perhaps Chertoff lives in a world where everyone has easy access to their own transportation, but there are a whole lot of people in the real world who don't.

UPDATE: DNC Research points us to an AP article from before the hurricane that described the plight of people who were unable to evacuate:

Making matters worse, at least 100,000 people in the city lack the transportation to get out of town. Nagin said the Superdome might be used as a shelter of last resort for people who have no cars, with city bus pick-up points around New Orleans.
"I know they're saying 'Get out of town,' but I don't have any way to get out," said Hattie Johns, 74. "If you don't have no money, you can't go."

Democrats.org

[Nbadan]

New Orleans and the Death of the Common Good
By CHRIS FLOYD

The destruction of New Orleans represents a confluence of many of the most pernicious trends in American politics and culture: poverty, racism, militarism, elitist greed, environmental abuse, public corruption and the decay of democracy at every level.

Much of this is embodied in the odd phrasing that even the most cir spect mainstream media sources have been using to describe the hardest-hit victims of the storm and its devastating aftermath: "those who chose to stay behind." Instantly, the situation has been framed with language to flatter the prejudices of the comfortable and deny the reality of the most vulnerable.

It is obvious that the vast majority of those who failed to evacuate are poor: they had nowhere else to go, no way to get there, no means to sustain themselves and their families on strange ground. While there were certainly people who stayed behind by choice, most stayed behind because they had no choice. They were trapped by their poverty * and many have paid the price with their lives.

Counter Punch

[jochhejaam]

Blaming the victims who were to sick, elderly, or poor to find transportation from NO is apparently catchy for Republican..



Democrats.org

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff today:

"The critical thing was to get people out of there before the disaster," he said on NBC's Today program. "Some people chose not to obey that order. That was a mistake on their part."

^^^There's nothing in his quote that mentions the "sick and the ederly". Stick to the facts Jack!

He's obviously referring to the thousands who were able to evacuate and admitted that they thought they could "ride out the storm" or just didn't take the evacuation order seriously.

Genuine hater, you must be miserable to be around.

[smeagol]

The way the media is spinning this disaster, Bush's popularity is goin to plummet.

[boutons]

"spinning this disaster"

shrub/ head/Repugs were already toast b/c of Iraq war, now they are dog stain on the Glorious Road of American History.

"popularity is goin to plummet"

... was already very low in historical comparisons. shrub is lame-duck not even 2 years into his 2nd term. An embarrasing disaster in American presidential performances. But, people deserve the politicians they elect.

[jochhejaam]

And guess who is siphoning relief money intended for Katrina victims from FEMA? That's right none other than Pat Robertson.



Sploid

Your bigotted posts are more of a sickness than partisan politics dan. Seek help.

As I mentioned in the Hugo Chavez thread, I don't condone some of Robertson's radical statements but his ministry, Operation Blessing, has been donating thousands of tons of food, medical supplies, etc. to impoverished countries for years.


SPECIAL REPORT
Disaster Relief for Hurricane Katrina Victims


Operation Blessing Responding to Hurricane Katrina
Operation Blessing trucks will be traveling throughout the hurricane-ravaged areas delivering supplies.

Katrina's ferocious winds plowed through trees and structures the entire length of the Gulf Coast.

With the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction still unfolding, Operation Blessing teams are on the ground in the storm-ravaged regions of the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Even before Katrina struck, OBI tractor trailer trucks were already on the move, ensuring partner agencies were stocked with emergency relief supplies for immediate distribution.

OBI is now collaborating with emergency officials and making final assessments of the heavily-impacted areas. Together with partner agencies like the Salvation Army, a large-scale disaster response is unfolding.

Truckloads of food and mobile kitchen equipment have been delivered by OBI to Salvation Army staging areas in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida.

After four mobile kitchens and dozens of mobile canteens from partnering groups are in place, OBI will be helping provide up to 310,000 meals a day to storm victims in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

OBI is also working with local churches and other nonprofits to determine strategic and effective ways to bring aid to those struggling to cope in the aftermath of the brutal hurricane.

http://www.ob.org/programs/disaster_...24_katrina.asp

[whottt]

The way the media is spinning this disaster, Bush's popularity is goin to plummet.

[boutons]

As long as shrub/ head are wasting lives in Iraq in the Repug war,

As long as just one dumb believes in shrub, BEAT THE ING HORSE, let there be no doubt about how horrendous these venal, lying, murderous Repug mother ers have ed up the country and the world.

[jochhejaam]

Ask and ye shall receive...



Geocities

You're digging up dirt from 11 years ago that was never substantiated while Robertson's coordinating help that can provide up to 310,000 meals a day to the hurricane victims.

Lame. You're googling up dirt, he's aiding the victims in a big way. Who's the better man? Roberson>nbadan by light years

[Dos]

Stadium calls halt to taking refugees

By BILL MURPHY and LEIGH HOPPER
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
HURRICANE KATRINA
Officials closed the Reliant Astrodome to further New Orleans evacuees late Thursday, shortly before five more busloads arrived.

Although the passengers initially were told they would have to reboard the buses and go to Huntsville, officials relented and allowed at least one busload of 67 passengers to stay. The fate of the other four buses was still being considered late Thursday.

Houston Police Sgt. Nate McDuell said the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office ordered that no more evacuees be accepted.

"We're at capacity and buses are being diverted to other cities and other shelters," McDuell said.

Tired, distraught passengers got off the buses and shouted angrily as police officers told them they could not stay.

"We've got sick people in here and this is how you treat us!" one man shouted. "Welcome to Houston! I hope a hurricane comes to Houston!"

Passengers, some carrying babies, complained that they had made the long ride in unair-conditioned buses and were exhausted. One elderly man was placed in an ambulance and taken to a triage site.

"This is just one of those things," said Red Cross spokeswoman Dana Allen. "We're doing the best we can."

The Dome was closed as its population of refugees from New Orleans swelled to 11,375, said Andrew Biar, spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He said the decision was made "for the safety and comfort of the people who are now in the Astrodome."

Officials said chaotic conditions in New Orleans delayed transport of hurricane victims who have spent days in the Superdome there, with no electric power and few necessities.

Some of the first 2,000 evacuees who reached the Astrodome late Wednesday and early Thursday weren't from the Superdome, and county officials backtracked from their earlier announcement that only Superdome evacuees would be admitted.

Most of the new arrivals late Thursday were those who had boarded buses at or near the Superdome, said Liese Hutchinson, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross, which is handling some operations at the shelter under county supervision.

FEMA will reimburse the local expenses, officials said.

The Astrodome was not open to refugees who came to Houston before or shortly after Katrina made landfall.

Without such a policy, there would have been no space for evacuees fleeing the worsening conditions in New Orleans, said O'Brien-Molina.

Three hundred evacuees to be housed at the Dome were coming on two flights from Louisiana. Another 1,900 were to take an Amtrak train to Lafayette, La., and then board buses for Houston, said Rita Obey, spokeswoman for the county Public Health and Environmental Services Department.

But most made the whole trip in chartered and school buses. Late in the afternoon, tired, sad-looking riders filled four yellow West Baton Rouge Parish school buses that pulled up to the Dome.

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas said his department was watching for a few New Orleans municipal jail inmates who may have found their way into the Superdome evacuation. They were brought to the Superdome as conditions worsened at the city jail but could not be accounted for later.

Thomas said the inmates were only minor offenders.

The relief effort at the Dome remained a work in progress.

A 100,000-square-foot medical clinic set up in the Astroarena was nearly overwhelmed on its first day.

The clinic, which is seeking more volunteer doctors and nurses, saw 400 patients by

5 p.m. Nearly 50 people were sent to emergency rooms.

Aramark, the concessionaire at Reliant Park, is feeding evacuees from buffet tables on a concourse.

But not all was calm. One man was arrested after fighting over a cot. Two others were arrested after peeping into a women's shower. Two of the four locker rooms at the Dome are for women, two for men.

State and local education officials were making plans to hold classes for evacuee children at the Dome or bus them to schools, Eckels said.

Chronicle reporters Salatheia Bryant and Anne Marie Kilday contributed to this report.

[email protected] [email protected][B][U]

[Hook Dem]

Sometimes you just read a post that makes this all worthwhile. Usually that post comes from Hookdem, but this time Manny really stands out.

I have remained silent on all of this but it is evident that somewhere I have touched your inner core. It satisfies me immensly. All I can say to you Dan, is you S bag!!!!!. Manny is taking an intellegent look at all of this and all you can do is spew political bull !