Martial law in New Orleans

by **Ferry Fey** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:47 am

I heard a point made on the radio about the looters that I haven't seen come up on the Web before. She pointed out that with the abject poverty in so much of the city, the people there wouldn't necessarily have had access to ATMs at the best of times, let alone when power is out. For some of them, selling a laptop that they'd managed to get from a store might be the only source of cash for food that they might have. Nagin mentions as well that there is so much drug use in the city, that a lot of junkies are desperate for their fixes by now.

by **antiaristo** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:51 am

This is quite telling "She feels as if she has been totally abandoned by the Foreign Office," he said, adding that the consulate seemed "totally unprepared. We are just thankful that she is safe, but it is an American TV channel, rather than any British officials, that have rescued her. Right now, there is just elation, but I think there is also a lot of anger." Similar sentiments were expressed by Wayne Henry, 48, a police officer who flew out to Louisiana to find his son, Peter, 20, after receiving a text from him saying he was stuck in the Superdome. "I have no confidence in the British Government. They are not doing enough for people out here and there are still people missing," he told BBC News from Dallas after being reunited with his son <a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article310317.ece">news.independent.co.uk/wo...310317.ece</a> So an "insider" gets word that his son is caught up in it all. With his "insider" knowledge and experience, what does he decide to do? He gets on the first available flight and goes to get him. He knows what will happen otherwise.

by **proldic** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 10:19 am

New Orleans is America New Orleans is a sacred place sodden earth's history, decaying, fetid, sweet what has been buried will never be disinterred what has been unleashed will never be reigned in

by **AnnaLivia** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 10:53 am

“bush has 1600 acres that he's not using right now.” Ooh! Ooh! The Prom committee has a suggestion. We had this wicked-cool slumber party last night and we came up with this while we were coloring each other’s hair and dancing to The Lifestyle. Those guys so rock! Anyway, here’s our idea: Bush will be allowed to remain alive in this country, if he turns over title to the ranch. New owners to be; the American People. Write it like this, mr pResident: P – E – O – P – L – E. good boy. here’s a cookie. Then, the people will promptly NOT go on tv and cast spells through the media to make everybody think it’s some kind of impossible task in America 2005 to start building adequate housing for people within a few weeks, giving them jobs in the process, enabling them to re-build their lives and even pay a rent to the taxpool someday for said land and housing...and instead of whining how impossible it all is and scattering the sufferers to the winds, the people will just do it. they’ll just make a place where the now-homeless from N’orlins can live if they want. Then Dr. Phil won’t be able to tell people that an astrodome is a town, and we won’t need his advice to sufferers that they need to wait for the system to catch up with their needs. Just do it. you know, like nike said? You guys watch tv? More and more of our dads are looking for work, so we’re pretty sure there’s enough people available to do the planning and building and all. How hard can it be? There’s cities and towns all over the place to copy off, right? And bush repeals that tax break he gave his pals, plus returns his salary since he’s the worst employee anyone can imagine, and that money goes to those who still have land but have to build a house, then on down the line to all the other homeless like that kid who sleeps under the bridge on the way to the Mall. Heck, Jessica didn’t make it to the party, and she’s the only one who doesn’t sleep through math class, so we don’t know it might take more than 1600 acres for all those people, so anybody with more than one yacht has to donate it. we’re pretty sure there’s some people with more than one yacht in America, but we’ll get the school newspaper editor dude to fact-check that one. And hey, we’re having a pizza-and-piercing party tonight, so just let us know if you need any more ideas on how to get stuff done, ‘kay?

by **seemslikeadream** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:43 pm

<a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2064130">www.democraticunderground...32x2064130</a> nascarblue (684 posts) Mon Sep-05-05 10:33 AM Original message Astrodome Concentration Kamp Admin, DO NOT CENSOR ME. This is from boingboing.net for christs sake! I have been glued to the tv and internet all week, just like all of you. And like you, I am appalled at the Rove brownshirt media spin that has been in full effect the past few days. So being that the racist Bush cabal wants us to focus on the 'looters' and 'shooters' in their sadistic little psy-op, I thought you might like to read the bareknuckle truth behind this pathetic crap that Bush, Rove, Limbaugh, and Fox are now spinning. The Astrodome, which we're led to believe is salvation, is nothing more than Auschwitz. Below is a first-hand account by a guy who went to the Astrodome with his wife to help, and was turned away only to sneak his way in. The cops tried to turn him away and wouldn't accept donations of clothes. Anyways, this first link is ex Black Panther and Green Party candidate, Malik Rahim, who is still living in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, which isn't flooded. He welcomes help & gives way of contacting him at end of article... Listen to his heart wrenching interview on Indymedia directly from the war zone of New Orleans... It's pretty shocking. <a href="http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/lotus-malik-katrina....">radio.indymedia.org/uploa...atrina....</a> Here's a quote from Malik. "There are gangs of white vigilantes near here riding around in pickup trucks, all of them armed, and any young Black they see who they figure doesn't belong in their community, they shoot him. I tell them, "Stop! You're going to start a riot." <a href="http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2005/09/4209.php">neworleans.indymedia.org/...9/4209.php</a> And then there's this first-hand account by a Texas couple who volunteered at the Astrodome. He writes about what they encountered the 24 hours that they were there. They confirm that Bush, FEMA, and DHS are DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN HOUSTON. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After watching the coverage of the insanity and incredible mismanagement of the astrodome situation by the federal agencies, margaret and I put together two bags of clothing, one of men's and one of women's and we headed to the astrodome to drop it off. This was around 1:30am. we get to the dome and they had already let in all the buses to the parking lot (after the fire marshall cocksuck tried to send over 120 buses away saying there was a fire hazard with so many people in the dome, even though there was just under 8000 at the time. The mayor told the fire marshall to fuck himself. this is bigger than laws and regulations) it looked like cops were turning away people who tried to drive in, so Mags and I parked outside the Dome and walked in with our bags of clothes. there was no official anything on the way in. very few cops, no federal oversight whatsoever. we walked to the dome and asked arund about where to take these clothes only to be told by cops that they were not accepting donations. I thought that to be BULLSHIT. The administrators and politicians kept saying they did not need anything that they had enough of food and clothes, but anytime the reporters managed to talk to any volunteers or doctors or Red Cross people, all they could say was "we need EVERYTHING" and "whoever is telling you that there are adequate or sufficient supplies of ANYTHING, from food to manpower, is delusional." So I found a red cross worker and asked and she said if we took it into the dome someone would definitely use it. so we walked down the east ramp, into the saddest, most surreal scene I have ever witnessed in my life. we found a volunteer who took the clothes we brought and told us how much they were appreciated and we went over and signed up to volunteer. First of all, the Red Cross is the ONLY organization doing anything remotely organized. they have NO federal help. NO national guards, NO military personnel, Nothing at all. They are stretched to the limit in every possible way. The federal government is screwing these people over. it was chaos, but a slightly controlled chaos, and while it was inded heart wrenching to see those people, the babies, the SMELL (not B.O. It was the smell of sewage from these people's clothes. the ones who had not yet gotten to the showers weer weatring the same clothes they have had on for 4 days.) the sight of the babies, the little children, the elderly,.... And yet it was also uplifting because there were literally hundreds of regular Joe Houstonians, regular people saying FUCK THIS who showed up to help. That made it better, and yes, while it was rough in there, the conditions were a MILLION times better than where these people had come from, and let me tell you, to a man, to a person, they were grateful and appreciative and humble. so we got a badge and a wristband (orange wristbands designated volunteers) and looke dfo someone to help or someway to help. we were told that they needed hep in the astro arena, or reliant arena, whataver, but they were setting it up as shelter and as a medical facility to aid those ill getting off the bus and those ill in the dome. I was told to try and notifiy the firemen and paramedics at reliant arena that they needed to find more transport to carry the ill and sick. they had just two of those short handicapped accessible Metro buses ferrying people to the arena to get treatment. Mags and I waljke dover there and it was just crazy. cops standing around sitting on their ass. somehow the command center for red cross had managed to set up tables and computers to get medical info on these people, andthey had set up a large area with beds, essentially a makeshift MASH unit. there is NO oversight over there. volunteers showing up were just jumping in and helping where they could. I spent an hour unloading 3 18-wheelers full of cots and blankets and stuff like that, Red Cross stuff. the volunteers were incredible. Just regular people, just dudes and ladies. margaret spent that time in another area setting up hundreds if not thousands of cots with a small army of volunteers, and keep in mind most of these volunteers showed up after midnight, having seen and heard the news. I got word that 3:30am was the deadline for then they would open the doors and start letting refugees in. we unloaded the trucks (heavy heavy shit) and everyone got to setting up cots and tables and places for the to sit and stuff. the people there...the people who showed up to help, just people who live close to the dome, it was nowhere near enough, but we all managed to get it done. the situation was drastic. volunteers will be needed from now on for months, but the first days are the most insane, the most hectic and urgent, and it was crucial that someone show up to help set up reliant arena. there was a sigma phi epsilon chapter, there were half a dozen high school air force ROTC kids in uniform, there were dozens of single older men, men who were awake late enough to see the news and the need, there were women and burly guys and young dudes, lots of young dudes. we go the trucks unloaded and I found mags and helped put up the rest of the cots. around this time it was 4:30 am and Mag and I were spent. we could barely walk our feet hurt so bad. we had been awake for almost 24 hours already, so we headed out. we walked back to the car and saw that around 4:30am, there were just a dozen or so buses still to unload their passengers. we made it home around 5:00am, and coud not sleep for a bit, and passed out around 6:15am. we woke up at 8:10am and came into work. This is happpening to US now, to Houston, and these people may be here to stay. it was overwhelming to see the heart of Houston, which ted koppel on nightline was mentioning over and over again, how the people of houston, the regular people, have taken it into their hearts to help. how people were just showing up all day and night at the dome asking "what you need?' then leaving and coming back a few minutes later with $500 worth of baby clothes, or water, or food, or bread or whatever 3as needed. the generosity is amazing. the city of houston alone has already raised over 9.6 million. That is TWO DAYS worth. Two fucking days. The channel 11 (CBS)pledge drive raised 6 million in one day alone. Once all the people are settled in and the most urgent needs are met, it will not neccesarily be so crucial to have a lot of voluteers at one time, just a steady stream of them day and night. My rage and indignation is aimed squarely at our retard monkey president and his fallacious supposed homeland security organization, who have bungled this from the get go, whether due to complete ineptitude, or willful ignorance, it is a horror that we should never let those fucking greedheads live down. the only, and I mean ONLY, reason that the federal government is slackin on this, and not doing EVERYTHING they can to help, is that the people thar are and were left in new orleans, the poorest whites, poorest blacks, are POLITICALLY WORTHLESS. that is the only thing this adminitration cares about, maintaining, through political rhetoric, the false front that they are caring compassionate people, when in fact they just want to maintain their near-stranglehold on power. I want to see an uprising, I want to see that fucking GRIN smacked off that retard monkey fucks face. he has yet to vist any sites in person. he has flown overhead in air force one like the priviledged fucking bastard he is, gaining a bird's eye view that allows him to stay away from teh real human tragedy, the suffering, the rapes, themurders, they were and are raping CHILDREN in teh new orleans convention center. it is a state of total anarchy. He choose to fucking harp on stopping looters. FUCK THE LOOTERS! They are taking things, worthless things. take care of the fucking people. He gets on TV and gives a press conference and GRINS> That retard monkey fuck GRINS during this. all has done is make up excuses and excuses for why the federal government and FEMA have not reacted with speed. the head of FEMA himself tried to actually lay the blame on the people who did not leave. how do you leave a city, a city surrounded by impassable swamps and lakes and shit, when you are dirt poor, have no car, have no way to get around? How did they expect these peoplem to fend for themselves? This is the sickest thing I have ever seen and I will never forget it and everyone need sto do as much as possible, even if it is just taking a carload of paper towels or white bread, over to a shelter, but they really need it at the Dome. Do not listen to the talking heads teling reporters that they do not need donations or support. they are not in touch. they are not IN the dome. They are fucking bastard fucks. Take whatever you can to the dome yourself. The red cross managed to finally set up a somewhat organized drop off point at the dome for donations of items and food. the government has left not only the poor refugees high and dry, but also the people of Houston and every pother town and city that seeks to help, high and dry. May their supposed souls rot in fucking hell. <a href="http://www.sonicyouth.com/bboard/fanforum/viewtopic.asp?TopicID=1766100&topic=my+wife+and+I+last+night+at+the+astrodome">www.sonicyouth.com/bboard/fanforum/viewtopic.asp?TopicID=1766100&topic=my+wife+and+I+last+night+at+the+astrodome</a>

by **Dreams End** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:54 pm

Tal, I think the roadbloack thing was confirmed by Shepherd Smith of FOX. He was on Interstate 10 and said there was a roadblock turning people back around into the city. Maybe there are more than one, but I think he indicated that the roadblock was on the only major road out. Check the video that Jeff linked to with Geraldo and Shepherd Smith. As for the campaign to blame the locals, it has begun. Right now, they have covertly organized (speculating...but I think this is accurate) a letter writing campaign to letters to the editor. I'm going to print one of these and if anyone finds this letter duplicated in other local papers, we'll be able to bust them. The theme is: there were hundreds of school buses parked there in NO that could have been used to transport people out by the local government but they didn't do it. Now, of course, I don't know if Nagin's response was inadequate. As a voter, though, I have no control over him. As far as such officials go I can only vote (sic) for national leaders, so Nagin's inadequacy is irrelevant. However, I'm not exactly sure, with 100,000 people on buses and no national coordination WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE THEM. Anyway, I saw this same theme on a rightwing blog somewhere so I think this will be one of their recurring themes. Here's the letter in the Tennessean. <blockquote>Quote:<hr>To the Editor: I, like millions of other Americans, am so angry I could spit nails. The city of New Orleans grossly underestimated its ability to care for its citizens. And I don't care how upset the mayor is. He, his agencies and the governor of Louisiana should have taken every piece of public transportation and gone through the city, neighborhood by neighborhood, offering free transportation out of the city. The TV news showed footage of dozens of submerged school buses — school buses that could have been used to take those poor people to safety instead of sitting in a parking lot only to be ruined by the flood waters. They were expecting a category 5 hurricane, and yet they knew the levees would only sustain a category 3. They should have expected the worst. They should have expected that people without the means or wherewithal would stay behind. People with no money or transportation couldn't get anywhere other than the shelters, which became living hells. Shame, shame, shame on the city of New Orleans for allowing this. Christi Malone Franklin 37064 <hr></blockquote> Anyone seen similar letters?

by **Dreams End** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 1:09 pm

List of mistakes, lies and other malfeasance surrounding Katrina. Copy this and add to their list if you can. Great someone is putting it all in one place. <a href="http://www.katrinamistakelist.com/">www.katrinamistakelist.com/</a>

by * » Mon Sep 05, 2005 1:34 pm

Sorry for the confusion Dreams, but I just posted the entire contents of the link ... I was not the recipient of the email. I haven't managed to grok the details of 'bold' and 'italic' yet and obviously the quotation marks aren't substantial enough to convey my meaning. peace, tal

by **Dreams End** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 1:46 pm

I'm trying to wrap my mind around this: Let's assume that the armed gangs in New Orleans are just that...criminal elements who are staying behind to loot or whatever. I think this was, at best, exaggerated, but for now...let's just accept the truth of it. Can anyone think of any motivation whatsoever for these people to shoot at rescue workers? I can see some score settling with local police. But why rescue workers? Why contractors? I'd like to write a bit on the possible level of intentionality of the "incompetence" and this would suggest some sort of "psyops" deal to keep the rescue efforts hampered. Indeed, every rescue worker turned away was given "safety" as a reason. so I want to open mindedly look for a counterargument. What could be the motivation? You have stolen goods...how does shooting an ambulance help you? On a side note, I'm pleased to report that the rumors of "half the police force bugging out" were completely false. A few left...many were trapped, had family to tend to or had no way to communicate. I'm also looking for details on the story of two police officers' committing suicide. I've seen no details on this. I think that the stress, especially if they lost family, could explain it, but if we assume that there were things going on there that cannot be allowed to come out, it is worth paying attention to these suicides. Anyone seen details...such as when and where it happened? Witnesses?

by **DrDebugDU** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 1:54 pm

As far as the shoot-out goes, the story has changed so many times, that it's hard to tell what the truth is. One thing is clear, it is not the last version. It sounds more like a shoot out took place between various groups. Maybe it was over looting. Maybe constractors working for the Cocaine Import Agency to clean out the drugs stashes rosa talked about (after all NOLA is the biggest harbor and therefore the biggest cocaine hubris of the US since commodities go by ship). You can try to safety aspect, but that excuse was used a long time before this happened. P.S. The concentration camp story was locked of course...

by **DrDebugDU** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:02 pm

Starman. About the number of deaths. It was the title of a story I pasted. I prefer not to speculate because there are too many variables. You have stated that it would go beyond 50,000. I personally think that the number will not be that extreme, since people are survivors and do not die that easy. The number of people stranded is probably more like slightly over 100,000 than the 200,000 figure originally reported. If it is 100,000 the casualty count is mostlikely between 5,000 and 15,000. High but not extreme, since the figure at disaster is usually a lot lower than the first guesses. The sad part is that it is in the interests of the Bush administration to keep the count very low or - like Iraq - not give any count at all...

by * » Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:09 pm

New Orleans police to be pulled off streets  NEW ORLEANS — On the seventh day, the mayor of New Orleans said he would surrender control of his shattered city to federal and state officials, and authorities issued dire predictions of the human cost of Hurricane Katrina. "We need to prepare the country for what's coming," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday. "We are going to uncover people who died hiding in the houses, maybe got caught in floods. It is going to be as ugly a scene as you can imagine." Last night, Mayor Ray Nagin said his entire police force would be pulled off the streets by tomorrow and all firefighters, paramedics and emergency dispatchers also were being sidelined. They will be sent to Baton Rouge for evaluation and counseling, he said. He noted that two police officers committed suicide in recent days, and he said the other uniformed officers were traumatized by recent events. National Guard troops and state law-enforcement officers will replace them, he said. "I'm not going to sit back and let another one die," Nagin said. <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002472840_katrina05.html">more</a> ------------------- <a href="http://xymphora.blogspot.com/2005/09/ethnic-cleansing-in-usa.html">xymphora</a> Monday, September 05, 2005 Ethnic cleansing in the USA From cbs4denver: "The first planeload of hurricane victims are in Colorado. An estimated one-thousand survivors will come to Colorado." and (my emphasis): "Representatives of the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter met each evacuee and gave them a personal comfort kit containing toiletries and personal items. Each child will get a teddy bear." and, from Colorado Governor Owens (my emphasis): "Owens said officials haven't finalized any long term plans for the evacuees after the 48 hours, but he said they will receive assistance for job and school placement while they are here. He said help will also be offered for those traveling to other parts of the country from Colorado. 'We'll give them job placement, give them professional training, so that they are prepared when they go back, go elsewhere, or stay here,' Owens said. 'We're doing what we can as good people.'" They ain't going back. Even if they had a way to get back, which they don't for the very same reason they didn't have a way to evacuate, they won't be able to afford to live in the rebuilt city. Governor Owens has apparently been told the details of the Plan. This is what ethnic cleansing looks like. Could it be that the failure of the government to even attempt to supply food and water to the refugees for days was an attempt to kill off the oldest and sickest - the ones who would eat up government resources in the future - before the rest were shipped out to their permanent new homes across the country?

by **DrDebugDU** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:10 pm

Rescue worker ask people NOT to donate to the RED CROSS but to relief agencies who do something about the problems Message from a Louisianna relief worker-PLEASE READ!! reply Posted: Sep 02 @ 10:58 AM by: susanblue (82 Posts in the last 90 days) Registered: May 28, 2004 This is from a friend who lives in central LA, and has volunteered as relief worker. She lives a very small town, but they have taken on hundreds of refugees. It's long, but if you want to get an idea of how people in the surrounding area & victims themselves are feeling; it's a good read.... My thanks to all of you who have sent words of encouragement.....PRAYERS.......(really need those big time) and thanks too for the additional offers for assistance. I wasn't going to bother y'all with another email from here - but apparently some of you sharing them (which is fine) (there are lots of desperate people needing to be heard in general terms.) Since y'all are fielding questions on our behalf I'll take a stab at answering the ones you have sent to me. But remember please that my experience is just one voice in a very remote rural area. You have a better idea than I do, likely as not, what is going on statewide. I don't get all that much outside news here. The state of Louisiana is in one of two worlds. There is the situation that y'all are seeing on TV. And then there is the support situation in the rest of the state. That is mainly those of us coping with the refugees... POST-hurricane alley. The photos you see on TV are accurate judging from all of the eye witness accounts of new arrivals. For once it seems the media is NOT sensationalizing the story. It is every bit as horrible as you think it is.....and some of the stories we have been hearing (again - from eye witnesses - not from the rumor mill) will haunt you forever - so I am not going to share them. What you are already seeing will last you a lifetime. The anger and outrage you see is not limited to New Orleans. The entire state (both worlds) are experiencing it. It is very, very difficult for us to comprehend why we are unable to get assistance. We understand YOU ARE SENDING IT.....but we are having trouble receiving it which is a puzzle in our advanced society In my area...there is SOME relief present - but it has come slowly and it has been VERY frustrating to access it. In addressing the delays in getting it here - eh....WE are NOT under water. We have a perfectly clear and dry interstate running into our area from Arkansas as well as Texas....we have an international airport twenty miles from here that lands military planes all the time....cargo planes....we are having difficulty understanding why the aid can't come in here....we are the center of the state. Barksdale Air Force Base is in this state. We are mystified by the hold ups. For New Orleans and for ourselves. As I shared with you last night - our specific refugee camp is doing fine......we are sharing what we have (the refugees and the few local families in our remote area).....we are NOT fine because the stuff you are sending got here. Our own self reliance and willingness to share has gotten us to this point - NOT because any agency has offered assistance or because the government is helping us. We just don't understand. We don't' understand why it took the Congress a week to get to D.C. (they will get there by NEXT MONDAY??????) to pass a bill to help us ???? We don't get that. If you want to help us - ask your elected official where they were between at the point they knew a Category 5 hurricane was FOR SURE going to hit New Orleans (last Sunday).....between that day - and NEXT Monday (eight days later???) - where have they been????? Please ask when they come back after a senate "fact finding mission".....or as they convene yet another expensive "commission" or committee investigation.....or hop over here to ladle a spoonful of food at a real clean and sanitized shelter - before the TV camera - in a week or two - ask them where they were yesterday - on August 31st????? We would sort of appreciate it if they would answer that for you. That might help the next citizens in harm's way. There will be LOTS of opportunities for photo ops....People will be suffering for a long, long time. We don't understand why two nights ago the officials in charge put out a request for any and all type of boats to evacuate people from New Orleans. Boaters responded by the hundreds. Every person in our area including refugees answered the call. OVER 200 boats showed up to help. When they arrived they were told only twenty would be allowed to go and assist. We don't get that. People are dying. The Cajun boys in boats from around here grew up on the backwaters and bayous. They can drive the rivers and channels at night with ease. Why would we not send them in there. Their flat-bottom boats and airboats would have done some good as far as we can tell. They know the water ways here better than the highways. They are damn good shots, they are used to allegators.....and they have grit.....They are skilled in this area....more so than anyone unfamilar with these water ways. Why weren't they given a chance??? Central Louisiana organize a bus carvan two nights ago - on our own - to go and get people out of New Orleans...and they were turned back. TODAY the ordered our schools closed here and ordered every bus to come and help out. We didn't need to be ordered - we tried to do it a full day ahead of the order. The coordination of efforts and resouces is non-existent as best we can tell. The citizens in general seem more effective (or at the very least AS effective) as the alleged professionals with all the technology and machinery. We know you are sending help to us - but they won't let the help we have mustered GIT ER DONE. And while we wait for the outside world to arrive - and the rule pushers to sanction our efforts ....people are dying. Thank you for being frustrated with us. Thank you for your outpouring and compassion. Thank you for making noise. We know we are not alone. And we take extreme comfort in that fact. We can give generously and completely cuz we know help IS on the way. Until then the puzzles will continue I expect. We don't' understand why the Red Cross is refusing to feed refugees housed in homes all up and down the state. We are told they must be IN the shelter to have hand outs from the Red Cross - and yet the shelters are full - they can't HANDLE the people. So hundreds of citizens are taking them in - and assistance is being denied to those not in the shelters. The reason given for this - at least at our Red Cross office - is because "regular citizens" might try and take food they are not entitled to - so they can only feed those who are in their shelters. OTHER agencies (not the Red Cross) are addressing that by simply asking to see an ID verifying that the refugee is from a devastated area. The address alone is proof they are from areas that no longer exist. And even after it has been discussed with the Red Cross (that this person can prove they are from a hard hit area) - still the Red Cross will not give them food. The Central Louisiana Food Bank is - tomorrow - opening the doors for my group....finally (it will be five days after the fact).....finally they will get their first bit of help from an institution (as opposed to individuals). So if you are going to give money - I recommend giving it to agencies who are actually getting the supplies to the needy. Some of the churches have decided to help by opening their own kitchens as the rules and regulations are simply not working in this particular disaster. It might have worked in the past but not this time. Give the money to your local church. They will get it to us. If it helps you - in this area the Methodists and Baptists have definitely waived all the nonsense and cut throughout the red tape and they are feeding people. Period. All that money raised from concerts and such didn't feed them tonight. But lots of upstanding United States citizens did. I didn't witness it with my own eyes but I have heard the Salvation Army is getting food distributed and they are not worrying about requiring paperwork to get it. They are feeding hungry people. Period. Relief workers - whomever. And I say thank you to them for that. It frustrates me a bit that for some reason the Red Cross - who is getting MOST OF THE MEDIA COVERAGE seems the least responsive for those of us in the out laying areas. Which is not for one moment to say they are not going good things - I am sure they are - but they can't seem to cover it all. So I would like the agencies filling in the cracks to get recognized too. The Red Cross is a private agency - I think it would be okay to spread the wealth a bit. It is more complex than what I am saying in this note. I understand that. But what I am sharing with you the frustration of relief workers and refugees. Refugees are asking me how they can get money. I have no answers. They HAVE money. But can't access it. And when they cannot get food from the relief centers - they need to buy it. (Well not in our area - we have it covered) but in most areas they are spending their own money to get food. Example: one refugee has money in Chase Manhattan. We have a branch office not too far away so we contact them and they cannot release funds to this person. Why? Because the refugee's branch office no longer exists and they cannot verify his funds???? There is a woman here who needs baby formula - and she is a welfare mom - who..in the process of evacuation lost her identification - so the social workers says they cannot help her. Interestingly enough a private citizen did help her. A reasonable person can perhaps cope with all this on a normal day - but if you have lost everything you own...you have not eaten..the baby is sick....you have walked (or sometimes dog paddled) and waited days to get to civilization and hours in a line in the heat - it is simply more than you can process at that point. The campers we are assisting in are in a National Park. They are being charged fifteen or twenty dollars (depending on which site they selected) a day to camp there. The government is telling the public that all federal resources are being provided to our state - and yet the victims are being charged to camp on federal land.......and we don't understand that. We don't understand why the park rangers took a sprinkler away from the kids today. It was a few minutes of fun for the kids and a wee bit of relief from the heat...we dont' understand how that was an enforceable rule today. The explanation? The water is for human consumption - not for recreation. We understand that is the rule in NORMAL times but - why oh why - can't the folks in the government just get the finger out of the dike and allow common sense to prevail. Some refugees (I am told) (it happened before I arrived at camp to sort things out) ...anyway....they ran out of money and were told to pay or leave by the ranger. A federal employee. They were safe and well fed while they were here - but we feel as helpless as y'all feel when these types of idiotic bureaucratic situations arise. And they do - all day long. It would seem after all the hurricanes last year in Fla.......the FEMA teams would have figured out how to mobilize a bit faster....the politicians could do more than photo ops........We sort of wonder if they spent even one hour in the Super Dome ...if that wouldn't have just been enough get them moving to help us a bit faster. I am reasonably sure 100 people would have been happy to exit in order to give them seat. And so - it goes. Amid the frustration the other news you have not heard are the scenes that don't warrant the media spotlight. Like the woman I met tonight that came home in a towel tonight (I verified the story with her daughter).....she took the clothes off her back to give them to newly arriving refugees from New Orleans. Or the bone weary nurse I saw at Wendy's tonight .....propped up against the wall waiting for a salad. Soooo tired.....and she ended up leaving without it.....cuz more people were arriving at our hospital from New Orleans.....it is not unlike of the all nighter scenes from the M.A.S.H television show. But this nonstop support is real. One of "my" families left our camp today. Before leaving I watched them.....divide up the few belongings they had - giving them to the remaining refugees. It was difficult to watch. These people simply could not tolerate the heat and bugs...and decided to head north in hopes along the way - someone will take them in. I think you will when they get there. Leaving the grocery store a few minutes before midnight tonight - we ran into other relief workers - all of us ramping up for tomorrow. Like us they are untrained and unprepared. Just trying whatever they can think of to help. It was a good meeting. None of us planned it...but it helped. We found ourselves sharing tips for dealing with the emotional duress of the new arrivals who are about to go thru the roller coaster of churn now that survival is assured. We were all surprised as we stood there- that we all cried a bit - none of us had let ourselves do that up to that point. There we were - strangers and yet not at all strangers. Black and white.....and not one ounce of a color barrier. We exchanged phone numbers.....tips for where to get medicine - who still had baby formula and diapers.....how to by pass the idiotic rules.....and we a pledge to share any excess between our shelters. And so it goes. Pounds of frustration. Tons of hope. We know you want to help. We (the shelters) can buy food...,if they have the resources to do so. All of the stores are open and stocked. We can buy batteries and flashlights and such (but don't worry - if you sent them down here - they will be used before spending money) - the truckloads of stuff will all be used. However the priorities of the day are shifting depending on the transient nature of the population. One day you have lots of children to entertain....then some leave and the new arrivals are mostly elderly with a different sent of needs. As I indicated in my last email - I caution you to donate your money wisely. Many groups are here. Many of the lesser known groups are not getting mentioned but they too are invaluable. LIke the Diabetes association who has actually been driving insulin to the shelters (again not waiting for the paper shuffle to end.....) There have been folks in the area getting the word out they have medicine for Aids patients. Lots of agencies. If you already have a church or favorite charity...chances are good they are (or will soon) send help our way. It isn't splashy - but it is effective. In closing - since such a situation could occur in your area too (natural disasters are everywhere).....I suggest you get an emergency bag in order including copies of all of your medicines, insurances, identification cards and copies of your very favorite photos. One thing I hear over and over again is the regrets of not having saved family photos. Sorry if this is too long. But it helped me wind down to have chat with the outside world tonight. Thanks for thinking of us......and loving us with such compassion. I truly wish we NEVER have to return the favor. <a href="http://forums.go.com/abc/thread?threadID=534069&forumStart=0">forums.go.com/abc/thread?threadID=534069&forumStart=0</a>

by **DrDebugDU** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:39 pm

rainbow4321 (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-05-05 05:22 PM Original message FEMA is refusing to collect the dead bodies that they see.... saying that the military has morgue unit that does that...per local scanner. FEMA is also trying to pull put out the local first responders...the responder (firefighter) on the scanner is saying his guys are refusing to leave..they have had a few deserters and they are worried that FEMA pulling the rest out will "totally deplete them". There seems to be alot of "frustration" over 2 large FEMA groups showing up just now..least that is what the local responders are saying. I did put this in the scanner thread but the thought of FEMA people just letting the bodies float by for someone to get "later" is disgraceful. Oh--and the Secret Service is down there, also...cop said "The Secret Service wants to talk to that guy"

by **Ferry Fey** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:47 pm

Most of the survivors of this disaster probably weren't in any position to use the Net for this. But those of you reading this who could be vulnerable to fire, flood, earthquake or terrorism (.i.e., all of us) are undoubtedly in a position where you could upload copies of favorite family photos to a couple of places on the Net (at least 2 places, for redundancy) before a disaster happens. You may have photos that others in your family don't have, and this might be a great way to share them. Make sure other family members or far-flung friends have the password to retrieve the private photos in case of need.

Martial law in New Orleans

looting as potential cash equivalent

Re: Martial law in New Orleans

The Flooding of New Orleans

Re: The Flooding of New Orleans

Re:Astrodome Concentration Kamp

Re: The Flooding of New Orleans

Re: Martial law in New Orleans

Re: The Flooding of New Orleans

hypothetical

Re: hypothetical

Re: hypothetical

Nagin Surrenders City to Feds

Message from a Louisianna relief worker

FEMA is refusing to collect the dead bodies that they see

Family photos lost

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