Author |
Message |
Ocean_islands
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 7:21 am
The thing is, they have no reason to go back most likely. If they had any possessions or home, they've been destroyed.
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Azriel
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 7:23 am
This is a long piece, but it will give you an idea of what the federal government is doing right now and their immediate plans for the future. Press Conference with Officials from Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Energy, Transportation, and Defense
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Fruitbat
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 7:24 am
Yes. It would be costly to travel back and to what? There is nothing left. I just heard a reporter who flew over the entire area report that Gulf Port is gone and he was the most stunned by that. We are getting little coverage of the other cities involved.
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Kaili
Member
08-31-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 7:26 am
Really??? I had no idea about water towers. Huh. Interesting.
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Fruitbat
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 7:31 am
Thanks Az. The words, blessed, literally and mobilization should be removed from the dictionary. We don't need them. Anyone who lives in Houston, I would be interested to hear the local buzz. It can't be good. I cannot imagine how this will effect your community.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 7:44 am
SSA is also working with FEMA and other agencies to get peoples checks to them if possible.
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Fruitbat
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:02 am
If they have identification on them I suppose that could help. First order of business is to stop shooting the rescue workers and settle down, so they can get you out. How not to get public aide and sympathy!
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:07 am
Azriel, it just seems like talk, no action, they are saying the right words definatley, but I just dont see any way that its going to be "fixed" ... the hurricane and what survived may have been 'practiced', but if the hospitals thought they could survive a week, or less without power... they probably thought it wouldnt get this bad this fast... there is no provisions to get the fuel for the generators, there is no way to get drinking water to the masses... The federal government relies on the people to take care of things - Red Cross, Salvation Army etc... the federal govt does provide the low interest loans and works mainly behind the scenes, without the generosity of the people, there is no way to imagine how a recovery is possible. Social Security has to be a nightmare! So first you have to find the person, how do they prove who they are? The documents, the ATM cards, will be lost in many many cases... and then they do get a check, what are they going to do next? Take it to a bank? What to do with the cash? The car companies have suspended loans, the mortgages companies also, I've seen figures of the dollars that come in from taxes per day, none of that can or will be collected in months! I feel a vacuum of going from bad to worse...
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:12 am
Yeah they're working a work around for the identification problems.
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Fruitbat
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:20 am
Pull out of Iraq, send troops with military and NASSA funds to build another city on higher ground for all of those displaced. I am not going to share my drugs, nope.
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:41 am
GET THEM WATER TO DRINK! I do not understand how they can get newscrews in there, but NO WATER! That is the most incromprehensive topic. I get they dont have communication to understand the scope of the looting, I get that the panic for no food, but I dont get why Budweiser in Florida cant get water to them - IF a news crew can get in,, I watched truck after military truck come into the city, empty, why couldnt they be loaded with water, as they passed the people on the highway and just hand them a bottle of water... NOW, I get it, its too damn late. Now, people are panicking, because politicians, or the government, FEMA, or Red Cross didnt know how to respond...
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:52 am
Crystal Geyser, Culligan, Aquafina, Dasani or someone needs to donate water. How do I get in touch with these people. I imagine there are ways for them to get to these people, whether it be military or something else. I am going to the website to contact them. I'll go to dasani, someone take another website, and someone take another, we can take action right here from our keyboards.
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Cathie
Member
08-16-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:56 am
We are finally receiving pedi patients from New Orleans hospitals. They had to be flown by helicoptor from NO to Baton Rouge and then by fixed wing out of Baton Rouge. There is a cooperative effort by pedi hospitals in LA, AR, TX and Kansas to receive all children from the flood site. Most of the ones we are getting are ICU patients, with families included in the transfer. One newborn was flown to Dallas w/o family in attendance. They don't know if the family is even aware of the transfer, or the status of the family's safety. We also have many, many refugee families at hotels and shelters in our N. TX area. They are being labeled refugees so the children can enroll in school. The first few days the kids were refused enrollment because they did not have school records or proof of immunization, but the state ed.agency realized quickly they had to make exceptions. This thing is so huge, it is almost imossible to comprehend the lives that will be changed forever.
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:58 am
Dasani.com got me absolutely nowhere.
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Kaili
Member
08-31-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 8:59 am
Dasani is a Coca Cola Product, Aquafina is Pepsi. That may help.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:01 am
Redstar: Go in and read my post from Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 8:59 pm (It's in the 08-31-05 10:58 pm archive). I totally agree with you. Az: I read the pieces you posted, and I do note that helicopters cannot land if gunmen are firing at them. Perhaps next time there is a hurricane coming, Walmart will find a bank to that will allow them to put all of their stock of guns and ammo in the vault, instead of leaving it in the store. As I posted yesterday, since TPTB knew of the problems in 2002 and chose to voice the needs for repair and then pulled out most of the budget to do it, I do understand that the poor do not believe TPTB. Add to that the media's racial bias (I saw two pictures of folks with a lot of items walking through the water. One was captioned that the people found bread and drinkables at a local store; the other captioned stated that the person looted bread and drinkables from a local store. The "finders" were white; the "looter" was black.) and you get the feeling by those who are housed at the Superdome that no one really cares about them and that they are a problem who could be eliminated from the "New and Improved New Orleans." I just think that it is sad and ridiculous that we aren't accepting foreign aid. Under FEMA guidelines, the states receiving federal aid have to reimburse FEMA 25% of what is paid out--unless they get a dispensation from the President. The money coming in under foreign aid could be used by the states to pay their share. Given that our national debt is beyond rational numbers, to not accept the aid was extremely stupid, IMHO. The more help we can get down there in the form of money, the better and faster things can get done. You'd think that President Bush would have learned from his father on responding to this type of devastation. Granted, he isn't running and won't lose re-election, but he does represent the Republican party, and they will be running someone in 2008.

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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:05 am
Rescue efforts is in stand down mode. The needs of the few are affecting many. Most are gracious, and happy to see rescue, but other people on the other side of town are acting in a violent manner, and according to CNN all rescue efforts is in a STAND DOWN Mode. Major problems in the superdome, but their concern is it is not safe. Stopping rescue efforts, too dangerous. No reliable communication is hampering everything. Still no water for the refugees. No one in control on the southside. No FEMA. Many dead bodies, nothing to be done with them. An infant died where they went to get help on the south side of the river,(in front of a CNN reporter) thinking there will be help there, they are waiting for a bus, for something, and nothing is happening. Rumors spread in the convention center, along river walk. There are river boats, just sitting there empty... people believe those boats can take them to safety.
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:09 am
an hour news conference, all the planning, but it is too big... nothing new in the conference, they arent sure how to control the crowds, the anarchy... nothing is settled yet, should they use trains, planes? they do not know... 5 days later. Red Cross is just trying to still figure out the big picture, in Houston there are 55,000 refugees already in Houston that the Red Cross is trying to help. So many that arent in the superdome are showing up at the Astrodome that they didnt plan for, so they are trying to figure it out. SBC communication is trying to set up internet and phones, but they want to make sure the lines dont get jammed... from people calling inside looking to see if loved ones are there (umm cant they take a list and post it somewhere? Still no word on water. FEMA is doing a good job reassuring that they are there, that they are outraged at how long it is taking, but still actions speak better than words...
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:14 am
Chris Lawerence from CNN is telling horror stories from inside the Convention... they are living like animals, begging, "how much longer" there are swat teams going by, showing a show of force... there is no officials there, there is no hope of when they are going to leave... there is no water, no food. and people are starting to die in front of me.... and there are dead bodies here, just pushed up against the side, and no one knows anything. Again, if a swat truck can drive by thousands of people, and not have cases of water on a truck, I do not understand what the hell is going on!
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:15 am
This will also hamper donations, imho... I cant see trusting giving money to any organization when they cant even figure out a way to give them water in FIVE DAYS!
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Max
Moderator
08-12-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:23 am
I caught the tail end of an interview on CNN with a National Guardsman from Louisiana who is currently in Iraq. They were saying (I think) that the LA National Guardsmen are being deployed home to help. Talk about feeling helpless! How would you like to be one of those National Guardsmen and not know whether your home/family/friends are safe plus be halfway around the world and not able to do what you REALLY signed up to do in the first place, which is serve the people of your state in an emergency! (The guy they interviewed was very PC and said their first duty was to the President and second to the state, but come on. If these guys wanted to fight wars, they would have joined the Army Reserves or regular Army or something instead of the Guard, wouldn't they?) Someone up thread asked about cruise lines and why they couldn't bring in ships to offer shelter. Carnivale Cruise Lines offered just that, but they can't DO it unless the government gives them all kinds of permission. You can guess how long that will take to happen! If I'm not mistaken (and Lord knows, I often am), FEMA couldn't act until they got marching orders from the PResident and those were slow in coming because of his "working vacation". PFFTT! 
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Redstar
Member
07-08-2005
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:30 am
Thanks for the news updates, Reader. President Bush declared a state of emergency for Louisiana on August 27, giving agencies two days to get water, food, rescue and medical aid into place. FEMA says that after a disaster plan on up to 36 hours without assistance. Most disasters have NO warning. Seems to me that significant assistance should have been in place no later than Tuesday. I understand this is a huge disaster and it is undoubtedly difficult to get a handle on things. But saying that "to date 13.5 million liters of water have been shipped" means nothing if it isn't actually ending up in the hands of those who need it. If so much is being done, why are so many people still in such a desperate situation? Actions (or the lack thereof) speak louder than words...
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Max
Moderator
08-12-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:33 am
Press conference from the white house now. Scott McClellan speaking. President Bush is going to the area tomorrow. (THAT should be interesting given the way the violence is beginning to escalate.) Schedule: First stop in Mobile, AL, helicopter tour of AL/MS coast, ground visit in MS, aerial tour of NO, and rest is not planned (or not disclosed). 90,000 sq. miles declared a national disaster. Outlining all the people PResident Bush has been meeting with and getting updates from. An operational update, including law enforcement/security update, will be at 1:30 ET today. President is now speaking with Alan Greenspan RE: economic impact. WIll meet with daddy Bush and Clinton this afternoon to talk about raising money like they did for the tsunami relief. President is sending a "significant contribution" to the Red Cross today. They have waived the state cost responsibility for 25% of FEMA costs for AL, LA, and MS. Government will pay 100% for FEMA for 60 days retroactive to three days ago. (That does take a big burden off the states.)
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Max
Moderator
08-12-2000
| Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 9:34 am
Isn't this guy paying attention? He just said that in MS, the biggest damage was from wind. Uh, can you say TIDAL SURGE?
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