Hurricane Katrina

[UnrulyAppendage]

 

The problem is some people cannot afford to evacuate.

 

 

Ok, this is going to seem really dumb, so somebody feel free to slap me upside the head and school me on why this would be illogical....but if you got 48 hrs advance notice that your entire area would be decimated...I dunno, couldn't you just like grab a backpack and start running? I guess I can't figure out why it takes wealth to skip out of town. I certainly understand that it would be easier to skip out with some cash, and you could of course get out quicker...but still, hey, your life is in danger, put on your reeboks and walk for 30 hours! You know? Maybe a person wouldn't clear the danger zone fast enough, but you'd at least have a fighting chance. No money for food? Scrounge around, beg, go without, whatever. At least you're alive. No place to live? Camp outside. I mean, it's better than dying, isn't it? I just can't understand that...

 

I also realize that there are some folks who can't walk, are seriously ill, etc. That's a different story...but take my dad, for example. There's no way he could walk more than a couple of blocks. He's 76 yrs old. But if I had no transportation and 48 hrs advance notice, I'll be damned if I'd sit by and let him die. He's got a large wheelbarrow in the toolshed, and I'd handcart him night and day if I had to.

 

I dunno, it's just so tragic. I see this footage and I just start yelling at the tv, "why didn't you run?!"

 

I agree with you on the just leaving part. That is what some of them are saying.

 

As far as this being an indictment on the current administration, the situation in NO has been known since it's inception. Somebody had the bright idea of starting a city below sea level in a hurricane zone. There have been other administrations who have had a chance to solve the problems as well. The FEMA report of 2001 is just an excuse to blame Bush. The problem was not magically known to exist at that point. Common sense tells you when the city is below sea level and surounded by water, [embarrassing lack of self control] is going to happen,

[The Black Hand ®]

It makes you wonder what would happen if terrorist hit more then one city at the same time. Also, I heard Bush make no distinction between looters who take food and water and those who take dvd players. Is this guy clueless?

[supapimp]

what's really sad is the southern states voted for him to repeat, and he was taking his sweet arse time in crawford, texas.

[UnrulyAppendage]

what's really sad is the southern states voted for him to repeat, and he was taking his sweet arse time in crawford, texas.

 

Too bad he has to wait for Congress to get back from their vacations so he could pass the 10 billion emergency bill. Where is Ted Kennedy when the country needs him?

[supapimp]

what's really sad is the southern states voted for him to repeat, and he was taking his sweet arse time in crawford, texas.

 

Where is Ted Kennedy when the country needs him?

 

probably boozin it up, but he's not the POTUSA.

[Stan Browne]

What bothers me more than the looting is this article about the politics of safety.

http://www.blackathlete.net/artman/publish/article_01040.shtml. I mean everything is insured and if somebody would rather drown holding a wet TV that probably won't work once it dries is just asking for trouble. These people were just looking for safety.

[Ares]

what's really sad is the southern states voted for him to repeat, and he was taking his sweet arse time in crawford, texas.

 

Too bad he has to wait for Congress to get back from their vacations so he could pass the 10 billion emergency bill. Where is Ted Kennedy when the country needs him?

He is back in town I hear.

Lets not bug him for being late.

Thats water under the bridge

[UnrulyAppendage]

what's really sad is the southern states voted for him to repeat, and he was taking his sweet arse time in crawford, texas.

 

Too bad he has to wait for Congress to get back from their vacations so he could pass the 10 billion emergency bill. Where is Ted Kennedy when the country needs him?

He is back in town I hear.

Lets not bug him for being late.

Thats water under the bridge

 

[UnrulyAppendage]

what's really sad is the southern states voted for him to repeat, and he was taking his sweet arse time in crawford, texas.

 

Where is Ted Kennedy when the country needs him?

 

probably boozin it up, but he's not the POTUSA.

 

Thank goodness.

[supapimp]

what's really sad is the southern states voted for him to repeat, and he was taking his sweet arse time in crawford, texas.

 

Too bad he has to wait for Congress to get back from their vacations so he could pass the 10 billion emergency bill. Where is Ted Kennedy when the country needs him?

He is back in town I hear.

Lets not bug him for being late.

Thats water under the bridge

 

tell that to the people who are being raped in the superdome and to the elderly and children who've been suffering and awaiting help for three last 4 days.

[shadroch]

I don't blame the Bush administration alone for this.I blame everyone that knew this was possible but continued to ignore it. Mostly,the fault lies in the hands of The Army Corp of Engineers.They are supposed to protect our shores,not give in to political bs. They should have deverted money from other projects if they felt it was that important.On long island,alone,they have pissed away multi-millions on a single sand dune thats been washed out repeatedly. Its good to see they were wasting precious resources to protect the homes of a handful of billionaires while projects of major public safety were ignored.

The pitiful reality seems to be that a couple of dozen tractor trailers,full of sand or gravel placed atop and aside the levees might have alleviated much of the breaches.

Reminds me of that old poem-for want of a nail,a shoe was lost.For want of a shoe......

the war was lost.

[october]

Its good to see they were wasting precious resources to protect the homes of a handful of billionaires while projects of major public safety were ignored.

 

You mean the government has been favoring people with money?!? The poor have always been fukked over by the rich. Always have, always will. It would be an interesting study to research the economic demographics of those left stranded in New Orleans, as well as those soldiers currently in Iraq. Not that it's some great secret they aren't millionare's sons.

[Ares]

what's really sad is the southern states voted for him to repeat, and he was taking his sweet arse time in crawford, texas.

 

Too bad he has to wait for Congress to get back from their vacations so he could pass the 10 billion emergency bill. Where is Ted Kennedy when the country needs him?

He is back in town I hear.

Lets not bug him for being late.

Thats water under the bridge

 

tell that to the people who are being raped in the superdome and to the elderly and children who've been suffering and awaiting help for three last 4 days.

 

I was jabbign at Ted Kennedy not Bush

[heinlein99]

Um... wow. I'd avoided TV coverage of Katrina until tonight, just because I don't watch much TV.

 

Some thoughts:

 

1. Much as I hate the Bush administration, this certainly isn't a disaster of their making. People have know about this danger for decades. (And, yeah, if they hadn't been poor black people, more might have been done.) Still, we could stand some more National Guard and Army engineers around right now. Why are the Guard overseas anyway... they're called 'the National Guard,' which should imply what their jurisdiction is... but anyway.

 

2. This is ONE smallish Southern city that this happened to. Imagine if a sizable disaster hit, say, NYC or Philadelphia. The human and economic impact would be even more incredible.

 

3. Between Katrina's devastation and oil at ~$70 a barrel, I see a 70's-style recession for the next few years, at least. I've already seen prices start creeping up at the grocery and retail stores. And local gas is at $3.00 here... a bit more where most of you are, I'll bet.

 

Ugh. I think I'll go lie down now.

[supapimp]

[UnrulyAppendage]

2. This is ONE smallish Southern city that this happened to. Imagine if a sizable disaster hit, say, NYC or Philadelphia. The human and economic impact would be even more incredible.

 

Smallish? NO, Biloxi, and Mobile were affected. That's over 2 million people. The gulf of Mexico is a BIG supplier of US oil and NO is the biggest port for the oil. 6 refineries have been knocked out. This hurricane did not just hit New Orleans. NO may be "smallish", but the total area is wide and the destruction deep.

[precodekeith]

90,000 square miles of devastation, I believe.

[shrunkenhead]

The pitiful reality seems to be that a couple of dozen tractor trailers,full of sand or gravel placed atop and aside the levees might have alleviated much of the breaches.

.

 

Is that true?? God, I hope not....that somehow just makes it all so much worse...

[Forbush-Man]

90,000 square miles of devastation, I believe.

 

Yep, they said that on the news tonight. Hard to believe.

[Ares]

The pitiful reality seems to be that a couple of dozen tractor trailers,full of sand or gravel placed atop and aside the levees might have alleviated much of the breaches.

.

 

Is that true?? God, I hope not....that somehow just makes it all so much worse...

I doubt considering how big the breaches were