Well, I had family in New Orleans, and thank god they got safely to Houston, TX (I have family over there as well...)

That's great news Don Andrew.

Nice to hear some good news out of there Don Andrew. I am glad that they are all safe.

Check your PM.


Don Cardi

Listening to all the stories of the people in The Convention Center in NO is heart wrenching. Two babies died of dehydration. You see old people in wheelchairs, dead. They have no help from anyone. I can't believe something like this can happen in America.

My thoughts and prayers and those of my family are with the many people who have been affected by this natural disaster.

The senate just voted to allocate 10.5 billion dollars in relief funds for this . Now they must wait until tomorrow for the house of representatives to vote and pass this proposal. Wait untill tommorow? Why the hell couldn't the house have a special session this evening that would take place right after the senate vote? What's the matter, are they too good to come to their jobs at night to help speed up the allocation of funds that are of extreme importance to this disaster?

Maybe I am missing something here that someone could clarify for me.


Don Cardi

DC it wasn't a senate vote only a small percentage of the senators had a voice chat with Bush and approved it.

Also what REALLY pisses me off is that they even need to get back in session for this, is ANYONE really going to vote against this?

I'm always behind you guys on the coverage. I am just now getting to see footage of today's news.

It's heartbreaking. One woman was holding three babies who hadn't eaten or changed diapers in 3 days. One looked very sickly and appeared to be sleeping. With the hot temperatures and no assistance of any kind, must be absolutely horrid.

I commented earlier how awful the looting is, and I still think it is. Yet, after seeing some of this footage, I know if my babies/children needed food/water I would do what I had to do to feed them, even steal it. I just couldn't let them starve to death. So where do you draw the line I wonder??


TIS

Wow, I just can't believe some of the pictures coming out of New Orleans. Biloxi looks like Hiroshima.

Natural disasters can and do happen anywhere in the world.

But in terms of the aftermath...how can this happen in America??

BTW good to hear from you again SaladBar.

Good question. You ask 50 Americans and you'll get 50 different answers. My own answer is its a combination of being completely overwhelmed by the sheer size of this event AND the inability of the government to respond in an organized, effective manner. Heads will start to roll soon and the response will become better organized. I don't think its a question of the U.S. having the resources with which to respond.... I don't think its a question of the U.S. having the will to respond..... its just that nobody knows what the fuck they're doing to organize the help.

You are so correct SC. This effort, as you have said, lacks the leadership qualities that a disaster of this magnitude really needs. It seems to me that whenever I see a Rescue worker, a red cross volunteer, a law enforcement figure, or a political leader in that area being interviewed, they lack direction and seem confused. No one seems to know what procedures should be taken and how certain situations that are arising should be addressed. What this effort lacks is a the take charge abilities of a Rudy Giuliani and a Bernie Kerik.

It boggles my mind that in this day and age, with technology and satellites that can zero in and track a friggin ant in a desert taking a shit, that we are not able to use that technology to see 1000's of people stranded on the side of a highway waiting for direction and help!

And you are also right when you say heads will roll over this. Without getting political here is no question in my mind that many people in powere here really dropped the ball. While no one can fault a human for a natural disaster like this, there was plenty of time to prepare for this. It was not like this Hurricane snuck up and blindsided this state. They tracked this thing for about 10 days, and knew the impact that it could strike with. While I realize that 20/20 is hindsight, common sense should have been used here and was not. The governer of the state did not seem to wake up until the 10th hour. A mandatory evacuation should have been called several days before this thing struck, not at the 11th hour. There are procedures and steps that need to be taken by a governer to declare a state of emergency. And it's starting to come out that many steps in that procedure were not taken until it was almost too late. Couple that with the stories of how the levees and pumping systems were not maintained and like you said, heads are going to roll.

Someone needs to go in there and take charge.

This is a damn shame. It's sickening.


Don Cardi

You are so correct SC. This effort, as you have said, lacks the leadership qualities that a disaster of this magnitude really needs. It seems to me that whenever I see a Rescue worker, a red cross volunteer, a law enforcement figure, or a political leader in that area being interviewed, they lack direction and seem confused. No one seems to know what procedures should be taken and how certain situations that are arising should be addressed. What this effort lacks is a the take charge abilities of a Rudy Giuliani and a Bernie Kerik.

It boggles my mind that in this day and age, with technology and satellites that can zero in and track a friggin ant in a desert taking a shit, that we are not able to use that technology to see 1000's of people stranded on the side of a highway waiting for direction and help!

And you are also right when you say heads will roll over this. Without getting political here is no question in my mind that many people in powere here really dropped the ball. While no one can fault a human for a natural disaster like this, there was plenty of time to prepare for this. It was not like this Hurricane snuck up and blindsided this state. They tracked this thing for about 10 days, and knew the impact that it could strike with. While I realize that 20/20 is hindsight, common sense should have been used here and was not. The governer of the state did not seem to wake up until the 10th hour. A mandatory evacuation should have been called several days before this thing struck, not at the 11th hour. There are procedures and steps that need to be taken by a governer to declare a state of emergency. And it's starting to come out that many steps in that procedure were not taken until it was almost too late. Couple that with the stories of how the levees and pumping systems were not maintained and like you said, heads are going to roll.

Someone needs to go in there and take charge.

This is a damn shame. It's sickening.


Don Cardi [/b][/quote]Great post Don Cardi...somehow it always heartens me when you and I occasionally agree on something

I am so saddened by the images I'm seeing. It sure doesn't look like America.

I heard Brian Williams who is/was in N.O. comment that while talking to another reporter yesterday, he used the phrase "when we get back to the States.." catching himself that this actually was the States. Damn! Is that sad or what?

I guess the question on everyone's mind is "where the hell is the help?" These poor souls shouldn't have to wait for 5 days for food/water. God knows how many will suffer/die. I can't get the images of the starving desperate people (especially the babies) out of my head.

TIS

Did anyone see the mayor of New Orleans on the news this morning? I had already left for work, but a co-worker of mine said he was fired up. He was saying this is damned ridiculous, and for people to get off their asses and help. I wish I could have seen it. Hopefully they'll replay it tonight. Heads had better roll over this.

TIS I don't mean to make this sound cold hearted or anything but the national guard and all that needs to make sure that everyting is stable enough for them to go in. I don't see a point in A) sending in troops that will either die or become victims themselves B) having the troops not be able to perform their duties effectively and cost people their lives that might not have died had they waited an extra day.

There needs to be an investigation into WHY a lot of this happened, and hopefully use this as a way to make new machines, techniques etc... in solving these types of problems if they come up again.

The leveys or whatever they are called is inexcusable.

And you don't think he staged that??? Brian Williams is far too intelligent and experienced a newscaster to make a slip like that without it being intentional. He was clearly trying to send a message.

Whether or not that is part of his job is debatable.

Apple

Hi DMC,

Yes, I understand that, however one has to wonder why they can't send planes to drop food/supplies on the ground like they've done for other countries. Also, reporters seem to have no problem getting in. We see on-the-scene coverage daily. 5 days is just unacceptable. I agree that not only LA, but all states and the Federal government must come up with a decent plan should this ever happen again. I don't know who/what exactly is to blame, and if nothing else, we must learn from this situation and make sure it doesn't happen again one another disaster occurs in N.O. or anywhere in the U.S.

TIS

From the AP:
"They flew down here one time two days after the doggone event was over with TV cameras, AP reporters, all kind of goddamn - excuse my French everybody in America, but I am pissed," Nagin said.

And rightfully so. Even the cops are deserting the force. The Bush-meister better make a big showing today - and not just rhetoric.

I figured they were I thought you meant trying to rescue people say trapped in their attics if it just wasn't possible to get to them.

I would be all for having a "government news station for disasters" maybe change it every year say 2,4,5,7 and then rotate it each year. There is NO need to have that many extra people there just reporting for each station. I would bet my life that those reporters are being well fed as well.

Literally, Bush better put it balls to the walls, or it'll hurt him in the polls. Remember his father lost many votes in the 1992 election simply because people felt he didn't "react" fast/strong enough after then-worst hurricane in American history in Andrew(at least in terms of financial property loss, back then $26 billion).

Anyway, when people estimate $50 billion to be the damages....I actually wouldn't be surprised if $75 billion would be more like it.

Fox News just showed an impressive sight .... a HUGE convoy of 18 wheelers (carrying food, water, etc.), MANY trucks towing boats, buses and at least 20 fire trucks from out-of-state fire departments just went rolling in to downtown New Orleans. Its estimated that as many as 1,000 vehicles may be in that convoy!

Exactly TIS! I am so sick to my stomach looking at these poor people and at the same time outraged at this. No one has seemed to step up and take some sort of control in this thing. The damn governer over there seems to thrive on holding press confrences! Screw that shit! Get off your ass and do what is needed to get fast help to your state! Spend that precious time coordinating things instead of putting you mug in front of a camera three time in two days to speak to the press! Your speaking on TV is NOT helping those people. They have ne means of communication. I am so outraged by the lack of leadership and the mass confusion there that I want to.......UUUNNNGGGGG!

Imagine being stranded with your spouse and children for 4 days with no one contacting you, no food , no water, amongst thousands of people, dead and alive, not knowing if anyone is ever going to rescue your children. Damn, I would have probably lost it by now also.


Don Cardi

HALLELUJAH!!!

That convoy was 8 miles long!!!

He can lose all of the votes that he wants right now, because he cannot get re-elected.

But he does need to put his balls to the wall to help these people. He needs to do whatever neccessary within his power to get things done quickly and effectively.

Don Cardi

SC I heard on the news this morning that Steve McNair from the Tenessee Titans sent a whole bunch of supplies down as well.

Leona Helmsley, the queen of mean, donated $5 Million Dollars!


Don Cardi

I just wanted to add one more thing, the U.S. is actually coming together again and there is no RIGHT/LEFT/CONSERVATIVE/DEMOCRAT crap going on right now and it's all about helping the people.

Maybe we can keep this outlook and realize that TOGETHER we can get much much much more accomplished!

When Hurricane Ivan hit last year before the election, remember how Bush went and personally handed out water and such to the people? Everyone stuck up for him and said he didn't do it for just votes. Well, since he no longer needs votes, I expect to see him in there handing out food and water or we're going to know it was just a political move.

This is the time for private industry to step up to the plate and do the right thing. Its sadly evident, so far, that we can't count solely on our government.

Hopefully these convoys rolling in will be the start of the end of all the suffering.