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The MSM is promulgating much poppycock as it covers the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as even the most casual review of facts would reveal to anyone interested in knowing the truth.
JamulBlog [Read More]

Tracked on September 3, 2005 10:31 AM

Kate- thanks for taking notice of what's going on here - I'm from Mississippi, and Katrina had a rather direct and personal impact on us here. By the grace of God, we were far enough from the coast to avoid the direct effects of Katrina, but close enough to suffer the subsidiary effects - wind damage, water damage, and loss of electrical power that was only remedied in many areas today. We are some of the lucky ones - over 200,000 Entergy customers are still without power, in the humid, burning torture that is a Mississippi August.

Canadian power and light people are helping with the crisis down here, and God bless them for that. One thing that you won't be hearing on the media, however, is the tremendous difference between Mississippi's response to this problem, and that of Louisiana. In the Magnolia State, there was adequate leadership, planning, and good, common-sense decision-making that made all the difference in the world. Louisiana, by contrast, doesn't seem to have had any type of planning framework in place, and the negligence of their state government is nothing short of criminal.

I am old enough to remember what Camille was like, and this is several times worse. Yet the fact remains that Mississippi, where the brunt of the storm struck, is dealing with this crisis, while in Louisiana the situation is deteriorating by the moment, with little responsible action being taken.

Thanks Kate for providing the link to rightwingsparkle. I never would have found it otherwise.

I was actually in the Preservation Jazz Hall in the French Quarter in April 1988.

It was a sacred magical moment to be in the birthplace of jazz. It is a tiny two room edifice of silver coloured and aged wooden clapboard, smack within a modern city.

The band was loud with a good looking jazz singer with a bright red tie. I will never forget that bright red tie.

This is one of the oldest, most culturally rich cities in the world, let alone the U.S.

We must preserve New Orleans and respect and protect its people as we would Florence or Paris.

It is easy to donate. Do it. redcross.ca or redcross.org or 1 800 HELP NOW

It would be a shameful act of self centred self indulgence to blog another word without donating to Katrina relief. Help now or close up your lap top. There will be a time when those responsible in government go to prison for this, but now is not the time to think about that.

Kate, I'm a little disappointed because this shouldn't be an issue of partisanship. Left, Right, Centre etc., Politics is not the place for this human tragedy it has affected everyone. Unfortunately this post has that flavour of propaganda

If there weren't problems in planning, Bush wouldn't have publicly stated the response was inadequate. This is documented! It'll take time before law suits are launched and there is enough video all around to support that people are angry at those responsible for being ignored. So who did the ignoring?

The federal government denied funding to upgrade the levees to withstand a level 5 hurricane for two decades calling requests for more money by the army corps of engineers as "pork".

All of this is unbelieveable that such a huge and important city was almost wiped out. Not only that, this is now hurricane season and more may be 'washing up on shore'.

Rodent:

Do your research. It would take thirty years and hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars to build a levee capable of withstanding a Cat 4 hurricane. You know nothing about hurricanes.

Tragedies like this tend to bring out the best in people, and the worst in the most despicable varieties.

Take a quick inventory of those who are not encouraging help, but spending time pointing fingers.

Then spend a second asking yourself, what possibly could be their motivation for a negative instead of a positive response?

I think that answer lies in your own blackened heart.

This is a nightmare. I feel so helpless sitting here in Vancouver watching our lame-dick government do their polling before taking action. Anyway, I was thinking, if every RV dealer in Canada and the US donated 3 or 4 of used/old trailers they have, surely they could find a parking lot/field somewhere close by and set up a trailer park. Failing that, what about tent city? I still feel trailers would give these folks some sense of home, and what the hell? It would make such a difference. I don't know how to organize something like this tech-wise, but maybe somebody else can suggest something here. There are trailer parks in every state, thus dealers. It would cost them so little at this time to help out.

Here's another - how about emergency refugee status and temporary residency status for a few of these families? Several states are already planning to take in numbers of people for extended help, as its obvious rebuilding will take months, and many of them won't have the resources to even begin. They may in an area where jobs are plentiful.

rodentum - disaster planning is first a local responsibility. To say that it was inadequate is an indictment of local officials. For example - the mandatory evacuation order was prompted by Bush, who called the Louisiana state governor and implored her to call it. At that, she waited many hours before it was declared.

Likewise, the national guard cannot move into a state until they are specifically requested by the state government. Because the states are far more autonomous, the deployment of the military in the US is heavily restricted by law, as opposed to the freedom the military has to operate here in Canada.

The BBC reports from British students who were sent to the super dome were pretty brutal...it sounded like a real-life version of lord of the flies with factions grouping up for defense or offense.....racial bigotry, drugs, weapons, rape...an an omni present filth...all the wonderful cultural products of the permanent welfare state underclass concentrated under one roof.

Seems they didn't make the same mistake in the Astro dome.

That last line is Sean Hannity's mantra.

Give credit where it is due...

When bad things happen, CNN will be there, ready to "report".

As the tide turns... Who can honestly say you had any doubts?

CNN ain't got nuthin on FOX. They have Geraldo, and he cries. ALOT.

yeah, no one at the super dome was mad at the government...sure. what about the convention center? good news though, the govenor of LA has again suggested everyone pray a lot. and doug, you simply don't know what the fuck you are talking about. goddamn it, i hate ignorant canukistani.

Doug, it's a bit sad that you gave into that impulse. It's archived forever now.

You are implying malicious intent and that is imply absurd.

Make it a rule to have breakfast before blogging. You can be nasty on an empty stomach. 73s TG

I agree with Doug.

Hey, that Ed Lau is one helluva lucky guy.
That's the best foot he ever put forward for his business eh? TG

Regarding Doug's screed above, let me just say, as I said above, from the perspective of someone only a few miles removed from the nightmare, with access to media and local opinion that may not be making it across the 49th parallel:

what's happening in New Orleans isn't contingent on race, or politics, or ideology of any kind - it all comes down to plain, old-fashioned, criminally stupid incompetence. There was ample advance warning, and little if any doubt as Katrina boiled up in the Gulf just what was coming. The Mississippi Gulf Coast region, well-versed in what Camille had been like, evacuated for the most part and MEMA went into operation. By contrast, in Louisiana, half-measures were the order of the day, and were until the last few hours.

Slightly off topic but........
Saw an item on Bourque?? about Vancouver based USAR setting up in Louisiana at the request of the governor.
As I recall this is the same group that PMPM refused to allow to go to SE Asia last December after the Tsunami.
Listening to Coast to Coast early this AM notice was made of Air Canada supplying planes and crews to help evacuate people out of New Orleans.
It's nice to see our small bits of help can make it on US radio but we sure don't hear about it in Canada.

Great post from Sparkle, and I have seen people helping people first hand here in Houston myself. Time will surely show how there were a lot of mistakes made but I am really disappointed how the left spins things to their own agenda. Saw a senator (Republican at that) who was in the thick of the disaster. He wouldn't do an interview as a politican. Said he was there as a doctor and he said there was a lot of work that needed to be done then went back to work! I didn't see Kennedy, Streisand, or Michael Moore there rolling up their sleeves and giving a hand. Mmmm? Actions speak louder than words.

Incompetence on a murderous scale. When 80% of a city lives below sea level one would think evacuation plans, at the very least, would be of the first order.

Doug...
Your right, I never been through a hurricane, but I've listened to enough people who have some knowledge on the subject.

The levee problem existed since the '60's and was only 80% finished. It's been noted repeatedly that money has been requested to finish it since the '70's. They knew the hurricane was coming, they pre-planned it with "Hurricane Pam", a Louisiana publication predicted what had happened three years ago. All levels of government are responsible and the American media is now paying attention.

Perhaps I just care more about poverty than you do...c'est domage. It's not my problem if it doesn't fit within your propaganda.

habamusrodentum, check out this article at CIVIL ENGINEERING MAGAZINE:
http://www.pubs.asce.org/ceonline/ceonline03/0603feat.html
The levee system was only built to withstand a catagory 3 hurricane. Even if they were 100% complete they would have failed. If the governments at the time required the levee system to be built to withstand a catagory 5 hurricane do you think they would have started them in the first place or would it have been more cost effective to relocate the city? Hindsight is always 20/20.

Relocate New Orleans. The Big Easy... where exactly do you propose it will be relocated to?

I remember when we passed up the dome from I10 It was crazy. Mass amounts of people. It made me us (everyone on the bus) Cry .. we thought we had it bad sleeping outside on the interstate but the whole Superdown thing was wild.

Im the guy whos blog was featured on CNN .. crazy huh?