New Orleans

[quebec_driver]

I can only feel for the people who have to implement the orders issued. They have to do their duty no matter what they personally feel. It`s a tough job but somone has to do it. That cop might have looked like a bad guy nut he did his job the way he was trained , noone lost their lives.

 

[traveler]

The chain of responsibility for the protection of the citizens in New Orleans is:

1. The Mayor

2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security (a political appointee of the Governor who reports to the Governor)

3. The Governor

4. The Head of Homeland Security

5. The President

What did each do?

1. The mayor, with 5 days advance, waited until 2 days before he announced a mandatory evacuation (at the behest of the President). The he failed to provide transportation for those without transport even though he had hundreds of buses at his disposal.


2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security failed to have any plan for a contingency that has been talked about for 50 years. Then he blames the Feds for not doing what he should have done. (So much for political appointees)


3. The Governor, despite a declaration of disaster by the President 2 DAYS BEFORE the storm hit, failed to take advantage of the offer of Federal troops and aid. Until 2 DAYS AFTER the storm hit.


4. The Director of Homeland Security positioned assets in the area to be ready when the Governor called for them


5. The President urged a mandatory evacuation, and even declared a disaster State of Emergency, freeing up millions of dollars of federal asistance, should the Governor decide to use it and and Bush did it several days before the storm hit, while it was slowly moving yet gaining incredible power from the warm (96 degree) gulf waters.


Oh and by the way, the levees that broke were the responsibility of the local landowners and the local levee board to maintain, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.


The disaster in New Orleans is what you get after decades of corrupt (democrat) government going all the way back to Huey Long.


Funds for disaster protection and relief have been flowing into this city for decades, and where has it gone, but into the pockets of the politicos and their friends.


Decades of socialist government in New Orleans has sapped all self reliance from the community, and made them dependent upon government for every little thing. Looting and thuggery was almost instantaneous with the storm hitting and Lake Ponchatrain flooding the city.


Political correctness and a lack of will to fight crime have created the single most corrupt police force in the country, and has permitted gang violence to flourish.


The sad thing is that there are many poor folks who have suffered and died needlessly because those that they voted into office failed them. And the dems say they are for "the poor", "the people", "the children" while their years of corrupt and dangerous policy have left babies dead, bodies floating in the streets and slit throats in the Superdome

 

[susiedriver]

traveler,
If you are going to cut and paste from right wing blogs, you should at least give them proper credit.

There are an awful lot of, well just plain lies in that post. Google it and see for yourself.

"Look, there will be plenty of time to play the blame game." G.W. Bush

"Well, you know what? When is the time, because I'm happy to write it down in my engagement book. And make an appointment, because, to me, the time is now, when the world is watching." Anderson Cooper

 

[trickpony1]

The stories are coming in about how the evacuee's are using their $2000 debit card:

one bought a $900 purse at some ritzy store

another tried to purchase $1600 in jewelry at a local Wal-Mart. W-M wouldn't sell it to the individual.

Does this tell us anything?

 

[dannyboy]

They have been doing that with our money for years, so whats the big deal now?

I see people here spending all the welfare money, child support checks etc on stupid things like body art, accessories for the car, big screens, etc while if the children want to eat, they must steal or panhandle. Even though child services is aware of the situation, there is very little if anything they can legally do.

But with that being said, there are many that are using it properly to try and put their lives back together again. And it is for those that I dont mind, in fact bend over backwards, to help.

Personally, I think it should mean jail time for those that missuse the cards. After all it is fraud.

d

 

[mr_roboto]

it tells me Barbara probably pocketed a few of those cards for her own use.

how do you know it was evacuee's with the cards?

How many of those cards were printed anyway?

Does this tell us anything?

 

[ok2bclever]

I thought the "card" thing was a stupid not well thought out PR stunt (obviously so did even some of the administration as it was shortly curtailed), but the purpose according to the former Arabian Horse Association "doing a great job Brownie" guy was to allow the intended people to "empower" the evacuees to control what they purchased.

To my mind purchasing an expensive purse or jewelry would be a stupid choice, but hey, it would satisfy the purpose stated by the administration.

There are convenient inaccuracies in travelers borrowed, but not credited cut and paste.

This exact word for word text can be found at any right wing web or blog site currently and makes you wonder if that means there is only one original thinker for the group

PS - normally you should use quotation marks when you are directly quoting so no one thinks you are intentionally plagerizing when you get caught.

So, neither Brownie, nor the president did anything wrong, in fact they obviously did everything right according to that plagerized statement.

Right.

Regardless, logic would say that either that currently popular right wing statement is innacurate and intentionally misleading or george is so influenced by the "nefarious left wing liberal press that controls this country" (see how you use quotation marks when the words are not yours or in this case not mine as these certainly are not my words, but those of the paranoid extreme right wing) that he stabbed his own man who did everything right in the back as a sacrifice to save his own political image.

You can't have it both ways, take your pick.

Either all levels of government (and many citizens) failed to hold up their end of their responsibilities in this disaster or the upper government did everything right and bush just fed a loyal subject to the jackals to save his own ess.

While I personally believe that bush leaves a lot to be desired in a commander and chief, I don't question his loyalty to those loyal to him, even to his detriment.

There is a lot wrong with the New Orleans area, but trying to blame it on a political party is pretty pathetic from any angle, albeit not unexpected considering the source.

 

[susiedriver]

From my understanding, the debit cards were only given out for a short time, and only in Houston.
The anecdotal evidence I've seen quotes an unnamed store manager in Atlanta.

Do I doubt that the opportunity for fraud exists? Hardly, that was one of my initial reactions when I heard the plan.

On the other hand, suppose I was one of the evacuees, and had all of my possessions insured to the hilt, and I wanted to buy some shoes just like Condi Rices with my $2000 of found money? Is there something wrong with that?

 

[upsdawg]

Traveler-----thanks for sharing thoughts from the "Intelectual Activist"------what a great article---unfortunately I have not seen it in the mainstream newspapers-------maybe for obvious reasons----like, upsetting Jesse Jackson and his supporters.

The article mentioned that the plan was to free the prisoners---they must have fled to WalMart or a Gun Store----and then to the Superdome.I have heard bits and pieces of gunmen shooting at police and medical workers----I still can not comprehend what is going onin N.O.

The fact that there is a huge welfare state brings up a great question for N.O and the next area that experiences a Natural Disaster---where do you take the poor, welfare recipients? And if they refuse to evacuate--what then?

 

[dannyboy]

"suppose I was one of the evacuees, and had all of my possessions insured to the hilt, and I wanted to buy some shoes just like Condi Rices with my $2000 of found money? Is there something wrong with that?"

Now we are talking far off base. How many would have had their home and possesions insured that way. And how many would have afforded to spend that much on one pair of shoes.

The money is meant for you to make ends meet with things like clothes, gas, what ever your needs are. They are not meant to waste on the things mentioned in the articles.

There will be a lot of fraud as there has been in the past. Any time you talk government handing out money, they migrate that way. In our area they just got done with the trials of the coon dawg bunch, the contractors that ripped the government off to the tune of almost 900,000 when this area flooded badly a few years back. They got anywhere from 2 years to 30, depending on how much and how involved they were.

I heard it happened in Florida several times and other areas as well. So it will happen here also.

d

 

[susiedriver]

danny speaks to god and can look into peoples souls. He is judge and jury.

danny, if I lived below sea level, I sure as heck would have a boatload of insurance. But that's just me. Granted, most of the people were/are poor, but not all, and granted, some may choose to sell their cards for some ready booze/drugs/guns, whatever. Addiction is a terrible thing. There were only a few thousand cards given out, and it seems that there are that many anecdotal stories out there already, though I've yet to see a legitimate source for any yet.

You seem to be a very bitter person who is quick to point out perceived faults in others. Welfare fraud seems to top your list. Now you tell us you love your UPS job, and raising carp in Tennessee can't be that hard, so why so bitter and quick to judge?

You do realize that quite a few of these people just went throough something that no human should ever have to endure, and their suffering isn't over yet?

 

[dannyboy]

Nope not bitter, just have been brought up with the understanding that if you dont work, you dont eat.

And I am tired of hearing all the excuses of people that cant work for what ever reason. But yet they can afford to do many things that even middle class families can not afford to do. And I am tired of hearing that they are working their butts off but cant get ahead because they are not making a living wage.

Everyone is making excuses for the way they act. I dont. IF you want to live in a shack, draw your welfare check, have 60 kids, stay drunk all the time, this is america. you can do as you please. But dont come knocking at my door for help, cause you wont get any.

Now on the other hand, if you are trying to get ahead, working hard to get ahead, then hell yes I will help. But Ill be damned if I help someone that is too lazy to help themselves.

IF that makes me bitter in your eyes, then maybe there might be something wrong with your view or eyesight.

But then again you have all the answers.

So tell me something. All i have heard is that the poor are working but because they can only make minimum wage, they cant get ahead, because it is not a livable wage.

So what in your opinion IS a livable wage.

d

(Message edited by dannyboy on September 13, 2005)

 

[susiedriver]

danny,

In NOLA a 'prevailing' wage would be a little better than $9/hr. Do the math. You don't buy a car on that, or much else. BTW, your president signed a bill suspending the Davis-Bacon Act, allowing the folks who are contracted through the government to rebuild NOLA to pay their laborers less that the prevailing wage.

 

[susiedriver]

dboy,

here are the prevailing wages for construction jobs in Sullivan Cty, TN:


Bricklayer/Blocklayer..........$ 12.25
Carpenter (Including Framing,
Finishing, Form, Gutter
Install. (Excluding Drywall
Hanging))......................$ 10.00
Drywall Hanger.................$ 10.00
Electrician....................$ 13.67
Laborers:
Mason Tenders...............$ 14.00
Unskilled Including
Asbestos Removal............$ 7.58
Painter, Brush and Roller......$ 8.32
Plumber (Excluding HVAC Pipe)..$ 11.84
Roofer (including Built Up,
Composition and Single Ply)....$ 10.13
Tile Setter....................$ 14.60
Truck Driver...................$ 8.13


That's no benefits, see anyone getting rich yet?

 

[over9five]

"And if they refuse to evacuate--what then?"

Which brings us to the Over9five Refuse to Evacuate Plan: Build a fence around their city and flush them into the ocean. From what we've seen of these scum raping and looting and shooting at cops, we wouldn't miss them.

 

[dannyboy]

Susie

For all the words you posted, and all the fine information on my county, you still didnt answer my question.

Since you know everything, what should the minimum wage be to allow the poor unfortunates to make a "livable" wage?

Come on now, this calls for some real thought on YOUR part, not some links to what ever site.

d

 

[wkmac]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1123495&page=1

 

[susiedriver]

dboy,

Here is a link to the minimum wages in every state. I see TN has none. It doesn't make any difference what I think the wage should be. The prevailing wage is just that, I don't feel the need to try and explain economics to you, I don't think you would 'get it'.

 

[susiedriver]

wkmac,

Gee a politician taking advantage of his position and a scammer in GA, who would've thunk it!

 

[susiedriver]

It's getting closer!
https://web.archive.org/web/20051109221433/http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12637172.htm