[WarpedRotor]

First off, I plead massive amounts of ignorance when it comes to politics and my trying to decipher female emotions. I would rather drink and scratch my groin like a neanderthal. I digress.
FEMA - The Federal Emergency Management Agency, I guess these folks failed to watch the weather channel and hear about this storm. How much advance notice do you need to prepare for a category 4 or 5 hurricane? Are we to believe that giving aid to the area of Katrinas damage is so impractical that we will just sit and wait until the survivors wade to dry land? I thought that stock piling food, water and medical items in case of disaster was part of thier charter? Where is it and why is it not delivered?
Oh wait, they can't find boats? Or can't find any available? What about helicopters? I do not see or hear about enough of them flying in to drop supplies or give aid. From what I recall, the entire south/southeast is a HUGE military air training area. There used to be bases chock full of helicopters, cargo planes and troops that could be used for this. Did we send them all into the sand pits? I see on the news that more National Guard members are finally being sent to the disaster area. About friggin time!
I also see that some section of the government will not allow privately funded rescue attempts or aid into the area. WTF? Is this not one of the GREAT things about being american? (Besides owning firearms) To give aid when and where it is needed. Am I missing more to this? There are groups of volunteer nurses and doctors sitting in queue to get into the area and they are being DENIED. It breaks my heart to see the stranded people dying on TV due to simple neglect.
On the drop of a hat, we can run our collective a$$e$ into a 3rd world country with C140's loaded to the gills with food, water and medical supplies but, for some unknown reason, have difficulty doing the exact same thing in our back yard. I just don't get it. I know it is all on the way, and will eventually get there but, why is it taking so damned long?

I have family showing up tomorrow from Houston, via New Orleans. I am glad they made it out. It cost her everything but a large purse of belongings and a cat. (I would have left the cat, they swim better than me):leaving:

Is anyone else out there frustrated about the measures that are being taken? I know there is not much I can personally do but, we have organizations for this. WTF are they doing?

Loren
Pissed-Frustrated-about to be a year older and none the wiser!

 

[Ace]

I am more upset at the morons that think nothing is being done when it is. This is a massive rescue operation and difficult to get people out with roads being flooded etc. I digress because per mod rules this one would get far too ugly.

 

[bumblebee]

My biggest complaint has been with the Administrators in New Orleans. Every day I see their Mayor cussin and begging for help and crying that no one is in charge. Well, It's his city!! Every other hurricane, tornado, flood etc, we see the mayor, chief of Police, Fire Department and others stepping up and giving interviews about what plans are in effect and efforts they are making. It appears to me, the "City Leaders" of New Orleans have bailed on their own citizens and are leaving everything for someone else to clean up, and are now whining about it...

Instead of the Mayor appearing on Larry King live, or Regis and Kelly, pointing fingers and complaining, why isn't he on the roof of City hall with a satellite phone directing things...Instead of crying for aid, why hasn't he requested 50 satellite phones and some amphib vehicles and been out in his city trying to help?

 

[WarpedRotor]

I like the tone, but dont get personal. I never said NOTHING was being done, I questioned the FEMA planning and wondered why not enough was being done. I see the stockpiles of stuff at Sky Harbor that needs to get out and cant because of some agency and its rules. Any idea who or what that is? I am honestly asking.
News stations even said that the naval carriers have some sort of reason for not being closer. The live footage on TV isn't any better since day one. They may be playing to the dreadful nerve instead of the hopeful one. Wouldn't if be nice to see some of that massive rescue operation in action?
I did plead ignorance didn't I ACE? :dupe:
The MORONS in charge are currently pointing fingers at each other. Thier priorities are skewed.

 

[Ace]

For one, they already talked that if they just dropped in tons of supplies they fear caos, rioting, and fighting by everone to get the supplies. There has to be some form of orginazation to get the people out of there. Which they are doing their best do to right now. But apparently its not good enough for people.
It was MASS destruction, and people seem to think the US would just fly in and clean up and get everyone out within a few hours. Not gonna happen, especially being surrounded by water. Its going to take time.

I for one always thought California would fall into the ocean first. GUess this one time I was wrong. :bonk:

 

[bumblebee]

GUess this one time I was wrong. :bonk:

Boy, Oh Boy, I'll bet that one hurt to say... :neen:

 

[WarpedRotor]

Heh, California into the ocean. I always thought that too. Lived there for a decade and each earthquake scared the crap outta me.
The fighting, riots and chaos are already happening. It will continue to happen regardless of the aid. The area is unorganized, the local government has zero control of the area. People are making thier own rules and living in a disaster/war zone.
I question the means and methods again. The last time the Missouri flooded (July 1993?) it was bad. Not as bad as what is currently happening. The recovery and aid was almost immediate. We should have seen more happening with the current situation and we don't.

 

[ShanMan14]

I'm with Bee. The Mayor of N.O. is proving to be a complete moron.

Saying that only a "few knuckleheads" are causing the problems, and these are the crack addicts "trying to get their jones."

Their "jones"... this is from a professional politician. No, it's from a cable TV executive turned Mayor.

This guy continues to exude ignorance by calling the Feds to "get off their asses" and declaring an "SOS", then becoming a recluse until the next press conference to incite and already volatile situation.

Our political system allows for such amateurs to hold such positions, but when you don't have anything to say, don't say it.

I still don't quite understand how we can come to the aid of countries all over the world, but we have such a task mobilizing a similar operation here. I also recognize that there is a lot being done.

I also understand this is unprecedented and the challenges are new, but there you go... I have to plead ignorance on this and shut up.

Just wish Mayor Ray Nagin would do the same.

 

[WarpedRotor]

I guess there are others in the national arena asking the same questions. From the headlines:
"A military helicopter tried to land at the convention center several times to drop off food and water. But the rushing crowd forced the choppers to back off. Troopers then tossed the supplies to the crowd from 10 feet off the ground and flew away."
"Response operations are being conducted over a disaster area of nearly 90,000 square miles Ñ the biggest single disaster response in our nation's history. This is a catastrophic event, and it takes time to get assets to victims over this large area," said Brown. "We ask for patience from individuals who may be uncomfortable but are safe while we conduct search and rescue efforts for those who are stranded and without commodities."
"This is a national disgrace," said New Orleans' emergency operations chief Terry Ebbert. "We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the city of New Orleans."

Congress was rushing through a $10.5 billion aid package, the Pentagon promised 1,400 National Guardsmen a day to stop the looting and President Bush planned to visit the region Friday.

Before boarding Air Force One and heading to the Gulf Coast Friday, Bush said tons of food and millions of gallons of water is on its way to the needy and 600 military police are going to be deployed to New Orleans to make sure it arrives safely, but more needs to be done.

"There's a lot of people working hard to help those who have been affected I want to thank people for their efforts," the president said. "The results are not acceptable."

 

[Homer4598]

I saw an article written by one of the people affected by the Tsunami, who was comparing the two events. In the article, he said how everyone came together to help victims of the Tsunami -- even those that had nothing helped others. In New Orleans, everyone is fighting everyone to take for themselves.

 

[Gas Man]

I love how everybody is pointing the fingers at the Fed Govt when the local and state govt aren't doing crap! :wtf:

I'm :sorry: but my :2cents: says...The largest problem is that the people down there are lazy POS'es. Last year Florida got desimated by 4 hurricanes and you didn't hear them and/or their mayors yelling and chanting.."Help us" "get us out of here"... no those people got up, and started to pick up things... these morons just want to get out and let somebody else clean it up! The "YOU need to come down here and fix this" attitude is REDICULOUS!! All across the country people expierence natural disasters and those people clean up, put in some elbow grease and "get er done!" These people want everybody else to do it for them...

I know I know... I did just say it! And I know, these people are quite poor...but come on...

Off soap box for now!

 

[JK_DILLA]

...hmmm...

The diffrence between the local coverage and the national coverage is astounding. Local coverage is working the human stories and little victories. Like today they ran a story on 60 newborns helicoptered to a hospital today. They were malnurshed and sick, but now being taken care of. Very focused. national coverage is talking racism, incompetence, national security, and blame. The gap is hard to bridge that its the same event. Nat coverage seems to use it as a jumping off platform to pick a bigger fight. local coverage is very much in the middle of the actual fight. Its hard to watch either anymore, but the diffrence is clear. Im not saying one is right or wrong or either are either, but its gone from being sympathised to politicized. For better and for worse.

 

[JEKYLL]

I'm with G.M.!!! -small example;The pic's I saw on the news of the conv. center shows the bathrooms AND the areas they're sleeping in,filled with urine soaked trash...come on as a group of people in this situation,how can you do this...what was a clean descent place to take shelter they trashed...I don't know,It's a shame the whole thing,all the way around is disturbing!?

 

[ne1469]

The diffrence between the local coverage and the national coverage is astounding. Local coverage is working the human stories and little victories. Like today they ran a story on 60 newborns helicoptered to a hospital today. They were malnurshed and sick, but now being taken care of. Very focused. national coverage is talking racism, incompetence, national security, and blame. The gap is hard to bridge that its the same event. Nat coverage seems to use it as a jumping off platform to pick a bigger fight. local coverage is very much in the middle of the actual fight. Its hard to watch either anymore, but the diffrence is clear. Im not saying one is right or wrong or either are either, but its gone from being sympathised to politicized. For better and for worse.

:iagree: one must always be mindful that what the media presents is not always absolute :readng:

 

[Gas Man]

JK...I totally understand that. The national media is bring up this racist crap! :rant: and how the war is effecting it and all this :wbs: but the real deal is fixing the problems instead of everybody being monday morning quaterbacks!

Jekyll... I seen that as well... how the astro-turf was soaked with urine! uke: Come on people... the place is capable of handing the capacity of a huge number of people... use the facilities.... for christ sake! :nonod:

Makes me never want to visit there... I'm :sorry: if I'm coming off harsh and cold. But I have never seen so much coverage of a bunch of adults just sitting around whining like a pile of spoiled brat kids! Just sitting, and waiting for somebody else to help them... F' that... help your damn self! And being poor, white, black, brown, purple, christian or a jew has nothing to do with!! You're just dealing with a bunch of lazy POS'... plain and simple. Why can't they be more like the New Yorkers during 9/11 or the Floridians any year between July and Oct????

 

[Curve]

I think Katrina has shown the rest of the world and America just where our weaknesses lie here at home. I feel the media is of no help stirring racist tension in every headline. These are victims not examples of loopholed segregation. I feel that whatever is on the news about Katrina, only parts of it is true. I do believe food is being sent on the way. I do believe aid is on the way and there is no doubt in my mind about that. Many of the Los Angeles fire fighters where I am have started their journey towards the heart of all this, leaving as of the Sept. 1st. However, I feel it could've been done faster. The chaos could have been resolved by now if not then by the very least settled down some. And I say that strongly because it happened here at home. The survivors of the Tsunami in Asia were in comparison treated in a more timely manner than this. Nearly halfway around the globe and in 5 days U.S. gov't aid was dealt to aid the victims there. Why is it this time it has taken the same amount of time and the disaster is here at home? This wasn't a sucker punched event but rather a hurricane which everyone knew was on a path towards us. The excuse that there was time to prepare is no excuse. Anyone who argues that there was no sure way the hurricane would venture over U.S. soil is full of it. With the scale of Katrina that was traveling dangerlously close to us it doesn't make any sense why there wasn't any prepartion of some kind. I mean honestly, its a hurricane. Why hesitate preparations to only end up clearing and rebuilding a more emotionally tramatic and costly aftermath.

America is a powerful superpower but it doesn't know when to help itself and that makes me sad as I'm sure many of you sad as well. I feel that if these people whether black or white lived in a state where its economy for the most part thrived on itself like California the situation wouldn't still be in the stagnant condition it is right now. And like I mentioned above some form or preparation would have been underway before the disaster struck. To make a contrast, 9/11, New York, was given aid the following day as oppose to Katrinas' 4 days. Finally on the 5th day of all this a bill is approved by our gov't for aid. Two different disasters and two different state economic strengths. In this the richer isn't taken lightly.These backdoor politics will only hurt us more in the future. Stop reasoning; Stop arguing; Stop listening to the grapevine and start helping. It's the only way to make things right and move on.

This is just my :2cents:.

 

[Gas Man]

Good points there Curve... I have heard the Tsunami cross reference... but there was a delay on that aid as well. But yes it was about the same length of time for half around the world.

To play the devils advocate... not many expected it to hit that area of the country. Nor did they expect it to be so big. It wasn't till the day before that they seen how bad it was going to be. With that said, the local and state govts didn't react well enough to get people evacuated.

There are many problems that have compounded onto each other!

 

[JK_DILLA]

What hasent been mentionedin Nat coverage is that there has been alot of help since day one. There are firefighters and other public servants from Arkansas, Michigan, even as far as Los Angeles who have been working away since the levee broke. Aid from individual cities and from atheletes. Even local louisianians, anyone with a boat, has mobilized to lend a hand. Why they werent utilized better is up to debate. And as this story becomes more obtuse and forgets the story and follows the sensation, lets not forget about your neighbors that are here walking in the sludge too.

 

[Earlzach]

It is only my opinion that the big flub up came from who goes where first. What I am getting at is trucks with food were loaded but not let go because they were told the People were moving on busses. The busses didnt run because they were told food and ground aid was comming. Why ship truck loads of goods to a dome that will be empty from busses taking them away? The truck should go to the new location. However the busses were not in a hurry to disrupt the relief efforts of the food and water trucks to strengthen the people. Why should they pull up and wait. So this IMO was the largest un organized saving effort. Thank GOD this was not a terror attack on our country agian. And this only lets us know how unprepaired were still are. 6 days is BS. They could have ran water trucks or fire trucks just to give a cooler or sprinkle down shower for heat relief. To many people, Myself included wanted to just leave behind anyone in town because the News showed the looters. That was before I even realized just how big this really was. Those looters were the smallest of the true problems that were faced, and I believe that other areas that could see the media figured there is no rush based on the criminal coverage we saw. There is a lot more to my theory but it is Ranting. God bless all of those in need for the next few months or years.

 

[Curve]

I know it's a squirrel but it does make a good point. Follow the link below.


MOD EDIT: Link removed due to Inappropriate language


Please PM Curve for the link... -Gas Man