Tuesday, September 6th, 2005...11:03 pm
Let Them Eat Astrodome Stadium Dogs
I’ve been trying not to be totally pissed off over the last week or so. I’ve been studying the Benedictine Rule with the sisters at the Sanctuary down the road from me, I’m sure there is something in there about the value of patience and humility versus wanting to scream at some random FEMA official.
Two things today made my blood boil.
One, Barbara Bush actually said this after touring the Houston Astrodome:
Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them.
She said this, and then giggled.
Giggled.
I realize that the media loves her, since she “tells it like it is” or some such nonsense. Personally, I’ve seen that her comments have a tinge of elitism; her insults are most often directed at people outside of her old line Brahmin class. Anyone remember her rude comments directed at Geraldine Ferraro?
You can listen to the audio, if you want.
David Corn has some excellent commentary on this.
Second thing that made my blood boil: firefighters that have been sent to volunteer have been instead tasked with public relations duties. For God’s sake, what the hell is wrong with these people?
I suppose this is what happens if you put some second rate political hack in charge of FEMA.
A team of 50 firefighters was assembled and deployed…to accompany George Bush on a photo-op. We wonder why people are so cynical about politicians.
Somebody out there, give me a sliver of hope.
13 Comments
September 7th, 2005 at 2:24 am
I was listening to NPR this afternoon at work and on that program that airs at 4 to 5 or the late afternoon one: they interviewed a guy who with 2 buddies hopped into a Huey helicopter that one of them apparently owns, flew to New Orleans and then started to rescue people. At one point they had finished and saw a hospital that was filled with innocent cats and dogs that their owners had been forced to leave behind. So these three guys went off to a non-disaster Wal-Mart and bought $1,900 of dog food and then took it back to the hospital.
Does that help a little?
Also when they interviewed a few of Arizona’s firefighters, the guys were talking about actually using their vacation time until they got word they were going to be shipped out.
One last thing-in the past 24 hours the Salvation Army has taken in over $100,000 worth of goods for the people in the Colisium and I hear they may shut down BOB for more people.
And Gov. Blanco hired James Lee Witt to handle the Federal people.
I hope that helps some.
September 7th, 2005 at 10:36 am
No, it doesn’t help that they are opening up the BOB so that the poor victims can continue to sleep on seats instead of putting them up in hotels - what kind of country do we live in where this is acceptable?!?
September 7th, 2005 at 11:24 am
Excuse you, this way the people can get access to medical care, access to relief supplies (clothing, food, and personal items), and get a hold of social workers faster. Right now we need to get people those three things ASAP. You cannot do that if you stuff them all into hotels.
Now after a few weeks, send them all in to Scottsdale, they have a few resorts that could be used.
Oh and according to the eager beavers at the DU the mayor of New Orleans tried to use the school buses to get people out. Unfortunately people started to die on the buses so he had the busing stopped.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:26 am
Oh and they use the field with cots set up not the seats. Are you a total idiot or is this just a Wednesday thing?
September 7th, 2005 at 3:53 pm
I don’t think I can offer you much of a sliver of hope when we have stories like this one about the memo that FEMA chief Michael Brown (a political crony who was hired for the job with no experience in disaster management) sent to FEMA employees pre-Katrina. The article states,
Brown’s memo told employees that among their duties, they would be expected to “convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public.”
Pretty much sums it up. Don’t worry about earning good press by doing your job well, just make sure you LOOK like you’re doing something.
And as for Ma Bush, it pretty much shows in her son. After cracking jokes about having fun visiting New Orleans when he was a young preppy, he went to Mississippi and talked with a ‘typical’ victim and promised to get his home rebuilt. The ‘typical’ victim he was giving an ear to was Trent Lott.
September 7th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
Jim Pederson, the former Chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, is running for Congress. He’s running for the U.S. Senate as a matter of fact, against Republican Senator John Kyl.
Kyl represents everything that needs to be changed in the administration’s conservative, “God Helps Those Who Help Themselves” approach to the nation’s welfare.
But Pederson is running with such delicacy of feeling as to suggest that he has bought in on the Republican frame for the debate: Now we must all pull together…plenty of time for investigations and finger-pointing later.
I don’t know whether to scream or throw up.
I want our candidates and our Congressional delegation to howl, to refuse to be silent, refuse to be “cooperative.” Right now is the time to be critical. God, I wish Pederson had had the courage to say that he was declaring now, today, when the human consequences of Republican policies were clear and unforgettable.
I wish he’d had the courage to speak up, even at the risk of frightening off the middle-of-the-roaders in our party who think that the sweet spirit of conciliation is the way to win.
I wish he’s had the courage to risk losing for being accused of ‘playing politics’. It might be the only way to win.
September 7th, 2005 at 4:54 pm
This post has been removed by the author.
September 7th, 2005 at 5:59 pm
Art…we have a decent candidate to run against Jon Kyl…and we already want to rip him before he has even announced?
Geez.
September 7th, 2005 at 8:50 pm
I thought that Pederson made the right move by delaying his Senate announcement in respect for the victims. Jim is a class act all the way around, and I am looking forward to working as hard as I can to get him elected next year.
Bloggers like us can get away with being loud and obnoxious because we AREN’T in a position where we have to worry about either offending anyone or opening ourselves up to a negative attack (I once was accused of practicing witchcraft by a poster on a Republican blog, but I just had a good laugh over it. In retrospect, I wish I had saved the thread, because then it would occupy a place of honor in my computer).
September 7th, 2005 at 10:47 pm
Here’s a bright spot.
Over 1000 Tucsons have signed up to help Katrina evacuees at the TCC. That’s probably more than a 1:1 ratio as we are expecting less than 1000 evacuees.
I think that’s the real America.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:52 pm
I do not know about that Eli, I happen to think (like a few other major people in history) that being honest and truthful is important enough to always say it…even when it ticks people off.
Hey Ted: 11 posts! We can now call you the new Tony.
September 8th, 2005 at 1:18 am
Elizabeth:
Of course we are all honest and truthful on our blogs (after all, the truth naturally favors our side).
The difference is that for someone in Jim’s position, while he is honest, he recognizes the need to temper it with a certain amount of tact. It is not dishonest to keep one’s mouth shut if wisdom suggests that this is the best course.
September 8th, 2005 at 2:05 am
And that is true Eli!