[Rhodes22-list] Blame the
Wally Buck
tnrhodey at hotmail.com
Thu Sep 8 09:40:19 EDT 2005
Bill,
Please reread my post. Most of your response does not seem to be directed at
me. I don't disagree with all of your points but your information is not the
most accurate. I merely pointed out that Barbarta Bush was being bashed
while she was down there helping out. Her comment seemed to be taken a
little out of context. Why anyone needs to drag in Swift Boats and Terri
Schiavo is beyoind me. It sounds like you have decided to make this thing
political. That is kind of sad.
I do think the hurricane was a Natural Disaster. I also think gov's response
and preperation was terrible. Perhaps you missed my prior posts. I have
already said there was plenty of blame. Please keep in mind that many of the
leaders from the Gulf area were from the Red and Blue parties. Was this
screwed up? Sure looks that way. I wonder what we will learn?
You seem intent on just blaming the Federal Government and the republicans.
I think your opinion of Bush is clouding your judgement and you are ignoring
facts. No I am not saying he didn't make mistakes so calm down. You do
realize that by opening up areas of the levee the water is flowing out. What
about water flowing down hill don't you understand. They are doing exactly
what that Army Corp of Eng. employee suggested. Once the water reaches sea
level they will plug up holes, repair or replace pumps and then let the
pumps take over. He never said it wouldn't be a problem, he suggested this
as the best way to reverse the flow. Did you see the interview? I doubt it.
I hope your friends are doing well.
Wally
>From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Blame the
>Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2005 12:50:56 -0400
>
>Wally,
>
>The death and destruction unfolding on the Gulf Coast is not an "Act of
>God", and I'm going to speak up when anyone tries to shift the
>responsibility for this ongoing tragedy from our federal government either
>to God or to the victims.
>
>The killing damage was not done by the hurricane in New Orleans. The
>center of the hurricane narrowly missed to the East. Gulfport was
>flattened.
>
>The killing damage in New Orleans happened as a result of Federally built
>levees, designed to withstand Category 3 storms, failing, and allowing the
>city to fill with water. The Federal Government then failed to understand
>that a catastrophe far worse than any hurricane was in the process of
>unfolding.
>
>You may remember the discussion on this list about the Army Corps of
>Engineers saying the water was going to be no problem--that as soon as the
>level of the lake water fell below the level of the levee, New Orleans
>would naturally drain right back out into the lake. Just don't plug up the
>holes. I said that was stupid then. Is there anyone today who wants to
>argue that it was smart?
>
>The citizens of New Orleans, along with virtually all of their politicians,
>begged the federal government to strengthen the levees for 30 years prior
>to this collapse. The Federal government actually reduced the amount of
>money, and refused to upgrade the levees.
>
>This is a political disaster, not a natural disaster, although the Swift
>Boat Captains are already out there, trying to rearrange the facts to fit
>their politics.
>
>More Americans will die as a result of this man made disaster than will die
>in Afghanistan, Iraq and 9/11 combined. I have many friends in New Orleans
>who still have not been heard from. We all hope they just have been too
>busy to call any of us who were out, or who got out.
>
>When a judge ruled after 10 years that a feeding tube could legally be
>pulled out of Terri Schiavo, the entire Republican Political machine hopped
>on airplanes, interrupted vacations, passed legislation, and attempted to
>"save" that one life.
>
>When perhaps 10,000 people in New Orleans were dying, President Bush never
>left his ranch except for fund raisers, Congress did not reconvene, Dick
>Cheney never left his ranch at all, Condeleeza Rice went to see "Spamalot",
>emergency powers were not invoked, FEMA didn't even know what was going on,
>and made the problem worse by turning away help that was offered, saying it
>was not needed, no one asked for aircraft...
>
>And then, Our President told the head of the Federal Agency who he had
>appointed to be in charge of Federal Emergency Management "Brownie, you're
>doin' a heck of a job!"
>
>Wally, I am mad as hell. I don't think either my politics or my judgment
>is clouded. My friends are dying, and our government is spending more time
>trying to cloud your judgment, than it is trying to address the issues. If
>Herb, or Brad, or Ed, or anyone else tries to shift the responsibility for
>this tragedy from the government that actually created it, to the victims
>who are still literally fighting for their lives, they're going to hear
>from me.
>
>I think of you as a fair minded person who weighs all sides of issues. If
>you are confused on this issue, and think that it is my judgment that is
>clouded, then I must address that. I'm not mad at you.
>
>Our President said on national television, 3 days after the levees broke:
>
>"I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."
>
>That is catastrophic, tragic, stupidity. It is obviously not true on the
>face of it. It is the mark of a government that takes no responsibility
>for any failed policy or action.
>
>MY judgment is clouded by my politics? I don't think so.
>
>Bill Effros
>
>
>Wally Buck wrote:
>
>>Bill,
>>
>>Often I agree with you, sometimes I don't. Your politics are clouding your
>>judgement. This is a Natural Disaster. Try to keep that in mind. This is
>>not the man trying to keep the poor down. Barbara Bush's comment could be
>>misread by those trying to do so. My take; she was commenting that for
>>many they are trying to look at the bright side. They were coming from a
>>less than ideal situation and were hopeful the change might help them. It
>>looked to me like she was trying tio help.
>>
>>
>>It does seem the the guy running FEMA was in no way qualified for his job.
>>
>>Wally
>>
>>>From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>>>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Blame the Victims
>>>Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2005 12:04:54 -0400
>>>
>>>Wally,
>>>
>>>The campaign to blame the victims is ramping up. Especially if the
>>>victims are poor and black. The nearby predominantly white city of
>>>Chalmette was also wiped out. Gulfport's evacuation plan didn't work,
>>>either. Biloxi's didn't work. (For that matter, the Key West Evacuation
>>>plan never works, and just remains a bad joke.) St. Bernard Parish still
>>>hasn't received any Federal help:
>>>
>>>"This is Day 8, guys. Everything was diverted first to New Orleans, we
>>>understand that. But do you realize we got 18 to 20 feet of water from
>>>the storm, and we've still got 7 to 8 feet of water?" said Ron Silva, a
>>>district fire chief. "If you had dropped a bomb on this place, it
>>>couldn't be any worse than this."
>>>
>>>"Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish near New Orleans sobbing,
>>>told of an emergency management official receiving phone calls from his
>>>mother, who, trapped in a nursing home, pleaded day after day for rescue.
>>>Assured by federal officials, the man promised her repeatedly that help
>>>was on the way.
>>>
>>>"Every day she called him and said, "Are you coming, son? Is somebody
>>>coming?' " Mr. Broussard said. "And he said, 'Yeah, Mama, somebody's
>>>coming to get you.' Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's
>>>coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday.
>>>Somebody's coming to get you on Friday. And she drowned Friday night. She
>>>drowned Friday night."
>>>
>>>Look at identical pictures of people wading through flood waters holding
>>>food--the caption under the black guy's picture is "Looters Running
>>>Rampant in New Orleans" the caption under the white guy's picture is
>>>"Residents Finding Food to Stay Alive".
>>>
>>>And now this news from Barbara Bush:
>>>
>>>"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in
>>>Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality and so many of the
>>>people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this
>>>is working very well for them."
>>>
>>>Bill Effros
>>>
>>>
>>>brad haslett wrote:
>>>
>>>>Wally,
>>>>
>>>>It will be years before NO recovers from this, the
>>>>nation as well, and there will be lots of failing
>>>>grades passed around when all the investigations are
>>>>over. In the meantime, a lot of people are still
>>>>suffering and still need our help, and money, or both.
>>>>
>>>>The last revision of a bad plan from the city of NO
>>>>was to make and distribute DVD's before this years
>>>>hurricane season, educating the citizens that in the
>>>>event of a major hurricane, "you are on your own". The city plan also
>>>>included using the city and school
>>>>system bus fleet for evacuation but even that wasn't
>>>>implemented.
>>>>
>>>>As we speak, the National Guard is still under command
>>>>of the LA governor. If regular military units
>>>>step-in, they can engage in relief efforts only, not
>>>>law enforcement under the Posse Comitatus Act. Every
>>>>FEMA engagement plan assumes that the local
>>>>authorities will control the first 72 hours. It is
>>>>painfully clear that NO either could not or would not
>>>>do that. "Cowboy" Bush could have stepped up to the
>>>>plate and taken over the whole operation early-on
>>>>through his emergency powers, something no President
>>>>has done since Reconstruction.
>>>>
>>>>Unless we are willing to re-write the constitution
>>>>dividing the separations of local/state/federal power,
>>>>we have to assume that each level of government will
>>>>do their part at the appropriate time. If they can't
>>>>or won't, these are the results we get. Tragically
>>>>for the citizens of NO, a lot of elected officials
>>>>failed to do their part.
>>>>
>>>>The lesson that should be burning in all our 'noggins'
>>>>as we discuss these issues is this: Take
>>>>responsibility for you and your family's welfare. Be
>>>>a Boy Scout - be prepared.
>>>>
>>>>Brad
>>>>
>>>>--- Wally Buck <tnrhodey at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>As always it is hard to figure out the truth. One
>>>>>thing for sure I have never seen anything like this. It does seems that
>>>>>many mistakes were made by local, State and Federal officials. You can
>>>>>also
>>>>>second guess anyone who had the means to leave but stayed. I can't see
>>>>>murder
>>>>>charges for officials but it does seem that Home Land Security running
>>>>>FEMA is
>>>>>a cluster f**k.
>>>>>
>>>>>Did FEMA really send water back? Was the Guard
>>>>>authorization form just haning out of a fax machine waiting a signature
>>>>>or
>>>>>what? I am not a big Bush fan but it is hard for me to believe that the
>>>>>whole
>>>>>delay was because Bush was chopping wood. Local officials let the
>>>>>people
>>>>>down years ago by not developing a solid plan. It cost dearly,
>>>>>hopefully
>>>>>other areas learn from this.
>>>>>
>>>>>A nice three days sailing! What a weekend.
>>>>>
>>>>>Wally
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>>>>>>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>><rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>><rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Rummies observation
>>>>>>Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2005 12:28:38 -0400
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Nice try, Ed, but it won't wash.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>1/2 the Louisiana National Guard was in Iraq--along
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>with all of their meals
>>>>>
>>>>>>ready to eat, and most of their equipment. (We
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>have now asked your friends
>>>>>
>>>>>>in France to send us food and water trucks.)
>>>>>>
>>>>>Walmart immediately sent
>>>>>
>>>>>>water, but FEMA sent it back saying New Orleans
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>didn't need it.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>The Director of Homeland Security and the Head of
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>FEMA both said they
>>>>>
>>>>>>didn't even know there were 15,000 people totally
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>at the mercy of roving
>>>>>
>>>>>>gangs within the New Orleans Convention Center at a
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>time when news
>>>>>
>>>>>>organizations were reporting about it on national
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>television from the site.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>The Governor and Mayor immediately called other
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>states for help, and the
>>>>>
>>>>>>other Governors were ready to send, but W. was
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>clearing brush in Texas,
>>>>>
>>>>>>Condi was shopping in NYC, -- (August is a vacation
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>month) -- and there was
>>>>>
>>>>>>no one in DC to authorize the transfer of National
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>Guard troops. (You see,
>>>>>
>>>>>>the states can't just send their armed militias
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>into other states, they've
>>>>>
>>>>>>got to get authorization from the Federal
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>Government--which didn't happen.
>>>>>
>>>>>>And why should it? "I don't think anyone
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>anticipated the breach of the
>>>>>
>>>>>>levees" -- George W. Bush, Good Morning America,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>September 1, 2005.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>The USS Bataan has been moored in the Gulf since
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>last Monday, basically
>>>>>
>>>>>>doing nothing. It can make 100,000 gallons of
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>fresh water a day, it has 6
>>>>>
>>>>>>(unused) operating rooms, and hundreds of (empty)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>hospital beds, it's
>>>>>
>>>>>>supposed to have helicopters so all these resources
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>can be made available
>>>>>
>>>>>>to people in disaster areas. It aided Tsunami
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>victims...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>PUH-leeze.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Bill Effros
>>>>>>
>>>>>>PS -- This information comes to me, not from the
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>New York Times, but from
>>>>>
>>>>>>Fox News. Even Mr. Murdoch has had enough. It's
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>fine to have an
>>>>>
>>>>>>orientation, but it's time to take your head out of
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>the sand.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>ed kroposki wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Mr. Rummy, You want the Louisiana's Governors
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>head to roll? But she is a
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>liberal democrat! Where are your political
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>loyalties? You know my
>>>>>
>>>>>>>orientation. The truth is she should have
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>declared
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>martial law the day before the storm. On the day
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>of the storm she had
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>responsibility to call for not only Louisiana
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>National Guard but also out
>>>>>
>>>>>>>of
>>>>>>>state Guard assistance. There was another state
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>Governor that said he had
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>alerted his National Guard and was waiting for a
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>phone call (or any other
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>official method of request). How can you be in
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>agreement with me? This
>>>>>
>>>>>>>is
>>>>>>>impossible. I will one up you. Both she and the
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>Mayor of New Orleans
>>>>>
>>>>>>>ought to
>>>>>>>be tried for murder. I request that you be put on
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>the jury. People were
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>officially told to go to the Superdome and
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>convention center and no
>>>>>
>>>>>>>security
>>>>>>>was in place. That was a major abdication of
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>responsibility.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have no problem holding those who accept high
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>political office to
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>a high standard or even just a reasonable
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>standard. Why are you on the
>>>>>
>>>>>>>list, if I lived where you do, I would have been
>>>>>>>out in that cool breeze.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Ed K
>>>>>>>Greenville, SC, USA
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
>>>>>>>[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>Behalf Of
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>R22RumRunner at aol.com
>>>>>>>Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 8:43 AM
>>>>>>>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>>>>>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Hurricane Katrina see
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>latest track
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>Thena,
>>>>>>>It is sooooo good to hear from you. I have been
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>traveling for a family
>>>>>
>>>>>>>members wedding and just returned. The highest gas
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>price we saw was $3.41
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>per gallon. It was really frustrating watching
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>the news and seeing all
>>>>>
>>>>>>>the
>>>>>>>people sitting around and nothing being done.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>Some political heads are
>>>>>
>>>>>>>going to
>>>>>>>roll for this fiasco, starting with the
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>governor's.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>Rummy
>>>>>>>__________________________________________________
>>>>>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>__________________________________________________
>>>>>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>__________________________________________________
>>>>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>__________________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>______________________________________________________
>>>>Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
>>>>http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate3/
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>>
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