This Is Not A Democracy, It's A Republic........
I was heartbroken watching it unfold on TV. I called the Red Cross and made a donation, planning to make more periodically.
Then I heard "Jesse" Jackson come on and declare that the response and everything else was racist.
I immediately called the Red Cross and rescinded my donation.
In hindsight, I wish I just coulda specified it for the Texas or Mississippi coast.
To hell with the cockroaches in New Orleans. They live like roaches, let 'em die like roaches.
"To hell with the cockroaches in New Orleans. They live like roaches, let 'em die like roaches."
Tough titties, right?
I think if you all watched "When the Levees Broke" on HBO right now you'd change your tune a little.
There are so many more failures involved than, "if you didn't leave, tough shit." If you can't see that, then I really do feel sorry for you for having such a righteous attitude about the struggling of others that you have no idea about.
When I went down last month, I actually bought a T-shirt featuring the infamous "Heineken Guy" above. We all know if an earthquake struck San Diego we'd see a photo of Jenn carrying a bucket of Miller Lite through the rubble.
Anyways, you're absolutely right that there are those who haven't done a damn thing and are milking the disaster for everything it's worth, but there's no excuse for using that as a rationale for the rest of them.
There's just something extremely slimy about our President getting on national TV yesterday and blatantly lying right there in front of God and everybody.
"When it's all said and done, the people down here know that I stood in Jackson Square [a year ago] and said, 'We're going to help you,' and we delivered," he said.
Uh huh. Mmmkay.
We went through Charley-in Punta Gorda. While it wasn't AS devastating, it was devastating. We suffered some damage, but were more hurt by not being able to go to work and such. The only help we got was from a police officer who saw our girls and gave us some cash.
The day you depend on the government to take care of you is the day you ARE screwed.
The fault lies with the govt PERIOD starting with the city govt (no evacuation plan, or execution of plan), the state govt (who wouldnt declare an emergency so the feds could come in and help) and the feds (who other than the military, meaning FEMA, were and are inept at best in their execution and cleanup). A major fault in the cleanup also lies with the insurance companies who refuse to pay claims (saying that the roof damage to homes was done by flood waters) so homes cannot be demolished and rebuilt until arbitration is finished.
Pete's comments were better here than the last post. WMD hits the facts.
I still picture all those school busses in water, when the local Governing authorites could have used them to evacuate less fortunate people.
I read an article on Katrina about nine months ago by some NPR guy. Of course he managed to tie in irrelevent things, like the war, and say that everyone was racist. I think his exact words were something like "if I weren't black this wouldn't be happening to me." Whiner.
"Pete's comments were better here than the last post. WMD hits the facts."
Pete's a simplistic idiot who thinks minorities have to be cared for like zoo animals and that Bush masterminded 9-11.
I live in the south and have the same kind of roaches that live in New Orleans. They'll die before they get off their fat asses to take care of themselves. Always waiting for "the man" to do it for them. They're so well taken care off they're more likely to die from obesity related diseases than anything else. Go figure.
Typical get out of work comment: "You racist!" or "I ain'ts doin' dat" or "Don'ts axe me"
I nominate Darwin for "Humanitarian of the Year."
We can all agree that if, at a city and state level, they had maintained the levee's as they should have been rather than buying more casino's, things would have turned out better. Right?
I remember clearly, on the 24th, 25th(several days before), calling the Red Cross to donate. I'm all the way over here in San Diego, and even I knew that hurricane was going to suck. So, we sat by the t.v. and watched the news for 4 days, till she hit. Just horrified as they kept upgrading her strength.
And do you know what I heard over and over, both before the hurricane, and after??? What I heard from these same sad sacks who are still bitching, and probably spent their $2500 debit cards on hookers an booze?
They all said the same thing. "I chose to stay and ride it out."
Old saying time again...."You made your bed, now lay in it."
Oh and Pete, I happen to have a 12 pack of Miller Shite in my earthquake box. Yup, wouldn't want to be without beer, 'cept, I wouldn't loot it. Unlike the masses in NOLA, I am prepared to take care of me and mine in the event of an emergency. I can feed myself,husband and dog, for at least 1 week, longer if we stretch it out. That's called personal responsibility.
Thirdee,
I hear what you're saying about Hurricane Charley and the damage it did. Hurricane Wilma did more damage to south FL than Katrina did to the Gulf, yet not as much attention was paid to south FL. Why not?
Because the residents and the state of FL were prepared. At least, as prepared as one can be for a huge hurricane like that. While FL certainly welcomed any help from outside the state, the fact is that FL had plans and contingencies in place to deal with the "before,during, and after" of the storm.
New Orleans had plans, too. They just didn't follow the plans. But of course, it was Bush's fault!
"I nominate Darwin for "Humanitarian of the Year."
Thanks.
At least I would assume and expect that minorities can and should take care of themselves instead of sentencing them to generations of democratic servitude in an inept and corrupt welfare system.
Jonathan,
I guess that's the difference in leadership.
Florida leadership was impressive when it came to dealing with the before, during and after of Hurricane Charley.
Competence counts.
"...minorities can and should take care of themselves..."
Amen to that Darwin.
Florida was hit by four - count em - FOR hurricanes! Do you hear a peep out of those people? No? Maybe it's because they have their act together and don't depend of the feds to bail them out.
I was there for Loma Prieta too, Miss Jenn. We sure know how to put on a World Series don't we? I remember being at the store later and everybody (and I mean EVERYBODY) had two things in their hands - batteres and beer. I also remember it was a week or two when the 1st Pres Bush dropped by for a visit. I remember thinking it was odd that he would stop by - I mean - didn't he have a country to run or something? I found it odd because I didn't expect the feds to come to the rescue like the cavalry of old - I expected my local and state agencies to kick into action. Along with a lot of elbow grease from the rest of us.
I was also in Oklahoma City when 80 tornados came to visit in May 1999. Most of the neighborhoods surrounding me were utterly destroyed. I will take an earthquake over a tornado any day of the week - those things are NASTY!!! One F-5 stopped, one street over from my house, hung a left and took out Tinker AFB. Did we look for the feds? Uh- NO! We looked to our local and state agencies to help out. Along with the rest of us, myself included, who went out and started cleaning up our neighbors yards and streets - well at least pile up the debris into orderly piles since everybody's homes were totally destroyed.
This happens all over the country - so what the HELL is so different about THESE people in this ONE city? And it's not a black thing because there's black people all over the country and they don't act like THESE people. So what's up with this ONE city?
"We can all agree that if, at a city and state level, they had maintained the levee's as they should have been rather than buying more casino's, things would have turned out better. Right?"
Considering it was an Army Corp of Engineers (that's Federal) project, I can't agree with that. And since the Army Corps of Engineers has since released its grand study and confession that they weren't built right to begin with and the federal funds were cut to maintain/correct it.
You all can keep believing your simple conclusions that personal responsibility would have prevented this whole crisis, but I implore you to do some research and get the real stories. I'd start with "When the Levees Broke." Great film.
The fact is, had the levees not been breached, the hurricane wouldn't have done a whole lot and wouldn't have been much more of a news story than any other major hurricane. Why would those that chose to stay have any reason to believe the levees would break?
You all are excusing this catastrophe and shoving it under the rug because you're so proud that you can currently take care of yourself. Get over it. Get a heart.
"You all are excusing this catastrophe and shoving it under the rug because you're so proud that you can currently take care of yourself. Get over it. Get a heart."
At the most the levees were designed to (hopefully) withstand a category 3. When the time to make the evacuation call came, it was a 5 or a very strong 4. That should've made everyone drop everything and get the hell out.
Plus I have a heart, but not for the roaches in New Orleans who to this day wouldn't even lift a finger to clean their own cesspools.
Other areas were hit worse than New Orleans. I want media coverage on them, not these whiny ass leeches in the "chocolate city".
"Considering it was an Army Corp of Engineers (that's Federal) project, I can't agree with that. And since the Army Corps of Engineers has since released its grand study and confession that they weren't built right to begin with and the federal funds were cut to maintain/correct it." Anonymous (Pete)
This is crap! The feds gave money to NO year after year to maintain the levees and the crooks in NO spent it on casinos and what nots. When the engineers came back to inspect it - they went to the city gov't and said this, this, and this needs to be done - where's the money you have for the maintanence? Uh-Uh-Well-Uh, we spent it - there is no money.
PLUS the people of the city themselves voted down several initiatives that would raise taxes for the express purpose of strengthening the levy to withstand a catagory 5. these people knew for over 35 years that it was possible for this thing to go - yet they did nothing about it.
As for having a heart - Pete! You need to get a brain! I had a heart and was called a RACIST for it. This trash can just go straight to hell! They will never get another voluntary DIME from me!
"You all are excusing this catastrophe and shoving it under the rug because you're so proud that you can currently take care of yourself. Get over it. Get a heart."
Considering we are adults, and with children, I would hope we could take care of ourselves.
Have a heart? WTF are you talking baout. I have a heart. I just have no pity for scum that leeches off society.
I'm sick to death of the "somebody, anybody, do everything for me" mentality.
we'll never agree on this ... good conversation, though.
i knew i could count on darwin to infuse some namecalling and cockroach references. for that, i am just sad.
otherwise, i respect where you're coming from and agree to some degree about self-accountability. although, my stance isn't as hard lined and black and white as yours.
http://www.theonion.com/content/...tent/node/
52106
Oh, and you gotta admit this is pretty damn funny.
N.O. received several millions of dollars over the years from the feds tom implement levee improvements and modifications. The money was spent on roads, bridges, casinos, etc.
In other words, everything but the levees.
But I suppose the squandering of said dollars by N.O. and La. officials is somehow Bush's fault?
...because you're so proud that you can currently take care of yourself.
Damn...you got me there! I should abandon my pride in being self-reliant and should strive instead for government dependence. I'll start right away...where's my welfare check? Debit card? Subsidized strippers?
The Corps of Engineers is the one who is charged with maintaining and improving the levie system not the LOCALS. Sevaral times N.O. tried to get money allocated to improving the levies but congress decided it was better to spend the money on handouts to NON-CITIZENS (illegals) than to help protect american cities.
If you notice the levies that broke were the cheap ones (wall type) not the more expensive (mound type).
A side light, San Antonio's murders for this year as of today are equal to all of last year. We took in a large number of refugees, survivors, victims, garbage, whatever from New Orleans. Coincidence? Seriously doubt it. Crime rate started going up as soon as they got here.
"Damn...you got me there! I should abandon my pride in being self-reliant and should strive instead for government dependence. I'll start right away...where's my welfare check? Debit card? Subsidized strippers?"
Snort.
Can we just boil this down to one point?
The state and local officials didn't do what they should have to prevent the needless death, the Feds didn't do what they should have to stem the aftermath, and the individuals living in the area shouldn't have trusted either one to do anything.
Government is inefficient and notoriously bad at rapid response. Even the money intended to maintain the levees (which was not intended to protect against a storm the size of Katrina) was wasted by a failing bureaucracy.
Let's all take a lesson from this: be prepared to take care of yourself in an emergency, and hope that your preparations are rendered unnecessary if the government manages to get its act together; don't depend on the government to protect you.
I just got hit by tropical storm ernesto...
I am physically and emotionally devestated.
Everything I owned was destroyed.
I started four charities for myself.. and I have 6 HBO specials waiting to be aired.
Give me money.
"knew i could count on darwin to infuse some namecalling and cockroach references. for that, i am just sad."
I'm so glad I can be here for ya.
Being sad is your problem. You should be mad, so mad that you want to let other people know that if they value their lives they better start understnading that "the man" can't do everything for them.
There's nothing wrong with compassion. I used to have lots of it, still do at times. However, there must come a time when you realize that all the compassion in the world is no substitute for a little effort, honesty and integrity.
Let's all take a lesson from this
The lesson is...it's all Bush's fault!!!!! 
Sorry...I've been watching too much of the network news over the last few days! I need to get deprogrammed of that junk...
Matt: "Give me money."
Only if you promise to use it for everything except what we give it to you for. Then you can just ask for more. Cool?
I'm tired of NO - Period! And I apologize, I was the anonymous above who spoke of the crooks in NO.
What bothers me is that Amtrak, when evacuating their trains, offered Nagin the opportunity to evacuate people - this could have helped those who where infirm. He refused. A company out of Texas offered to remove the debris, cars, etc. for 5 mil. Nagin refused - he wanted to use locals who wanted to charge 25 mil. So nothing has been done.
This is crap upon crap. I'm tired of this kind of trash - although honestly the refegees WE got from Katrina actually joined our society, love it here, all have jobs and have stated they will never go back to that hell hole!
Something to be said there!
You said it Jenn.
Most of the Gulf Cost is still struggling b/c of their shitty local government. But according to them, it's all Bush's fault. And Nagin has the balls to knock NYC about 9/11 saying we "still have a hole in the ground." That guy's not fit to breathe the same air as Rudy.
Again, I'm late to the party. I've got to stop working so hard and visit this site...
Anyway, in short there are two problems with the "roaches" - a sense of entitlement and lack of personal responsbility. Those two things alone, if resolved, would get Luisiana back on its feet in months rather than the years it will take.
The folks who pull the race card neglect to mention the various minorities who are too lazy or stupid to line up a job, get a place to live, etc. It's a cultural thing with these people to blame someone else and never accept responsbility for their action.
Anyway, you get the point...
Darwin: I plan on taking you up on that offer.
I'm stepping back in because I havn't defended Bush in a while.
The two floodwalls that breached hours after Katrina were not inspected in 2005 for their yearly inspection. The Army Corps of Engineers inspect the walls via motorcade stopping here and there. They covered 100 miles in less than 4 hours and skipped over the walls along 17th ST and London avenue canals. Why? According to their report they were "inaccessible by car."
So all of your political finger-pointing means nothing.
The House committee wrote that "this crisis was not only predictable, it was predicted." I've personally seen the report from 2001 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency published staing that a major hurricane striking New Orleans was among the three most likely catastrophic disaster events to occur in the U.S.
A month before Katrina, federal and state officials learned that New Orleans didn't have the busses needed to evacuate 100,000 people unable to leave. Infact, city and state officials (Nagin) didn't put any plans in to place to evacuate them... at all.
As far as the slow response of FEMA and other officials... 4000 of 7000 cellphone towers were downed. Because they couldn't communicate, some areas were checked twice by the rescuing agencies, some completely skipped. The National Guard and the Coast Guard could not figure out where their troops were located because of the downed communication.
So blame those lazy ass grunt engineers.
And Nagin.
“I think if you all watched "When the Levees Broke" on HBO right now you'd change your tune a little.”
Oh wait the one that contends the levees were blown up to flood the poor black areas. Yeah, you get me to watch that movie and I am going to be demanding the people from NO give me my f’ing money back.
I am now hearing that people in Houston are suing FEMA because now a year later the Government is saying they are at the end of paying for room & board, food, basically paying for these peoples entire lives. I understand the “get a heart” argument to a degree, I have one. I have money, when I see homeless people I give them some money. If I see the same person over time, well I stop and the horrible person I am ends the charity and keeps walking. Instead my thoughts go to “get a job.”
Horrible I know, but how about some personal accountability. If I was suddenly homeless I would panhandle I am sure, but eventually I would swallow my pride and get any job. McDonald’s anything.
“Ask not what your country can do for YOU, ask what YOU can do for your country.”
The Democrats have run Louisiana for so long and the corruption runs so deep, it's almost a joke to talk about it.
First, the levee funding.
We've funded those levees to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. The liberals point to a lack of funding i.e. they didn't get all the money they asked for. Well duh! Every agency asks for lots of money. Most ask for more than they need so that when it gets pared down to realistic amounts, they'll get a little more then they what they actually require. It's an old budget game. The Army COE knows the game and plays it well.
How much money are we supposed to dump into New Orleans so that we can do it all over gain this year, or next year, or both - or even more?
Nagin is the wrong man to lead NO out of this. He is no administrator or even any kind of leader. He is a mouth, usually with a foot firmly ensconced in it.
VW
"Nagin is the wrong man to lead NO out of this. He is no administrator or even any kind of leader. He is a mouth, usually with a foot firmly ensconced in it."
He's nothing but a slimy racist crook who should be air dropped into Somalia where he can try his act out on his "chocolate brotha's".
"....the Government is saying they are at the end of paying for room & board, food, basically paying for these peoples entire lives."
We had some here, and they were booted out a couple of months ago, they called all the local t.v. stations to whine about the "injustice" of it all.
I was just blown away. None seemed to have made any effort whatsoever to do for themselves.
When we were literally thrown out in the street with nothing but the clothes on our backs last year, it took us less than a week to get a new apartment, buy some cheap clothes and some food. And no one helped us a single bit. Not one single dime of aid. Never.
But, that being said, you have to start with these people from birth. The "do nothing" attitude is built in and needs to be reprogrammed. Sometimes it's too hard.
My father-in-law had a roomate a few years back. This guy was pretty nice, and able to work. But, he chose not to. Often. Last time I bumped into him, he was homeless by choice, got tired of paying rent. He's always been like that, he'll never change.
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Jesus tap-dancing Christ, it's amazing that people like you have even figured out how to use computers. You're a true biggot, right-wing fascist, and you make the rest of us good GOP supporters look bad. to hell with you...
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