Crisis

[TSMorena35]

This morning the mayor of New Orleans, C Ray Nagin, was on the radio with sharp criticism for this administration and pleading for help from the Federal Government.
Given that we now have a Department of Homeland Security that is supposed to ensure that all agencies of the government work in unison to protect and or resolve crisis here on US soil, what do you think about the this administration's handling of the catastrophe in the Gulf Region, specifically in New Orleans?

[edgeoflife]

I hope they do something to help. Assistance is really needed there. All those poor victims scared to death, homeless and unable to fend for themselves.

Lets hope some action is taken. The Department of Homeland Security should help.

[Ecstatic]

Well, Morena, on the one hand I think (as I have all along) that we're wasting money, lives, resources, and goodwill in Iraq, all of which would be better deployed in New Orleans and all along the Gulf Coast. On the other hand, I think the right thing now is for all to come together to aid the people who have suffered in this disaster, and sort out the government's blundering later. Personally, I think we would have been far better prepared had Kerry been in office, but I also think there would have been a lot of problems and poor decisions which would have affected the devastated area (though I firmly believe much less so than under the Bush administration's direction).

[edgeoflife]

Sad

[edgeoflife]

Good point my friend, I think Kerry may have handeled this better and offered more.

Another thing that saddens me is that people who rely on thier daily prescribed medication like insulin, etc. Also the poor starving babies and elderly people who need help as well in the three states.

[tsluver247]

There was a WARNING for the Hurriance Katrina and look at the Administration's response. I would hate to think of his Administration's response to another terrorist attack, where there will be NO WARNING.

[~*MoNi*~]

ok well true i feel unsafe and insecure but constantly broadcasting that we are vulnerable all over the internet and on news channels doesn't help. if anything terrorist will get confident and say hmmmm lets attack again because even the american people don't belive in their government and admit they are vulnerable. u can't just snap your fingers and everything falls into place especially with damage estimated in the billions. instead of criticizing the government why don't you just go to www.redcross.org and donate 5 bucks because ultimately it will help more then whining.

a boy i am dating in the NAVY is leaving for louisianna tommorow and will be stationed there for 3 weeks and they are sending 300 others from here. everything will be fine. shit just takes time and this literally just happened barely a week ago. like i said u can't just snap your fingers n think 1,000's of troops and relief will be there in a blink of an eye. things reqiure planning like travel, housing and all that.

[~*MoNi*~]

and i must add that u cannot compare natural disaster to terrorist attack. on september 11th the response was IMMEDIATE and people worked endlessly until the situation was cleaned up and relatives of those lost were awarded millions so the government isn't too shabby. nothing can bring back those lost but i'd rather have a million for a lost relative then to have nothing and still have lost a relative. we will be fine. shit like this is in god's hand and i refuse to jump on the band wagon n chastize the government just because a bunch of crackheads were looting stores. shit happens and we are dealing with it as best as we can.

[tsluver247]

FYI, I have donated $120 to Red Cross Relief Effort, I donated some unwanted clothes to the Salvation Army, and I helped raise money at the company I work for to raise money for Red Cross and asked the company to match the money raised (it helped raise over $2,000 in one day).

We may have a difference of opinion, but seeing the images of the after effects of Hurricane Katrina, seeing how it took 5 days to finally response with the National Guard, and reading stories like this (http://www.suntimes.com/output/hurricane/cst-nws-daley03.html) continue to get my blood boiling with the Administration, who takes accountablity for its inactions or wrong doings. I am just venting my frustrations with how slow the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

I am glad to hear that the guy you are dating is going to help in the effort. If the federal government accepts the Chicago firefighters and police officers that were offered, I will have family relatives and friends that will help in the relief effort, just like they did on September 11th.



A visibly angry Mayor Daley said the city had offered emergency, medical and technical help to the federal government as early as Sunday to assist people in the areas stricken by Hurricane Katrina, but as of Friday, the only things the feds said they wanted was a single tank truck.

That truck, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency requested to support an Illinois-based medical team, was en route Friday.

"We are ready to provide more help than they have requested. We are just waiting for their call," said Daley, adding that he was "shocked" that no one seemed to want the help.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said he would call for congressional hearings into the federal government's preparations and response.

"The response was achingly slow, and that, I think, is a view shared by Democrats, Republicans, wealthy and poor, black and white," the freshman senator said. "I have not met anybody who has watched this crisis evolve over the last several days who is not just furious at how poorly prepared we appeared to be."

Response 'baffling'

The South Side Democrat called FEMA's slow response "baffling."

"I don't understand how you could have a situation where you've got several days' notice of an enormous hurricane building in the Gulf Coast, you know that New Orleans is 6 feet below sea level. ... The notion that you don't have good plans in place just does not make sense," Obama said.

Obama said he expects his counterparts in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama will call for congressional hearings, but he is ready if they do not. "It's heartbreaking and infuriating and, I think, is embarrassing to the American people.''

Daley said the city offered 36 members of the firefighters' technical rescue teams, eight emergency medical technicians, search-and-rescue equipment, more than 100 police officers as well as police vehicles and two boats, 29 clinical and 117 non-clinical health workers, a mobile clinic and eight trained personnel, 140 Streets and Sanitation workers and 29 trucks, plus other supplies. City personnel are willing to operate self-sufficiently and would not depend on local authorities for food, water, shelter and other supplies, he said.

Flanked at a Friday press conference by a who's who from city government, religious organizations and business, the mayor also announced formation of the Chicago Helps Fund for storm victims.

"I'm calling upon every resident of Chicago to donate what they can afford, whether it's 50 cents or 50 dollars," the mayor said.

People can make tax-deductible cash or check donations at any of Bank One's 330 Chicago area branches or by check at Chicago Helps, c/o Bank One, 38891 Eagle Way, Chicago 60678-1388. A phone line to take credit card donations will be set up.

Churches were urged to take up collections this Sunday, and firefighters are planning to collect at major intersections this weekend.

In addition, donations will be taken at this weekend's Jazz Fest in Grant Park, and $2 of every ticket purchased through Ticketmaster for the Chicago Classic football game at Soldier Field today will go to hurricane relief. The Shedd Aquarium announced it will donate $1 from every ticket sold this holiday weekend to relief efforts and has set up "donation stations" at the aquarium.

In 2001, FEMA labeled a hurricane striking New Orleans as one of the three most likely catastrophic disasters facing the United States. The Bush Administration underfunded several critical programs which would have mitigated the scope of this disaster. The Bush Administration has continually proposed budgets which cut funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, disaster mitigation programs, and hurricane protections for Louisiana's coast. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-jan-schakowsky/a-national-disaster_b_6710.html)

I forgot that President Bush and other lawmaker were on recess and Bush was vacationing. President Bush will cut short his vacation to return to Washington on Wednesday, two days earlier than planned, to help monitor federal efforts to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina. (http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08/30/bush.hurricane.ap/) The hurricane hit Louisiana Monday.