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Words to Live By
As of this minute, while America is assaulted by what will be the media's framing onslaught of Cindy Sheehan's arrest in front of the White House, we offer this short collection of words from famous originators of civil disobedience. Their words, like Cindy's actions yesterday, help us keep our spine...
"The Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the constitutions of the several states and the organic laws of the Territories, all alike propose to protect the people in the exercise of their God-given rights. Not one of them pretends to bestow rights."
Susan B. Anthony
“We have no alternative but to protest . . . we come here tonight to be saved, to be saved from patience that makes us patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom & justice . . . I want to say that in all of our actions we must stick together. Unity is the great need of the hour, and if we are united we can get many of the things that we not only desire, but which we justly deserve….If we are wrong, the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong. If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong . . .If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a Utopian dreamer who never came down to earth. If we are wrong, justice is a lie.”
Rev. Martin Luther King
“Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man in also a prison. . . . But the rich man . . . is always sold to the institution which makes him rich. Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue; for money comes between a man and his objects . . . Thus his moral ground is taken from under his feet. . When I converse with the freest of my neighbors, I perceive that, whatever they may say about the magnitude and seriousness of the question . . . the long and the short of the matter is . . . they dread the consequences of disobedience to their property and families . . . If I deny the authority of the State when it presents it tax-bill, it will soon take and waste all my property, and so harass me and my children without end. This is hard . . Thus the State never intentionally confronts a man's sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body. It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength.”
Henry David Thoreau
"But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn and offer him the other; and if anyone would take your coat, give him your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." (Matthew 5:39)
Jesus of Nazareth
Well put Fe
I found Olbermann amusing this morning
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/
I know this is a repeat but...
On The Charlie Rose Show last night, actor Viggio Mortensen (Lord of the Rings and Hidalgo) surprised his host by very intelligently and assertively expressing his opinion that the whole Bush Administration are corrupt and should be impeached.
GO ARAGORN GO!!!
Want to see how to "frame" a message?
Framed, wrapped and delivered.
Video of the Charlie Rose Show with Viggio
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/24.html#a5091
Gannon Pictured
Jeff Gannon (nee Guckert) at the Sunday Pro-War rally attended by 400 people.
On Saturday 150,000+ attended the anti-war rally and march. Gannon is the
former prostitute who was uncovered as a fraud in the White House press pool.
Organizers of the Pro-war rally expected up to 20,000, leaving them
approximately 19,600 short oF their original estimate.
http://www.ocbq.com/gannon.html
Fe, watched Olberman last night - he is one funny guy!
Indy - thanks for posting that clip - excellent!
The organizers of our march on Saturday estimate that 300,000 people took part. Those numbers seems pretty real to me.
From True Majority: Free download of Dar Williams latest song - "My Better Self" and if you sing up for True Majority - a chance to win free tickets to see her!
http://www.darwilliams.com/truemajority/
Organizers of the Pro-war rally expected up to 20,000, leaving them
approximately 19,600 short oF their original estimate.
http://www.ocbq.com/gannon.html
Posted by: Christy at September 27, 2005 01:31 PM
Four hundred sounds like a manageable crowd. About the size George seemed to take with him on his S.S. "Travelin' Salvation Show" snake oil tour.
Remember, those paid folks that were part of the pre-selected audience, that were sent in to the host town by bus, and rehearsed the night before the "show"?
Gee, if that's any indication of how many people are ACTUALLY pro-war, that would make it ALMOST zero. Shall we say 20%?
Or are there that many war profiteers in this country?
Well, here I am zipping around enjoying, for the first time, cable high speed internet!!
Yes, I have been out here in the toolies with my dial-up, which meant I could nap or do a chore between downloads.
This is........like walking.....out of a dark cave.......into tomorrow land. Just call me Flash!
(new e-mail addy too, as soon as I figure out how to get into it)
From Air America -
Xavier and Dillard Colleges, both traditionally black colleges, are receiving no FEMA assistance. Apparently there is some lame rule that not-for-profits don't qualify for FEMA funding.
I guess they are appealing to congress....
Words to live by....
Brown: You want me to be a hero
Former FEMA chief Michael Brown today blamed Louisiana's leaders for dragging their heels last month as Hurricane Katrina approached the Gulf Coast. Brown told a congressional panel he couldn't make state or local officials do anything. "I guess you want me to be the superhero that is going to step in there and suddenly take everybody out of New Orleans."
Please note while reading this article... THERE WAS NEVER A TERRORIST PROBLEM IN IRAQ BEFORE THE INVASION!!!!! (ok, just remember that little fact, and you'll find this interesting... and sorry for shouting)
Blair lambasts 'pre-medieval war'
Terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere are waging a "pre-medieval religious war", UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference, Mr Blair defended his Iraq policy in the wake of the recent attacks on British troops.
The way to stop innocent people dying was not to pull out troops but to stand up to democracy in Iraq, he told delegates in Brighton.
He also said Britain should stick with America in the face of terrorism.
'Defending democracy'
Attacks on British troops who freed two SAS soldiers arrested by Iraqi forces last week have fuelled calls for a time-tabled exit strategy.
But Mr Blair told Labour delegates the struggle against global terrorism was at its fiercest in Iraq.
He urged people to remember the 8.5 million people who turned out to vote in Iraq in January.
"The way to stop the innocent dying is not to retreat, to withdraw, to hand these people over to the mercy of religious fanatics or relics of Saddam but to stand up for their right to decide their government in the same democratic way the British people do," he said.
Love Actually
Mr Blair said Muslims abhorred violence and the terrorists were "fringe fanatics" using Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine to justify their campaign.
"Strip away their fake claims of grievance and see them for what they are: terrorists who use 21st century technology to fight a pre-medieval religious war that is utterly alien to the future of mankind," he said.
Mr Blair said the UK could have "hidden away" after 11 September and let other nations take the strain - but that was not the way of Britain or Labour.
Britain should remain America's "strongest ally", he argued.
"I know there's a bit of us that would like me to do a Hugh Grant in Love Actually and tell America where to get off," he said.
"But the difference between a good film and real life is that in real life there's the next day, the next year, the next lifetime to contemplate the ruinous consequences of easy applause.
"I never doubted after September 11 that our place was alongside America and I don't doubt it now.
"And for the very simple reason terrorism struck most dramatically in New York but it was aimed then, and is aimed now, at us all, at our way of life."
Monkey -
either he's drinking a lot of the kool-aid, or he's terrified of the retribution that will come on England if they go against the US govt. regime...
Posted by: Carol at September 27, 2005 02:36 PM
Yeah, cuz now I'm all confused... is it "If you break it you, buy it?" or "If you buy it, you break it?"
Colin Blow
Without TRYING to get myself censored...
F**k Michael Brown
Seems EVERYBODY has to be used to prop ol' Georgie up now.
The entire cabinet at his side at speech time along with 14 flags, Laura out doing PR repair, Karl, and the poodle marionette from across the sea.
Gets pretty bad when you are trying to prop up your ratings by using a failed ex-director of FEMA to point fingers at a man who was on tv for four days screaming into the cameras and pleading for HELP for his constituency.
I know you think you're a magician, Karl, but I just don't think that is going to do it.
"I guess you want me to be the superhero that is going to step in there and suddenly take everybody out of New Orleans."
Michael Brown 9/27/05
Well, you weren't, and people are dead. We don't buy a single thing you're trying to peddle, so why are you even trying? And why are we even PAYING for it?
This man should not be paid. He should be sued.
AND AFTER HE'S BEEN SUED, HE SHOULD BE JAILED!
(Preferably in a SERIOUS Fed pen. The kind of prison filled with people who have family in the 9th Ward)
Fe,
And Chertoff and Shrub et al right along with him. What a pathetic lot.
Either Rove has lost his mind, or he is no longer leading the pack, because Bush looks like an absolute fool right now - tooling around the south, while who is running the country?
Oh - that's right - nobody was running it before the hurricane either.
We should do to brown what should be done to the bush twins.
Put them in a military uniform. Put a big bumpersticker across thier backs that say I Love GW Bush.. and kick thier asses out of the car in downtown bagdhad.
From the NY Times Editorials today:
Editorial
Cronies at the Till
Published: September 27, 2005
The first results are in on who is set to profit from the Katrina cleanup, and - surprise - many of the firms winning major contracts have big political connections. Congressional investigators are already looking into AshBritt, a Pompano Beach, Fla., company with ties to Mississippi's governor, Haley Barbour - the former chairman of the Republican National Committee. AshBritt has nabbed $568 million in contracts for trash removal. Questions have also been raised about the political connections of two other major contractors: the Shaw Group, and Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton. Both companies have been represented by Joe Allbaugh, President Bush's former campaign manager and the former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency - although Mr. Allbaugh says he does not help any of his clients obtain federal contracts.
And there's more. An article in yesterday's Times by Eric Lipton and Ron Nixon reports that more than 80 percent of the $1.5 billion in contracts signed by FEMA for Katrina work were awarded without bidding or with limited competition. The Times article even finds a federal employee - Richard Skinner, the inspector general for the Homeland Security Department - willing to go on the record with his concern, saying, "We are very apprehensive about what we are seeing."
So are we. The government is spending more than a quarter of a billion dollars every day on rescue, relief and reconstruction along the Gulf Coast. Anyone who pays taxes in America should be concerned about how the money is being spent and who is profiting. We think that when Congress appropriates money for disaster relief, the advantage should be maximized for the victims, not for the same cast of characters that have been profiting from no-bid contracts in Iraq. Kellogg, Brown & Root, Americans may recall, is the company that came up with those $100-per-bag laundry bills for work in Iraq.
All of this comes back to cronyism. The resignation of the FEMA chief, Michael Brown, was only one of the recent departures. The head of federal procurement policy at the Office of Management and Budget resigned just before he was arrested on charges of lying to federal investigators, and the Pentagon's former inspector general has left for the private sector but remains the target of a Congressional inquiry.
Last week, the Homeland Security Department appointed the National Weather Service's chief financial officer, Matthew Jadacki, to head a new Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight. That's a step in the right direction. The office itself is a good idea, and Mr. Jadacki's experience is a welcome contrast with that of many of the inexperienced political appointees who have been exposed by this crisis. But the administration will have to go a lot further if it wants any chance of regaining the American people's trust, which it has so squandered. The true test of the new oversight office will be in its financing and staffing. America doesn't need a public relations stunt; it needs a functioning means of curbing abuse.
A promising legislative initiative comes from Senators Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, and Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois. They have called for a chief financial officer to review expenditures before the money is spent, rather than more inspectors general to audit records after the fact. That strikes us as a fine idea.
Relative to my comment above regarding Xavier etc, (Posted by: Carol at September 27, 2005 02:15 PM) this was on msnbc.com. I think we touched on it yesterday - regarding FEMA paying for donated goods.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9495550/
FEMA plans to reimburse faith groups for aid
Civil libertarians object; religious groups ponder what to do
After weeks of prodding by Republican lawmakers and the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said yesterday that it will use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that have opened their doors to provide shelter, food and supplies to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
FEMA officials said it would mark the first time that the government has made large-scale payments to religious groups for helping to cope with a domestic natural disaster.
Civil liberties groups called the decision a violation of the traditional boundary between church and state, accusing FEMA of trying to restore its battered reputation by playing to religious conservatives.
-snip-
‘Strange definition’
"I believe it's appropriate for the federal government to assist the faith community because of the scale and scope of the effort and how long it's lasting," he (Joe Becker - Red Cross) said.
Lynn disagreed. "The good news is that this work is being done now, but I don't think a lot of people realize that a lot of these organizations are actively working to obtain federal funds. That's a strange definition of charity," he said.
Lynn added that he accepts the need for the government to coordinate with religious groups in a major disaster, but not to "pay for their good works."
"We've never complained about using a religious organization as a distribution point for food or clothing or anything else," Lynn said. But "direct cash reimbursements would be unprecedented."
-snip-
Salvation Army in talks
A spokeswoman for the Salvation Army said it has been in talks with state and federal officials about reimbursement for the 76,000 nights of shelter it has provided to Katrina survivors so far. But it is still unclear whether the Salvation Army will qualify, she said.
The Rev. Flip Benham, director of Operation Save America, an antiabortion group formerly known as Operation Rescue, said, "Separation of church and state means nothing in a time of disaster; you see immediately what a farce it is."
Benham said that his group has been dispensing food and clothing and that "Bibles and tracts go out with everything we put out." In Mendenhall, La., he said, he preached to evacuees while the mayor directed traffic and the sheriff put inmates from the county jail to work handing out supplies.
Yet Benham said he would never accept a dime from the federal government. "The people have been so generous to give that for us to ask for reimbursement would be like gouging for gas," he said. "That would be a crime against heaven."
-snip-
For entire article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9495550/page/2/
From that last post - the Salvation Army wants to be re-imbursed? What about all the millions of dollars people have been donating to them????
Something stinks.
Either Rove has lost his mind, or he is no longer leading the pack, because Bush looks like an absolute fool right now - tooling around the south, while who is running the country?
Oh - that's right - nobody was running it before the hurricane either.
Posted by: Carol at September 27, 2005 02:59 PM
Carol:
You have to think about it: what was the bigger Administration embarassment to hide, Cindy Sheehan or Michael Brown?
Best guesses anyone?
Has Rove triangulated himself into such a tight corner that we are looking at him through a particle microscope?
What's scary about this is that there is NO outrage.
Indy - sorry - just noticed you posted that article last night.
Sorry for the repeat everybody!
Fe - they're all just insane.
And, while I'm glad they were foolish enough to have Cindy and the others arrested....another publicity snafu. If they were at all with it, they would have just let them all sit there so they wouldn't have gotten any publicity.
God forbid they would actually talk to them.
Stupid is as stupid does - Forrest Gump. (another "words to live by"?)
Carol...
No royalties for reruns... unless you are in the Bush administration.
No soup for you.
Has anybody seen a Katrina death count anywhere lately?
Has anyone seen ANY footage from Iraq lately - like in the last 6 months - year?
Anyone heard a total death count from Iraq lately?
Anyone see any mainstream coverage of the march on Saturday?
I think we need to start writing letters to the editor asking all of these questions.
People woke up briefly after Katrina, because there was real honest uncensored coverage. People were outraged, because they were seeing reality. But they're being lulled to sleep again rapidly. We need to wake em up and get them thinking!
Posted by: Carol at September 27, 2005 04:02 PM
Carol, that information is available at cnn.com (among other places I would guess), but I admit you do have to dig for it. There was one mainstream article (AP) about Saturday and pictures at several mainstream media websites. Our local paper carried the AP article on A-3. Media self-censorship, especially when compared to the opening days of Katrina, is terribly self-evident.
Man, this notion of reimbursing faith based organizations has been driving me nuts all day, and it's a short drive these days.
True people of faith give what has been laid upon their hearts, as a TRUE act of thanksgiving and compassion.
Leave it up to this administration to completely blow through the Church state line (thanks for visiting, resume speed).
As with everything else, it's a business decision... can't let the base go bankrupt... at least not financially.
This administration throws money at everything, with ZERO positive results.
When will people of faith wake up and see how disgusting this is, how completely insulting it is to the very spirit of giving with a greatful heart & soul.
Folks of blind faith, newsflash... you have been played for a fool. Accept this money, and see how you sleep at night.
Stand up for the Prince of Peace already... to hell with how it looks to your "friends".
Monkey - AMEN.
Hey Veritas -
Sorry to have missed you in DC!
Anyway - the fact that we have to dig for that info on websites and deep in the paper means that the average american never gets the info. By design, I believe.
Once again proving that we have to be the media!
More words to live by:
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. ~Bishop Desmond Tutu
(I like the irony of the elephant!)
FROM TODAY'S HUFFPOST:
Why I Was Smiling and Hurricane Rita
by Cindy Sheehan
I had a huge grin on my face when I was getting arrested yesterday. I have received a lot of flak for smiling. Apparently I am not supposed to smile, but I had some really good reasons for doing so.
First of all, I was having fun. I was with a group of good-humored, cheerful, happy people. We were singing old protest songs and old Sunday school songs and clapping. I felt I had to be cheerful to set the tone. We didn't want any trouble or to do anything non-peaceful. Secondly, when I got arrested and the officers lifted me out I was afraid that America would see my underwear and that tickled me.
There is another and more important reason that I was smiling. I had not genuinely smiled since Casey was killed in Iraq. I thought my hope was buried along with my son and I was in a pit of hopeless despair. Camp Casey gave me back my hope because America came out in huge numbers to support us and they raised their voices with ours in unison to take our country back and to hold this administration accountable for the lies and mistakes that are killing tens of thousands of innocent people. There were hundreds of thousands of regular Americans who came out to protest the war and Bush's policies this past Saturday. Hundreds of faithful Americans turned out for our interfaith religious service Sunday night next to the Washington Monument. The so-called religious right doesn't have a monopoly on God. I am so pleased that the people of America are becoming active participants in Democracy and America is ready to put their money where their collective mouths are: to bring our troops home and hold BushCo accountable. It is a wonderful thing to be doing something that makes a difference and it is a wonderful and miraculous thing to have my hope back. That is why I am smiling.
Now about Hurricane Rita: I woke up on Saturday morning filled with excitement. I knew that the rally and march were going to be amazing events and I was thrilled to be a part of them. I switched on the TV and turned on CNN and for 2 hours, I watched one of their reporters in front of the same downed tree and it wasn't even raining. I knew that there was a hurricane and it was damaging. At the point of the news cycle though, I thought CNN could be covering other news. 40 soldiers have been killed this month so far in Iraq and countless Iraqis have been killed. The war is still going on and the news has been dominated by hurricanes and the terrible aftermaths. I actually think the mainstream media has been doing a good job of pointing out the dropped balls in the Gulf States. However, CNN and other mainstream news outlets ALWAYS report other news besides the illegal occupation of Iraq.
When we had hundreds of thousands of people turn out for protests all over the nation on March 19th, the 2 nd anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the Terry Schiavo fiasco was occurring. The Schiavo tragedy was bad for one family and I was in agony for them, but I found it hypocritical that Congress would rush into a special session to save one person's lives when so many were being needlessly killed in Iraq partly because Congress abrogated their Constitutional responsibilities to declare war. I was also disappointed that that tragedy superseded the protest coverage. Wolf Blitzer called our protests: Insignificant.
Saturday was the most important event in peace history in decades. The numbers were underreported and the wonderful energy was unreported by the mainstream media. With the MSM there will always be something more important than covering the atrocity of Iraq: Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Terry Schiavo, The Runaway Bride, etc. It is time we hold our media accountable, too. Balanced coverage of all issues and some investigative reporting would be extremely refreshing.
I am sorry for what seemed to be an insensitive remark about the people who were affected by Rita, but that was not my intention. I am very aware that the failed policies of the Bush administration have all put us in the same boat, so to speak, and we need to take responsibility for righting the wrongs here in our country and in Iraq.
I don't think I can be challenged for my analysis of the war and for what I say because it is all the truth and comes from my heart, so I have to be attacked for smiling. I won't apologize for smiling, though, we are making a difference and that is definitely something to smile about!
Maybe she was also smiling cuz she stuck it to Bush - again, on the PR front.
Fe,
I noticed her smile too, and I thought--finally! "She is happy--she is speaking up and saying what she needs to say--what we ALL need to say."
Going to see her tonight at the University. Will share later.
New Orleans: A Disaster Foretold!!!!!!Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001
Subject: N'Orleans Faces doomsday Scenerio
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 05:49:17 -0500 (EST)
Organization: WebTV Subscriber
news:alt.discuss.state.louisiana.cajun-bayou
Subject: =A0=A0 NEW ORLEANS DOOMSDAY? Date: =A0=A0 Sat, Dec 1, 2001,
2:52pm (EST-1) Organization: =A0=A0 WebTV Subscriber
Printer-friendly format Dec. 1, 2001, 1:35AM
KEEPING ITS HEAD ABOVE WATER
New Orleans faces doomsday scenario
By ERIC BERGER Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle Science Writer
New Orleans is sinking.
And its main buffer from a hurricane, the protective Mississippi River delta, is quickly eroding away, leaving the historic city perilously close to disaster. So vulnerable, in fact, that earlier this year the Federal Emergency Management Agency ranked the potential damage to New Orleans as among the three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters facing this country.
The other two? A massive earthquake in San Francisco, and, almost prophetically, a terrorist attack on New York City. The New Orleans hurricane scenario may be the deadliest of all. In the face of an approaching storm, scientists say, the city's less-than-adequate evacuation routes would strand 250,000 people or more, and probably kill one of 10 left behind as the city drowned under 20 feet of water.
Thousands of refugees could land in Houston. Economically, the toll would be shattering. Southern Louisiana produces one-third of the country's seafood, one-fifth of its oil and one-quarter of its natural gas. The city's tourism, lifeblood of the French Quarter, would cease to exist. The Big Easy might never recover.
And, given New Orleans' precarious perch, some academics wonder if it should be rebuilt at all. It's been 36 years since Hurricane Betsy buried New Orleans 8 feet deep. Since then a deteriorating ecosystem and increased development have left the city in an ever more precarious position. Yet the problem went unaddressed for decades by a laissez-faire government, experts said.
"To some extent, I think we've been lulled to sleep," said Marc Levitan, director of Louisiana State University's hurricane center. Hurricane season ended Friday, and for the second straight year no hurricanes hit the United States. But the season nonetheless continued a long-term trend of more active seasons, forecasters said.
Tropical Storm Allison became this country's most destructive tropical storm ever. Yet despite the damage Allison wrought upon Houston, dropping more than 3 feet of water in some areas, a few days later much of the city returned to normal as bloated bayous drained into the Gulf of Mexico. The same storm dumped a mere 5 inches on New Orleans, nearly overwhelming the city's pump system. If an Allison-type storm were to strike New Orleans, or a Category 3 storm or greater with at least 111 mph winds, the results would be cataclysmic, New Orleans planners said.
"Any significant water that comes into this city is a dangerous threat," Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency management director, told Scientific American for an October article. "Even though I have to plan for it, I don't even want to think about the loss of life a huge hurricane would cause."
New Orleans is essentially a bowl ringed by levees that protect the city from the Mississippi River to its south and Lake Pontchartrain to the north. The bottom of the bowl is 14 feet below sea level, and efforts to keep it dry are only digging a deeper hole.
During routine rainfalls the city's dozens of pumps push water uphill into the lake. This, in turn, draws water from the ground, further drying the ground and sinking it deeper, a problem known as subsidence. This problem also faces Houston as water wells have sucked the ground dry. Houston's solution is a plan to convert to surface drinking water. For New Orleans, eliminating pumping during a rainfall is not an option, so the city continues to sink.
A big storm, scientists said, would likely block four of five evacuation routes long before it hit. Those left behind would have no power or transportation, and little food or medicine, and no prospects for a return to normal any time soon.
"The bowl would be full," Levitan said. "There's simply no place for the water to drain."
Estimates for pumping the city dry after a huge storm vary from six to
16 weeks. Hundreds of thousands would be homeless, their residences destroyed. The only solution, scientists, politicians and other Louisiana officials agree, is to take large-scale steps to minimize the risks, such as rebuilding the protective delta.
Every two miles of marsh between New Orleans and the Gulf reduces a storm surge -- which in some cases is 20 feet or higher -- by half a foot. In 1990, the Breaux Act, named for its author, Sen. John Breaux, D-La., created a task force of several federal agencies to address the severe wetlands loss in coastal Louisiana. The act has rought about $40 million a year for wetland restoration projects, but it hasn't been enough.
"It's kind of been like trying to give aspirin to a cancer patient," said Len Bahr, director of Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster's coastal activities office. The state loses about 25 square miles of land a year, the equivalent of about one football field every 15 minutes. The fishing industry, without marshes, swamps and fertile wetlands, could lose a projected $37 billion by the year 2050.
University of New Orleans researchers studied the impact of Breaux Act projects on the vanishing wetlands and estimated that only 2 percent of the loss has been averted. Clearly, Bahr said, there is a need for something much bigger. There is some evidence this finally may be happening.
A consortium of local, state and federal agencies is studying a $2 billion to $3 billion plan to divert sediment from the Mississippi River back into the delta. Because the river is leveed all the way to the Gulf, where sediment is dumped into deep water, nothing is left to replenish the receding delta.
Other possible projects include restoration of barrier reefs and perhaps a large gate to prevent Lake Pontchartrain from overflowing and drowning the city. All are multibillion-dollar projects. A plan to restore the Florida Everglades attracted $4 billion in federal funding, but the state had to match it dollar for dollar. In Louisiana, so far, there's only been a willingness to match 15 or 25 cents.
"Our state still looks for a 100 percent federal bailout, but that's just not going to happen," said University of New Orleans geologist Shea Penland, a delta expert. "We have an image and credibility problem. We have to convince our country that they need to take us seriously, that they can trust us to do a science-based restoration program."
Who needs God when you have METHAMPHETAMINES laying around??
PS>> ROSSI Im on my way home now will try dealing with blogger in a bit..XOXOXO
Hostage Gave Meth to Atlanta Fugitive By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press Writer
27 minutes ago
ATLANTA - Ashley Smith, the woman who says she persuaded suspected courthouse gunman Brian Nichols to release her by talking about her faith, discloses in a new book that she gave him methamphetamine during the hostage ordeal.
Smith did not share that detail with authorities at the time. But investigators said she came clean about the drugs when they interviewed her months later. They said they have no plans to charge her with drug possession.
In her book, "Unlikely Angel," released Tuesday, Smith says Nichols had her bound on her bed with masking tape and an extension cord. She says he asked for marijuana, but she did not have any, and she dug into her illegal stash of crystal meth instead.
Smith, a 27-year-old widowed mother who gained widespread praise for her level-headedness, says the seven-hour hostage ordeal in March led to the realization that she was a drug addict, and she says she has not used drugs since the night before she was taken captive.
"If I did die, I wasn't going to heaven and say, `Oh, excuse me, God. Let me wipe my nose, because I just did some drugs before I got here,'" Smith told the Augusta Chronicle.
Police said Nichols took Smith hostage in her apartment March 11 after a shooting rampage at the Atlanta courthouse.
During the ordeal, Smith says, she pulled out Rick Warren's book "The Purpose-Driven Life" and read to Nichols a chapter called "Using What God Gave Me" to gain his trust. Nichols later released her, and she called 911 and told authorities where to find him.
Nichols is accused of killing four people, including a judge, and could get the death penalty.
Since Nichols' arrest, Smith has received $70,000 in rewards and has been bombarded with offers for books, movies and speaking engagements. Her ordeal has been held up as an example of the redemptive power of faith.
"It's hard for people to understand the miracle of the story," she told the newspaper. "This was totally a God thing, to me in my life. This was God getting my attention, going, `I'm going to give you one more chance.'"
Financial details of the book have not been released, but Smith pledged to donate an undisclosed portion of the book's proceeds to a memorial fund for the victims.
Calls to Nichols' attorneys were not immediately returned Tuesday. Prosecution spokesman Erik Friedly would not comment on the case.
Smith says in her book that as the night wore on — after Nichols had snorted some of Smith's meth — she tried to win Nichols' trust by talking about her faith in God and relating to him her personal stories.
She says she told him how her husband had died in her arms four years earlier after being stabbed during a brawl.
She writes that she asked Nichols if he wanted to see the danger of drugs and lifted up her tank top several inches to reveal a five-inch scar down the center of her torso — the aftermath of a car wreck caused by drug-induced psychosis. She says she let go of the steering wheel when she heard a voice saying, "Let go and let God."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050927/ap_on_re_us/courthouse_hostage_book
Whoa! So Gannon/Gueckart was at the pro-war rally. I guess he is still on somebody's payroll. I find this very interesting.
http://www.ocbq.com/gannon.html
Posted by: Christy at September 27, 2005 01:31 PM
Posted by: Veritas at September 27, 2005 04:08 PM
Hey Veritas -
I suspect that this article is related to our discussion yesterday...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9495550/page/2/
Jeff Gannon for president...
Tax payer funded hookers for EVERYONE!!!!!
The Smoking Gun
Placed in a box
Buried in a pit
Under the foundation
Of a maximum security prison
Surrounded by walls
Patrolled by guards
In a remote corner
Of a distant island
Under restricted airspace
In tumultuous seas
Can you remember how excited you were when you heard, through the media, that the Commerce Department had finally released documents relating to Cheney's Energy Task Force? Do you recall how angry you became when you saw right there, on internal Bush Abomination documents, dated in March of 2001, that part of their energy planning involved maps of Iraqi oil fields!!!!????
No? don't worry, neither do I. But before you run out and buy "The Memory Switch" or some other memory enhancement gizmo, allow me a moment to explain why your memory is so faulty. Well, you see, it isn't.
Here's a little experiment. Open a new window and bring up your Google Search engine. Got it? Good. Now type in this phrase: "Cheney Energy Task Force, contain a map of Iraqi oil fields" Done? Excellent! Now have a look at the results. I stopped looking for any major media outlets after I went through ten pages of articles. On the tenth page, I did find a hit for The New Yorker. My cynical nature was reaffirmed when I opened the hyperlink and saw that the phrase was hopelessly buried in a long article, appropriately titled BENEATH THE SAND.
So why did the "Corporate" media think that a story about a pre 9/11 task force, headed by our nation's Vice President, looking toward Iraqi oil fields as a part of OUR future energy policy was not newsworthy?
When on March 17, 2003 President Bush warned the Iraqi people "And all Iraqi military and civilian personnel should listen carefully to this warning. In any conflict, your fate will depend on your action. Do not destroy oil wells, a source of wealth that belongs to the Iraqi people" did it then become newsworthy?
Did it become newsworthy when we found no WMD's in Iraq?
When on September 18, 2003, the President had to admit that "we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th," did it then become newsworthy?
Is it newsworthy now that we know that Philip Carroll, former CEO of Shell Oil, and hand picked overseer or Iraqi oil production, had to prevent Paul Bremer from privatizing the Iraqi oil industry? According to Mr. Carroll , Paul Bremer adamently pressed him to set up the privatization plan but Carroll stated firmly that "There was to be no privatization of Iraqi oil resources or facilities while I was involved."
Let's tally the score, shall we.
The war was about Weapons of Mass Destruction; until it wasn't
The war was about 9/11; until it wasn't
The war was about Democratizing Iraq; until it wasn't.
The war was never about oil; until it was.
And what does it matter? You didn't need to know any of this anyway.
http://skogsblog.blogspot.com/2005/09/smoking-gun.html
Texas Judge Orders Police to LOOT FEMA
County Judge Carl Griffith said today he has become so frustrated with the federal relief effort that he has instructed all local officials to use police force if they have to to take supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"If you have enough policemen to take it from them, take it," Griffith said.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3369454
HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
A Texas Judge fed up with FEMA!!!
And giving orders to disobey the Federal Government!!!
I wish I could see the look on Rick Perry and W's faces ohhhhh about right...
NOW!
HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
Ex-FEMA chief says Louisiana 'dysfunctional' Brown Shifts Blame for Katrina Response
On whose Frikin watch was this News Release on?
U.S. Government FEMA news release ^ July 23, 2004 FEMA
Posted on 09/03/2005 1:35:21 PM PDT by Polybius
Hurricane Pam Exercise Concludes
Release Date: July 23, 2004
Release number: R6-04-093
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Hurricane Pam brought sustained winds of 120 mph, up to 20 inches of rain in parts of southeast Louisiana and storm surge that topped levees in the New Orleans area. More than one million residents evacuated and Hurricane Pam destroyed 500,000-600,000 buildings. Emergency officials from 50 parish, state, federal and volunteer organizations faced this scenario during a five-day exercise held this week at the State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge.
The exercise used realistic weather and damage information developed by the National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the LSU Hurricane Center and other state and federal agencies to help officials develop joint response plans for a catastrophic hurricane in Louisiana.
"We made great progress this week in our preparedness efforts," said Ron Castleman, FEMA Regional Director. "Disaster response teams developed action plans in critical areas such as search and rescue, medical care, sheltering, temporary housing, school restoration and debris management. These plans are essential for quick response to a hurricane but will also help in other emergencies."
"Hurricane planning in Louisiana will continue," said Colonel Michael L. Brown, Deputy Director for Emergency Preparedness, Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. "Over the next 60 days, we will polish the action plans developed during the Hurricane Pam exercise. We have also determined where to focus our efforts in the future."
A partial summary of action plans follows:
Debris
The debris team estimates that a storm like Hurricane Pam would result in 30 million cubic yards of debris and 237,000 cubic yards of household hazardous waste The team identified existing landfills that have available storage space and locations of hazardous waste disposal sites. The debris plan also outlines priorities for debris removal.
Sheltering
The interagency shelter group identified the need for about 1,000 shelters for a catastrophic disaster. The shelter team identified 784 shelters and has developed plans for locating the remaining shelters.
In a storm like Hurricane Pam, shelters will likely remain open for 100 days. The group identified the resources necessary to support 1000 shelters for 100 days. They planned for staff augmentation and how to include shelterees in shelter management.
State resources are adequate to operate shelters for the first 3-5 days. The group planned how federal and other resources will replenish supplies at shelters.
Search and Rescue
The search and rescue group developed a transportation plan for getting stranded residents out of harm's way. Planners identified lead and support agencies for search and rescue and established a command structure that will include four areas with up to 800 searchers.
Medical
The medical care group reviewed and enhanced existing plans. The group determined how to implement existing immunization plans rapidly for tetanus, influenza and other diseases likely to be present after a major hurricane.
The group determined how to re-supply hospitals around the state that would face heavy patient loads. The medical action plan includes patient movement details and identifies probable locations, such as state university campuses, where individuals would receive care and then be transported to hospitals, special needs shelters or regular shelters as necessary. Schools
The school group determined that 13,000-15,000 teachers and administrators would be needed to support affected schools. The group acknowledged the role of local school boards and developed strategies for use by local school officials.
Staffing strategies include the use of displaced teachers, retired teachers, emergency certified teachers and others eligible for emergency certification. Displaced paraprofessionals would also be recruited to fill essential school positions. The group discussed facility options for increasing student population at undamaged schools and prioritizing repairs to buildings with less damage to assist in normalizing operations
The school plan also calls for placement or development of temporary schools near temporary housing communities built for hurricane victims.
The Hurricane Pam scenario focused on 13 parishes in southeast Louisiana-Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany Tangipahoa, Terrebonne. Representatives from outside the primary parishes participated since hurricane evacuation and sheltering involve communities throughout the state and into Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Link Here
FEMA FRIKIN FAILED ON georgies watch
By the way...
I am so in love with Rossi I may just need tips from Indy on how to be a lesbian.
Tomorrow evening at 8:30 pm there will be a candlelight vigil to end the war in Brevard North Carolina.
Brevard is in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains a few hours away from one of our DCP friends.
Know more people near Brevard or Greenville S.C.? Send them!
heheheheheehe
Hey Indy thank you Luv for House of the Rising Sun, now how the hell do I get it onto Rebelle can you figure that out for me please, pretty please be a good son and figure that out for me
Posted by: Fe at September 27, 2005 04:39 PM
I'm confused. Maybe Cindy or someone can explain this to me.
According to my visit with my Republican representative, Joe Schwartz's legal aide, "Representative Schwartz voted for the Terri Shaivo Bill because he felt in the case of death, that it needed to be addressed one last time in the judicial system."
I informed him, "That is one person, one law and violates the separation of of Congress and the judicial system. And if the issue is death is important, then why only stand up for Terri Schaivo?"
Well, the question was not directly answered. His comment was, "We just have a difference of opinion."
So...my question is: Why is the death of one person more important than the death of 1900?
Oh The house of the rising sun...
Yes INDY please do tell her how since I can't seem to open the damn file myself.....
Because Schivo was not about death
It was about GOD
And Power
All those OTHER dead people just are about..well..death.
Fe: Excellent quotes from Susan B. Anthony et al.
I am so proud of Cindy Sheehan, and also of this blog. Peace everybody.
Christy and Rossi.. You need a program called Power Point which is part of the Microsoft Office Suite to open the "House of the Rising Sun" Another option is to download Open Office.. it has all the same sorts of programs as Office, but cheaper. If you've got a fast enough connection you can even get it free.
Great video of the nonviolent civil disobedience today:
http://websrvr20.audiovideoweb.com/avwebdswebsrvr2143/news_video/civdiba512K.mov
I noticed her smile too, and I thought--finally! "She is happy--she is speaking up and saying what she needs to say--what we ALL need to say."
Going to see her tonight at the University. Will share later.
Posted by: karen at September 27, 2005 04:55 PM
I saw her smile too, and it seemed to say to me "Casey did not die in vain. My actions in the midst of my grief have not been for naught. We are making a difference, and our voice is growing louder. We can end this madness; end the killing."
You know, if you think about it, what Cindy is doing is not selfish. She is healing her soul, but she is giving away so much more than she is getting. I just wish everybody could see that.
I saw her smile too, and it seemed to say to me "Casey did not die in vain. My actions in the midst of my grief have not been for naught. We are making a difference, and our voice is growing louder. We can end this madness; end the killing."
You know, if you think about it, what Cindy is doing is not selfish. She is healing her soul, but she is giving away so much more than she is getting. I just wish everybody could see that.
Posted by: Truth Shall Prevail at September 27, 2005 08:56 PM
Amen, she is a women after my own heart, she is a fighter for the people, she has the balls the wankers in the White House do not have when it come to fighting for the people of America.
Way to go Cindy Sheehan it is worth it to be locked up by the thugs in Washington, if it is really what you believe in heart and soul, and I think that Casey will always be there fighting that fight with you.
Is chat down for everyone? Or did you all kick me out already?
Christy did you understand any of the from Indy and Ladytechie thanks guys, get Bubba onto it I want that on Rebelle, never to be forgotten. Sorry Guys I am not very technical got to get my neighbour for all the tec stuff.
Posted by: fricO at September 27, 2005 09:17 PM
LOL! It takes a heck of a lot for us to kick somebody out... Try again?
FricO
IRC is hopping now... don't know why it won't work for you... maybe a reboot...
see you in there
While it isn't exactly today's news, wanted to post this tidbit about what Rove was doing over this past weekend....
Karl Rove, top Bush political adviser, visiting Fargo on Saturday
DALE WETZEL
Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D. - Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser, plans to speak Saturday at a GOP fundraiser and meet with Gov. John Hoeven, whom Republicans hope to coax into running against Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D.
Hoeven said he will attend the Fargo fundraiser and meet with Rove, but he downplayed the visit's significance.
"We'll talk about a variety of things," the governor said. "Obviously, I talk to the administration on a regular basis about all kinds of different issues. Just because he's coming out, that doesn't mean that's the only time I get to talk to him. I think that gets overplayed."
Conrad, who was first elected to the Senate in 1986, plans to run for re-election next year. He recently began running a television ad to talk up his role in pushing highway construction and energy legislation, and his lobbying on behalf of North Dakota's military installations.
more.......
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/12716905.htm
Saudi prince ups News Corp stake
Chris Tryhorn, City correspondent
Tuesday September 6, 2005
Rupert Murdoch's efforts to retain control over his News Corp media empire were boosted today when a billionaire Saudi prince upped his stake in the company.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal now has 5.46% of voting shares in News Corp through his investment company, Kingdom, replacing a 3% stake in non-voting shares he held previously.
The prince repeated his support for Mr Murdoch, whose grip on the company through his family's 30% shareholding has been threatened since rival media mogul John Malone built up an 18% stake earlier in the year.
"Last November I said that I had the utmost confidence in Mr Murdoch, his management team and his succession planning, and that if necessary, the Kingdom companies would replace their non-voting shares with voting shares," Prince Alwaleed said in a statement today.
"The Kingdom companies now own a significant interest in News Corporation voting shares and may purchase more if the situation warrants."
Mr Malone said recently he would like to add to his stake, but News Corp has put in place a "poison pill" plan to stop him.
This has angered many investors, who believe the company promised not to extend the plan without asking their opinion.
Mr Murdoch intends to keep News Corp in family hands, with the most likely successor being his 32-year-old son James, the chief executive of satellite TV company BSkyB.
· To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857
· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication
Link Here
FEMA criticized for cruise ship deal
Hasty negotiations lead to $236 million agreement
By Jonathan Weisman
Updated: 11:41 p.m. ET Sept. 27, 2005
On Sept. 1, as tens of thousands of desperate Louisianans packed the New Orleans Superdome and convention center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency pleaded with the U.S. Military Sealift Command: The government needed 10,000 berths on full-service cruise ships, FEMA said, and it needed the deal done by noon the next day.
The hasty appeal yielded one of the most controversial contracts of the Hurricane Katrina relief operation, a $236 million agreement with Carnival Cruise Lines for three ships that now bob more than half empty in the Mississippi River and Mobile Bay. The six-month contract -- staunchly defended by Carnival but castigated by politicians from both parties -- has come to exemplify the cost of haste that followed Katrina's strike and FEMA's lack of preparation.
To critics, the price is exorbitant. If the ships were at capacity, with 7,116 evacuees, for six months, the price per evacuee would total $1,275 a week, according to calculations by aides to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). A seven-day western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston can be had for $599 a person -- and that would include entertainment and the cost of actually making the ship move.
"When the federal government would actually save millions of dollars by forgoing the status quo and actually sending evacuees on a luxurious six-month cruise it is time to rethink how we are conducting oversight. A short-term temporary solution has turned into a long-term, grossly overpriced sweetheart deal for a cruise line," said Coburn and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in a joint statement yesterday calling for a chief financial officer to oversee Katrina spending.
Carnival's bid totaled $192 million over six months, plus $44 million in reimbursable expenses, such as port charges, fuel, food and docking costs. To Carnival executives, the contract will ensure only that the company breaks even when it pulls three ships from holiday operations. About 100,000 passengers had their vacations canceled to accommodate the government's needs, said J. Michael Crye, president of the International Council of Cruise Lines, who has been answering questions about the deal for Carnival.
"In the end, we will make no additional money on this deal versus what we would have made by keeping these ships in service," said Jennifer de la Cruz, a Carnival spokeswoman. "That has been our position from the outset, and it has not changed."
Article Continues vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9507503/
Auditors pledge to investigate Katrina contracts
No-bid pacts will undergo scrutiny, House panel to be told
Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Posted: 4:38 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A day after castigating the federal government's ousted disaster chief, a House panel will hear pledges from government auditors that they will closely examine millions of dollars in contracts the Bush administration awarded to politically connected companies for Hurricane Katrina relief.
The inspectors general from half a dozen agencies, as well as officials from the Government Accountability Office, on Wednesday were addressing a House subcommittee on the Katrina cleanup and announcing several new audits to combat waste and fraud.
They are pledging strong oversight that includes a review of no-bid contracts and close scrutiny of federal employees who now enjoy a $250,000 -- rather than a $2,500 -- purchase limit for Katrina-related expenses on their government-issued credit cards.
"When so much money is available, it draws people of less than perfect character," H. Walker Feaster, inspector general of the Federal Communications Commission, said. "It underscores the need for internal controls of the money going out."
The joint appearance of government auditors comes amid a flurry of legislation pending in Congress that would create additional layers of oversight to the Katrina contracting and award process.
It also comes amid growing charges of favoritism that critics say led to government missteps in the wake of the Katrina disaster.
In a House hearing Tuesday, both Republicans and Democrats assailed former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown, who critics say lacked proper experience for the job, for his performance in handling emergency aid.
"The Bush administration's culture of cronyism comes at the expense of public safety," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said. "It is unconscionable and must stop immediately."
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/28/congress.katrina.ap/index.html
Truth Shall Prevail
Sorry Rove had to darken the day in Fargo
Am watching trouble in Corsica on Andrees
tv and its in French but I guess a ship was hijacked
Also saw a show last night about how terrorists and big dealers are busted here and so it was like COPS but uberCops
Dick Bell
Cool photo on the main page
We also saw alot of coverage about Cindy Sheehan on local and international news
and I just read on Google US about Brownie and his lame blaming of others for his FEMAs ineptitude; about the teachers who were prevented from teaching scientifically; by religious nuts AND how Laura Bush will appear on a reality show to demonstrate pretend compassion
xo to all
Thanks for the Yoga for the mind -- good for the spine: The Backbone people should give DCP an award
Morning All,
This morning's WaPo brings an onslaught of stories and commentary about FEMA, Michael Brown, and the rush of lobbyists heading over to Congress with outstretched hands for the receiving of additional sweetheart deals for their industries.
Today, be the media on this. Get your own thoughts out there--be brief, pointed and effective.
Should be a good show in DC today... I'm sure Gov. Blanco will set the record straight! And who would you believe: an ousted “czar” of an Arabian horse association or an ex-high school teacher who has been a public servant since 1984...
Blanco Goes to D.C. to Answer Brown Charge
WASHINGTON - Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco will appear before a Senate panel this morning, but she's already come out swinging against former FEMA head Michael Brown.
Blanco takes strong exception to a charge by Brown that she waited until the eve of the storm to order an evacuation of New Orleans. She says Brown's comment clearly demonstrates what she says is the "appalling degree" to which he's "out of touch with the truth or reality."
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050928/ap_on_go_co/katrina_blanco_hk4
Here are some very well-written words that I highly recommend you read. It will give you hope...
George Bush in Hell
by David Michael Green
You would not want to be George W. Bush right now.
Not that you ever would anyhow, but especially not now. Indeed, there are indications that not even George W. Bush wants to be George W. Bush right now.
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0927-22.htm
Can somebody clarify this for me?
Brown is still officially on FEMA payroll as the head (at least for another couple of weeks). Is he ALSO being paid as a consultant now or does that gig start when he's off the FEMA payroll???
Posted by: karen at September 28, 2005 07:18 AM
Front page & top online headline on today's NYT:
When Storm Hit, National Guard Was Deluged Too
The morning Hurricane Katrina thundered ashore, Louisiana National Guard commanders thought they were prepared to save their state. But when 15-foot floodwaters swept into their headquarters, cut their communications and disabled their high-water trucks, they had their hands full just saving themselves.
For a crucial 24 hours after landfall on Aug. 29, Guard officers said, they were preoccupied with protecting their nerve center from the waves topping the windows at Jackson Barracks and rescuing soldiers who could not swim. The next morning, they had to evacuate their entire headquarters force of 375 guardsmen by boat and helicopter to the Superdome.
--snip to the money paragraphs--
In interviews, Guard commanders and state and local officials in Louisiana said the Guard performed well under the circumstances. But they say it was crippled in the early days by a severe shortage of troops that they blame in part on the deployment to Iraq of 3,200 Louisiana guardsmen. While the Pentagon disputes that Iraq was a factor, those on the ground say the war has clearly strained a force intended to be the nation's bulwark against natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
--snip--
There is little disagreement that Guard equipment sent to Iraq, particularly hundreds of high-water trucks, fuel trucks and satellite phones, could have helped speed the response. The chairmen of the Senate National Guard caucus, Christopher S. Bond, Republican of Missouri, and Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, said in a Sept. 13 letter to Mr. Bush that the Guard nationally had only 34 percent of its equipment available for use in the United States.
http://tinyurl.com/cyzno
Posted by: madame defarge at September 28, 2005 09:17 AM
Double Dip
Two times the BS for twice the cost.
Government Spending at its FINEST!