I think this stinks...

[Tigger_Magic]

Sources familiar with the telecommunications deal said that Jefferson was attempting to smooth the way for iGate Corp., a small Kentucky company, to introduce its high-speed broadband technology to Nigeria's fast-growing telecommunications market.

Oh great, just what we need... Nigeria spammers emailing their "help me get these millions out of my country" schemes with broadband technology.

 

[mom2boys]

How does this relate to entitlement mentality?

Apples & oranges. I imagine that after the photo op, the firefighters were able to perform the duties for which they were intended. In addition, pushing paper & rescuing people from flood waters do not equate IMHO. The paper work had to be push but whether it is done now or an hour from now is not going to make a difference in the end.

 

[BuckNaked]

I don't think there is a "race card"

Sure there is, and it's played whenever anyone of significance in the black community thinks that it will be effective, whether race was an issue in the given situation or not. It's a great way to not only fan the flames of black racism, but to send a small percentage of the white population into fits of white guilt at the same time.

 

[WDWBetsy]

The firefighters were coming "to pass out pamphlets, write reports and help hurricane victims sign up for federal assistance." To me that doesn't seem like a mission critical task that would require the specific skills and abilities of these two firefighters. Being asked to attend a presidential appearance, regardless of who the President is at the time, should be considered an honor. I can understand, though, how some would like to use it as an attempt to disparage the current Administration. I'm not sure about the exact cost involved, however, given what I've read about this particular representative, the statement is quite accurate. The claims of racism in the aftermath of Katrina are nothing more than political grandstanding and pot-stirring.

In most cases I would agree with you re: attending a presidential appearance. But they were asked to walk behind or beside him while he toured the area. This was a photo op.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

In most cases I would agree with you re: attending a presidential appearance. But they were asked to walk behind or beside him while he toured the area. This was a photo op.

And what they came to do was pass out pamphlets, write reports or help people sign up for aid. None of those are critical tasks that require the skills of a trained firefighter. As mom2boys pointed out, all that paper could easily be pushed by someone else or these two firefighters could easily push it along later. It's not like they were pulled off a rescue mission or pulled away from fighting fires in NOLA. It's just a sad attempt to dredge up something negative... again.

 

[bsnyder]

Oh great, just what we need... Nigeria spammers emailing their "help me get these millions out of my country" schemes with broadband technology.

 

[sodaseller]

It's a great way to not only fan the flames of black racism, but to send a small percentage of the white population into fits of white guilt at the same time.

One things for sure - it sure did "fan the flames", and sent a "small percentage of the white population" to some destination

 

[sodaseller]

I think racism still exists in this country, so the shrill cries of "race card" everytime the issue of possible racism comes up does seem like a cheap shot to me. I don't think there is a "race card" , I just think that is a cheap shot used to prevent people from discussing the exisitence of racism.

The "race card" is like cries of " class warfare" - the aggressor claims to be the victim.

 

[WDWBetsy]

And what they came to do was pass out pamphlets, write reports or help people sign up for aid. None of those are critical tasks that require the skills of a trained firefighter. As mom2boys pointed out, all that paper could easily be pushed by someone else or these two firefighters could easily push it along later. It's not like they were pulled off a rescue mission or pulled away from fighting fires in NOLA. It's just a sad attempt to dredge up something negative... again.

No it's not dredging up the negative - if it's there and it's negative in the eyes of many, people have the right to know.

I'd rather see them going around the city to rescue animals then passing out pamphlets. They were "told to bring backpacks, sleeping bags, first-aid kits and Meals Ready to Eat. They were told to prepare for "austere conditions." Many of them came with awkward fire gear and expected to wade in floodwaters, sift through rubble and save lives."

St. Louis Tribune article


Firefighters from my home state wanted to help.

TV interview/article

Do you know why this irks me? Firefighters wanted to pitch in and help. If they're sitting around or passing out papers, that's a waste. It's taking them away from OUR communities where they are available for emergencies. If their skills are not needed, FEMA should get regular volunteers to do it.

 

[snappy]

Just out of curiosity, have any provisions been made if the city is NOT habitable by then? I think I heard this mentioned once before about the upcoming elections but not what would be done.

Would Nagin's and the council's terms be extended, or would evacuees vote absentee? And how could anyone effectively campaign for a local election with the voters spread across several states?

I have not read any thing about how the city plans to deal with this issue. However, on the front page of our paper today there is a story about the NAACP's efforts to organize occupants of shelters so that they can have a voice in the city's 2006 elections as well as pick leaders who can speak for the groups on common issues such as lack of supplies, getting their children educated and moving into temporary housing. According to the article, the head of the state's chapter of the NAACP, Ernest Johnson, acknowledged that this effort is a step toward keeping black voters in control in N.O.

Johnson is quoted as saying, "These voters have been scattered. We don't know where our people are. Because of the natural disaster, that strength has been diluted. We are going to try to pull that strength back together.
The majority black congressional district of U.S. Representative William Jefferson has virtually disappeared."

Johnson said he has asked Red Cross officials for permission to hold informational meetings at Red Cross shelters to encourage occupants to organize.

Johnson said he is asking shelter communities that do organize to collect info on everyone in the shelters and give it to the NAACP. He said the NAACP will make sure every name it gets of any race is regiestered for fed aid. he said such info is especially important for people who are illiterate and cannot fill out aid forms.

Anyone know what the NAACP is doing other than above to provide aid to evacuees?

 

[chobie]

Right... gotta get those all important pamphlets passed out and those reports written. Now that is real help.

It still did not entitle Bush to use them for a photo op. And If you were one of those people needing federal assistance, you might not find filling out the paper work to be trivial.

 

[bsnyder]

It still did not entitle Bush to use them for a photo op. And If you were one of those people needing federal assistance, you might not find filling out the paper work to be trivial.

We know how you feel about the President.

Maybe you could spare a few words of condemnation for the Congressman.

 

[sodaseller]

We know how you feel about the President.

Maybe you could spare a few words of condemnation for the Congressman.

Glennuendo

Glennuendo (n.) - The act of drawing a darkly ominous inference from an opponent's failure to discuss a political issue. From Reynolds, Glenn. (Vaara)

 

[dcentity2000]

re. OP

That's abuse of resources, plain and simple and is inexcusable.



Rich::

 

[peachgirl]

I think putting firefighters, who volunteered to help the victims, on a chartered flight to make the President look good at a rally exemplifies the entitilement mentality.

Of course it does, but to some it's only entitlement and a subject worth discussing if it trashes Democrats. If it's negative to Republicans then it's just a cheap shot.

They took 50 firefighters at a time when there were lives still to be saved and no matter what their duties ended up to be, that's not what they were told they'd be doing when they volunteered.

They certainly didn't tell them they'd be flown around and bussed around trying to catch up with the President so he'd look good in some photographs.

Anyone who thinks this thread would have ever been started had it been a Republican doing the exact same thing is kidding themselves.

That's abuse of resources, plain and simple and is inexcusable.

They both are.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

It still did not entitle Bush to use them for a photo op. And If you were one of those people needing federal assistance, you might not find filling out the paper work to be trivial.

I'm sure President Bush specifically asked for them to be involved in this photo op -- he's really hands-on in that way.

I didn't say filling out paper work for federal assistance was trival. But it certainly doesn't require the assistance of a firefighter. Complaining that these individuals were not doing what they came to NOLA to do is doing a pretzel twist to find something negative to throw out. The story clearly indicated what they came to do and those tasks are not typical of firefighters and certainly are not mission critical. My question is why they came to LA to hand out pamphlets in the first place? Rather than being upset with the President for a photo op, I'm wondering what these guys were thinking?

 

[Bob Slydell]

Anyone who thinks this thread would have ever been started had it been a Republican doing the exact same thing is kidding themselves.

Sure it would have been started. By you or chobie

 

[RitaZ.]

Sure it would have been started. By you or chobie

 

[peachgirl]

Sure it would have been started. By you or chobie

Tell you what, why don't you do a search on the number of threads I've started. That ought to prove what you said is "incorrect", at least in regards to me....actually for either one of us.





Edited because while tempting, it just wasn't worth it.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Tell you what, why don't you do a search on the number of threads I've started. That ought to prove what you said is "incorrect", at least in regards to me....actually for either one of us.





Edited because while tempting, it just wasn't worth it.

Sorry, you are correct. You don't start threads.