Impeach Bush

[poohandwendy]

And if lightning strikes my house, catches it on fire and all of the the local fire departments cannot save my dog and family pictures....should I hold the fire marshal responsible?

 

[treesinger]

And I always wondered how far people would go to bash him.

MTE.

DVCGirl, great post.

Just when you thought that Howard Dean was the pinnacle of meltdowns...

 

[julia & nicks mom]

And if lightning strikes my house, catches it on fire and all of the the local fire departments cannot save my dog and family pictures....should I hold the fire marshal responsible?

the fire marshal - heck no - clearly the mayor of your city!!

 

[Caradana]

But don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind in the last few days - is MY city gonna be like this, when the big one finally hits? I'm wondering if I could actually go down to City Hall and demand to review the plans?

Bet, my mayor is pretty cool too (Bloomberg) - but how do you think Willie or Marion Barry would've done in DC with an event like this? Have you seen the mayor of San Antonio on TV today? Sweet guy, but even he's admitting that there's no way he'd be capable of handling this and mounting a response. Also, think about suburban mayors in America. My hometown's current mayor is well known for two things: (1) playing Santa at Santaland, and (2) surviving his botched suicide attempt last year.

Let the cream rise to the top in state and federal politics - vote for people who are demonstrably smart and articulate - and rely on them to make the huge, hard choices and the meaningful plans when disaster strikes.

P.S. if the hurricane ever sweeps towards Tampa, I'll swing by your place with my nail gun. We can seal up my mom's house and yours on the same day. I am a tough cookie with that nail gun. Not a shingle will budge!

 

[treesinger]

And if lightning strikes my house, catches it on fire and all of the the local fire departments cannot save my dog and family pictures....should I hold the fire marshal responsible?

Only if the fire marshall warns you to leave your house because there is a 75% chance that lightning will strike it.

 

[Gymbomom]

Yes, I think the situation is horrific in New Orleans. My heart goes out to them and my prayers.

I also have been horrified at the looting and thievery by New Orleans own people.

Shocked to see the people who have come to help and were there to help from the beginning fear for their lives and some just leave because it was so bad.

Local and State governments not having a plan of action set into place when they themselves said the levy's would not hold before the hurricane even hit.

The "stupidity" of the people who did not evacuate when told...NO I am not talking about the ones who COULDN'T evacuate, the ones who chose NOT TO.

Does it not take a plan of action to help these people? Yes, us in our safe homes can cast stones and say they should have done this..this... and this...but a lot of reports I have seen has said that Bush is asking for tremendous financial aid.

And, maybe I am saddened more than anything that situations like this should bring us all together and people use it for their podium for political bashing??

 

[Buckalew11]

MTE.

DVCGirl, great post.

Just when you thought that Howard Dean was the pinnacle of meltdowns...

And comparing the rescue efforts to the war in Iraq? Please, my DH is a firefighter/paramedic trained in all aspects of search and rescue yadda, yadda, yadda and there is a difference in what he does for a living and being a soldier & fighting in a war zone.

 

[bsnyder]

Bet, my mayor is pretty cool too (Bloomberg) - but how do you think Willie or Marion Barry would've done in DC with an event like this? Have you seen the mayor of San Antonio on TV today? Sweet guy, but even he's admitting that there's no way he'd be capable of handling this and mounting a response. Also, think about suburban mayors in America. My hometown's current mayor is well known for two things: (1) playing Santa at Santaland, and (2) surviving his botched suicide attempt last year.

Let the cream rise to the top in state and federal politics - vote for people who are demonstrably smart and articulate - and rely on them to make the huge, hard choices and the meaningful plans when disaster strikes.

P.S. if the hurricane ever sweeps towards Tampa, I'll swing by your place with my nail gun. We can seal up my mom's house and yours on the same day. I am a tough cookie with that nail gun. Not a shingle will budge!

I ABSOLUTELY see what you're saying, Dana. And again, I said I may agree with you that we need a complete change in the way we manage disasters. But we didn't make that change before Katrina hit New Orleans. So how can you hold Bush responsible for what has happened? By all means, hold him responsible if FEMA and the military don't do the job they are there to do. I'll be right along side you. But that hasn't happened yet.

Edited to add:

Thanks for the offer to help batten down the hatches! And don't forget my offer of assistance for little bro!

 

[treesinger]

Bet, my mayor is pretty cool too (Bloomberg) - but how do you think Willie or Marion Barry would've done in DC with an event like this? Have you seen the mayor of San Antonio on TV today? Sweet guy, but even he's admitting that there's no way he'd be capable of handling this and mounting a response. Also, think about suburban mayors in America. My hometown's current mayor is well known for two things: (1) playing Santa at Santaland, and (2) surviving his botched suicide attempt last year.

Let the cream rise to the top in state and federal politics - vote for people who are demonstrably smart and articulate - and rely on them to make the huge, hard choices and the meaningful plans when disaster strikes.

P.S. if the hurricane ever sweeps towards Tampa, I'll swing by your place with my nail gun. We can seal up my mom's house and yours on the same day. I am a tough cookie with that nail gun. Not a shingle will budge!

If the mayor and governor realize that state resources may not be enough, they should call on the fed to be prepared BEFORE disaster strikes. The fed cannot mobilize whenever it wants because it treads on state sovereignty. (Darn Constitution)
They have to wait until called upon. The local gov't screwed up royally and the fed's job is 5 million times harder then it should have been.

Of course, Bush is evil. He probably called the mayor beforehand and told him not to worry. Him and his evil conservative oil barons control the weather and were going to steer the storm away.

 

[LoraJ]

I ABSOLUTELY see what you're saying, Dana. And again, I said I may agree with you that we need a complete change in the way we manage disasters. But we didn't make that change before Katrina hit New Orleans. So how can you hold Bush responsible for what has happened? By all means, hold him responsible if FEMA and the military don't do the job they are there to do. I'll be right along side you. But that hasn't happened yet.

It's been 4 years since 9/11. Their lack of actions demonstrates to me that we are not prepared for the after affects of another terror attack. We had warning about the hurricane. There will be no warning with a terror attack.

 

[bubie2.5]

I’m not about to kick Bush when he’s down. I’m ready to declare a truce (but only for a couple of weeks ).

 

[julia & nicks mom]

here is an interesting post by Angelina in another thread:

I thought you might appreciate the point of view of someone who is actually involved in the hurricane situation. We live in southwestern Alabama. We have had an incredible amount of damage here, too, although not on the massive scale you're seeing on television.

Every year, on June 1st or thereabouts, we get the checklist of things to get together for hurricane season. It's in the paper, it's on TV. Every year, over and over, and over. It's not like these things just sneak up on us. We're reminded EVERY Year what to do, how to prepare. Plywood, masking tape, etc. Bottled water, batteries, flashlights, medicine, non perishable food, diapers, formula, etc . The list goes on and on. When it looks like a hurricane is heading this way, we're reminded again. We go out and get all this stuff and hope for the best. Sometimes we need it, more often not. We have been affected by Ivan, Arlene, Cindy, Dennis, and Katrina just since last September. I mean right here in Alabama, not florida and not mississippi, although they were also hit hard, especially the florida panhandle. Each time, we gather the supplies, board up the windows, and in some cases, we evacuate. Not everyone can afford to do that. Thousands of people go to shelters, and they are told to bring food, water, diapers, formula, medicine, and enough supplies for each person in their group to last at least 5 days.

After the storm passes, the cleanup begins. Please, please understand that it's not possible to reach people, sometimes for days. And I mean under "normal" post hurricane conditions. There are trees on houses, across driveways, we get blocked in our homes, live power lines cross roads, houses, cars. There are no phones, no power, no supplies, no gasoline. Think about it. An average hurricane is devastating enough. What has just happened is so overwhelming that you cannot begin to fathom it as you sit and watch it on your television.

Relief efforts are coming.In some cases they are already on the ground. But you have to understand that they cannot get to us. It is not humanly possible. It's not physically possible. We are eating out of cans--the supplies we were TOLD to stock up on, which we did. We are using our coleman stoves and our grills or in some cases, eating dry cereal out of the box. New orleans has been warned for 40 years what would happen if a cat 4 or 5 hurricane hit. No one could prepare for a disaster on this scale. We have spent days clearing debris from our homes and yards, off our houses. It is a long, slow, drawn out process even in the best of circumstances. But People have to take a little responsibility for sustaining themselves for the first few days.

 

[treesinger]

here is an interesting post by Angelina in another thread:

Quote:
I thought you might appreciate the point of view of someone who is actually involved in the hurricane situation. We live in southwestern Alabama. We have had an incredible amount of damage here, too, although not on the massive scale you're seeing on television.

Every year, on June 1st or thereabouts, we get the checklist of things to get together for hurricane season. It's in the paper, it's on TV. Every year, over and over, and over. It's not like these things just sneak up on us. We're reminded EVERY Year what to do, how to prepare. Plywood, masking tape, etc. Bottled water, batteries, flashlights, medicine, non perishable food, diapers, formula, etc . The list goes on and on. When it looks like a hurricane is heading this way, we're reminded again. We go out and get all this stuff and hope for the best. Sometimes we need it, more often not. We have been affected by Ivan, Arlene, Cindy, Dennis, and Katrina just since last September. I mean right here in Alabama, not florida and not mississippi, although they were also hit hard, especially the florida panhandle. Each time, we gather the supplies, board up the windows, and in some cases, we evacuate. Not everyone can afford to do that. Thousands of people go to shelters, and they are told to bring food, water, diapers, formula, medicine, and enough supplies for each person in their group to last at least 5 days.

After the storm passes, the cleanup begins. Please, please understand that it's not possible to reach people, sometimes for days. And I mean under "normal" post hurricane conditions. There are trees on houses, across driveways, we get blocked in our homes, live power lines cross roads, houses, cars. There are no phones, no power, no supplies, no gasoline. Think about it. An average hurricane is devastating enough. What has just happened is so overwhelming that you cannot begin to fathom it as you sit and watch it on your television.

Relief efforts are coming.In some cases they are already on the ground. But you have to understand that they cannot get to us. It is not humanly possible. It's not physically possible. We are eating out of cans--the supplies we were TOLD to stock up on, which we did. We are using our coleman stoves and our grills or in some cases, eating dry cereal out of the box. New orleans has been warned for 40 years what would happen if a cat 4 or 5 hurricane hit. No one could prepare for a disaster on this scale. We have spent days clearing debris from our homes and yards, off our houses. It is a long, slow, drawn out process even in the best of circumstances. But People have to take a little responsibility for sustaining themselves for the first few days.

Three cheers for personal responsibility!

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

I ABSOLUTELY see what you're saying, Dana. And again, I said I may agree with you that we need a complete change in the way we manage disasters. But we didn't make that change before Katrina hit New Orleans. So how can you hold Bush responsible for what has happened? By all means, hold him responsible if FEMA and the military don't do the job they are there to do. I'll be right along side you. But that hasn't happened yet.

Hasn't happened YET?? How many more dead Americans..BABIES...do we need to see before we admit THEY HAVE NOT DONE THEIR JOB? Are you listening to what even the CONSERVATIVE and proudly REPUBLICAN pundits are reporting? (Scarborough and Carlson) How much RAMPING UP is needed to fly a helicopter over and DROP water??? I'm watching a tape of a clip of a baby in her mom's eyes DYING RIGHT NOW! FOR WATER??? IN AMERICA??? This is LEADERSHIP?
~Rose~

 

[treesinger]

I’m not about to kick Bush when he’s down. I’m ready to declare a truce (but only for a couple of weeks ).

By all means, if Bush deserves it, kick him.

I for one do not believe he's to blame. Despite that fact that he's an evil conservative.

 

[poohandwendy]

That is a great post by Angelina...thanks for posting it for us J&NM!

 

[treesinger]

Hasn't happened YET?? How many more dead Americans..BABIES...do we need to see before we admit THEY HAVE NOT DONE THEIR JOB? Are you listening to what even the CONSERVATIVE and proudly REPUBLICAN pundits are reporting? (Scarborough and Carlson) How much RAMPING UP is needed to fly a helicopter over and DROP water??? I'm watching a tape of a clip of a baby in her mom's eyes DYING RIGHT NOW! FOR WATER??? IN AMERICA??? This is LEADERSHIP?
~Rose~

The local government should have comandeered all available food and water supplies and shipped them to the makeshift shelters while taking the people in. That is, if those people didn't already have the forethought to have their own supplies.

It is sickening to see what has happened because of people that don't listen to warnings or prepare when they are told to. It is also sickening that the local government didn't at least make some attempt to move these people by force if necessary to save their hides.

I guess that is the President's fault.

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

Three cheers for personal responsibility!

Aloha!

How about the PRESIDENT'S personal responsibility to uphold the Constitution which charges the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT with the job of providing for the general welfare of the people and insuring domestic tranquility? Is George W. Bush the ONLY AMERICAN who can NEVER be held accountable for his actions (or lack thereof)?

~Rose~

 

[treesinger]

Aloha!

How about the PRESIDENT'S personal responsibility to uphold the Constitution which charges the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT with the job of providing for the general welfare of the people and insuring domestic tranquility? Is George W. Bush the ONLY AMERICAN who can NEVER be held accountable for his actions (or lack thereof)?

~Rose~

As has been stated before, the fed has to be called upon by the local governments first. It is a violation of the state's sovereignty to executively send in troops to a state that has not requested them.

 

[Shenzi]

I'm all for personal responsibility and preparedness. I live in NE Florida, so while we did not get the brunt of last year's storms, we did lose power for a few days.

I would like to point out three things, though:

1. If you're house is suddenly flooded and you barely escape with your life (as happened to several of the people of New Orleans), you don't have time to grab your 5 day supply of bottled water, food, diapers and formula.
2. If you do have a supply of emergency supplies, and some guy with a gun comes by and demands your food, what are you going to do??
3. Many of the people who didn't evacuate are extremely poor. Probably many of them are on food stamps. (I think around 30% of New Orleans households are below the poverty level.) These people are going to find it extremely difficult to accumulate a 5 day emergency supply of food, especially on short notice.

I think that the government - local, state and federal - dropped the ball on this. It's true that this has been an unprecedented disaster. It's also true that the effort to provide these people with clean water and food has been lacking.

I do not think Bush is blameless, but I also do not think he shoulders an enormous amount of the responsibility for this disaster. There was a massive failure on all levels. We have the resources in the US to deal with a situation like this (though not if it happened every day!). We need to figure out how to use these resources effectively, and also how to cooperate between federal/local governments so we can be sure we are REALLY ready the next time (god-forbid) something like this happens.

Those poor, poor people.