Why don't they open...

[pattyT]

up the military bases they have been closing up all across the country and make them 'Home' for these people in need right now?

If someone already said this - sorry - but I haven't seen it yet...

 

[goin2disneyagain]

I don't think they have been emptied yet. The ones in my area that are expected to close have not closed yet.

 

[two-foxes]

Lory Airforce Base, which was closed several years back in Denver, is now home to a few hundred evacuees. They arrived today. Lory expects to host around 1,000 evacuees if the news reported correctly.

 

[shelby_36]

We are taking in 5000 evacuees and they are putting them at an army base.

 

[pam66]

Here on Cape Cod, Otis Air Force Base is scheduled to close too. It's not closed yet and we are expecting about 2,500 evacuees to arrive by Wed. They will be staying at Camp Edwards in the empty barracks. It's like dorm living, they will have their own sleeping quarters and there is a cafeteria, movie house, medical clinic, and grocery store, all on the base for them to use.

 

[pattyT]

Thanks for your quick response -
I am glad to hear that - it just makes obvious sense - but I hadn't heard it mentioned on the news (although I sorta boycotted the news today!)


(Pam I love that picture of your DD!)

 

[ToriLammy]

Thanks for your quick response -
I am glad to hear that - it just makes obvious sense - but I hadn't heard it mentioned on the news (although I sorta boycotted the news today!)


(Pam I love that picture of your DD!)

President Bush himself mentioned doing this back on Wednesday or Thursday.

 

[RadioNate]

The old Kelly USA base in San Antonio was the 1st place to take the Astrodome overflow. The mayor opened it up with no funds to do so and the San Antonio food bank is providing food.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Last week I received a response from (FL) Senator Bill Nelson to one of my e-mails.
Here is part of his response which includes that topic:
"Already the Senate has approved $10.5 billion in emergency aid for areas hit by the storm. Meantime, I am working with my colleagues from Louisiana, sharing my experience in helping Florida get Federal disaster aid after it was hit by four hurricanes last year. I’ve also asked Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to make space available at military bases across the nation to temporarily house thousands who’ve been displaced by the storm. And I’ve contacted a personal charity, Farm Share, and asked it to provide surplus food to areas hard hit by Katrina."

We have not been to San Diego in 4 - 5 years. But they use to have a huge, empty barricks on Rose Crans (street). The base was mammouth with only a fraction occupied for offices, if I recall correct.
Maybe someone can update on that, just out of curiousity.

 

[pattyT]

Thanks -
Thats what made me think of it - we drove by Fort Devens in MA that has been closed for YEARS and I know they have a commercial park there now - and a womans shelter - but there are a lot of housing units still in place...

 

[lyeag]

President Bush himself mentioned doing this back on Wednesday or Thursday.

You know who mentioned it on his radio program before Bush? Michael Savage on Tuesday. I was listening as he was giving out some ideas that could help and that was one. Now everyone is talking about using the bases. Lots of people don't agree with much of what he says but he was dead on with this idea.

 

[CarolA]

Keep in mind that if the base has been closed for years, it's not just a matter of opening the doors. The plumbing/power etc was disconnected. So in some cases these places coudl be worse off then the shelters..... Just depends on the caretaking situation.

 

[BuckNaked]

Keep in mind that if the base has been closed for years, it's not just a matter of opening the doors. The plumbing/power etc was disconnected. So in some cases these places coudl be worse off then the shelters..... Just depends on the caretaking situation.

Exactly. I know they said on the news the other night that they had people working around the clock to get air conditioning in the buildings at Kelly that were expecting refugees.

 

[FroggyinArk]

add ft chaffee in arkansas and the jacksonville af base to the list of those houseing refugees. Ft chaffeee was reopened and now houses around 8 thousand people in the maTTER OF A FEW DAYS. JACKSONVILLE IS TAKING CHAFFEES OVERFLOW AND REDIRECTING THEM TO SHELTERS AROUND ARKANSAS

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

Columbus AFB (East Central MS) is waiting for evacuees...though we've yet to see but a few. We've volunteered our home to take in a military family.

The problem with a lot of the bases that have closed is that there is no infrastructure left there....housing is in bad condition or is uninhabitable.

Froggy, I remember Ft. Chaffee and the Vietnam refugee situation. It was one of the biggest disasters in Arkansas' history....people lived in filth and squalor for FAR TOO LONG before getting out of there. I wonder if they cleaned up the place.

Learning the lessons of the Ft. Chaffee mess has got to be at the forefront of Arkansans' minds right now....as well as people all over the US who are taking in the evacuees. The people who are most in need of housing now are the same people who lived in housing that was already below the US standards of living.

What's going to happen in another 6 months when these people still have no place to live and no job to go to?