Things Drudge/Fox/Limbaugh will never tell you

[techweenie]

Can be found on the Drudge Retort

http://www.drudge.com/

For instance: there's already a billion unaccounted for in Iraq -- but it's not from anything important, just the funds to arm Iraqi soldiers.

And, how Cheney chose gasoline over hospital patients...

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/NEWS05/509110304

[techweenie]

Some of the FEMA stories are just wacky:


With thousands of starving animals wandering New Orleans, the federal disaster agency placed an emergency $28,370 order with PetsMart for 970 wire pet crates on Sept. 9. The pet-supply chain jumped at the chance to help, even waiving delivery charges, a spokeswoman says. Over four days, FEMA first changed its order, canceled it, reinstated it, put it on hold and finally demanded it. But when the PetsMart truck arrived at a New Orleans naval base Friday, it was initially turned away. When the driver finally gained entry, he drove around the base all day, racking up 152 miles, to find someone to take delivery. The tail-chasing experience left PetsMart "frustrated and disappointed." FEMA admits "kinks" in the process, but says it was its first big pet rescue.

The day Katrina struck, Cool Express, a Wisconsin refrigerated-trucking line, was called on to haul ice for disaster relief. Hired by ice firms contracted by FEMA, Cool Express filled 75 trucks with 40,000 pounds of ice each and shipped them to the Gulf Coast. Eventually, though, military officials began turning ice trucks away, sending them as far away as Boise, Idaho, and Allentown, Pa., to "await further instructions," says Cool Express owner Dan Wessel. Late last week, nearly 1,400 ice trucks were scattered across the country, still awaiting further instructions. Yet orders for ice still rolled in from FEMA, says Wessel. FEMA says it just rewrote its ice contract "to make sure this doesn't happen again."

In the most macabre mishap, the chief body collector nearly pulled out of New Orleans over a dispute with FEMA. Kenyon Worldwide Disaster Services dispatched a small team and a mobile morgue to New Orleans as Katrina hit. With the death toll rising, Kenyon offered more staff and morgues if FEMA could broker a deal with Louisiana. But FEMA and the company argued for two weeks until Kenyon finally gave the Feds an ultimatum: Work out a deal or find a new mortician. The Louisiana Health Department stepped in and hired Kenyon, which increased its staff in New Orleans 15-fold. An issue raised by the Feds that Kenyon found distasteful: an instruction that chaplains bless recovered bodies. A company source said the Feds are insisting on this, and the first chaplains are supposed to go out this week. Asked if that was mixing church and state, a FEMA spokeswoman responded: "A prayer is not necessarily religious. Everybody prays."

[tobster1911]

Originally posted by techweenie
The day Katrina struck, Cool Express, a Wisconsin refrigerated-trucking line, was called on to haul ice for disaster relief. Hired by ice firms contracted by FEMA, Cool Express filled 75 trucks with 40,000 pounds of ice each and shipped them to the Gulf Coast. ...

I though that the gov did not do anything to try to help until DAYS later because Bush hates blacks, poor, ice, trucks, ect?

[Jamie79SC]

Techweenie,

Where did you get those last three stories?

[kach22i]

Originally posted by techweenie
For instance: there's already a billion unaccounted for in Iraq -- but it's not from anything important, just the funds to arm Iraqi soldiers.

The UK will print it.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article313538.ece

The sum missing over an eight-month period in 2004 and 2005 is the equivalent of the $1.8bn that Saddam allegedly received in kick- backs under the UN's oil-for-food programme between 1997 and 2003. The UN was pilloried for not stopping this corruption. The US military is likely to be criticised over the latest scandal because it was far better placed than the UN to monitor corruption.

The fraud took place between 28 June 2004 and 28 February this year under the government of Iyad Allawi, who was interim prime minister. His ministers were appointed by the US envoy Robert Blackwell and his UN counterpart, Lakhdar Brahimi.

[speedkillz]

You can't get animals to vote so they aint worth s*(&T. How sad.

The ice trucks well who needs ice when you have no power, no food, no gas, no home. just wait in Idaho till I call you.

The last story...just sad, If I'm dead you can bless me if you want, hell I'll take any help I can get at that time.

[gavinlit]

a FEMA spokeswoman responded: "A prayer is not necessarily religious. Everybody prays"

Now that's got to take out the dumbest quote of the year award.

[FrayAdjacent911]

Originally posted by kach22i
The UK will print it.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article313538.ece

They're probably over there thinking "those crazy colonials!"

[kach22i]

Originally posted by FrayAdjacent911
They're probably over there thinking "those crazy colonials!"

I think they call us Puritans not Colonials.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by Jamie79SC
Techweenie,

Where did you get those last three stories?

From the site linked in the first post. Looks like the original link has expired, but I think this is where the stories came from, MSNBC

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9379239/

Here’s some of the cr*p FEMA has pulled:

FEMA won’t accept Amtrak’s help in evacuations
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/84aa35cc-1da8-11d…000e2511c8.html

FEMA turns back Wal-Mart supply trucks
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/national…?ex=1283572800&

FEMA prevents Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/national…?ex=1283572800&

FEMA won’t let Red Cross deliver food
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05246/565143.stm

FEMA bars morticians from entering New Orleans
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=…_id=68561&rfi=6

FEMA to Chicago: Send just one truck
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/c…ll=chi-news-hed

FEMA turns away generators
http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG.ac3fcea.html

FEMA: “First Responders Urged Not To Respond”
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18470

As has been thoroughly documented elsewhere, Blanco requested FEMA to take charge the Saturday before the storm hit. Somewhere between FEMA and DHS, the initial response was overridden, delaying the start of substantive actions by 36 hours. FEMA's first responders were on site and operating, but overwhelmed. FEMA-mobilized aid, amounting to 1,000-1,200 workers was delayed until Thursday/Friday following the storm hit.

[skipdup]

Originally posted by techweenie
...As has been thoroughly documented elsewhere, Blanco requested FEMA to take charge the Saturday before the storm hit.
....

Tech- I've done my best to keep up with every post regarding this issue. I don't recall this being documented elsewhere.

Isn't it misleading for you to state "Blanco requested FEMA to take charge"? She did not federalize, which, as I understand, would have been required for FEMA to "take charge". THIS has been well documented. I agree she did ask for help, I'll not debate that issue.

It just seems like another attempt to make this issue something it's not.

Or, maybe I'm wrong???In which case, I'd like to see where Blanco relinquished her control to FEMA. I've looked, but haven't found that anywhere. (In fact, everything I've seen says she resisted giving control).

- Skip

[kach22i]

FEMA has been reduced to a Part-Time and On-Call agency - not a good thing in an emergency.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by skipdup
Tech- I've done my best to keep up with every post regarding this issue. I don't recall this being documented elsewhere.

Isn't it misleading for you to state "Blanco requested FEMA to take charge"? She did not federalize, which, as I understand, would have been required for FEMA to "take charge". THIS has been well documented. I agree she did ask for help, I'll not debate that issue.

It just seems like another attempt to make this issue something it's not.

Or, maybe I'm wrong???In which case, I'd like to see where Blanco relinquished her control to FEMA. I've looked, but haven't found that anywhere. (In fact, everything I've seen says she resisted giving control).

- Skip

I've posted it four times, but I guess a fifth might finally get the point across. Blanco requested FEMA take charge, mainly because of anticipated communication problems.

http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976

and DHS/FEMA was 'in charge' as of 8/27. Note the text in the following release: "Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency." Right there in black and white, FEMA was authorized to act at its discretion -- not to provide assistance as directed by any lesser authority.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

And, by the way, although Barbour did a better job of communicating with the citizens of MS, the relief effort there wasn't any better than that directed to LA. So was a Republican governor also to blame, or just Democrats?

[bryanthompson]

[bryanthompson]

oh shoot, that one link to the article about Kerry using Katrina as a fundraiser totally makes it rightwing. Darnit. I guess the two (obviously negative) millitary articles don't balance that out.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by techweenie
Some of the FEMA stories are just wacky:


Snipped to this one in particular......

The day Katrina struck, Cool Express, a Wisconsin refrigerated-trucking line, was called on to haul ice for disaster relief. Hired by ice firms contracted by FEMA, Cool Express filled 75 trucks with 40,000 pounds of ice each and shipped them to the Gulf Coast. Eventually, though, military officials began turning ice trucks away, sending them as far away as Boise, Idaho, and Allentown, Pa., to "await further instructions," says Cool Express owner Dan Wessel. Late last week, nearly 1,400 ice trucks were scattered across the country, still awaiting further instructions. Yet orders for ice still rolled in from FEMA, says Wessel. FEMA says it just rewrote its ice contract "to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Now, sit back and read that.
Does that make any sense to you?
You can't possibly belive that 1,400 ice trucks are scattered across the county? This Dan Wessel guy deserves to lose his ass if he allowed that.
I call Bull$hit.
Just 'cause it's on the web, doesn't mean it's true.
Oh, yeah, there were 10,000 people killed in NO too.
Sheesh.

[skipdup]

Originally posted by techweenie
I've posted it four times, but I guess a fifth might finally get the point across. Blanco requested FEMA take charge, mainly because of anticipated communication problems.

http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976

and DHS/FEMA was 'in charge' as of 8/27. Note the text in the following release: "Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency." Right there in black and white, FEMA was authorized to act at its discretion -- not to provide assistance as directed by any lesser authority.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

And, by the way, although Barbour did a better job of communicating with the citizens of MS, the relief effort there wasn't any better than that directed to LA. So was a Republican governor also to blame, or just Democrats?

Tech- You know what... You're right. My bad.

What I was confusing was the federalizing of law enforcement authority. Blanco would not allow this to happen. She had total and complete control of law enforcement in the disaster area. Obviously, LE was a major problem as well.

- Skip

[techweenie]

Originally posted by skipdup
Tech- You know what... You're right. My bad.

What I was confusing was the federalizing of law enforcement authority. Blanco would not allow this to happen. She had total and complete control of law enforcement in the disaster area. Obviously, LE was a major problem as well.

- Skip

Yeah, I've heard that referenced a lot, Skip, and I think the problem is that there are no less than 14 government agencies that were tripping all over one another.

Then we had Gen. Honore, with his 'joint task force'... of what? Sounded federal to me, but nobody has quite put a tag on what he was doing; who he reported to, etc.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but there's been a *****storm of blame coming from the RNC and I don't think we'll untangle it until months from now. In the meantime, the people who are going to look the best are going to be the ones with the best 'communications team.' I really hope that instead of spin, we can come out of this with clear definitions.

If W wants to redefine FEMA's role, that may well be an okay thing to do. I just think he needs to inform everyone.

[fintstone]

Originally posted by techweenie
I've posted it four times, but I guess a fifth might finally get the point across. Blanco requested FEMA take charge, mainly because of anticipated communication problems.

http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976

and DHS/FEMA was 'in charge' as of 8/27. Note the text in the following release: "Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency." Right there in black and white, FEMA was authorized to act at its discretion -- not to provide assistance as directed by any lesser authority.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

And, by the way, although Barbour did a better job of communicating with the citizens of MS, the relief effort there wasn't any better than that directed to LA. So was a Republican governor also to blame, or just Democrats?

Weenie
My understanding is that the parishes listed were declared an emergency area, but not those round New Orleans that are in question. Perhaps I am getting my geography wrong, but in that White House release you quote..could you show me where they discuss the area around New Orleans where the disaster actually happened?? I seem to remember the problems being different parishes than listed.....St Bernards, etc...

[fintstone]

So Blanco did not allow FEMA to operate in the New Orleans area...only in far outlying parishes? And the liberals citing these releases are misrepresenting the facts...as usual?