Send prayers: Texas Republican turns down donated blankets, beds, manpower from Canada

[Snarkoleptic]

OFFS!
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/send-prayers-texas-republican-turns-down-donated-blankets-beds-manpower-from-canada/

Those who have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana are only beginning to see the way the flood waters have destroyed their homes. Many families tried to ride it out, only to be rescued when the rising waters forced them onto their roof. Thousands escaped with only their lives and the clothes on their backs, losing everything they own.

But according to Secretary of State Rolando Pablos (R-TX), they don’t need any help. As Patheos captured, they just need a little more Jesus.

Quebec’s Minister of International Relations Christine St-Pierre called Pablos to express his sorrow and condolences on behalf of the people of the Canadian province. He also offered equipment and manpower.

Pablos turned it down. Instead he asked for “prayers from the people of Quebec,” the minister relayed.

[NurseJackie]

1. This is what Pablos wants?

Perhaps Rolando Pablos (R) thought that Quebec's "Minister of International Relations" was an actual minister.

[Snarkoleptic]

6. Mmmm Hmmm...

[DaleA]

24. I don't think it's quite that simple . . .

Hi all; Ok, first, I think that tax exemptions for churches should end for a lot of reasons. That said, I worked in shelter planning for most of a decade, and can tell you that probably 90% of them are too small or improperly configured to provide adequate shelter facilities. Many more are simply in the wrong place. You need people to staff them, and the more small shelters you create the less efficient that becomes. It's also dangerous for the victims in some not so obvious ways. A lot of those churches do other things, both during a disaster and all the rest of the year. Should they be opening their bank accounts? If they have the cash yes. Can we all benefit from better coordination and planning between government and religious groups-hell yes. Can resource-poor churches be blamed for their inability? No. This has been another episode in the ongoing series: Militant Atheist Provides Cover for Churches.

[Honeycombe8]

28. I'm in a Harvey flood zone. What the local churches do....

The local churches are, for the most part, small. Shelters have to be handled a certain way and is a complicated venture. We have two large shelters to handle hundreds of people. One is a colliseum, and the other is the local civic (convention) center. Both are huge.

But the local churches are very strong is providing assistance of all sorts. I live out a ways. There's a big Pentecostal church (that's right... PENTECOSTAL) that is a base for dropping off donations of all sorts. Their people take the donations from the cars and make regular runs to the big shelters. They also do volunteer work.

Some of the smaller churches are hands on helping local regular homeless shelters, which are now overflowing. Cooking, deliveries to the small shelters.

Generally the way it SEEMS to work is that the biggest church of that denomination will handle things. There are several pentescostal churches, but it's the big one that is the drop-off point and coordinates efforts to help. I think that probably the satellite pentescostal people provide help there, at the big one.

A big Catholic Church is providing similar assistance. Haven't heard of the Methodist churches doing anything, but they may be.

It's a good system. Each church collects things from the area, so it's easy for people to drop off donations.

All sorts of people are helping. It's amazing. In my area, some of the guys spent the entire bad weather time filling sandbags, putting them in their trucks, and taking them around to people who request them and can't go get them on the flooded streets. Women and children also helped fill sandbags.

Some of the guys used their boats to check on the elderly in flooded areas. My area has a Facebook group, where pics of lost and found pets were posted, lists of what is needed for donations, pics of flooded areas, updates of the flooding in different areas, etc.

It's all hands on deck in a situation like this. That includes the churches. But not all of them, I'm sure.

As a female, I couldn't lift the sandbags. I also have a small car that's low to the ground. One of the guys brought me a few sandbags and put them in the back for me, although I told him I'd go get them and that I'd drag them to the back. He insisted he'd bring them. Those sandbags weigh at least 50 pounds! When they get wet, they can weigh upwards of 80 lbs!

My heart aches for the people who flooded out, or got even just a foot of water in their houses. As I sat here wondering if the water would get to my house, I felt the fear that others no doubt felt. I began to panic. But I bought this house because it had never flooded and was not in a flood prone area. I did not flood, thank goodness. Many can't say that. Their worst fears came true.

[d_r]

2. Well, it is easy to see this was a misunderstanding..

When Christine St-Pierre introduced herself as the "Minister of International Relations" secretary of state Pablos probably thought that she was a member of the clergy. He didn't want a Minister putting herself out and told her not to worry, just to pray for them.

[kedrys]

3. Who wants to tell Pablos that...

...Québécois - of which I am one although I lived in Houston for years - spent the better part of the 1960s telling the church to get back in its lane and stop getting all up in everybody's shit...?

But I'm sure he can't get wrapped around the concept of an aggressively secular society, much less its existence.

[safeinOhio]

4. Yep and Jesus is responding to all those prayers

with Hurricane Irma on its way..

[Scarsdale]

5. Obviously, Pablos

does not need help. If he did, he would likely be the first in line for these supplies. This is disgaceful. First refusing help from Mexico, not from Canada. Maybe we missed it, but did Texas secede???

[Ilsa]

7. There are quite a few texans I'd like to see put on

on an island somewhere and left alone.

Texans hurt themselves and each other with this "bootstraps" attitude.

[DownriverDem]

10. My Wish

If only we would have let the south succeed back in the 1860s. They have been a pain ever since.

[dembotoz]

8. Good to know. Had my wallet out to donate. Back in pocket.. thanks Pablo's..beer instead

[AJT]

26. Ok, well prayers instead of a donation it is! I already donated, so can I get my money back?

[DownriverDem]

9. Disgusting

Okay folks. If we don't vote for the Dems to gain control of the government, we are damn fools.

[tymorial]

11. I just

I need a break. I cant continue to causing my blood pressure to spike.

[SammyWinstonJack]

30. I hear that.

[Paladin]

12. Rolando Pablos:

Because asshole republicans like Louie Gohmert and Sid Miller aren't doing near enough to shame and humiliate the State of Texas.

[SCVDem]

13. You're about to be famous, Rolando!

Or is that infamous.

March your ass down to the shelters and neighborhoods and tell the weary citizens what you have just done.

Make sure they don't have torches and pitchforks! Very important!

[ananda]

14. Not surprised.

In fact, lately I've been thinking how crazy and mean the Christian righties are.

Just mean and crazy .. including Mike Pence.

Greg Abbott, well, he's showing what a disaster opportunist he is .. all those
photo ops and chances to look like he cares. But he doesn't. He's already
made it harder for survivors to get insurance payouts, for example.

[Stuart G]

15. Texas - Secretary of State Rolando Pablos (R- TX) will soon be ex Sec of State in Texas

"more Jesus"..stupid, very stupid, .."don't need any help"..even stupider..stupidest..as stupid as Drumpf..

.....but we will see if he resigns for that comment, or fired..or left alone....

[bobbieinok]

16. Wondering about 1st, 2nd, and South Main Baptist

Are they flooded?

Isn't 2nd a megachurch? And where Cruz often attends?

[denbot]

18. Inquiring minds want to know..

Especially, whether Cruz's "Church/Tax Loop hole" opened their doors, and coffers?

[Stuart G]

17. All he had to say was a two word sentence..............."Thank You"...and shut up.

He couldn't figure it out..just 2, two, yes II, only two, it rhymes with Stu, one more than one...
1 plus 1 = 2....f**K.......JUST TWO WORDS................."THANK YOU"...........and then..

shut the f**k up...................he needs to join the "shut the f**k up" club. ...

[Tanuki]

19. Did it ever occur to Pablos that the generous offer of assistance

might have been an answer to those prayers for help? What form does he think the prayed-for help will come in....manna falling from the sky?

[NRaleighLiberal]

20. What incredibly twisted logic and reasoning.

I can't keep it straight - did god - or jesus - send the storm in the first place to punish? and does god - or jesus - then fix things after breaking them?

[Perseus]

21. There was a man on the roof of his house

during a flood; a motor boat came to rescue him, but he said "no, God will save me", later, a man with another boat came to rescue him, but then again he said "no, God will save me", a couple of hours later a helicopter came to rescue the man, and again he said "no, God will save me"...as the hours came and the flood became greater the man started drowning, so he yelled "God, why did you abandon me? why didn't you save me?", God answered "what are you talking about? I sent you two boats and a helicopter, but you refused them."

[treestar]

32. +1

This guy is such an idiot - what are they going to pray for in order to help these people? LOL. I guess he is making some kind of point about faith in God, but then what does that faith refer to? Maybe he figures more people can die and get to heaven without help? Good Lord!

[smirkymonkey]

22. Why would he do this? It's just cruel and stupid.

I can't stand these religious idiots.

[Lonestarblue]

23. Texas Republican--what do you expect!

This is the same Secretary of State who agreed to release voter information requested by Kris Kobach. He cares nothing for the people of Texas, just like the rest of the Republican administration here. They're just out to see how much money they can rake in.

[shraby]

25. With what authority did he have to turn it down? None!

[Bengus81]

27. Why didn't he tell FEMA to stay away?? nt

[NCjack]

29. I'm hoping that Pablos is not an asshole and the message he meant to convey is:

The usual problems in sending material donations such as blankets and clothes are: collection, cleaning, sterilizing, sizing, packaging, loading, transporting, receiving, storing, and distribution. The costs of such activities can exceed the value of donation. In addition, there are almost no distribution systems for the donations in South Texas, at this time. Someone in Texas would have to be the agent to manage the materials after they cross the border. The State of Texas is not able to devote its resources to manage such projects.

However, donators in Canada and Mexico can push their cargos through by finding private agents, such an international charity that will accept the goods, take them across the border, and deliver them to locations for distribution. In many cases, the cost of the over all process will exceed the value of the goods.

Always, the most portable and convenient donations are US$.

[Maraya1969]

31. His Twitter page. Send him a message

https://twitter.com/rolandopablos?lang=en

[Rowdyag]

34. I emailed

Ask why he would reject aid from Canada.....waiting on a reply, though not going to hold my breath. BTW, I'm a native Texas and on the very edge of the disaster zone.

[onecaliberal]

33. Why didn't Jesus stop the flood