FEMA outsources Katrina body count to firm implicated in body-dumping!

[Liberty Belle]

My article, just posted at RawStory. Thanks to all here who helped provide links and info for this story!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEMA OUTSOURCES BODY COUNT TO FIRM THAT SETTLED CORPSE
DUMPING, DESECRATION SUITS-

FEMA outsources Katrina body count to firm implicated in body-dumping scandals


The Federal Emergency Management Agency has hired Kenyon International to set up a mobile morgue for handling bodies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, RAW STORY has learned.

Kenyon is a subsidiary of Service Corporation International (SCI), a scandal-ridden Texas-based company operated by a friend of the Bush family. Recently, SCI subsidiaries have been implicated in illegally discarding and desecrating corpses....

FEMA and then Blanco outsourced the body count from Hurricane Katrina -- which many believe the worst natural disaster in U.S. history -- to a firm whose parent company is known for its "experience" at hiding and dumping bodies.

The Menorah Gardens cemetery chain, owned by SCI, desecrated vaults, removed hundreds of bodies from two cemeteries in Florida and dumped the gruesome remains in woods frequented by wild hogs, investigators discovered in 2001. In one case, a backhoe was used to crack open a vault, remove corpses and make room for more dead bodies...


http://rawstory.com/news/2005/FEMA_outsources_Katrina_body_count_to_firm_implicated_in_bodydumping_scan_0913.html

[rzemanfl]

1. If they are getting paid by the corpse, I suspect they will be

splitting them up into halves and charging for two.

[jeff30997]

5. They're so greedy,why would they only charge for two ?

An arm here,a feet there...you get the picture.

[enigami]

38. In that case watch your back

they will be making new ones

[tom_paine]

69. Trust me, they are ghetting paid for corpses DISAPPEARED

No more than "2,500 dead".

Watch and learn how monsters operate...have always operated.

And Hitler apologists to this day maintain that no more than 3,300 died in the camps.

Same thing, only difference is the scale of it.

[Inland]

2. I'm going to be sick. eom.

[Twist_U_Up]

3. wtf..........

it just never fucking stops

[mod mom]

4. Bombard the MSM with this!

[David Zephyr]

6. Menorah Gardens! The Bush Family Has a Roladex of Criminals They Rely On

Fucking amazing. I would not have believed it, but there it is.

[leesa]

34. I guess that's what a Crime Family is. I wonder if this is the biggest

oranized crime syndicate ever? It encompasses the world and much of its business and government leadership. Just think of the time and money spent building this criminal empire (Oour money mostly, of course)!

[David Zephyr]

95. Organized syndicate!

George H. Bush and James Baker and Richard Cheney would be at the very top of the hierarchal chart.

[Maple]

7. Blanco just dumped FEMA

and hired her own firm to do the job...but I think it's the same agency.

On edit: Yes it is.

Slowness of recovery of Katrina dead criticized
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:45 PM ET


BATON ROUGE, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Louisiana's governor condemned the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday for moving too slowly to recover the dead from New Orleans and has signed a contract directly on behalf of the state with the recovery company originally hired by FEMA.

"I have taken action today to resolve a matter that involves life, death and dignity," Kathleen Blanco told reporters at a meeting of state elected officials.

"I can not stand by while this vital operation is not being handled appropriately."

Blanco said she has signed a contract with Kenyon International Emergency Services after the company threatened to pull out of the state because it had not yet signed a formal contract with FEMA.

http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-09-13T184411Z_01_N13577469_RTRIDST_0_KATRINA-DEAD.XML

[rzemanfl]

8. They sucker-punched her. Now she's in bed with these bandits.

FEMA will claim that they were too smart to be suckered by these con artists...

[Liberty Belle]

11. PRNewsWire previously reported that Homeland Security contracted Kenyon.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-01-2005/0004098489&EDATE=

Here's the link. FEMA is part of Homeland Security.

If that was not true, then Blanco may have been duped to be a fall guy for hiring a company with such a questionable past.

I wrote the RawStory piece, FYI. I tried calling Blanco all day for comments before going to press, but kept getting a recording that all circuits were busy. If anyone knows a way to reach her, please let me know.

[rzemanfl]

15. Good piece, but internet news sites were reporting the Blanco-

Kenyon deal this afternoon. I tried looking up Kenyon International on the net but got some outfit that made stoves (camping, etc.). ON EDIT actually it appears that they make stoves for yachts and boats.

Story was that there was a verbal agreement. Somebody in FEMA will probably get a finder's fee out of this from SCI. They are crooks from way back. I was involved in a deal with them years ago, where they offered a finder's fee to my client's attorney to get them to sell out to SCI.

I check Raw Story several times a day.

[Liberty Belle]

24. Please PM me.

I'd like to hear details on the sell-out offer. Might you be willing to be quoted on that for RawStory, on the record or at least as a name-withheld source? Any way to document your story?

[rzemanfl]

29. I did. Really no way to prove this and it was a long time ago. n/t

[jean]

23. Sen Landrieu was on with Ed Schultz today and said they're STILL

having massive communication problems - she can't reach her staff in LA - 225 area code (I think that's right)

[Trevelyan]

64. I think http://HereInReality.com/ had a story on the desecration of graves

by this bush linked firm under Bush Family Values.

The Demopedia of BFEE (Bush Family Evil Empire) links to HereInReality.com and other good sources, if we need any more, for bush family coruption including Halliburon, Carlyle and other war profiteers.

[kipco]

89. Have they done anything right?

Has anything connected with the relief and cleanup of this hurricane that has been handled by Bush Inc. not been a total clusterfuck?

[DeepModem Mom]

9. PLEASE SEE THIS POST --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1778133

[Be Brave]

10. How do we get this out to Blanco's people? n/t

[Liberty Belle]

12. 2 more nominations needed for homepage.

[Initech]

13. Wow, that's quite possibly the most disturbing news item of the day.

[mshasta]

14. kick

[Kurt Remarque]

16. maybe she hired that guy who hid corpses

when his crematorium broke dowm

[Liberty Belle]

21. In a way, she did..SCI had 15 mortuaries that sent bodies

to the Georgia crematorium you're referencing. They paid out a settlement to families of the victims for allowing their mortuaries to send bodies to an unlicensed, unregulated cremation facility.

[expatriot]

17. OMFG..tell me this is a bad dark future movie: "Worldwide Disaster Manag..

http://www.kenyoninternational.com/index.php


This is so surreal.

[spuddonna]

18. Awesome story!

I hope it's ok, I sent a letter to CNN and MSNBC with the link... :) I should've asked first...

[babsbunny]

19. Sending it to Keith Olbermann

was my 1st thought. How about if we all send it to everyone??

[Liberty Belle]

20. Please send the edited version.

[Trevelyan]

65. KICK but please do a front page story on the Blackwater mercenaries in

NOLA getting paid $350 a day for work that firemen and others volunteered to do but were kept out of the city so that the murder of citizens who refuse to leave to be placed in FEMA concentration camps and so that Bushco business cronies can steal their land.

Blackwell is a danger to all those who are coming to the White House demonstration Sept. 24, See ANSWER.com for details of march, they have been working for 6 months on this march to keep protesters safe.

Overkill in New Orleans
By Jeremy Scahill and Daniela Crespo, AlterNet
Posted on September 12, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/25320/

Heavily armed paramilitary mercenaries from the Blackwater private security firm, infamous for their work in Iraq, are openly patrolling the streets of New Orleans. Some of the mercenaries say they have been "deputized" by the Louisiana governor; indeed some are wearing gold Louisiana state law enforcement badges on their chests and Blackwater photo identification cards on their arms. They say they are on contract with the Department of Homeland Security and have been given the authority to use lethal force. Several mercenaries we spoke with said they had served in Iraq on the personal security details of the former head of the U.S. occupation, L. Paul Bremer and the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte.

"This is a totally new thing to have guys like us working CONUS (Continental United States)," a heavily armed Blackwater mercenary told us as we stood on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. "We're much better equipped to deal with the situation in Iraq."

Blackwater mercenaries are some of the most feared professional killers in the world and they are accustomed to operating without worry of legal consequences. Their presence on the streets of New Orleans should be a cause for serious concern for the remaining residents of the city and raises alarming questions about why the government would allow men trained to kill with impunity in places like Iraq and Afghanistan to operate here. Some of the men now patrolling the streets of New Orleans returned from Iraq as recently as two weeks ago.

What is most disturbing is the claim of several Blackwater mercenaries we spoke with that they are here under contract from the federal and Louisiana state governments. (more)

[Liberty Belle]

22. Thanks! If anyone sees this on the MSM, please let me know.

The title "Invasion of the body snatchers" would seem appropriate.

[spuddonna]

28. Definitely!

I can't believe SCI is even still in business. But I guess it goes to show what friends in 'high places' can do for corporations... :(

[Lucille]

25. Blanco signed the contract

FEMA brough SCI in and they had already started work, but FEMA couldn't/wouldn't/didn't finalize the contract. Blanco signed this morning, stating that it was FEMA's responsibility, but that she had a looming health crisis and it needed immediate attention. It seems to me that bodies are decaying and spreading disease. Too much time was wasted by FEMA to make a volunteer effort possible. It does make you wonder though--how many companies have experience in mass graves? SCI does, thanks to their cushy contracts in Iraq.

You almost wonder if FEMA set it up so that the responsibility for the contract was out of their hands. Bush is already tainted by SCI's corruption. This way FEMA can say that cronyism had nothing to do with it.

[LiberalMandrake]

26. How easy is it to cover-up a death toll of tens of thousands in the US? Ex

How easy is it to cover-up a death toll of tens of thousands in the US?

Just an example - testimony of a respected vietnamese, there are NO reasons whatsoever to doubt it. Lots of people have read this since it was first puiblished:


BAD NEWS:
A family friend called us last night and told us that US Coast Guard found nearly 400 bodies of Vietnamese in La Fitte shore, those lived in Grand Isle, La Fitte, and southern coast line of Louisiana. We know they are all fishermen or shrimper. However, majority of them are crab meat/shrimp/oysters peelers and very poor. They couldn´t leave town b/c they don´t have good transportation so they decided to stay and hope the hurricane will pass to another path just like many time before. However, when the hurricane reached near land, they started panicking so they want to leave but it was too late. One guy from the whole village jumped in the car and ran. It took him 36 hours to get to Baton Rouge. The rest of village couldn´t make it. I don´t know why they haven´t reported this new. And as you watch the news, they said Grand Isle is completely disappeared in the map.

[Watchmaker]

90. Is any of this credible?

http://www.moberlymonitor.com/articles/2005/09/06/news/news1.txt
Davis said Gator has been busy rescuing as many people as he can; when she spoke to him last, he had taken over 50 people into his home to give them food and shelter. He has pulled almost that many dead bodies out of the water and taken them to I-90, where he told Davis there were about 800 corpses lined up along the road for rescue workers to retrieve.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7000069092
But those numbers are considered low by law enforcement and medical rescue squads. One law enforcement officer estimates it is more likely to be between 600 and 800 Bay St.Louis alone. The residents are “in for a shock,” he tells the Washington Post.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1473894/posts?page=2690

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/12575557.htm
With the search-team's tales of horrendous findings and the official death toll not matching up, rumors in this disconnected part of the world seem to be spiraling out of control.

A Florida EMA official, brought in to handle media in Hancock, told the Sun Herald the county would not release "any more numbers" until the coroners complete their collecting process.

Several armed guards stand near the front gate of the old Alcan Cable site in Bay St. Louis, where five, 53-foot, refrigerated tractor-trailers sit behind a chain-linked fence.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1480391/posts?q=1&&page=101#114

a dear friend (who is a doc in Biloxi/Gulf Port)finally called me to let me know that he was alive, said that they had found (I believe it was this morning)a shelter about 1/4 from the beach that housed 800. All 800 were found to have drown. Sad, Sad, Sad. I was relieved to hear his voice, but feel bad for what he has seen. He happened to be in the ER when the hurricane hit. All at the hospital were saved,PTL. He did, however, loose his home and all earthly possessions. He said the AFB is obliterated.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1476540/posts?q=1&&page=51#70
The death toll in Miss is in the thousands. I have now spoken to at-least 4 people who have worked down there during recovery.If you did the math between the 4 of them you would be over 1,500 alone as far as tagging bodies is concerned.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1473894/posts?page=2690#2674
My wife works part-time for an answering company. One of their clients is a funeral home up here in Upstate New York has a couple of its employees down in Biloxi as volunteers. Anyways, one of the employees called in from Biloxi - via the answering service - to let their employer know of their status. She said that they were "processing 300+ bodies per day" in Biloxi alone...

[LiberalMandrake]

91. As far as the Vietnamese reporting 400 bodies of Vietnamese in La Fitte,

As far as the Vietnamese reporting 400 bodies of Vietnamese in La Fitte, it is an absolitely credible person, as you can see (trekearth is the largest serious photo community in the web)
http://www.trekearth.com/members/ngythanh/

[Watchmaker]

92. It's difficult to assess

The link you gave doesn't tell me much. As you can see from the links I gave the stories are not confirmed, but they all seem credible. I'm trying to ascertain what's happening here. Either all the reports are false or exaggerated or there really is a cover-up. Since Mississippi has now officially announced that the total body recovery is nearly over and they have found 218 bodies:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050913/ap_on_re_us/katrina_mississippi_4

Some of the stories from my links also indicate that rumors last week in Mississippi were flying out of control, with emergency workers reporting thousands of corpses they had seen , but officials claiming that only 218 are dead after 60,000 homes had been totally destroyed.

Like I said, the reports are very specific - for example one shelter 1/4 mile inland with 800 drowned people. I don't know what to make of all this. Surely a cover-up of that scale cannot happen?

[Cocoa]

27. "gross mismanagement" is right!

"It is appalling that the Bush administration –- which has already badly bungled its response to hurricane Katrina –- would hire a company with a record of gross mismanagement of mortuary services," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a Washington D.C.-based watchdog group. "I can only imagine that this decision was made because of President Bush's long-time friendship with the head of SCI, Robert Waltrip."

[Maggie_May]

30. They sure sound like friends of the Bush family

I can see them sitting around a table talking about how there going to dispose of bodies. These people are sick and they have the gull to talk about morality.

[WiseButAngrySara]

31. This is too depressing! One good thing though, the body count is at

least more likely to be accurate or maybe even overestimated if they get paid by the corpse! (sick)

[psychopomp]

32. This calls for the Media Blaster

NATIONAL NEWS CONTACTS ( It is a good idea to send to one address and put the others on a BCC list. - you will get some returns - use it anyway!):

[e-mail], [e-mail],[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], miles.o'[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]


on edit: Also, more contacts, telephone and otherwise, here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=22579

[psychopomp]

40. "Many dark actors playing games"

This story needs sunlight!

[Imalittleteapot]

50. I've emailed the story to Anderson Cooper, Olberman and

Joe Scarborough. Someone needs to contact the "Daily Show" (I can't find an email address). This is right up Jon Stewart's alley.

[Liberty Belle]

62. Thank you!

[bajamary]

96. Daily Show's email

Try

[e-mail]

[Liberty Belle]

60. Awesome! Thanks for posting that.

[Child_Of_Isis]

33. SCI paid $100 million

So let them pay another 100 million.

[BrklynLiberal]

35. There is NOTHING too dirty or too low for BFEE. Can anyone explain

how BushCo is any different from the Mafia or any of those other crime families that we have heard and read about for so long?
Janeane Garafolo describes them perfectly. She calls them a crime family and criminal syndicate and that is exactly what they are.

[ninkasi]

47. They are different...they are worse...

At least the Mafia doesn't have the authority of the POTUS behind it. Criminals, scum, the worst of the worst.

[glugglug]

75. BushCo is worse because

The mafia has (some) morals.

[tkmorris]

36. Kick

Nothing to add. Despicable.

:kick:

[Lindacooks]

37. What can we do about these contracts being awarded to chimp cronies?

Isn't there some law, somewhere, against this? Why are they allowed to do this?

[Trevelyan]

68. Rep Waxman has has GAO to investigate these Bush friendly firms who are

stealing the taxpayer money. Think I read it in British newspaper online. Ask US news why they are not reporting this investigation just begun by GAO.

Write Waxman, GAO and rest of Congress to support this investigation and stop this bush crooks from stealing the land from NOLA survivors and from stealing from the American taxpayer to coverup and steal land from those they murdered.

[arwalden]

39. What A Shame. What An Embarrassment. How Corrupt And Morally Bankrupt.

[MadisonProgressive]

41. This is finally too much. I can't take it anymore...

Good-bye cruel world... ahhhhhhhhahhhhhhhhhhhhh:cry:

[slay]

52. This is part of their strategy

I swear it is. To keep the citizens in line they want us demoralized and feeling powerless. Trust me, I know how you feel. Don't let them win though. We can fight back by letting people know how sick these bastards are. But we can also fight back by refusing to let them get us down. This is OUR world goddamnit and we ARE taking it back. And I plan to party my ass off and have a great time while we do. We know our cause is just and that we will win in the end - it's just a matter of surviving the trip. :)

[MadisonProgressive]

55. You, Sir, are a sage

Best of luck with that BITCH Ophelia!

[slay]

56. Together we stand

criminally incompetent they fall. :evilgrin:

Thnx, it's looking like a pussycat compared to Katrina. :)

[buzzsaw_23]

42. Funeralgate and George Bush in Texas

Funeralgate Hits Texas

by Robert Bryce

Led by Governor Bush, the Funeralgate cast includes Sen. John Whitmire, SCI CEO Robert Waltrip (in hat), Bush aide Joe Allbaugh, Rep. Kyle Janek, Sen. Kenneth Armbrister, and Attorney General John Cornyn.


What began as a citizen's complaint against SCI in January 1998 has since grown into a scandal revolving around campaign contributions, and the influence they may buy. All of the politicos who intervened on SCI's behalf received major contributions from SCI's political action committee, or PAC. Did that money convince them to help SCI -- the world's largest death care company -- and to punish the agency that investigated SCI? Whether that was the reason or not, the state officials took positions that may hurt consumers. SCI's prices are routinely among the highest in the funeral business. One consumer advocate, Lamar Hankins, the president of the Funeral & Memorial Societies of America, says the company routinely engages in "price gouging." But campaign cash, not consumers, is at the heart of this scandal. And the scandal promises to grow as the lawsuit -- filed by former TFSC director Eliza May -- works through the discovery process. The suit alleges that May was fired because she "repeatedly and in good faith reported violations of the law and conduct that she reasonably believed to constitute violations of the law."

<snip>

Five days after issuing the document stating that Waltrip talked to the governor about the letter, Waltrip's lawyers changed their story. In a second, "supplemental" response to interrogatories, filed on June 16, the lawyers said that Waltrip did not talk to Bush about his problems with the TFSC. The supplemental document says that while Waltrip was in Bush's office waiting to talk with Joe Allbaugh, Bush's chief of staff, the governor "passed by on the way to a press conference or other appointment," and although Bush "exchanged pleasantries" with Waltrip, their discussion was "not substantive; they did not discuss the content" of Waltrip's letter complaining about the TFSC. The document adds that Waltrip "has never discussed" with Bush his complaints about the TFSC. Perhaps Waltrip or his lawyers realized that implicating the governor in the dispute would damage Bush's presidential campaign.

<snip>


SCI CEO Robert Waltrip
is the world's highest paid undertaker.
photograph by F. Carter Smith

And why did Allbaugh get involved? Did he, as Bush's chief of staff, simply make his own decision to intervene on behalf of SCI? Could Allbaugh have been persuaded by a $35,000 political contribution? Allbaugh, who left the governor's office on July 1 to work full time as campaign manager for Bush's presidential campaign, hasn't been deposed yet, but he will be soon. And he will be a key witness when May's case goes to trial, as will Bush's legal counsel, Margaret Wilson.


Gov. Bush's role in the SCI scandal
is being called into question.
photograph by Jana Birchum

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol18/issue45/pols.sci.html

[milkyway]

51. Great find! Nice to see Joe Allbaugh was doing some disaster management

before he was appointed to destroy FEMA.

[buzzsaw_23]

54. A bit more at this post

You probably knew Allbaugh and Brown were college roommates in Oklahoma.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4762919

[Merlot]

43. A texas-based company operated by a friend ... family

What more dowe need to know?

I've read various reports that thanks to the Mayors evacuation of NO, 80% of the residents were evacuated. So what happened to the other 20% ? Unfortunatly I imagine the answer is not good. But we can all do the math if bushco trys to tell us there were only 300 deaths in NO.

[glarius]

44. I just can't believe this. How could she be so goddamned stupid???!!!

Did she not know, or inquire into the background of this bunch, before inking this deal?? I mean, I know she was understandably frustrated with FEMA's keystone cops approach to virtually everything - especially the dead body situation - but, Jesus, she just made things exponentially worse!!! Wait till the shit hits the fan on THIS!!:wtf:

[RaRa]

45. My jaw can no longer drop to the floor, it's been there for 4+ years n/t

[electron_blue]

46. I swear I can't tell what's real and what's a joke anymore

this is just sicker and sicker

[slay]

48. How many of Bush's buddies aren't into corruption these days?

<slay> listens to the wind blow. Seriously - it seem that being connected with Republicans these days gives you a license to steal. Hey all you Republican voters lurking around - how about actually holding your elected officials accountable for once? Oh, I see.. yall are so hateful you only elect them to piss off liberals. I get it now. :(

[confludemocrat]

49. Bush takes responsibility for this too? Shows how meaningless that was.

he has to answer for crap like this and the hiring of Halliburton and the hiring of Blackwater and the continuing failure to treat bodies of dead Americans floating in the muck. The person starting the thread that credits Bush with taking responsibility needs to examine whose side he or she is on.

[milkyway]

53. Do they get paid extra for "disappearing" bodies that don't get counted?

[Liberty Belle]

59. Ding! That's the question we're all dying to know the answer to,

if you'll pardon the bad pun.

[spacelady]

57. Pure Unmitigated Evil. n/t

[Lifelong Protester]

58. I don't know how much more we can stand

without all going mad. The regime in power just keeps topping its own outrages.
This sounds like a cover-up coming all the way, and I predicted it this week with the whole official news "WELL, the DEATH toll will be MUCH less than originally forecasted by that nut mayor who actually KNOWS his city..."

[Liberty Belle]

61. Vitter, the Republican Senator, also projected 10,000 dead.

[spacelady]

63. I hear You, they don't even bother to cover the corruption anymore--

Shades of "Animal Farm".

[batmansmom]

66. It's all over but the shouting

Well they don't have to cover up anything, do they?

It's a done deal.

That's the specter of total, absolute, power.

They can and will do anything they want.

They ARE doing whatever they want.

The coup is a fait accompli. They let us have our little Internet blogs so we can be outraged and document all the horrors.

And spend our time calling each other names and praising or trashing the power elite who have already made provisions to save themselves and their riches and do not give one damn about us.

And when that no longer pacifies us or we miraculously rise above the divisiveness they cheer on and foment, they will simply pull the plug.

Do you really think we can and will rise up and take back the country?

We can't even agree to disagree. Even if you had the sense to arm yourself and your family, do you think you could withstand an assault from Blackwater thugs, or the military or even the local law enforcement if they decide you are a threat?

It is done. We are only witnessing the unfolding.

And the real horrors have just begun.

If you think for one minute that this government will spare you from the brutality they have visited upon every other group of people standing in their way, you are deluding yourselves.

Why else would they be deploying private Blackwater thugs instead of humanitarian workers in the most devastated areas?

It's too late to wake up. You're better off sleeping through what's coming next.

God Bless America indeed.

[spacelady]

67. That is scary (ala Babs Bush). I will take that nap now, to the tune of

Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. I will reincarnate as an edible cracker.

[Trevelyan]

70. You can still write Congress and the media and support the courageous

people who are fighting back. People fought in the Resistance against Hitler and the Nazis and the North Vietnamese and the Iraq freedom fighters are showing the cost of "better to die on your feet, than live on your knees." It is too important and a betrayal of those who have died or had family members killed by BFEE trying to bring the American people the truth.

Overkill in New Orleans
By Jeremy Scahill and Daniela Crespo, AlterNet
Posted on September 12, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/25320/

Heavily armed paramilitary mercenaries from the Blackwater private security firm, infamous for their work in Iraq, are openly patrolling the streets of New Orleans. Some of the mercenaries say they have been "deputized" by the Louisiana governor; indeed some are wearing gold Louisiana state law enforcement badges on their chests and Blackwater photo identification cards on their arms. They say they are on contract with the Department of Homeland Security and have been given the authority to use lethal force...

"This is a totally new thing to have guys like us working CONUS (Continental United States)," a heavily armed Blackwater mercenary told us as we stood on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. "We're much better equipped to deal with the situation in Iraq."

Blackwater mercenaries are some of the most feared professional killers in the world and they are accustomed to operating without worry of legal consequences. Their presence on the streets of New Orleans should be a cause for serious concern for the remaining residents of the city and raises alarming questions about why the government would allow men trained to kill with impunity in places like Iraq and Afghanistan to operate here. Some of the men now patrolling the streets of New Orleans returned from Iraq as recently as two weeks ago.

What is most disturbing is the claim of several Blackwater mercenaries we spoke with that they are here under contract from the federal and Louisiana state governments. Blackwater is one of the leading private security firms servicing the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.....

Who Sent In the Mercs?
As the threat of forced evictions now looms in New Orleans and the city confiscates even legally registered weapons from civilians, the private mercenaries of Blackwater patrol the streets openly wielding M-16s and other assault weapons. This despite Police Commissioner Eddie Compass' claim that, "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons."

Officially, Blackwater says its forces are in New Orleans to "join the Hurricane relief effort." A statement on the company's website, dated Sept. 1, advertises airlift services, security services and crowd control....

That raises a key question: under what authority are Blackwater's men operating? .....

But in an hour-long conversation with several Blackwater mercenaries, we heard a different story. The men we spoke with said they are indeed on contract with the Department of Homeland Security and the Louisiana governor's office and that some of them are sleeping in camps organized by Homeland Security in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. They told us they not only had authority to make arrests but also to use lethal force. (more)

[batmansmom]

72. Write congress?

Yes, I'll be sure to write congress and thank them for allowing me to own a little handgun if I follow all their rules.

My .38 revolver is a real good match for their M-16s.

The Blackwater thugs have automatic weapons and are deployed here in my own country but as a law-abiding citizen with not so much as even a speeding ticket I am not entitled to an adequate weapon to defend my home and family against looters, or thieves, or 'security forces' my very tax dollars are paying for.

Any questions?

[batmansmom]

71. Just so you know

Do not think I am some kind of shill who promotes the defeatist attitude and thereby supports mass resignation and capitulation.

I am as outraged as anyone who stands in stunned disbelief, witnessing the unfolding nightmare.

When I read the posts here and elsewhere, I know that there are millions of Americans and citizens of other countries who are appalled at what has been happening in this country, yet I cannot see any way to stop it.

Short of taking to the streets, in massive numbers, armed and determined, how can we have even a prayer? They have an iron grip on every level. They dictate what we do and where we go and what we say.

And we have let them take every last vestige of freedom and dignity under the guise of security, which we have finally had laid bare for all to see, does not exist.

If I am wrong in my thinking, please reassure me. I'd give anything to wake up in the America I knew just a few short years ago.

[DemonFighterLives]

83. I don't know the way out either

but Welcome to DU!


I don't know Blanco, but couldn't she get out of this contract or perhaps someone honest(whoever that may be) could provide oversight.

:shrug:

[Tight_rope]

73. Sounds like a company Bushco would hire.

Un-passionate, Incompetent, Useless and Crooked. If you are capably of fucking up the job...then you are hired. :rant:

[EnfantTerrible]

74. And another convenient "suicide"

The GM, Peter Hartmann, of Menorah Gardens ( subsidiary of SCI) committed "suicide" ala Cliff Baxter (Enron whistle blower)...
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/12/27/cemetery.scandal.suicide/


This company knows what's it's doing when it comes to bodies.
------------------------------------------------------------

on edit: Full Disclosure

I got this info in an email. It was written by Jonathan Simon. I added the link to the suicide story in my post above. Here is an excerpt:


Ah here it is, the missing piece. The one element missing from the bodycount suppression "handbook" I've been working on was the actual disposal mechanism. Now we have the scandal-ridden, Bush-beloved dumping company (SCI) to do the dirty work and yet another mysterious "suicide" (general manager of the Menorah Gardens Cemetary chain in Texas) to add to the Cliff Baxter (remember the Enron whistleblower?) memorial list of mysterious "suicides." It looks very much as if FEMA got the bodies out and SCI "took good care" of them.
They've now been officially body searching for four whole days and in all that mass devastation, and with all that manpower, and with all those tens of thousands of people left behind with no way out, they have an official death toll of 439? That's about four bodies per hour of searching. That might be the rate for a single neighborhood. How many officially died in the tsunami? Over 120,000? Well, apparently SCI doesn't do the third world.
One thing that's been brushed over in all this is that serious and responsible figures in both public and private office, who all had good reason to be in the know, were projecting, expecting, and preparing for many thousands dead, indeed up to 40,000 in the case of morticians who had made known to FEMA their willingness to volunteer their services before FEMA mysteriously outsourced to a paid contractor with a scandalous track record of corpse desecration and dumping. The point is, these estimates were not internet rumors or rank speculation by anti-Bush outsiders; they were made by insiders (25,000 body bags were not ordered by tin-hat conspiracy theorists) and derived from concrete parameters (total population, number evacuated, numbers remaining at the time of the flood, depth of the waters in various places, etc.) that supported the calculation. That is the legitimate baseline in the search for the truth.
It is the "official" toll that is a shock in light of all that was known by serious and responsible insiders about the situation. It, not the expecations of Mayor Nagin and the non-sweetheart morticians, needs explaining. And as of now the best, if not only, explanation appears to lie in what we know about the Bush regime's m.o. and the track record of its contracted corpse-disposing corporation.

[trof]

85. From CNN, Dec. 2001: Suicide

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A central figure in an investigation into the desecration of graves at two Florida Jewish cemeteries is dead of an apparent suicide, police said Thursday.

Peter Hartmann, 45, was found dead late Wednesday in the garage of his parents' Boca Raton home, apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning. A car was running, police said, and the garage was full of smoke.

Hartmann was the general manager of the Menorah Gardens Cemetery chain that had come under fire for allegedly digging up bodies without notifying their relatives and, in some cases, losing the remains of the deceased.

Menorah Gardens is operated by Service Corporation International, one of the country's largest providers of funeral and cemetery services.

In a recent class action lawsuit, attorneys for several families of people buried at the two cemeteries said they found evidence of bodies being moved without telling families and showed a videotape of human remains scattered in the wood near one of the cemeteries.

Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth is investigating charges against the funeral company.

A spokesperson for the Palm Beach County sheriff said the office was treating the death as a suicide but was waiting for the medical examiner to make a report.
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/12/27/cemetery.scandal.suicide/

[ladylibertee]

76. Thats appalling, but not surprising

[Albert Cirrus]

77. Funeralgate:

The worse case of Jewish corpse desecration since 1945. Don't forget about Prescott Bush's deals with Hitler.

[AtomicKitten]

78. FEMA & Blanco Ink Deal with Bush Pal Firm Indicted in Body-Dumping Scanda

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/FEMA_outsources_Katrina_body_count_to_firm_implicated_in_bodydumping_scan_0913.html

[DoYouEverWonder]

79. FEMA was supposed to ink the deal all week

and they dragged their feet as much as possible. At the moment, SCI is the only game in town and Blanco has got to get the bodies recovered. Basically, she is circumventing the Feds and taking matters back into her own hands. Hopefully, she will force them to be accountable now that they work directly for her.

[Angry Girl]

80. I think she unfortunately fell into their trap....

Now the feds can say, "We didn't hire those body-dumpers, YOU did!", just in case Funeral-gate has legs....

Nightweed's Hurricane Katrina Aid Organizations

[DoYouEverWonder]

81. She seems like she knows how to run things

If they don't get their act together quick then she can fire them and go somewhere else. I don't think the folks from Kenyon International will want all that bad publicity now that they can't hide behind HS/FEMA.

[Karenina]

82. Hmmm...

:kick:

[DemonFighterLives]

84. Thanks for this story

It would have probably been better if I had never heard of this, but here we go again.
The sooner dubco is removed the better and anyone even remotely connected to them.
:argh:

[trof]

86. Cemeteries dumped bodies to make room for more

Cemeteries dumped bodies to make room for more

By Eliot Kleinberg in West Palm Beach
May 24 2003

The world's largest cemetery chain, stained by allegations human remains were dug up and dumped in the woods to make room at an overcrowded cemetery, has agreed to pay penalties that could reach nearly $US14 million ($21 million).

The corporation, its top Florida executive, and the former manager of two south Florida cemeteries have all been charged with felonies.

The Florida Attorney-General, Charlie Crist, said the charges stem from mishandled burials at two Menorah Gardens cemeteries in south Florida owned and operated by Service Corp International of Houston, Texas, and its subsidiary, SCI Funeral Services of Florida.

Lawyers who say they represent more than 1400 families allege the chain misplaced graves, oversold plots and even dug up corpses to make room.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/23/1053585698111.html?oneclick=true

[myrna minx]

87. This is just ghastly.

:cry:

[inchhigh]

88. Look at their Job Openings

Just what you'd expect, mostly Sales, Marketing and PR. Only two of the ten openings are even remotely related to actually helping people who have been in a disaster.

Commercial Services Department:

1.) Director / VP Commercial Services, US:

Responsibilities of position: Plans, directs and supervises all aspects of the Commercial Services department to include: Sales Specialists - ...snip

2.) Marketing Manager, US:

Responsibilities of position: Responsible for marketing policies, objectives and initiatives. ...snip

3.) Sales Director, US:

Responsibilities of position: Prepares sales forecasts and collects and analyzes data to evaluate current sales goals. ...snip

4.) Sales Representative US:

Responsibilities of position: Responsible for worldwide sales policies, objectives, and initiatives. Develops new prospects and interacts with existing customers to increase sales of Kenyon's services internationally. ...snip

5.) Contracting Specialist / Manager, US:

Responsibilities of position: Aids in the preparation of contractual provisions and the administration of contract proposals. Manages all aspects of Kenyon’s contract function. ...snip

6.) Customer Service Representative, US:

Responsibilities of position: Processes orders, prepares correspondence, and fulfills customer needs to ensure customer satisfaction. ...snip

Communications:

7.) Communications Director, US:

Responsibilities of position: Conceptualizes, plans, implements and evaluates worldwide communication programs/campaigns which generate public awareness, enhance corporate identity, and effectively describe and promote the organization and its services. ...snip

8.) PR Writer ­ External, US:

Responsibilities of position: The position is principally responsible for writing articles for external publication to journals, magazines, guides, marketing collaterals, multiple mass media and strategic public relations activities including but not limited to speeches, talking points, fact sheets, news releases, backgrounders, media advisories, and product profiles; media relations planning, campaign design and implementation, and evaluation. ...snip

9.) PR Writer ­ Internal, US:

Responsibilities of position: The position is principally responsible for writing articles for both the team member and client newsletters; taking and/or selecting images for either or both publications; daily review of website content; writing new articles for web sites posting; planning for article and image changes on the website on a bi-weekly basis; and strategic layout/production of these and other hardcopy/digital written public relations materials. ...snip

Family Assistance:

10.) Family Assistance Director, Europe:

Responsibilities of position: Provides leadership and structure for the development and implementation of family assistance services; develops basic, advanced and specialty training materials for the region of Europe to enable the establishment and maintenance of family assistance worldwide; conducts family assistance training; conducts family assistance background research and periodic literature review; coordinates family assistance Team Member recruitment with the Team Member Manager; maintains regular contact with family associations, regulatory agencies and professional groups involved with families following disasters; responds to mass fatality incidents and performs supervisory duties in support of families affected.

http://www.kenyoninternational.com/openings.html

Edited to add link

[Kailassa]

103. mass fatalites

A Family Assistance Director, Europe, to respond to mass fatality incidents? Is this a tin hat on my head? :nuke:

[AzDar]

93. If it were anyone besides the BFEE, I wouldn't believe it...SICKENING!!

[GayCanuck]

94. I'm confused

I heard that the Governor hired them.

[althecat]

97. Jason Leopold: FEMA Katrina Funeral Contractor Desecrated Corpses

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0509/S00234.htm

Division of Funeral Corp. Charged With Desecrating Corpses Hired to Collect Deceased Victims of Hurricane Katrina
Thursday, 15 September 2005, 2:15 pm
Article: Jason Leopold

A funeral services company which recently learned that one of its subsidiaries is negotiating a lucrative contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to remove dead bodies in areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, paid $100 million to settle a class-action lawsuit several years ago alleging the company desecrated thousands of corpses, and dumped bodies into mass graves.

Moreover, the company paid $200,000 to settle a whistleblower lawsuit that sought to expose that two members of the Texas funeral commission, the agency which regulates the funeral industry, were actually employees of the company they were supposed to monitor--an obvious conflict-of-interest.

MORE...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0509/S00234.htm

[FloridaPat]

98. Where is the outrage?

[bobbieinok]

99. most people don't know anything abt funeralgate b/c M$M didn't report

aren't reporting it

[Erika]

100. Maybe that's why W didn't want pics of the dead taken

Somebody might want to bury them in individual graves.

I'm so sick of Texas graft and corruption.

[chookie]

101. Oh no not SCI again

It's like one of those horror movies -- just as you are sure the monster is dead, it leaps up again.

I sure remember this company. They had botched embalmings, with grotesque consequences; did not cremate bodies they were contracted to; and used the same burial plot numerous time, shifting the prior remains out into a common area.

There's a Bush connection to this company -- George was either on the board or was a major stockholder. Anyone remember the details on the Bush connection?

But follow the trail just a bit and it will lead to Joe Albaugh and or Mike Brown.

[jal]

102. Credit to Rawstory

Hi all:
This is Jason Leopold. I neglected to credit rawstory in my story on SCI that was published Wednesday with first reporting the news. Since this has already been the topic of much discussion for the past day I just want to give rawstory and the reporter the proper credit here, and sorry that I arrived so late to add my two cents.

Best
Jason Leopold