"OH NO ! ! ! Wisconsin bus caravan RETURNS EMPTY" from Daily Kos

[Pirate Smile]

FUBAR continues:

OH NO ! ! ! Wisconsin bus caravan RETURNS EMPTY

by RobertInWisconsin
Mon Sep 5th, 2005 at 19:48:16 PDT

This makes me sick to my stomach.

Last night this diary hit the Recommend list here at dKos.

It was The Feel-Good Diary of the Day, telling the story of a citizen in Northeast Wisconsin who saw Mayor Nagin's plea for help on CNN, and within 24 hours coordinated an effort that saw buses reach the Superdome in New Orleans to pick up survivors to bring back to Wisconsin.

So much for that, Kossacks. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. I literally read this--and weep.

This was sent to me tonight. Absolutely unbelievable, and we all know this is just one tiny example of literally thousands of turned-away efforts.

The daily newspaper from Green Bay was with the caravan so we haven't heard the end of this.

"Door County Katrina buses returning home empty

Last updated: 6:22 PM September 5, 2005
by Steve Kastner, The Door County Compass

STURGEON BAY, WI - Late Sunday night it was a touch and go-home-empty situation. Two of the four-bus Wisconsin caravan had already headed north out of New Orleans, carrying passengers, but not to Wisconsin. The other two Wisconsin buses had moved on to Houston, intending to complete their original mission by alleviating the burden placed on the state of Texas, bringing Katrina refugees back to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

"Our buses are in Houston, standing by, waiting to be filled - right next to CNN's media trucks at the Astrodome," says Christie Weber. "If they are forced to return home empty we will definitely provide that story to the media."

The problem was described as "Red Cross red tape." Officials in Houston refused to accept the Wisconsin buses without an official sanction and a declaration of emergency status from the state of Wisconsin. On Sunday afternoon news of an impending announcement from Governor Doyle's office was starting to break. One source said that Wisconsin's Governor would be making that announcement at 8 AM on Monday, then it was 9 AM. The Journal Sentinel said, "Gov. Jim Doyle's office announced Sunday night that a news conference would be held at 2 p.m. today at State Fair Park to announce the arrival of evacuees" ... meanwhile empty buses waited in Houston and patience was running short.

Christie Weber, and a group of supporters were on the phone and on the Web late Sunday evening, searching for another group to work with in order to get those Wisconsin buses loaded. By 9 AM Monday morning it was reported that Wisconsin's Governor sent an e-mail to Houston Red Cross saying, "Fill those buses!"

At 9:30 AM Weber was informed that the buses had been accepted into the Red Cross program and would be returning to Sturgeon Bay with passengers.

By Noon the situation had again reversed... and the Wisconsin drivers decided to return without any passengers. Later, Red Cross officials in Houston explained that they were developing a plan that would be announced on Monday at 5 PM.

Seven days after the Katrina disaster Wisconsin's Governor Doyle will announce the state's effort to aid Katrina victims joined by officials from the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, West Allis Mayor Jeannette Bell and South Milwaukee Mayor David Kieck.

People everywhere continue to wonder why all levels of government are so slow to respond to this natural disaster.

Hope Church minister, Vance Toivonen says his congregation remains committed to this hospitality and rescue effort and have decided to continue preparing for eventual NOLA evacuees. "Perhaps this first effort did not go as planned but there are more than a million people who will need to relocate, so we are keeping the door open."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/5/224816/5843

[CatBoreal]

1. Floored, totally floored.

[Pirate Smile]

2. The fuck-ups haven't ended, they are just getting started.

[aquart]

3. Explain why the Red Cross is making federal evacuation decisions?

Please?

[Pirate Smile]

7. ????? These people are going to continue to be tortured by BushCo.

Donna Brazile was on CNN today. She is still missing a sister - Sheila.

She has found some family members. She is trying to find them housing and reunite them, etc.

She said she was dealing with FEMA to try to get Section 8 housing for someone. They wanted proof they qualified. Donna said "She has nothing, absolutely nothing" and they want her to prove she qualifies.

It is just idiots on parade and they are going to hurt so many people who are already traumatized.

[anarchy1999]

4. All the more reasons to support our Vets in Covington. They got there

first and they are not going away! Support them, call your reps, call the media. Get them all on the scene. We all should be screaming at these outrages!

I have and I will continue all this week long starting first thing in the am! I hope you all join in.

We are the PEOPLE, of this "DEMOCRACY", they work for us. We don't work for them. We can FIRE THEM ALL!

[NYC]

5. Money wasted by the people of Wisconsin.

The more money they spend on empty buses making useless trips, the less money they'll have to spend on food and other necessary items.

This entire rescue has been mishandled and the efforts of good samaritans have been thwarted.

Disband Homeland Security.

P.S. Don't forget the empty buses that returned to Washington, D.C.

[Tatiana]

6. I agree.

When we retake control of the House and Senate, the first order of business should be disbanding DHS. It's nothing but a beurocratic extra layer of do-nothing government and a dumping ground for Bush patronage.

[lonestarnot]

8. Just never fucking ends does it! recommending!

[neweurope]

9. I don't understand this, please explain, somebody:

"Officials in Houston refused to accept the Wisconsin buses without an official sanction and a declaration of emergency status from the state of Wisconsin."

What is a "declaration of emergency status"? Does it have anything to do with declaring a "federal desaster"/martial law or do I read to much into this?

And anyhow - how can the Red Cross or WHOEVER keep citizens from boarding a bus?

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