Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Fellow freewayblogger's family lost everything. Here is the email

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (Through 2005) Donate to DU
 
lonestarnot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:33 PM
Original message
Fellow freewayblogger's family lost everything. Here is the email
Edited on Sat Sep-17-05 10:01 PM by lonestarnot
from tonight. Posts under BeeCharma.Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your concern. My family lost everything, but I am okay
since I live in Knoxville. They have come up here to live.

It really sucks. My home town of Slidell and New Orleans are just
destroyed. Worse than mother nature is the total lack of response
by our beloved federal govt. I went down to Slidell this week.
People, **AMERICANS** are sleeping in tents in 98 degree weather. It
looks like a 3rd world country. No one has seen FEMA, Red Cross
makes it to your street if you are lucky. There is no govt as far
as I am concerned. WE should all be very afraid. It is sad, sad,
sad...on so many levels.

I don't have the time or energy right now to blog, but please get
this message out. FEMA KILLS, INCOMPETENCE KILLED NEW ORLEANS, BUSH
LET NO DROWN,


Here are bunches of photos that I took while down there:
Sorry folks... I had to take out the photos because there was an address revelation in the shots. Trust me ... it looks like an awful mess! Certainly not inhabitable.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
efhmc Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:35 PM
Response to Original message
1. I am in Texas. Can I help you? Can you come here for a while?
Edited on Sat Sep-17-05 09:35 PM by efhmc
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
lonestarnot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:37 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. I'm in AZ. Freeway bloggers are nation wide. Bee Charma states in the
email the city he/she is in. Don't know this person personally, only that is dedicated blogger. And I feel so badly for the family and all the families. Gawd think I have to bawl again. Don't know what is the matter with me. I never cry!:cry: :shrug:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
efhmc Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:39 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. Well, I will help if I can. Just let me know.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
lonestarnot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:43 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. You are a very kind soul efhmc.... Thanks for the offer and if I hear of
what we are all going to get together and do soon. I will let you know.. will bookmark the thread. Thanks again. lonestarnot
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
lonestarnot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:39 PM
Response to Reply #1
6. I'm not the one who has lost everything... it's BeeCharma's family. Bee
is ok also lives in whatever city that was stated in the email, which I am not familiar with, unless I look on a map.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:38 PM
Response to Original message
3. So many stories, so much sadness,
and we all know who is responsible now-he admitted it, sorta.:grr: Thanks for posting this.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
bigwillq Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:39 PM
Response to Original message
5. That is so sad.
It also makes me very angry how the federal government responded.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
katinmn Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:48 PM
Response to Original message
8. So sad to see all the devastation.
When 6-8 feet of water sloshes through your house you really can't save very much.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
I Have A Dream Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:48 PM
Response to Original message
9. I'm in Pennsylvania, but I'll help in any way I can. Please let me know.
:cry:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
lonestarnot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:49 PM
Response to Reply #9
11. I will do that.... something is in the works, but haven't heard just what
yet. Will let you know. Thank you and Bee Charma thanks you.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
annabanana Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:49 PM
Response to Original message
10. I look at the shots of the house...
Edited on Sat Sep-17-05 09:50 PM by annabanana
and all I see are months of work...It looks structurally sound though... will her Mom be reconstructing?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
lonestarnot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:50 PM
Response to Reply #10
13. annabanana....it's not my Mom, Bee Charma's Mom.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
buzzsaw_23 Donating Member (631 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:49 PM
Response to Original message
12. Disgusting
what is being done/not done to the people in New Orleans.

THIS IS INTENTIONAL FOLKS!!!!!!!!

They want the "riff raff" out to build NOLA in the corporate image.

Nagin is 100% pro-business.


From Jeremy Scahill:
Look at the comments of James Rice, a local businessman, who is one of the leaders of the private Audubon Place, the gated community. The only privately owned in the city of New Orleans. He told The Wall Street Journal, “Those who want to see this city rebuilt want to see it done in a completely different way, demographically, geographically and politically. I'm not just speaking for myself here. The way we have been living is not going to happen again or we’re out.” James Rice has brought in Israeli para-militaries to guard his facility. It's Israeli company that brags about having former members of the Shin Beit, the GSS, the Israeli Defense Forces. He has brought them in. I was talking to them in front of his property. Some of them participated in the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and these are guys now who are patrolling outside on St. Charles avenue in front of Audubon Place and will potentially come into conflict with residents of New Orleans. What on earth are Israeli paramilitaries doing on the streets of New Orleans? These are the questions that people need to ask right now, defending a man like James Rice who was called for the poor to not be allowed back into New Orleans.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/16/1222257
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
lonestarnot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:52 PM
Response to Reply #12
14. So get out James Rice! Whoever the hell you are! You kind is not
wanted anyway!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
buzzsaw_23 Donating Member (631 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 09:54 PM
Response to Original message
15. Tragic- Nominated for all to see the reality
THIS WAS INTENTIONAL TO CLEAR OUT NOLA FOR CAJUN CORPORATIZATION!!!!!!
GETTING THE UNSAVORY ELEMENTS OUT!!!!!
MAKE NO MISTAKE WE ARE ALL EXPENDABLE IN THE EYES OF THESE HEARTLESS CRETINS!!!!
NAGIN IS 100% PRO-BUSINESS!!!!!!

From Jeremy Scahill:
Look at the comments of James Rice, a local businessman, who is one of the leaders of the private Audubon Place, the gated community. The only privately owned in the city of New Orleans. He told The Wall Street Journal, “Those who want to see this city rebuilt want to see it done in a completely different way, demographically, geographically and politically. I'm not just speaking for myself here. The way we have been living is not going to happen again or we’re out.” James Rice has brought in Israeli para-militaries to guard his facility. It's Israeli company that brags about having former members of the Shin Beit, the GSS, the Israeli Defense Forces. He has brought them in. I was talking to them in front of his property. Some of them participated in the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and these are guys now who are patrolling outside on St. Charles avenue in front of Audubon Place and will potentially come into conflict with residents of New Orleans. What on earth are Israeli paramilitaries doing on the streets of New Orleans? These are the questions that people need to ask right now, defending a man like James Rice who was called for the poor to not be allowed back into New Orleans.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/16/1222257
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
BrklynLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 10:28 PM
Response to Reply #15
16. I heard this on AAR today..either Laura Flanders or Mike Papantonio
Edited on Sat Sep-17-05 10:32 PM by BrklynLiberal
They are trying to make sure that "the poor blacks" do not return to New Orleans.
Why was that so obvious to some of us from the very beginning? This administration created a disapora of sorts, sending the people of New Orleans far and wide all over this country, making it virtually impossible for them to return to their homes.
There were postings about this on the second day of this disaster.

I think this was posted at the beginning of September:

http://kurtnimmo.blogspot.com/
Criminal Plot Underway in the New Orleans Swamp
It is mighty suspicious the New Orleans "refugees" (as the corporate media call the Americans removed from the disease-ridden swamp left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina) are being relocated far and wide. Most of them will probably never return and will end up in ghettoes in Baton Rouge, Houston, and elsewhere (it appears Baton Rouge is being groomed as an expansive slum, since the rebuilt New Orleans will be a casino and tourist destination with time-share condos and luxury housing). It should be noted that the usual suspects will "remove debris" and supposedly "restore electric power" and "repair roofs" (an absurd declaration, considering many if not most of the homes in the New Orleans swamp will be condemned). "The Navy has hired Houston-based Halliburton Co.," the Houston Chronicle reported on September 1, well before the current effort to "rescue" and "evacuate" those not killed outright during the storm and afterwards, as Bush was on vacation and FEMA twiddled its thumbs, allowing as many residents as possible to die before people who actually have a conscience and are not neoliberal sociopaths began to scream and demand Bush be impeached for criminal negligence. "Halliburton subsidiary KBR will also perform damage assessments at other naval installations in New Orleans as soon as it is safe to do so," that is to say after the "refugees" have been relocated in distant slums. "FEMA privatized hurricane disaster recovery planning for New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana. The firms that received the contract are big GOP contributors," writes Wayne Madesn.* For some reason I am not surprised.

As for the hardy who have stayed behind, determined to rebuild their lives and city, expect the swamp of New Orleans to be declared a health hazard and the remaining residents (or poor and middle class residents with no stake in the new corporate Las Vegas on the Mississippi) to be removed by the National Guard and Army at gunpoint. "On the sixth day of disaster and despair, an urgent new problem erupted: disease. A suspected outbreak of dysentery compelled authorities in Biloxi, Miss., to hurriedly evacuate hundreds of people from a shelter. Medical experts have warned of epidemics sweeping through crowded, unsanitary shelters," reports Knight Ridder.

"By early Saturday morning, buses had evacuated most people from the frightening confines of the Superdome," notes al-Jazeera. "At the equally squalid convention centre, thousands of people began pushing and dragging their belongings up the street to more than a dozen air-conditioned buses, the mood more numb than jubilant." It is obvious the fiasco that was the Superdome -- in essence a prison where old people and babies died from neglect and gangbangers roamed free to terrorize, murder, and rape -- and the convention center are designated departure points for depopulating the ruined city. Abandoning people at these departure points -- sans water, food, or medical care -- was part of the psychological warfare plan: people are desperate to escape these two fetid and disease-ridden prisons and are thankful to be relocated, probably to never return. Most of them are unaware their homes will be bulldozed by Halliburton and the land sold for pennies on the dollar to corporate developers.

<snip>
.....................................................................................................................................

* http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/
September 4, 2005 -- WMR contacted by spokesperson for James Lee Witt. Yesterday, WMR reported that according to a June 3, 2004 press release from Innovative Emergency Management (IEM), Inc. it received a FEMA contract to develop a "Catastrophic Hurricane Disaster Plan for New Orleans & Southeast Louisiana." The IEM press release stated that among its team partners was James Lee Witt Associates. Witt was FEMA director under President Clinton and he restored that agency's disaster recovery effectiveness after President George H. W. Bush's ineffective response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992. According to Witt's spokesperson, James Lee Witt Associates continues to be fraudulently listed on IEM's web site as a team partner for the over $500,000 FEMA contract work.The IEM press release that contains the erroneous information has been disappearing and reappearing, another sign of something suspicious with the contractor.

IEM, which is an 8-A minority-owned firm, apparently used Witt's name as a "buy in" ploy to lock in the FEMA contract. What is fishier is that the IEM press release was reportedly sent out before the FEMA contract was actually awarded. After IEM began the work on the FEMA contract, it never once used Witt's company and did not pay it one cent. Informed sources claim that IEM, owned by a big donor to the GOP, is notorious for not completing work after contracts are awarded. The Catastrophic Hurricane Disaster Plan for New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana was no exception. Mr. Witt is now acting as a pro bono disaster recovery adviser for Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Witt's spokesperson was frank is stating, "you don't really think the Bush administration would have given a contract to someone who worked for Bill Clinton?" That is very true. The issue with the incomplete FEMA hurricane preparedness plan is in IEM's and its actual partners' court. James Lee Witt, likely America's most effective FEMA Director, had nothing to do with the IEM work and he now needs all the support the nation and state of Louisiana can muster as he prepares to confront America's worst natural disaster in its history.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
buzzsaw_23 Donating Member (631 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 10:35 PM
Response to Reply #16
17. How about this comment
Edited on Sat Sep-17-05 10:41 PM by buzzsaw_23
Indicative. Have also heard about 'Cracker Patrols' that are going around shooting at and beating up black evacuees in La.

Here:
"You can't start a clinic here . That would give people hope.
My job is to make their lives as hopeless as possible so they will leave." -
New Orleans Police Dept. officer berating relief workers in the 9th Ward



CRACKER SQUADS
Cracker squads are groups of white supremacists who are using the slanderous media coverage and storm chaos to terrorize communities of color in Louisiana and Mississippi. One young woman in a Mississippi town relayed to us that a cracker squad had shot black men in the woods and threatened retaliation for those going public with the story. Similar stories have come in from Algiers, downtown New Orleans, and the outlying parishes of Louisiana.

http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&f...
REAL REPORTS OF KATRINA RELIEF: Eyewitness, politically charged,
on-the-ground truth telling from New Orleans
by Naomi Archer
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
BrklynLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 10:47 PM
Response to Reply #17
18. So, what Bush has done is to make New Orleans into another Iraq.
Edited on Sat Sep-17-05 10:47 PM by BrklynLiberal
No one will convince me that was not his cronies' intention from the beginning. Their ultimate goal was to create chaos and while it was happening, make as much money from the situation as possible...just the same as the disaster in Iraq. SAME EXACT SITUATION!!!
This was not merely incompetence. This chaos and destruction was as intentional as Iraq was.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
BrklynLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 10:51 PM
Response to Reply #17
19. I got an error message from that link...and a very funny message from the
Edited on Sat Sep-17-05 10:54 PM by BrklynLiberal
server...
a manic depressive server at that....
:rofl:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
buzzsaw_23 Donating Member (631 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 11:00 PM
Response to Reply #19
22. Try this link
and if it doesn't work go to the home page and look to the right, it's the featured article.

http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=485&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
BrklynLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 11:19 PM
Response to Reply #22
23. Yup. That works. Actually the other link was worth the funny msgs
I was getting from the server. It was like talking to HAL..
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
buzzsaw_23 Donating Member (631 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 11:25 PM
Response to Reply #23
24. I believe James Lee Witt,
FEMA director during some of the Clinton years, is now an advisor to La. governor for reconstruction. Curious thing is that Witt also has some clients who are getting contracts for reconstruction. More on that tomorrow.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
I Have A Dream Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-18-05 07:32 AM
Response to Reply #19
26. That made my day! Oh woe is that server! HAHA!
:rofl:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Feron Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 10:53 PM
Response to Original message
20. FEMA is in Slidell
SUPPLIES: Water and ice are available from 7 am to 8 pm at the following FEMA distribution centers:

* OLD WALMART, I-10 & GAUSE BLVD., SLIDELL

http://www.stpgov.org

Now I live in West St. Tammany and I haven't seen FEMA outside the designated distributing centers ,but they are in the parish. FEMA arrived in the parish around day three after the hurricane. Other than that I've seen some Red Cross trucks out and about ,but that's about it.

I found out about FEMA through my neighbor so I can understand if somebody relying on the radio would not be aware they were there. After the storm, the media outlets, including local, were all concentrating on New Orleans and it was difficult to get any news about my side of the lake especially with all of the communications equipment down. After like a week, St. Tammany finally set up a radio station devoted soley to parish news (730 AM).

I'm glad his/her family is okay and is not staying in that moldy home. Stuff can be replaced ,but life and health are what matter most. All of the trees in those photos look like mine. :)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lars39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 10:57 PM
Response to Reply #20
21. Glad to see you're OK, Feron!!!
You were on the official worry list. :hug:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Autumn Colors Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-17-05 11:55 PM
Response to Original message
25. Hi, I just posted my friend's account of his trip to NOLA
Same assessment of his aunt and uncle's house. Unsure if you meant that the street address was revealed in the photos or if you meant that the webspace address gave away personal info.

If it's the latter, let me know. I'm uploading my friend's photos to my webspace (for a similar reason) and I can host yours, too, if you want.

I'm probably not going to post the exterior photos of his aunt and uncle's house because they don't want the location given away, but they took a lot of other photos while driving through.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
buzzsaw_23 Donating Member (631 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-18-05 08:32 AM
Response to Original message
27. kick n/t
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Wed Apr 24th 2024, 07:52 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (Through 2005) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC