Anger rises in Iowa

[malaise]

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080617/NEWS03/806170344

The delays in letting people back into their homes is spawning anger and frustration in many quarters.

“I’m moving back to Chicago,” scowled April Carter Pauls, brimming with frustration after a tense encounter with National Guardsmen who would not let her and her mother into their home in the working-class Czech Village neighborhood to retrieve their two cats.

Carter Pauls, 46, who moved back to her native Cedar Rapids recently because her husband is being deployed to Iraq, was particularly peeved by what she termed the disorganization of the Guard.

“We gave them our keys two days ago, and we can’t get any information from them. We hear they are losing keys and busting windows,” she said. “And then if they don’t have security, people could lose everything they’ve worked their whole lives for. The poor side of town is just going to be forgotten.”

Another Czech Village resident, Lynne Wedewer, yelled at police at the checkpoint, blaming the inspection process for the fact that her block still does not have electricity. Her father uses an oxygen tank, which they are running off a generator. She said they vacated a motel room after one night to give it to an evacuee.

[waiting for hope]

1. New Orleans/Gulf Coast Redux.

When will they ever learn?

[slackmaster]

25. At least people aren't being held prisoner in a stadium

:nuke:

[Bluerthanblue]

56. and being shot at and threatened for trying to get to safety.

:(

So many disasters and tragedies- why the fuck did bush have to go creating new ones??

peace~

[slackmaster]

57. And having their personal firearms seized for their own "protection"

:argh:

[Swamp Rat]

2. Righteous anger

I had to wait two months before I could go home to New Orleans. By then, a lot of my stuff was ruined by mold since I could not clean my place after the water receded, and it took another three months to get a new roof.

Only the very wealthy could comeback because Blackwater protected them, and threatened the rest of us.

Good luck Iowans. I hope you are treated better than we were... and still are. :(

[Carnea]

3. I got yelled at a few days ago for saying you really don't want FEMA to show up.

And this is why.

I've been through this myself. As have others on the board. People from outside come in to "help" but they end up being little dictators treating adults who live there like children.

It really does bring out the fuck you I'll sleep in a tent in my yard feel.

[malaise]

5. W is on CNN now

chatting one load of crap about the floods

[Auggie]

14. And how is one to know these FEMA people have any real training?

[Divernan]

27. The article refers to "city officials" and "National Guard" NOT, NO-NOT, FEMA

Why don't you (1) learn to read; (2) read the entire link of the OP; (3) go to the FEMA website and educate yourself before shooting off your mouth.

Yes, FEMA civil servants (not Bush's half-assed political appointees and their otherwise unemployable friends and relative hires) receive extensive training.

You have absolutely NO idea of how hard FEMA people work during these disasters.
12 to 18 hour days, 7 days a week, sleeping in tents - but hey, don't concern yourself with any FACTS. It's so much fun to use national tragedies as vehicles for demonstrating your cynicism and sarcasm.

Try to fathom this. Bush has sabotaged every federal agency every which way he can for the past 8 years. We know more about what he's done to gut FEMA because the Katrina disaster shone a very bright light on his pathetic political appointments, budget and personnel cuts, etc. Nevertheless, there are still hundreds of pre-Bush, FEMA civil servants who have done yeoman service under the draconian conditions of Bush/Chertoff/Albaugh/Brown. These good people ARE in Iowa, they WERE in Greensburg. So shut your face at trashing them, cause you don't know jack!

[Auggie]

29. It's a question, not a statement

And it was in response to the post by Carnea, not the original. Pay attention.

And who made you Pope?

[Divernan]

31. You questioned the professionalism of FEMA employees - most of whom are Dems by the way.

Try researching FIRST, then posting.

In trashing all of FEMA you enable GOP & Bush's grand master plan to gut every federal agency they can as the prelude to privatising govt. services.

[Auggie]

34. I didn't trash anybody. Chill out already.

[TexasObserver]

49. Anything run by the Bush administration 8 years is bound to be screwed up.

FEMA has not done a good job handling emergencies since Bush became president. His administration has been a DISASTER. If the top is someone like Brownie, how do you think the underlings look?

It's a government agency, it's been run by Bush 8 years, and it's been taken over by Bushie appointees who couldn't find their ass with both hands.

I'm sure there are some people who work there who are devoted, but FEMA is a walking, talking disaster that can't begin to respond intelligently to crises now. That's part of the Bush legacy.

[whistle]

4. BushCo/neocon/FEMA deja vu all over again

[Overseas]

39. I agree -- make sure people learn to hate their government by under-staffing and

filling government agencies with political hires who don't have enough experience to handle emergencies. Grover Norquist's minions are quite serious about overcoming the Goo-Goo (good government) feelings. Make sure emergencies are fouled up so more people will hate their government. You see-- government messes up everything they try to handle.

[K Gardner]

6. Is it me.. or is there VERY LITTLE coverage of this on TV ??

[malaise]

7. CNN has been covering this

saw some really angry folks last night. More coverage after commercials.

[K Gardner]

9. Thanks.. watching. MSNBC is a waste of airtime. Oh, levee breaks?? sheesh...

[krkaufman]

65. Yeah, I've been disgusted at MSNBC's near completely ignoring the floods.

Sad.

[Skittles]

72. they're too busy orgasming over remembering Timmy n/t

[YDogg]

8. you're not being fair to the memory of tim russert

[K Gardner]

10. I stand rightly accused. *hanging head in shame*

[Sequoia]

37. Very little, CNN aside, you have to go to the local TV station in Cedar Rapids, etc.

No, it's gay marriage and Tim in the news now. Floods, corn crop destroyed, people's lives ruined and gone down the river...who cares, move along now. It's beyond sad and tragic now.

I was watching something a few mintues ago about Cedar Rapids (I think that was the flooded town) and the camera zoomed in on a pile of white squirmy large worms. Oh god, that would so freak me out over mud and muck...what are they?

[malaise]

41. Do you have a link to progressive radio in

Iowa?

[Sequoia]

54. No, I just Googled for the local tv station.

[IowaGirl]

62. Tim Russert's death has received priority coverage over the

floods. We were getting halfway decent coverage up until he passed.

[bdamomma]

11. what did Kanye West say?

George Bush doesn't like black people, I guess we all know now that Bush does not like people no matter what their color is.

[Zodiak]

12. Read the "Shock Doctrine"

They have no intention of helping people, just uprooting them so they can employ Friedman economics n the region.

They prey on disaster....look forward to it, even. Otherwise the psychological conditions for fundamentalist capitalistic transformation cannot occur.

The POINT is to shock you.

[Auggie]

17. "Only a crisis-- actual or perceived-- produces real change."

Milton Friedman

[rudy23]

13. Bush's fantasy is for people to stop expecting government to help in these disasters-

so we can live in the survival of the fittest, big fish eats the little fish fantasy world that he and his cronies have been trying to create for the past 8 years.

His stated goal is to be the anti-FDR, Iowans, Gulf Coasters, we are all just pawns in this exercise in drowning the federal government.

It's okay, Bush will throw some of his patented humor in there from time to time to remind you how less than human you are--remember his speech about how he used to get drunk in New Orleans all the time? That was a real hoot. I can't wait to see what corn-based humor he'll tap into for this one, as peoples' lives are ruined on his watch.

[malaise]

16. Burlington Iowa sits and waits

for the river -they don't expect the levee to hold. :cry:

[K Gardner]

19. The levee already broke at Gulfport.. thousands of acres underwater. I'm not

sure why this isn't being covered on ALL channels in UNINTERRUPTED coverage !

Did they learn from Katrina not to clue the rest of the nation in on these NATIONAL disasters?

[rudy23]

22. Yes, yes they did.

They want to be able to shirk their governmental responsibilities, but without all the negative attention they got last time.

Give it a week or two before they start in on the talking points about how stupid Iowans are for living there and not getting flood insurance.

[K Gardner]

24. The reporter at Burlington just TRIED that with a Burlington citizen and got totally

pinged.. the guy told him like it was... Flood insurance doesn't cover hardly anything, and is priced out of the range where ANYONE could afford it.

[pt22]

35. Ours costs 20 bucks a month, a 100,000 coverage policy.

...

[malaise]

43. Looks like someone has finally allowed people to return

to their homes.

[emmadoggy]

32. "Because we, like, have to grieve for 'one of our own' on the public airwaves which

pre-empts all other news coverage!!!! Disasters, be damned!!!"

Meh. According to a poster on another thread, this is not newsworthy. This is not sensational. This is "not dramatic". This is "not a catasrophe". Midwesterner are coping ok so nothing to see, move along.

I kid you not.

[Theres-a]

73. Ding!Ding!Ding! We have a winner!

Absolutely.It makes me nauseus how they decide what's important. People care about what's going on in these areas.We shouldn't have to go digging around the tubes to find things out.

[bullwinkle428]

33. The little town of Oakville (pop. 439), just upriver from Burlington,

is now completely destroyed...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22136990@N00/sets/72157605627627916/

Just horrible - it sounds like many of the residents don't have any desire to rebuild once the waters recede.

[malaise]

47. Damn, damn, damn! n/t

[slackmaster]

26. I never have expected any help from the .gov in a disaster

:shrug:

[rudy23]

40. You should--you're paying for it, and they used to.

Now how effective they've been in the past is another story. But once upon a time, the federal government used to try and protect her citizens in a natural disaster.

[slackmaster]

45. The .gov provides military protection, fixes the roads, and keeps the schools running

When a disaster of sufficient magnitude to disrupt civil order hits, you are truly on your own (with whatever help you can get from friends, family, and neighbors).

But once upon a time, the federal government used to try and protect her citizens in a natural disaster.

Are you thinking like the Galveston hurricane, San Francisco earthquake, or some major tornado outbreak? Seriously, look at any MAJOR disaster up close and you will see pretty much the same things.

[rudy23]

46. You're making the libertarian argument for eradicating government--

Look at FEMA in Hurricane Andrew compared to the hurricanes of the last eight years. FEMA can do a lot of good when they are staffed and budgeted to succeed.

I'm not saying the government has ever done such a great job that people should just sit back and wait for help. But to say we should expect to be truly on our own, is to take expectations for a society back to the stone ages.

[slackmaster]

48. No, that's not what I am doing at all

I'm saying there are always going to be situations in which the .gov cannot be there to help you personally no matter how well funded, staffed, managed, or prepared it is.

Look at ANY major disaster in recorded history, whether it's Pompeii or Hurricane Andrew. Some people really are thrown back to the stone age for a few days. It can happen to just about anyone, just about anywere.

I'm saying everyone should be prepared for the worst conceivable disaster that could hit wherever you live.

[rudy23]

50. Then I agree. It's just not a binary argument--some administrations believe the federal government

should help more than others do. You're never going to have a disaster that the federal government can completely protect us from, you're right. But we can support those who advocating more funding, and trained professionals to staff these agencies that are there to help as much as possible.

[DS1]

15. Good thing they didn't vote for those latte-sipping paper-reading cheese-munchers

Yeah, I know it shouldn't be political at this point, but.

[malaise]

18. Did you notice this?

Carter Pauls, 46, who moved back to her native Cedar Rapids recently because her husband is being deployed to Iraq, was particularly peeved by what she termed the disorganization of the Guard.

[K Gardner]

20. It's katrina all over again.. our guard is busy elsewhere.

[DS1]

21. It's like they're waiting until it's totally unsalvagable before they do anything usefull

Like some sadistic plan to hurt as many people as possible, as much as possible.


Hey, can we go back home yet? No, not until your foundations are totally fucked and you have to raze the entire block.

[malaise]

38. Bingo

Watch those people on CNN now

[rudy23]

51. A lot of them probably did. I've seen this used against Louisianians, too.

Even the reddest states voted around 40% Democratic.

[Sequoia]

55. Cheese-munchers? As in Cheetos eaters?

[n2doc]

23. "I'm sure this will all work out quite well for them"

Where's Babs Bush when you need her? :sarcasm:

My prayers go out to the people in Iowa, and unfortunately they aren't going to get much else in the way of help from uncle sam.

[CrispyQ]

28. This is what happens when people who don't believe in government are in charge of government.

How many more American cities are we going to lose before We the People wake up?

My heart goes out to all who are suffering due to the unfathomable greed of our officials, including those two cats.

[bdamomma]

36. they do not only not believe in government they do not believe

in the people either, this regime has such a deep disdain for the American people, how much longer are people going to let them get away with this crap. They do not care. Just preaching to the choir here.

[skooooo]

44. They won't let people in because it's unsafe....

...and there's "outrage?"

Sorry I don't get it. I can understand that they are angry and upset about their situation, but I don't think letting people go in and having a bunch of injuries would make anything better either.

I give the authorities the benefit of the doubt in this case.

[malaise]

52. The government does not have the right to keep you out of

your own private property.
Where I live when hurricanes are coming shelters are opened and you go if you wish, but the government, police and army would not dare tell people they can't return to their own homes. People still have the right to injure themselves if they so choose.

[skooooo]

58. If they are the ones that have to come in and save your ass..

...I think they do have some authority. I'm not going to get into an argument with you about it. I'm just saying that there are two sides.

[TheWatcher]

61. ......

[skooooo]

64. wow how articulate of you

[TheWatcher]

70. Thank You.

It's what so many of you have become.

And like the creature in that picture, whether you can admit or not, The Truth stings.

[NuttyFluffers]

71. a beautiful creature. completely overwhelming in numbers...

stinging hordes, useful in smothering out resistance.

[Leopolds Ghost]

68. I'm sure you were against steel jungle gyms too

And smoking outside public buildings.

[IowaGirl]

63. One of the hazmat people stepped into a "depression" in

the ground. Turns out that underneath the grass there was a hole full of water because the basement wall nearby had caved in and all the dirt had gone in the basement. The hazmat guy fell into the hole over his head in 9 feet of water and had to be rescued. Then the authorities called a halt to people going in until their property was for sure safe. However, then some landlord got on tv doing a rant because he had 12 properties in the flood area and people waiting to help him clean up. Some other guy freaked out because he wanted in and bumped a cop with his truck intentionally. So then the authorities backed off their safety stance and went to an enter at your own risk strategy. Stress does weird things to people and some were just getting a little crazy. That ranting landlord probably is just paying minimum wage and offering no health care so if any of his helpers get hurt, they could be in a pretty tough situation. I really don't like slumlords. :mad:

[wryter2000]

30. Gee, I thought they were being such model citizens

Haven't you been hearing that 24,000 people are displaced without one "incident"? IMHO, that reporting has been a direct slap against the people who suffered during/after Katrina.

Editted to add: This is by no means a slap against the people of Iowa. I'd be furious, too. I wish them all the best. I wish we had a better federal government right now so they might get some help.

[Javaman]

42. How long will it be before the bulldozers roll in to make room for the new

condo's via emanate domain?

[Leopolds Ghost]

69. They'll let "hard working" types return first maybe like they did with Katrina?

Redden up the state a little.

[lovuian]

53. Did Iowa go for Bush in 2000 and 2004 ???

like Louisiana and Mississippi???

just curious???

The Midwest is getting a good look at Bush regime aid

My heart breaks for these people they are many clueless if they think Bush gives a damn

[tcfrogs]

59. Gore won in '00, Shrub in '04, both were very close n/t

[malaise]

60. Quincy Illinois levee overrun now

that's where Obama was helping out with sandbags on Sunday

[and-justice-for-all]

66. If any thing like this ever happened where I live..

I WOULD NOT LEAVE MY FOUR LEGGED CHILDREN BEHIND.

[IowaGirl]

74. It's frustrating that people weren't allowed to bring pets when

rescued because it has been Federal law since Katrina that the pets are supposed to be evacuated as well. People won't leave until it's too late when they find out they can't take their pets. Here they had to take out one family via boat long after the mandatory evacuation because the grandmother would leave without her 4 little dogs. So if there is ever a flood in your area, remind the rescuers that they HAVE to take the pets.

[Leopolds Ghost]

67. Sounds like yet again they are following the Bush Doctrine using floods as an urban renewal tool.

Where is Obama in all this? Do folks realize the impact this could have if New Orleanians worked together with Iowans?