Englishmum

Now it's been announced that former Presidents Bush and Clinton are going to team up again to make an appeal for funds, similar to what they did in the Tsunami

I guess they will soon show up in Biloxi, Gulfport etc......

snowbunny

How about paying looters for fuel siphoned from the tanks of wrecked cars?

NJ_Dave

And I've said the same thing in the thread in TIO: what do you want from him. Lots of people are criticising his efforts, but I've yet to see any constructive comments about what he could be doing to help. Just a load of petty little sneers from people with a deep rooted hate of the man.

snorkmaiden

One of our local radio stations just did a telephone interview with a guy who runs a supermarket. His customers bought enough water to fill up two trucks and they drove down to the outskirts of New Orleans.

He had to pass through checkpoints and didn't think they would get through but when they showed they had water, the police let them through because they desperately need the water.

They drove down to an area that refugees are congregating awaiting rescue. They personally handed out water and the people told them they had not had a drink since before the hurricane.

There is clearly no decent organisation, it's very frustrating and disturbing. Here in Dallas they are making the Reunion Stadium ready for refugees but when will they arrive if they are not actively moving them now?

It's about a nine hour drive from here to New Orleans, I don't understand why they don't just shut the schools tomorrow and send the buses to start picking people up.

I feel like this is a good example of something I've been moaning about for ages, the borg attitude they have in schools doesn't teach people to use their initiative. If there isn't a procedure or paperwork to deal with it and outline exactly what they should do, they don't know what to do.

It's also a good example of the chaos that would ensue should there be a major terrorist attack. They knew this hurricane was coming and yet they seem totally unprepared. Why for a city below sea level is there no organised and practiced evacuation plan? Why days after the hurricane are there still people walking around with no food and water?

I know some will think my comments naive and uninformed, but really, how hard is it commandeer buses and coaches. A lot of the people have been walking through the water for days, they can walk a bit more to get on a bus to get out of there if some bugger would organise it.

Apparently there are thousands of buses on the interstate but no-one to organise getting the people onto them. It's ridiculous.

NJ_Dave

I was watching the news last night and the reporter was saying how nobody had any power apart from the National Guard, and the news networks obviously. So I'm saying to myself "well why not give them your fucking generator, asshole!"

snowbunny

Okay. To whom should it go? My vote is that they should broadcast from the hospital so it can power ventilators in between reports.

People are going to die from lack of dialysis as it cannot be performed without clean water.

So -- if I drove to the affected areas over the weekend, what should I take?

Celtic_Angel

I think they probably are...only they are filling up fast, my husband met a family from New Orleans yesterday...everywhere is filled...even the small sports dome in Lafayette Louisianna is filled to the hilt..so if they can people just keep on driving down the highway to Houston

http://www.houstonredcross.org/cgi-b...eneral&rec=161


hopefully they will all find shelter , the city is going to do it's best...

Manc

I thought it was the American way to be personally responsible for your own well being.

If my house flooded tomorow I wouldn't get dick.

This country becomes amazingly socialist when it wants to be.
it's way hypocritical.

NJ_Dave

I'd take them water too, but a dialysis machine is bugger all good without electricity.

snorkmaiden

Water, food, baby formula, diapers, wet wipes, boiled sweets, pedialyte, gatorade. Some of these people have been in the heat, with no water for days.

Flashlights, batteries, insect repellant, calamine lotion, first aid, you could go on and on if you had limitless funds.

Water, ice and food will be needed by everyone.

Rompers

I thought the same thing when I heard Bush talking about "zero tolerance for gas gouging". Surely in a capatalist country the price can be whatever the seller and buyer agree on. So the Administration is going to set the price and anyone who charges anything different will be fined?
Sounds a bit like the USSR to me.

snowbunny

They have a generator running after getting some more diesel, but not enough water -- it would probably take more than would fit in my van as it's a continuous flow of water for hours.

But there is plenty of need for water. I read in the paper today that a man in MS shot his own sister dead over a bag of ice.

Rompers

CNN reporting that a man in MS shot his sister over a bag of ice

snowbunny

Ice isn't practical right now; by volume it takes a lot more room if frozen, than the same amount of water if not frozen. And there's no way to keep it cold. I feel for them but ice is a luxury at the moment.

NJ_Dave

The army (an all of the other military and civilian aid agencies) carries large supplies of water purification tablets for situations like this. They have the technology to provide drinking water from the water covering the city.