Daley 'shocked' at federal snub of offers to help

[GettysbergII]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-050902daley,0,6429273.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Frustration about the federal response to Hurricane Katrina has reached Chicago City Hall, as Mayor Richard Daley today noted a tepid response by federal officials to the city's offers of disaster aid.The city is willing to send hundreds of personnel, including firefighters and police, and dozens of vehicles to assist on the storm-battered Gulf Coast, but so far the Federal Emergency Management Agency has requested only a single tank truck, Daley said.

"I was shocked," he said."We are ready to provide considerably more help than they have requested," the mayor said, barely able to contain his anger during a City Hall news conference. "We are just waiting for the call."

Even before the storm hit the Gulf Coast on Monday, he said, the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications had contacted emergency response agencies in Illinois and Washington. In the event of a disaster, the city offered to send 44 Chicago Fire Department rescue and medical personnel and their gear, more than 100 Chicago police officers, 140 Streets and Sanitation, 146 Public Health and 8 Human Services workers, and a fleet of vehicles including 29 trucks, two boats and a mobile clinic.

[JI7]

1. i was shocked for a moment as i misread "Daley" as "Delay"

but what Daley says is disturbing.

[BootinUp]

2. WTF is going on?

[Eloriel]

4. NOMINATED and here's my idea about what's going on

ATTN DU RESEARCHERS -- LIHOP/MIHOP evidence stacking up
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4588088&mesg_id=4588088

[GettysbergII]

10. Wow!! Great post, Eloriel. Thanks for the link

[Kablooie]

12. I'll bet you're right!

The "mishandling" of the disaster is ON PURPOSE! Their ultimate goal is to have a one party military dictatorship. If they can instigate a revolt from the people they can declare martial law, shoot down anyone that objects, and keep things going downhill until the country that was America ceases to exist.


Of course they will continue to spout empty words about freedom and democracy and god just like the government of North Korea tells their people how they are the richest and luckiest people in the world.


Goodbye Statue of Liberty and hello to the new order!

[Cha]

17. The delay was toooo Intentional!

Just like with 9/11 when there were photo ops to be had ..more pictures to be taken..a book to finish.

This time it was off to San Diego and wherever the hell else he went while New Orleans was submerging and Katrina was annililating.

[IndyOp]

14. Go E! Gooooo E! Go E! Gooooo E!

:bounce:

Three BIG FEMA lies:
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4598643>

[BrklynLiberal]

27. I'm with you Eloriel.

(Still wondering about all the deleted threads that discussed it....)

[bettyellen]

3. Condi today said they are sifting through offfers- five days old......

from many many countries....they haven't figured out how to match them with the needs yet.
plus she had to catch a broadway show and buy some new pumps.

[antonialee839]

33. Sifting? You sift through a freaking magazine.

God these people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kurovski]

36. You also "sift" through a pile of rubble. n/t

[bettyellen]

38. looking for more shoes....

[Art_from_Ark]

39. We should call her "Imelda"

[bettyellen]

42. i've heard the "let them eat cake" comparison

i really believe the only reason she was upset was that she was busted being a cold-blooded bougie in nyc while NO was having it's worst moments.
if she was in charge of coordinating the offers- that's the meeting she had instead of going to the tennis tourney... where was she sundat, monday, tues....
she has blood on her hands now.

[54anickel]

5. "Even before the storm"...what were Shrub and the heads of FEMA

doing before the storm other than ignoring the reports days before the storm from NOAA of a cat 3, then 4, then 5 hurricane taking direct aim at NOLA?

Is it simply pure incompetence or LIHOP?

[LevelB]

6. I vote incompetence.

None of these folks are very capable.

Honestly, I tell the republicans I work with that even if Iraq needed to be invaded, this crew isn't smart enough to do it right. They are beginning to think I may be right.

B.

[Mnemosyne]

21. Not capable?

Who has spent years getting their minions into place, stealing 2 presidential elections, filled the House and Senate with ass kissing pukes? They are far to capable, imo. That is what is most frightening.

I'm not trying to start an argument, just see too many people underestimating their power and desire.
:hi:

[Karmakaze]

37. I disagree - Bush being incompetent, is one thing...

but the entire federal emergency management structure being incompetent? It just doesn't make sense.

My point is, it would take far more effort than a simple fuck up to create the conditions we are seeing. Surely Bush doesn't manage every part of the government in real time, so why aren't the people who are supposed to manage these things doing their jobs?

How could THOUSANDS of people suddenly become incompetent idiots - all at the same time and with the same results?

But lets just say that somewhere along the line there IS one person who could have by an act or an ommision caused this. Why didnt soemone higher up fix it? Why does EVERYONE from the very top down all make the SAME mistake with NO-ONE pointing out the error?

It seems to me the ONLY way this could happen on such a large scale is if a specific stand down order (hmm that sounds familiar) was sent out.

THAT is not incompetence - that is deliberate - and criminal.

On edit: I just wanted to add one thing - I just watched the clip of Geraldo and the other Fox News reporter saying they dont know why these people arent getting help - and pointing out that not only arent they getting help but they are being intentionally prevented from evacuating on foot to FIND help.

Even THEY are saying that the victims are being INTENTIONALLY neglected (at best). Geraldo saying over and over again "let these people just walk out of here" was actually rather shocking to hear from such a normally right wing reporter - he sure as hell was angry and upset by what he was seeing and seemingly doesnt think it is incompetence.

[GettysbergII]

7. And even after the GOV of LA official asked for help BEFORE the storm

http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdf

[short bus president]

40. not ignoring

they declared LA and MS both to be federal disaster areas WELL BEFORE the storm hit, putting the feds squarely in charge of the rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath. Then they hid their thumbs 'til a bunch of people died unnecessarily. Then they snuck in for photo ops as the relief began to be delivered, 4 days late.

[struggle4progress]

8. G-e-n-o-c-i-d-e. eom

[bemildred]

9. Daley is still a dishonest asshole. nt

[GettysbergII]

11. A-f*cking-men, to that.

[mopinko]

15. compared to what?

he runs the city well, but i guess you can't be good enough for some dems.

[bemildred]

16. Compared to what indeed.

"he runs the city well" compared to what?

[mopinko]

23. compared to every other mayor of chicago in my lifetime

and as far as you know, compared to any other mayor in america. dem mayors get tarred for peanuts, while thugs get away with murder. unless you can offer a comparative study of corruption in america that pinpoints daley as some kind of leader, don't be so quick to dis my mayor, or any other dem leader.
yes, the mob is still a part of chicago. and there are crooks in every city and every government. look at accomplishments, and service to the people instead. has he done his job? yes, and a damn good one.

[bemildred]

43. You are entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to mine.

You seem to be saying that he is an effective crook,
or something like that, and that that makes him OK.
I think that we, and Chicago, can do better.

[GettysbergII]

24. You mean he runs the city well for the priveleged....

But he's been screwing the working person just about as badly as Bush. Teachers, firemen, police all are sick of him. Most people that live on the southside are sick of him. Even the 19th Waard Irish politicians are sick of him.

Now why don't you tell me exactly who likes him? And exactly who thinks he's running the city well.

[mopinko]

28. the 80% that voted for him in the last election

what do you want, 100%?

[GettysbergII]

30. Last election only a repub stooge ran against him. Just wait until 2007.

He won't get 50% of the vote then. I've been a life long democrat but Daley might as well start writing his memoirs now. I'll be damned if I'll vote for any phony ass Democrat like Daley (or any member of the DLC as well.) Any politician that puts the greed of the business community before the needs of the working community can kiss my ass.

[mopinko]

31. care to cite specifics?

domestic partnership recognition, bike lanes, green roofs, renewable energy, defacto decriminaliztion of marijuana. there's a few of mine.

[GettysbergII]

34. Why do I get the feeling you're not from the southside.

[mopinko]

49. care to cite specifics?

or are you just slamming a dem mayor to hear yourself talk?

[GettysbergII]

51. Renaissance 2010 for one

Most public school teachers of which I am one have little use for Daley. Basically he's a local school council busting, union busting, privatizing, anti-public school proponent that caters to business interests at the expense of poor neighborhoods. He's a warmongering Republican at heart in Democratic clothing.

The position paper below pretty much echoes my own feelings.

Teachers for Social Justice 773-325-4352

www.teachersforjustice.org


Chicago area educators working for equity and justice in our schools
Position on Renaissance 2010
January 6, 2005

Teachers for Social Justice is a network of Chicago area teachers committed to critical,
anti-racist, multicultural, participatory, democratic education. We believe that real school
improvement requires the full participation of those with the most stake in high quality
public education for all students –families, students, community members, and
committed teachers and administrators. We oppose Chicago Public Schools’ Renaissance
2010 Plan for the following reasons:

1. Renaissance 2010 will give private organizations and “venders” the power to decide
what will happen in public schools. Public institutions need democratically developed
public solutions.

2.The plan is not designed to improve the education of children who presently live and
have been living in the Mid-South and other low-income African American and Latino
communities. If it were, then the resources targeted for 2010 would have been designated
to improve schools in those areas long ago. In fact, these schools have been historically
under funded and under resourced.

3. Renaissance 2010 blames low-income African American children and their families. It
implies the only way to have good schools in these areas is to have mixed income
schools. This assumes the children in the schools now are somehow the cause of
education failure, and they can only do better when they are with middle class kids. Or,
schools can only improve if they are moved out altogether. In fact, there are good schools
that serve low-income children of color. The reality is that the cause of a failed education
system is a history of racism, lack of equal opportunity to learn, deindustrialization, and
disinvestment in communities of color by corporate interests and banks with the support
of political leaders. If city officials, including the school board, cared about the children,
they would do something about that.

4. Renaissance 2010 is not just a school plan. It is part of a much larger plan for
gentrification and for moving out low-income African Americans and some Latinos from
prime real estate areas, in fact from the city altogether. These are the areas where the
proposed school closings are concentrated. Gentrification is a central source of profit for
developers, banks, and investors and a key element in making Chicago a global city of
increasing inequality in housing, income, quality of life, and use of urban space.

5. Renaissance 2010 is a plan to introduce choice, privatization, and the marketplace into
public education. Every parent becomes an individual consumer in the education market,
rather than communities working together with educators to improve their schools.
Research internationally shows that choice plans increase education inequality, leaving
those with the least resources in the worst schools.

6. Renaissance 2010 is a plan that will disempower communities by eliminating Local
School Councils and disempower teachers and other school workers by weakening their
unions. Although school closings and privatization will affect specific neighborhoods
now, they are just the tip of the iceberg for what will happen in other areas of the city.
According to press reports, this is just the first stage of plan to overhaul the system as a
whole.

7. Renaissance 2010 is a plan developed by powerful business and political interests. The
plan the mayor announced in June was clearly spelled out by the Commercial Club of
Chicago over one year ago in its report titled, Left Behind, dated June 2003. The
Commercial Club is an organization of the most powerful corporate, financial, and
political leaders in the city. That is why there has been no meaningful participation from
the communities affected. This plan was devised a year ago by the CCC. Mayor Daley
announced Renaissance 2010 at a Commercial Club of Chicago event. A plan to sell
Renaissance 2010 to the public, the communities affected, teachers, and administrators
was developed and rolled out by AT Kearney, a corporate consulting firm, that is
providing “thought leadership” to CPS officials. The plan for “communicating”
Renaissance 2010 and getting “buy in” was presented at a CPS planning meeting on May 6, 2004, before any public hearings to supposedly get community input.

So the question is: Who will decide what kind of education our children should have, the
Commercial Club of Chicago, mayor Daley, and the big real estate developers? Or
parents, communities and teachers?

There is an alternative beyond failing schools and business-led education. There are
examples of city schools that are grounded in children’s lives, cultures, and identities,
that are anti-racist and pro-justice, that have a rigorous curriculum and are hopeful,
joyful, and visionary, and that teach children to think critically about the world we live in
so they can actively participate in making it more just. That Renaissance is possible. TSJ
is working with community members, families, students, unions, and progressive school
reform organizations to oppose Renaissance 2010 and develop these real alternatives.

[Chicago Democrat]

32. Daley's trying to save his ass by doing Dems a favor...

We'll take it for now, but Daley is SO OUTTA HERE next election regardless!

[mopinko]

44. would you like to cite some specifics?

really, it is starting to piss me off, the trash talk of a dem mayor. you cite your bad, and i'll cite my good. we'll see who runs out of ammo first.

[Chicago Democrat]

46. No... Machine loyalist, I don't wan't to talk to a partisan .

Ordinary folks are ready for a change and sick of 55 years of corruption.... hack away!

[mopinko]

48. name calling?

that's the best you can do?
i have no ties what-so-ever to the machine, and freely criticize the bad dems. i just love my city, and can see what has been accomplished. i refuse to bash a good mayor because the tribune told me too. the old man used to say- what trees have you planted? look around at the trees planted by a good democratic mayor. be proud of your beautiful, prosperous city. go to millennium park, and behold a not little plan. quit yer bitching.

[stickdog]

35. Remember that it was Bilandic's nonresponse to a snowstorm that

brought down his father's machine.

[Javaman]

13. I think it's time for yet another investigation into these

criminal fucks*.

They say no to Democratic leaders, disrespect the African-American's and turn away doctors and police men from other states offering their services.

colossal failure*.

[Cocoa]

18. Daley joked while 700+ people died in a heat wave

in the brutal summer of 1994 or 1995 or so, Daley was chuckling with reporters, and the reporters were lapping it up, while hundreds of poor elderly folk were dying from the heat. Daley was mocking the people that were trying to call attention to the disaster that no one was noticing.

[mopinko]

26. at least he cleaned up the bodies

and learned his lessons. no such thing would happen here today.
do you live in chicago? don't be slamming a good dem with decade old crap.

[TroubleMan]

19. bush and his cronies want to be the heroes, they don't want to be

overshadowed by anybody else.

They're not going to give anybody else a chance to help. It might make them look bad.

It's all about arrogance and political maneuvering.

[Miss Chybil]

20. Absolutely, inexcusable. Can't somebody take the reins?

Can't somebody step up to the plate and say, "Mr. Brown, I am taking control of this ship? You are incapable of guiding it safely."

[AuntiBush]

22. The Chimp Bragged today help is coming in from OH, FL & TX

He doesn't want us united. He's the great divider and that's so obvious now I'm sick about it.

The entire country is outraged. It's after 9:00 PM. Bush is probably sound asleep living his balanced life, you know, going on with his life.

[BrklynLiberal]

25. Too much help and the people might actually survive!

[bling bling]

29. Illinois is a blue state. Doesn't want a blue state to make him look bad,

by going in and doing the job he should have done from the beginning.

I swear I'm not in to the whole red state blue state thing. But there's no other rational explanation. Just like they rejected international help at first.

[FlaGranny]

41. This is what happens when you

appoint cronies for important jobs without regard to competence or experience, thrown in with arrogance, and delusions of superiority.

[Bushfire]

45. Heard from a friend who works in Homeland Security yesterday

from a western state that they will be flying 3 C-130 cargo planes with mobile hospital gear. This person is in charge of recruiting medical volunteers for a 3 week commitment. So far they have 3 doctors, and 40 nurses. They really need more doctors, but most are probably unwilling to give up their practice for 3 weeks to help. Thought I should share.

[Chicago Democrat]

47. We should DRAFT them!

Draft the RICH ONLY... how will that go down?

[anotherdrew]

50. waht the fuck is going on with FEMA? why are they doing this shit?

it's maddness, they should be getting everything possible in.