Frustrated: Fire crews to hand out fliers for FEMA

[Lori Price CLG]

Frustrated: Fire crews to hand out fliers for FEMA


Not long after some 1,000 firefighters sat down for eight hours of training, the whispering began: "What are we doing here?"

As New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded on national television for firefighters - his own are exhausted after working around the clock for a week - a battalion of highly trained men and women sat idle Sunday in a muggy Sheraton Hotel conference room in Atlanta.

Many of the firefighters, assembled from Utah and throughout the United States by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thought they were going to be deployed as emergency workers.

Instead, they have learned they are going to be community-relations officers for FEMA, shuffled throughout the Gulf Coast region to disseminate fliers and a phone number: 1-800-621-FEMA.

<snip>
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3004197

Lori Price
http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news

[fooj]

1. I can't believe that they are doing this. IN PLAIN SITE!

IN PLAIN SITE! Does anyone get it yet?

Peace.

[whistle]

2. Yep, FEMA is part of the Ministry of Propaganda

[saigon68]

33. KARL ROVE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS

With his "ALL HAIL CAESAR" approach to controlling the amerikan sheep.

[Spazito]

3. This fits in perfectly with this!

"Brown said that among duties of these employees was to "convey a positive image" about the government's response for victims."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1102744&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[krkaufman]

6. Yep, it's all about appearance, not action....

... politics, not policy.

[VegasWolf]

4. Der fuher loves you! Der fuher will protect you! nt

[wellstone_democrat]

5. *using* public regard for firefighters

how humiliating for them. How ridiculous that Perception and Image trump all still for these people. I'd like to know if anyone on the phone number will offer aid to callers or just a pep talk.


Mr. W_D

[krkaufman]

7. I'd like to know what the hell good is the FEMA phone number...

... since most don't have phone service, and Bush's FEMA is obviously impotent.

[noamnety]

10. Once you call them on your nonexistent phone

They will send you a packet - addressed to your permanent address - in 4 to 6 weeks. (Heard that in an interview on the radio today).

Your permanent address ... that would be the underwater house that you aren't allowed back to.

[krkaufman]

14. Oh my god. I started laughing thinking you were joking.

Just appalling.

[mcscajun]

11. Anyone on the phone? They'll get a Voice Response Unit,

betcha dollars to doughnuts.

"Welcome to the Federal Emergency Management Agency HelpLine. To continue in English, press 1. Recepción a la agencia federal HelpLine de la gerencia de la emergencia. Para continuar en español, prensa dos.

"If you've been left homeless by your Governor or Mayor, press 1; otherwise, please hold..............................................."

[Usrename]

8. This cannot be happening

"Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don't give me the same idiot." Aaron Broussard - President, Jefferson Parish

[TacticalPeek]

9. Fuck FEMA.

"They've got people here who are search-and-rescue certified, paramedics, haz-mat certified," said a Texas firefighter. "We're sitting in here having a sexual-harassment class while there are still in Louisiana who haven't been contacted yet."
The firefighter, who has encouraged his superiors back home not to send any more volunteers for now, declined to give his name because FEMA has warned them not to talk to reporters.


:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Occulus]

12. Here's a BETTER question:

Why aren't these people refusing to do this, to a man?

Why aren't they saying, "NO! You can't fire us, you don't have the authority. WE WILL NOT DO THIS."

Why aren't they saying, "We WILL go out and help these people, and we WILL harm those who try to get in our way, INCLUDING YOU, Mr. FEMA person"?

Why are they letting "authority" dictate to them, when they can so CLEARLY see what needs to be done?

We have an overabundance in this country of willingness to adhere to "the authorities", EVEN WHEN WE KNOW THEY ARE WRONG.

Why won't people stand up? WHY???

[tuckessee]

31. That's a good question.

It's baffled me for sometime.

I have no respect for anyone who values obeying orders above doing the right thing.

[Nihil]

35. It's baffling a lot of people these days ...

... including the two US Navy pilots reprimanded for saving people
in addition to their allotted mission of aid drops, the kid who was
arrested after commandeering an abandoned bus to save a full load of
people and the crew of a US Navy ship ordered to stand off the coast
instead of using the medical & fresh water producing facilities to
keep survivors alive.

But, of course, to suggest that there is a top-down strategy to get
the desired results is to invite accusations of "tinfoil-hattery" ...

[ReadTomPaine]

34. Excellent post. Well said. They should simply refuse to cooperate.

[seaglass]

36. That's really insulting. My husband is there and yes he is

frustrated because it's taking so long to deploy but he will do ANYTHING to help, even if it means cleaning shit out of the convention center.

So please don't insult people who voluntarily left their families behind for a month to help in any way they could.

[Occulus]

39. Ha. I'm not intending to insult the firefighters and the police; no,

my insults and disgust are reserved for those who would appempt to actively prevent aid from getting where it is needed. There have been several reports of FEMA officials doing exactly that, and I'm wondering why the people who were prevented aren't simply defying those authorities and doing what they're told they're not allowed to do- especially since the aid workers are there, they have the tools, and they have the ability to help.

Don't make the mistake of thinking I don't know the aid workers want to help, or are willing help. I know that very well. What I am asking is why they are not defying those who would keep them from doing so.

[msongs]

13. email this to everyone on your contacts list, and media if you

are sending stuff to them

our first responders should be at home ready to help us locally if all they are gonna do in the south is be bush whores.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/impeachbush.htm

[54anickel]

15. Eww, that Mary Hudak is a piece of work!

"I would go back and ask the firefighter to revisit his commitment to FEMA, to firefighting and to the citizens of this country," said FEMA spokeswoman Mary Hudak.

[IndyJones]

29. Yeah, Mary's sipped a bit too much kool aid.

[LibertyorDeath]

16. FEMA's new slogan under bush.

If the Disaster doesn't kill you we will.

[preciousdove]

17. Here is your disaster relief card. You can use it at any atm..

..it gives you 24 health information (wash your hands), location of nearest 711 (in other states) relocation information (anywhere but here) and who you want to vote for to thank them for giving you this pretty card.

[Divernan]

18. Bush using Katrina to kill FEMA like he's tried to do for 5 years.

The policies and actions I've been reading about are NOT standard (under Clinton) emergency response, rescue and recovery acts. They are designed to enrage the local and state govt. officials, along with the victims of Katrina. Under Clinton, FEMA worked very well with state and local govt. officials.

Just as Bush/Chaney/Rove immediately saw 9/11 as their chance to destroy Iraq, they saw Katrina as their chance to get rid of FEMA

[MadisonProgressive]

19. Frustrated: Fire crews to hand out fliers for FEMA

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3004197

By Lisa Rosetta
The Salt Lake Tribune

ATLANTA -

Not long after some 1,000 firefighters sat down for eight hours of training, the whispering began: "What are we doing here?"

As New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded on national television for firefighters - his own are exhausted after working around the clock for a week - a battalion of highly trained men and women sat idle Sunday in a muggy Sheraton Hotel conference room in Atlanta.

Many of the firefighters, assembled from Utah and throughout the United States by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thought they were going to be deployed as emergency workers.

Instead, they have learned they are going to be community-relations officers for FEMA, shuffled throughout the Gulf Coast region to disseminate fliers and a phone number: 1-800-621-FEMA.

[DeepModem Mom]

20. WHAT??? Is there no end to the incompetence/stupidity...

of this gang of idiot idealogues? Have they spent their entire lives in some Conservo World that is real only in their minds, and none in the real world the rest of us inhabit?

[icymist]

21. You forgot your link there MadisonProgressive n/t

[Kablooie]

22. Here's the link.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3004197

Whew!!!
This is so unbelievable that I can hardly breathe!

[NYC]

27. One thing after another.

It's amazing any of us can breathe. It's all so blatant.

[MadisonProgressive]

23. Thanks, i fixed it.

[Mabus]

24. How about the ones used as photo props for *'s photo-ops

The last paragraph of the Salt Lake Trib article was the one that made me go ballistic.

But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3004197

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

25. Is that absolutely positively vomitous?

[Mabus]

28. coming from someone named "nothingshocksmeanymore"

your comment speaks volumes!

[icymist]

26. First asignment is to pose for Chimpy's photo-op!

From the article:
But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.

[glugglug]

30. This doesn't make sense to me...

Aren't firefighters known for having pride?

If I was a firefighter and FEMA gave me this kind of BS, I think I would burn those flyers and pass out my own, letting the public know about this crap.

[ikri]

32. If any firefighters refused

You'd hear about it. Of course the spin would be slightly different from FEMA or the GOP:

"Firefighters refuse to help FEMA"

They'd simply neglect to mention that the firefighters were refusing to stand for photo ops or refusing to hand out leaflets

[seaglass]

37. And that's why you're not a firefighter. Firefighters first duty is to

help others and they will do it any way necessary.

[tanyev]

38. Good grief!

Surely there are plenty of kool-aid loving young Republicans who would gladly volunteer to hand out propaganda fliers for the Glorious Leader. Let's at least use the firefighters to save lives.

[rocktivity]

40. What do these fliers say???

:shrug:
rocknation

[0rganism]

41. FIRE!

:grr:

[psychopomp]

42. FEMA: criminally negligent

There needs to be an independent investigation and responsible parties need to take responsibility for this organized enhancement of human suffering!

[psychopomp]

43. And get this

"Firefighters say they want to brave the heat, the debris-littered roads, the poisonous cottonmouth snakes and fire ants and travel into pockets of Louisiana where many people have yet to receive emergency aid.

But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas. "


!!!!!!