WHERE'S THE FU**ING WATER??????

[HamdenRice]

Ok, for now, forget the breeched levee, forget pumping out the city. Forget getting the electricity going, forget the stalled gas and oil pipelines and the gas gouging, forget evacuation -- for now.

Can it be that in its full majesty, the federal government of the United States of American cannot spare 5 helicopters to airlift bottled water, to just leave pallets of it on every other street corner in New Orleans? And Walmart, Pathmark and Costco cannot provide a few hundred pallets of bottled water for the government to distribute?

This is a theme I keep hearing on CNN and NBC this morning. The people of New Orleans are SCREAMING FOR WATER.

Our government is so incompetent or callous it cannot provide this most basic of necessities?

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Only if they wanted to

Apparently the top leadership of this country doesn't want to.

[acmavm]

2. bush** doesn't think airlifting in stuff is 'effective'. Case closed.

.

[liberal N proud]

8. Sending it by truck if I heard the moron right last night.

[HamdenRice]

3. My brain is going to melt or explode nt

[GumboYaYa]

4. Don't you know; those people were warned to evacuate, so

we have no more responsibility to help them.

[thefloyd]

5. I agree

Why not just drop water and other supplies from airplanes? Then people will not stampede the superdome and allow for a more orderly evacuation

[HamdenRice]

6. CNN reported that police are afraid to show up with the little water they

have because it leads to stampedes. Yes they need to just distribute water free. Not by plane because the falling supplies could hurt people, but helicopter slings with pallets of water.

They need to make so much available that there is not sense of panic about it. Then they can move on to food.

It would take about two hours if the NG or army and feds were committed to do so.

I simply cannot comprehend what they are thinking.

[BootinUp]

7. FEMA

Former Emergency Management Agency.

[alarimer]

9. Oh but stopping looters is so much more important

:sarcasm:

I am afraid that people willstart drinking contaminated water (if they haven't already) and begin dying. I am sure water-borne disease will be widespread, like cholera.

[Richard Steele]

10. I can't really believe this is just incompetence anymore...

Any 12 year old could do a better job.

This level of FUBAR has to be deliberate, on some level.

[Karenina]

13. It is DELIBERATE.

Has not anyone noticed that whenever *co acts, reacts or fails to act chaos ensues?

[soup]

11. Again, I ask, are the buses going in to evacuate people

filled with emergency supplies for those that are still waiting?

[tjdee]

12. Because people have guns! Boohhoooo, they can't possibly!

Isn't this the military? Hello?

And they're sending ships that will get there eventually! Why is everyone in such a hurry? Bush is so concerned! :sarcasm:

[Karenina]

14. Kick!

:kick:

[HamdenRice]

15. yesterday today this afternoon?!?!?!?!

We were writing about this yesterday. I woke up this morning same shit and started this thread. Now CNN says people are dying!

now they are calling off rescue?!?!?

WTF is going on down there??????

my brain is going to explode

[FlaGranny]

16. Amen. n/t

[spuddonna]

17. I feel sick... People on DU have been screaming since MONDAY...

that FEMA needs to get water down there for the survivors...

Why the hell are the people who are RESPONSIBLE for disaster recoveries not able to figure this out?!!

[bloom]

18. that's what I want to know....eom

[Missy Vixen]

19. Costco is providing water

>And Walmart, Pathmark and Costco cannot provide a few hundred pallets of bottled water for the government to distribute?<

I spoke to Costco's corporate office yesterday. They are providing water, along with other needed items. They had to coordinate through the Red Cross to do so. There is currently a restriction over New Orleans airspace, so they will have to get official "permission" for any type of humanitarian efforts.

Please don't bash Costco. They started organizing their efforts the day before yesterday. I know that they are doing the best they can, because the guy I spoke to in their corporate office was as upset as we are about it.

Julie

[leftchick]

20. The WH press corps is worthless

nobody has asked that question! I am listening to mclellen bloviate about nothing but lies. No one is asking about the poor folks dying on the streets of NO RIGHT NOW!!!

[milkyway]

21. On Sunday, a warning was issued saying a lack of water would cause

human suffering incredible by modern standards. This came from the National Weather Service on Sunday morning. Two days later, bush was still yucking it up at fundraisers.

Read the rest of this horrific warning.

http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KLIX/0508281550.wwus74.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4524103&mesg_id=4524103