Who else things they closed the Astro Dome cuz they don't want

[xultar]

the 'animals' and 'criminals' from NOLA in their city.

People in LaFayette are buying guns to protect themselves from tne NOLA 'animals' and 'criminals.'

:grr:

[Not_Giving_Up]

1. I don't think that was it

I think FEMA overstated how many people could be housed there. If they take on too many people, the situation will decline to that of the Superdome.

I live outside of Houston, and I really don't think that they were turned away because they weren't the right kind of people.

[Justitia]

8. Me neither. Besides, we're pretty cool w/our own criminals &

animals here. Halliburton's HQ is here, doncha know?

[Horse with no Name]

14. I lived in Houston many years ago

worked at Memorial City Medical Center over on Frostwood.
I worked 3-11pm.
One of my colleagues asked for a ride home one night--I said sure.
She lived in--help me here--the 3rd ward? You know, the area the cops don't even go into?:scared:
Her advice to me was not to stop til I crossed the loop and don't get lost in the neighborhood,lol.
From what I understand there's some pretty bad boys down in that area and Houston tolerates them.
Surely some hurricane victims wouldn't be anything to blink an eye at.

[Not_Giving_Up]

15. 3rd Ward, 4th Ward

The cops don't go there unless they HAVE to. More than one neighborhood that you don't want to stop or be lost in.

I worked close to such a neighborhood years ago, and worked late on a Friday night. I was pulled over for going 5 mph over the speed limit. When I opened my wallet to get my license, my paycheck money (I had cashed my check at lunch) was visible. Cop asked me what a white girl was doing in that neighborhood, after dark, with all of that money. I had to show him my check stub, dated that day before he let me go, with a verbal warning.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. 4th ward is where I bet I was thinking of

Do you know if there is a mission there named Star of Hope?

It's been along time since I've lived in Houston. :P

5th ward was where the library was, I think.

[Not_Giving_Up]

21. I think that's where Star of Hope is

I think think they closed it though...I remember talk that they were going to close it.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

28. That's heartbreaking

I hope someone picked up the torch and is feeding the hungry and giving shelter to the homeless.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

16. Would that have been the 5th ward?

That's a bad hood to be in at night.

[janedoe]

20. I heard that there was violence in New Orleans, but I never saw any!

Every segment of news footage I saw today had scared, thirsty, hungry, worried, victims, who were too stunned to deal with things. I saw folks waking on the interstate highway, not knowing which way to go, but knowing that walking somewhere was their only chance for survival.

Something is VERY wrong with this picture.

I never saw any law enforcement folks, and rescue workers, any national guard, army, FEMA, ...etc. That was so weird.

The news crews filming this were in awe that no aid was arriving. One news guy ducked off camera (and reached in his helicopter) and gave the people all of the water bottles they brought for the crew. That was so weird.

The news crew wasn't afraid of violence. They didn't need to land, but did so by choice and without fear. If a news crew can help people, why can't the authorities??????????????

Doesn't the military have a big ship nearby, where they could load up everyone and then just cruise over to Houston and dump them off? They don't have to stay in the Astrodome. But, it's a lot easier to get water and food to them if they are in an accessible place. Families can come get them. I'll bet that folks around this country (and even around the world) would donate enough to send these folks where they needed to go. But, if they're stuck in New Orleans, they have NO hope.

The only explanation for what I saw today... was the unthinkable. It was a holocaust. It was a premeditated holocaust.

If Houston doesn't want to take on these people, and FEMA isn't creative enough to come up with another idea, at least drive them to the nearest crossroads or train track. Give them a fighting chance. I think there would be a lot of folks around the country who would eagerly drive to that crossroad and pick them up.

If there is any working railroad track near there, let them pile into box cars and tote them elsewhere. At least they could get to a phone to call relatives -- who'd surely come get them.

This whole thing looks so weird ...and not right.

[wli]

2. More racism. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

3. I heard that Houstonians

got out of there beds in the late evening to come meet the buses and bring clean clothes, etc.
Doesn't sound like they were met with hostility in Houston.

[Not_Giving_Up]

Exactly

Houstonians were trying to drop off food and supplies yesterday, and were being turned away by the Red Cross. It was on local news. They wanted money, not food and supplies. It made no sense.

[bluestateguy]

4. Houston is a very diverse city

I doubt that very much.

[Justitia]

10. Over 92 languages spoken here! I like our diversity a lot.

Used to live in San Antonio and the Dallas Metroplex.

Coming to a cosmopolitan city like Houston was way cool.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Probably closed it because they have no place to actually put people.

How long can you sit upright in a bleecher seat? You cant lay across the bastard, the arms don't move. Where are the tent cities? At least in a tent you can get a few minutes of privacy and rest.

[PretzelWarrior]

6. ummmm...maybe the don't want it overpacked.

think about it. if something were to occur there you could have stampede and deaths like in Baghad. Use some common sense. Let's lay blame on command and control that kept directing buses to Astrodome beyond capacity rather than understanding a plan b before it became critical.

it's not like there wasn't a plan on the books for this event.

[enigmatic]

7. No

If they packed them in like they packed them into The Superdome, you'd have the same situation. They fucked up again and overestimated how many people could be housed there.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. Naah...Houston isn't like that

They closed the dome because it was full. People are going to San Antonio and surrounding areas.

[Historic NY]

11. I actually saw lots of photos from there tonight........

the place is packed with cots spaced out as comfortably as possible, massive amounts of food, juice, fruit & water donated. The Red Cross overestimated just how many they could get in there. They even have the ASPCA to assist in caring for peoples pets. There is an active law enforcement presence and only a few arrests were made. I imagine they will try to make some more room asap, but for the most part my report from a LE officer is people seemed relived, very tired and in need of showers. Children were playing on huge rolls of astro turf which has not been removed as of yet.

[WatchWhatISay]

19. Also I heard that Papa Johns Pizza

had spent the day making and delivering hundreds of pizzas to the victims.

[Pallas180]

23. wow, if they would just send that pizza to the convention center!

bravo Papa Johns!

[Horse with no Name]

12. But you know what xultar

Since you are from New Orleans and your family and friends were treated in such a horrible manner--I don't blame you one bit for questioning any motive of this entire debacle.

[xultar]

27. thanks for understanding. I for sure I'm wrong but I thought they said

they would take them all. I guess the fire marshall was like nope. There are people still left there @ the superdome in nola. It hurts my heart.

I heard on the news that the people in Lafayette LA were buying guns cuz they are scared. I guess I kinda thought others would do it too.

[REP]

13. I Don't Think So Either

I know it's lots of fun to mess with Texas, but the Texans I've seen on the TV (not the Conn Man) are welcoming the refugees with food, water and clothes. I thnk they're trying to avoid another awful, dehumanizing experience like the Superdome.

Now the government's response to the disaster - yes, it's striking me more and more as the government's opportunity to get rid of some troublesome dark and poor people. Just when I think this government can't go any lower - it does.

[WatchWhatISay]

17. I heard a reporter say today that there were just a few thousand

cots down there and it looked nearly full to him.

That got me doing some calculations in my head. Take the size of a football field (300 x 100) and multiply it by 3 to account (generously) for end zone, sideline space, etc. If you figure that at least 1/3 of the space would be needed for aisles, so subtract that. Divide the result by the size of a typical cot (I estimated 2.5' x 6'. I estimated there was room for about 4000 cots on the field area. Maybe some more on some of the concourse areas. So maybe 6,000 or at most 8,000 cots. Even allowing for some variable I left out, its hard to figure how 23,000 people were going to get cots there.

Though this whole situation just seems like another example of disaster mismanagement, in the long run its probably better. Better possibility of some of those people finding temporary/permanent employment if they are in 3 or more major cities than in just one.

[Pallas180]

24. Watch - good thinking about the jobs and being spread out.

.

[janedoe]

25. Good work with the calculations!

I don't think they even need a cot; they'd be happy to sleep on a clean floor in a clean environment. Right now, its water they need and some food.

Why leave them standing in amongst dead bodies, with no water? Ship them to somewhere, at least, even if it's to the nearest highway. Thumbing for a ride gives them a chance. In New Orleans, they have no chance.

Time is running out. I'm guessing that tomorrow, they'll say there is too much disease and will quarantine everyone in New Orleans, keeping everyone there to die.

[xultar]

26. I thought they agreed to take them all.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

29. All of the buses that had already arrived were taken in

Future ones are going to Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and several other smaller cities in Texas.

From the pics I saw of the Astrodome it's pretty full. Field space is covered in cots filled with very weary looking people.

If the remaining cities are doing like Austin I think they'll be as happy here as they can be, all things considered. People in Austin are chomping at the bit to get a chance to help out any way they can. I heard SA is supposed to have their stuff together, too. I can't confirm that for sure, though, it's second hand news.

Hopefully they've learned from their screw ups at the Astrodome and all will go more smoothly from here on out. :)

[Pallas180]

22. yup, beat ya to it. Fire commissioner wears white sheets on his day off.

Is the sports arena fire proof?

[Libby2]

30. That dome is full