CNN crawl: Lockdown in Astrodome! Nobody allowed in or out!

[Gabi Hayes]

I just saw this on CNN Headline News

did anybody else?

is Barbara bush in there?

How sweet would THAT be?

why is it being locked down?

so they can turn it into the Texas version of the Convention Center?

what in the world is going on? I haven't seen anything but a crawl at the bottom of the screen.

any news elsewhere?

[DS1]

1. OMG FASCISM MARTIAL LAW OMG OMG FASCISM THIRD REICH

OMG OMG OMG OM FUCKING G!

[titoresque]

18. I think I recognize you.....

:spank:

[name not needed]

34. OMG NUCLEAR WAR IS COMING OMG OH FUCK NO

OMG LAROUCHE WAS RIGHT FUCK WERE ALL GONNA DIE THE DICTATORSHIP IS COMING!!!!1

[fearnobush]

2. They are being programmed as we speak.

Or they are getting their money from Hurricane FEMA. But only those in the dome in Houston are getting the money... no one else.

[rodeodance]

5. this lockdown started quite early this morning. The FEMA cards ran

into some sort of 'clitch" (reporter did not explain more)--but the result is, as you say--only the people lucky enough to be in the astro dome at the ime will get the cards. the rest will be mailed to the people --says Fema. but many are on the move with only temporary addreess. Another Fema scew up--

[Booster]

35. On another thread I read stated it's because there's a waiver

everyone has to sign to get the check which states they will not sue the government for more money. This administration tried the same thing with 9/11, but that was a Hell of a lot more money than these poor people are getting. Every lawyer in this country should get down there and help these poor people pro bono. I hope the ACLU is there.

[Zen Democrat]

3. It may be because they are getting ready to hand out the $2K debit cards.

They are using electronic transfers and checks for everyone except the people in Houston at the Astrodome, Brown Convention Center, and Reliant Center.

That's the only positive explanation I can think of.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gabi Hayes]

13. oh, come on that was funny....wasn't it?

[rodeodance]

6. Fema will snail mail the others--but that is a problem since so many

only have temporary addresses.

[Gabi Hayes]

7. oh....sorry. makes sense, but there goes the drama

oops

[BrightKnight]

9. $2000 max per family, about $300 per person

They have not received them yet. Some people were a bit hot about it.

[Lerkfish]

10. wow. 300 dollars wont even buy clothes or groceries for a week.

compassionate conservatism my ass.

[BrightKnight]

26. They have free used clothes and bottled water. -n/t

[RagingInMiami]

31. No cake?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

12. Last night I read that it was to be $2000 per victim.

Wish I could remember where, but I do remember going back to re-read to make certain that it was per victim and not per family. How can they go per family when some families have two people and others have eighteen people? Sounds pretty screwy to me.

[walldude]

14. It was $2000 per adult when I last heard..

honestly I think this is like pissing on a forest fire...

The dome isn't the only place locked down. There are some people here in Colorado, I heard last night they erected a fence and checkpoints to get in or out of the "encampment". I was supposed to go there today and take pictures but life got in the way. Will attempt again tommorow.

[MADem]

33. Bush said 2K per "household"

So, if you have ten kids, you are pretty much screwed.

[NYC]

8. Link from 11 a.m.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4694968

[Pacifist Patriot]

11. They've been in lockdown all day. I saw a reporter announce this...

as early as 9 a.m. EST. I screamed WTF? at my tv screen and have been waiting for the answer all day.

[Liberty Belle]

15. A contagious disease, perhaps? Quarantine?

[CountAllVotes]

24. now that would not surprise me

It has been over a week. Diseases are incubating and beginning to manifest I suspect. The whole place could be ridden with some horrific plague. Do they see anyone going in or out I wonder? :wtf: :scared:

:kick:

[Liberty Belle]

29. That would be the only justifiable reason, but if so,

It should be explained to the media.

[Roy]

16. Not to worry...

They probably only locked it down because the recruiters are in there. They like a captive audience, ya know. the doors will be opened again as soon as they meet their quota.

:sarcasm:

[Brundle_Fly]

17. Not to Worry....

The BUsh Admin is in charge!

[justabob]

19. Too many people not sheltered in the Astrodome were coming in to collect

the FEMA debit cards slated for the folks staying in the Astrodome complex. It caused a lot of problems and so they are not issuing debit cards to everyone as they had originally planned. I don't think this is a OMG event... I may well be wrong, but I think they were trying to stop a 'run on the bank' as it were.

edited for clarity

[BrightKnight]

28. mailing address or transfer to bank routing number

Two days ago they decided not to give them the debit cards.

The will mail a check or transfer the money to a bank routing number. Most of the people in the Astrodome were upset about this.

That was reported on local TV news in Dallas yesterday. I think that it was the ABC affiliate WFAA.

[Cleita]

20. Are we turning into a police state?

It sure seems like it.

[earth mom]

21. What is happening is beyond chilling....

:scared:

[trackfan]

22. Does that officially make it a concentration camp? n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

23. Yes..but they won't call it that.

[justabob]

25. Take a deep breath

Confusion and crowds hampered a Red Cross effort to give debit cards yesterday to Hurricane Katrina's victims. At one point, so many people rushed into Houston's Astrodome, police had to lock-down the complex. Separately, the Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to give similar cards, worth $2,000, to victims. Evacuees in other cities must fill out paperwork to receive an actual paper checks. And must even have an address for that check to be delivered. That's hard for people who've been driven from their homes.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/09/08/transcript.fri/index.html

[BrightKnight]

27. Texas Wrongful Imprisonment compensation is $100k / year

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Members/Dist13/pr05/p042705a.htm

[carl_pwccaman]

30. Accountability Isssues

Not knowing the details I'd prefer not to assume.

I am bothered, though, by the way FEMA operates. When they are in charge, they can block what they want, do what they want, laws be damned, at their own disgression. That's too much power.

At least when people are out of the danger zone, you'd think they'd relinquish power over people's lives, should people want to leave, although I could understand there could be legitimate reasons for a medical quaranteen, but there should be some way for cameras to get in, for the press to have access, for accountability's sake.

FEMA shelters, minus press access, spells absolute lack of accountability, and sets the stage for rampant abuse.

[BrightKnight]

32. FEMA is not giving the funds and 866 separated children

WFAA (Dallas ABC affiliate) reported that FEMA was not giving the residents the promised funds. The residents were told that they would need to inspect their homes first. They were directed to call the Red Cross. That does not really make any sense. They appear to be stonewalling them.

http://www.wfaa.com/video/katrina/ "Katrina relief confusion continues"

---------

They also reported on air that there were 866 children separated from their families. I can not find an online link to the story. That makes me uneasy.