Blanco gives up on FEMA, hires firm herself to recover Louisiana dead

[DeepModem Mom]

Louisiana Hires Contractor to Help Recover Bodies
Sept. 13 (Bloomberg)

-- Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco said the state hired a contractor to recover bodies left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, saying she had given up on the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"In recent days, I have spoken with FEMA and administration officials to convey my absolute frustration regarding the lack of urgency and the lack of respect of our people whose lives were lost as a result of Hurricane Katrina,'' Blanco told reporters in Baton Rouge today during a meeting with state officials.

Blanco said Kenyon International Emergency Services, a Houston-based unit of Service Corp. International that has worked on Asian tsunami recovery effort, will find the corpses left after Katrina roared ashore on the U.S. Gulf Coast Aug. 29. The storm killed thousands, caused an estimated $100 billion in damage and left 80 percent of New Orleans submerged in water....

***

Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff said the agency that runs FEMA created a "system of recovery" a week ago and is responsible for the recovery of bodies, Blanco said, adding that even the highest government officials couldn't "break through the bureaucracy to get the coordination done." She also blamed the agency for not committing enough workers to the effort.

Respect

"I cannot bear to wait any longer," Blanco said today during a meeting with state officials. "In death as in life our people deserve more respect than they have received."...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=addOntqk3YEA&refer=top_world_news


ON EDIT: Re. FEMA's contracting with Kenyon --

Blanco said she has signed a contract with Kenyon International Emergency Services after the company threatened to pull out of the state because it had not yet signed a formal contract with FEMA.

Asked about the issue, FEMA spokesman David Passey said: "From what I understand, Kenyon had some questions about the contract."

http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-09-13T184411Z_01_N13577469_RTRIDST_0_KATRINA-DEAD.XML

[justiceischeap]

1. Wow but I thought it was FEMA/Shrub who brought in Kenyon??? n/t

[DeepModem Mom]

3. I think that's true. CNN said something about Kenyon no longer...

wanting to work with FEMA, but I don't see this info in the print press yet.


On edit, I found some info, and have now posted it in the original post.

[CottonBear]

5. Apparently , FEMA never signed a contract with Kenyon. n/t

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. FEMA still hasn't started collecting bodies???

:wtf: How disrespectful can this administration be? :grr: I wonder what would have happened if it was one of THEOR family members??? :grr:

[justiceischeap]

6. You really need to watch this...

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/12/1426218

From transcript:
MALIK RAHIM: Now, his body been here for almost two weeks. Two weeks tomorrow. All right. That this man's body been laying here. And there's no reason for it. Look where we at? I mean, it's not flooded. There's no reason for them to be, left that body right here like this. You mean, just totally disrespect. You know? I mean two weeks. Every day, we ask them about coming and picking it up. They refuse to come and pick it up. You can see, it's literally decomposing right here. Right out in the sun. Every day we sit up and we ask them about it. Because I mean, this is -- close as you can get to tropical climate in America. And they won't do anything about it.

[katinmn]

27. Watched it. Out-fucking-rageous! No one who can do something cares

Everybody should be screaming. This is absurd.

This adds to my fears about the future.

[in_cog_ni_to]

31. I am speechless. I cannot believe what I just watched!

That man was laying there for 2 weeks???&^%$ Not one person Amy talked to acted like they really gave a shit either. No wonder they don't want this stuff filmed. That was sickening! The lack of compassion is astonishing!

Did you just love the Blackwater threat of "this is OUR street now" and no filming allowed? This is a 'TREND' we will be seeing? Mercenaries in our streets? No fucking wonder the idiot didn't give a shit about the Militias on the borders. THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE PLANNED FOR US! Man O Man O Man...SOMEONE had better stop these people before it's too late, if it isn't already. :(

[Peace Patriot]

40. "SOMEONE had better stop these people before it's too late..."

I heard Howard Dean on Randi Rhodes today, and she's reading to him the evidence of the Bush Cartel's deliberate murder of thousands of poor black citizens in New Orleans, and he's into focusing on "the positive things people are doing." So much for the Dem leadership. (How many times do we have to say that, and think that, before it sinks in?)

Howard Dean seems to have become one of them--the "pod people" they're cloning down in some Louisiana swamp, who come out of their pods all shiny clean and "new" looking, to spout the Rovian "talking points" of the day. No blame game. No, no. Positive things. Even Dean. EVEN DEAN! God, are We The People all out here on our own, trying to have a democracy with no help from ANYONE?

I shuddered. Really. Felt like I was in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Howard Dean!

But to get to my point. The "SOMEONE" who had "better stop these people before it's too late" will not be Democratic leaders exercising leadership and telling the truth and taking action. Because these are the same people who let two Bushite voting machine companies, Diebold and ES&S, gain control over our election system, and let them count the nation's votes, in 2004, with SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code. The Democratic leaders said not one word about it, not a peep of objection. It's mind-boggling. It's insane. Or apparently so.

Look into it bit further and you find out why: Bipartisan corruption of state/local election officials in the billion dollar boondoggle of electronic voting. Republican AND Democratic election officials signing "trade secret" contracts with Bushite companies, permitting non-transparent, unverifiable vote tabulation--and attending weeklong parties at the Beverly Hilton sponsored by Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia (yup, this August).

Still, the state/local jurisdictions remain our only hope. (We don't want any further Bush Congress meddling in our election system, thank you very much!) Ordinary people still have some potential influence at the state/local level, where the power of election systems still resides. While we still have time, we must demand and achieve the following:

Paper ballots hand-counted at the precinct level (--Canada does it in one day, although speed should not even be a consideration, just accuracy and verifiability)

or, at the least...

Paper ballot (not "paper trail") backup of all electronic voting, a 10% automatic recount, very strict security, and NO SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code! (...jeez!).

--------

There is no way that we can solve any of the immediate problems of Bushite governance. We have no power. We have lost the right to vote--the very mechanism of democratic change. And, until we get it back, the upper echelon Bushites and Dems have no reason to listen to us. They are not elected by us. They are "selected" by Diebold and ES&S.

That "SOMEONE" we are hoping will "stop these people" is us. All out here on our own, with no support from either major party (except for some lame statements by the Dems, saying we sorta maybe outa have a paper trail, maybe, please mommy, please, if Karl Rove says it's okay? Please!).

And we MUST get this done. We MUST.

Diebold and ES&S election theft machines into 'Boston Harbor' NOW! (--or a Louisiana levee might do!).

It's NOT too late! But it's getting there!

[babsbunny]

35. Can everything be sent to the MSN?

At least they would know.

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. That's why even the ones they've recovered

are just piled up and wrapped in whatever they found laying around.

Their disrespect for the dead is appalling.

[NV Whino]

4. kick

[MN ChimpH8R]

7. Might get an accurate body count now

since the feds won't be running the operation. I suspect Blanco has no incentive to keep the count down, unlike ChimpCo.

[justiceischeap]

8. As I understand it though Kenyon is a Right-Wing Corp. n/t

[bearfan454]

37. bush is chummy with this company.

These are the people that were getting rid of bodies a few years back.
They will keep the count down to hide the real numbers. bush couldn't have the truth shown that this was more deaths than 9-11. That would mean he fucked up twice on protecting the American people. (Well we know 9-11 was an inside job).

[Jeanette in FL]

10. How much more disgraceful can it get

Can you imagine any other country leaving their dead out in the streets for over 2 weeks. Even in third world countries they pick the bodies up without delay. There is not a word in our language that describes how I feel about this. Good for Gov. Blanco to do this. Won't be able to hide the numbers either.

[Atman]

11. "Kenyon had problems with the (FEMA) contract"

There was no provision for the head of Kenyon to be appointed to a cushy Bush crony post.

[blm]

24. dog and pony show, Atman....Service Corps is LONGTIME BFEE.

LONGTIME.

This is how they are helping Bush to dismantle FEMA and privatize it with Service Corps being one of the beneficiaries.

[Atman]

26. He committed perjury for them

Fortunately for Bush, it wasn't about a blow job, or he might have actually been held accountable!

[buff2]

12. You know,this is really pathetic

FEMA....ran by a bunch of incompetent bu$h racist asswipes. We need a regime change desperately,and people put into place that actually CARES about human life and not just about embryos and fetuses.

[WiseButAngrySara]

22. Embryos, fetuses, Stem Cells, and the Schiavos (brain dead)

none of which can feel pain...

[DeepModem Mom]

13. I just want to add a note about Anderson Cooper's outrage at this...

Posters were reporting last night that he really hit hard last night. I believe it had to do with bodies being tied to lampposts, and other horrors. Was anyone watching who can relate what he said?

[blm]

14. Service Corps is a BFEE company. Blanco is being HOODWINKED and they

are using her to discredit FEMA.

More proof they are dismantling FEMA everyday with stories like these.

Too bad Blanco is falling for it.

[justiceischeap]

16. I think she may actually be more concerned about the rotting bodies

in her city...

[blm]

17. Of course she is...and they are using her REAL concern to bring down FEMA

which is their real goal.

FEMA's work will now be privatized to companies loyal to the BFEE.

[WiseButAngrySara]

25. MIHOP? Planned incompetence on Brown's, Chertoff's and Duck tapes

respective parts (including chimp himself of course)? I thought the planned incompetence (if it indeed was planned)was for NOLA oil, Real Estate, etc.

[MissMarple]

15. Third world countries did better than this after the tsunami last year.

I am so embarrassed by our government. They have no shame.

[David Zephyr]

18. Kick.

[Flubadubya]

19. Maybe now we will get an accurate count...

I sure wouldn't expect that from the Feds, whether due to incompentence or chicanery!

[justiceischeap]

20. Pretty certain Kenyon is in Shrub's pocket. n/t

[Dr.Phool]

21. This belongs on the greatest page.

Even with Brownie gone, it seems like duct tape man can't get his shit together either.

[bananas]

23. States may as well secede from the union

if the federal government isn't going to do anything.
Then Bush and the RNC Congress will only be in charge of D.C. and Puerto Rico.

[bajamary]

28. Watch out folks, Kenyon and Service Corp. ARE Bush buddies

These guys are Bush buddies.

There have been several threads on this subject here on DU.

I've taken the liberty (sorry) of copying some of one post from donsu
who started a thread called:

smirk hires the "funeralgate criminals" to process our dead

"To assist with the recovery and disposition of the victims of Katrina, FEMA has hired Kenyon Worldwide Disaster Management,

a Houston-based company which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Service Corporation International (SCI), another Houston-based corporation, which bills itself as the "dominant leader in the North American death care industry."

SCI is not only closely associated with the president (which is not surprising since the company is based in Houston), they were also at the center of what is probably the best-known scandal during Bush's six years as governor of Texas: the so-called 'funeralgate' case.

What's more, Joe Allbaugh -- President Bush's Chief of Staff in Texas and later his first FEMA Director -- was the central figure in that scandal, or at least the guy whose job it was to take care of the mess SCI had gotten into."

Here's the link to this DU thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4744889

[DeepModem Mom]

29. Don't know anything about this, but am wondering how many companies...

are prepared to do this sort of work, on this scale. Is it possible this firm, especially as it's located nearby in Houston, was the logical choice? I'm in no way arguing -- just asking.

[CoffeeCat]

30. I hope this means that we'll get a more accurate body count...

I am terribly concerned about bodies not be counted in the official death count.

I am wondering if FEMA is dragging their feet because they don't want the body count mounting when Bush is so vulnerable. Maybe they've been told to drag their feet.

I wonder if this company would be more honest about the body count, if they answer to Blanco.

I'm really disturbed that our govt thinks NOLA is Iraq, where they can lie and hide the sick mess that they've helped to create.

Someone please tell me that Blanco's involvement means more accountability and accurate body counts...

[Horse with no Name]

32. If I am not mistaken

Any contractors have to be FEMA certified and approved in order to receive disaster relief funds.
I doubt there were many Democratic contractors on that list.:(

[Solly Mack]

33. article from st petes times on SCI/Menorah Gardens criminal actions

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/05/23/State/State_files_criminal_.shtml

[spuddonna]

34. FEMA, La. outsource Katrina body count to firm implicated in body-dumping

Before we decide that this is a good thing or a bad thing, everyone should read the rawstory article:"FEMA, La. outsource Katrina body count to firm implicated in body-dumping scandals"

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/FEMA_outsources_Katrina_body_count_to_firm_implicated_in_bodydumping_scan_0913.html


I'll bet money Blanco is just trying to get SOMEBODY to come clear these poor victims, but these sound like the last company you'd want to contact to do it!

[katinmn]

36. Just heard that on the radio, too. Uggghhhh!! The BFEE strikes again.

[Marie26]

41. So let me get this straight....

SCI was being investigated in 1999 by Texas Funeral Commission for allegedly dumping bodies. The head of SCI, Waltrip, was a big Bush contributor (+$40,000). Bush then fires the head of the Funeral Commission, Eliza May; she claims she was fired to stop the investigation of SCI. Bush denies ever talking to Waltrip about the case - but it later comes out that Bush was in fact there briefly at a meeting between Waltrip & chief of staff Joe Allbaugh. Bush asked "Hey Bobby, are those people still messing with you?" (always with the nicknames). May tries to subpoena Bush to testify, but a judge rules the governor can't be questioned at trial.

So, five years later, it's deja vu all over again. Joe Allbaugh was appointed head of FEMA. And FEMA appoints Kenyon, the "disaster recovery" branch of SCI, to collect the dead in New Orleans. So not only did Bush try to stop the investigation of SCI's cruel actions in Texas, his administration hires them again! How's that for compassion for the victims of Katrina?

I wonder if the reason that so many of the FEMA heads are political appointees is because FEMA is an easy way to "give back" to big contributors. Award a couple contracts here & there; and assure bigger contributions later. By having Bush campaign people in charge, they can make sure the contracts go to the right donors, & no one will complain. Who'll notice? Except when a big disaster strikes and people notice that the FEMA officials are unqualified & frickin Halliburton is in charge of the recovery.

[spuddonna]

42. Exactly! And welcome to DU! :) n/t

[La Coliniere]

38. The horror........the horror.......

Too bad the daily outrages have become so commonplace.

[Asst Village Idiot]

39. Gratitude

In our efforts to find people to blame, we are failing to give credit to the regular folk in the guard, the Red Cross, the police, etc who have performed the greatest disaster rescue in the history of the country, and probably the world. It was a bigger and more complicated job than the four hurricanes last year and the large hurricanes of previous years.

For a variety of reasons, it is harder to move poor people. The physically ill or disabled need much more convincing to leave a place that is at the moment safe and comfortable to go out into the unknown. They are also slower, and can’t hurry very well. This is also true, though less so, for the elderly and the mentally ill. Those without transportation have more planning and arranging to do before they can leave. Also, the poor are less trusting of authority – whether for good reasons or bad doesn’t matter by the time an evacuation order is given.

These fellow citizens have gone into danger and discomfort on behalf of all of us, risking injury, disease, and even death. We have not been properly grateful to them for the hours they have spent with little sleep and little provision, making life-and-death decisions on the spot, and suffering abuse from frightened or angry people. I put myself in the place of a charity worker with little ones of her own at home, handing out water to people, wondering if anyone in the country cares or is grateful, and I feel embarrassed for all of us being so callous.

For any of you reading this, thank you. I hope someone thanks you in person, but if they don’t, know that some of us think of you.

[krkaufman]

43. One question Kenyon had for FEMA Re: the contract... "Where-T-F is IT?!?!?