NYT's Bob Herbert: "Sick and Abandoned"

[babylonsister]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/15/opinion/15herbert.html

It was the stuff of nightmares. Poisonous water moccasins were swimming in the filthy water of the flooded first floor, and snipers, rats and even a 12-foot alligator were roaming the treacherous area just outside the hospital's doors.

More Columns by Bob Herbert "To me, it was like being in hell," said Carl Warner, the chief engineer for Methodist Hospital in the hard-hit eastern part of New Orleans. "There were bodies floating in the water outside the building, and our staffers had to swim through that water to get fuel for the generator."

The patients and staff at Methodist could have been evacuated before Hurricane Katrina hit. But instead they were condemned to several days of fear and agony by bad decision-making in Louisiana and the chaotic ineptitude of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some of the patients died.

more...

[Missy M]

1. What was FEMA's reasoning for taking the supplies meant for that..

hospital. I have read story after story regarding FEMA not allowing rescuers to enter NO, or FEMA confiscating supplies or the Red Cross not being allowed to enter different areas. I can't for the life of me figure out why they did that.

[babylonsister]

2. I think it was because they were so ill-prepared

they had no supplies of their own and no distinct plan for anything. See our tax dollars at work in our glorious Department of Homeland Security!

[DELUSIONAL]

3. and we know damned well that the Republicans won't

allow a real investigation.

We have a RIGHT to know what went wrong -- and who was in charge and WHY some of the dumb ass decision were being made.

Was Cheney NOT on vacation and was he running this out of a bunker somewhere? When I read today that orders from Cheney's "office" insisted that the power be restored to the pipeline -- which cut power to the hospital (Mississippi) --

PLUS the fact that neither Brown nor Chart-off were in control -- that both seemed to be getting their orders from the White House -- SO WHO THE HELL WAS IN CHARGE? This piece of information from the leaked memo referenced in the Talking Points Memo.

Meanwhile bushie was on vacation and one of his staff had to make a DVD of the NEWS to show him to convince him that people were dying -- well that probably didn't move him to action --but the fact that OIL was not being pumped probably got his attention.

SO he wasn't at the White House -- and Cheney was "missing" -- but was he? Just asking -- all the secrets in the White House -- all the cover ups. One of these days will come home to bite this bunch of criminals in the butt.

[Missy M]

4. How I hope it does and real soon!!!!

[PDittie]

5. Morning, babs

I think I'd rather drown in my attic than be lying in a bed in a hospital and get bitten by a snake (or drown because I was too infirm to move, for that matter).

Did you see the thread with the pictures of the cottonmouths?

Water moccasins (not disturbed as a result of Katrina though, according to Snopes)

[babylonsister]

6. Hey, PDittie! What the heck kind of choices are they?

Pick one: drown in your own attic, in a hospital bed, or bitten by a snake while in a hospital bed. Geez, where do I live again?
Yes, I saw those snakes, and don't even want to think about it. I see a 4" one and I freak! Everytime I walk around the house I sing and clap my hands to "MAKE THEM GO AWAY!"