Tourist Hire Buses for Own Evacuation, Government Takes Buses!!

[kerrygoddess]

Tourist Hire Buses for Own Evacuation, Government Commandeers Them for Residents
September 1st, 2005

Stranded tourists in New Orleans paid $25,000 for private buses so they could be evacuated from New Orleans.

After waiting hours, they learned government officials had commandeered their buses to evacuate others.

“We’re the forgotten about,” Dewey told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Thursday. “The Louisiana officials are trying to get their people out. They don’t care about us.”

Dewey, 23, of Washington, is one of countless tourists trapped in the city amid the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

Dewey said she has no idea when or how she’ll be able to leave, her best chance lost Wednesday night when she learned the buses would never come.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=407

[Nikia]

1. Is that the only reason that people are even being evacuated?

Because hotel guests got the buses to come down there? I really feel bad for those stranded tourists. They certainly should be allowed out soon for their generosity, albeit forced. If the government was comparatively generous, everyone would be evacuated by now. Perhaps this is the only way that we are going to get an effective evacuation. Individuals and companies could donate vehicles and personnel to go pick up people.