Was disaster relief being privatized ? Faithbased groups doing FEMA jobs

[EVDebs]

Even * is pushing Salvation Army for relief while on his tour. But since faithbased groups don't do busing or drop water and MREs, it looks like we can finally answer that question that was asked of Bush ...'What do you consider are some of your biggest mistakes ?'

With Iraq and now being 'pantsed' again with a five day late disaster relief 'effort', he has his answer !

[Dr.Phool]

1. FEMA has Pat Robertson's "Operation Blessing" involved too.

Fake shell charity for his African gold and diamond mining ventures.

[Lars39]

2. This is why I don't believe it is in the long term best interests of US

for the other two former presidents to be promoting fund raising over FEMA.
Disaster relief should be a function of the federal government.

[Nikki Stone 1]

3. I totally agree. The problem is that Bush has created a huge deficit

and the money has to come from somewhere. He has created a completely untenable situation.

What happened to those "balanced budget" Republicans, by the way? We never hear from them anymore.

[TaleWgnDg]

5. exactly!! disaster relief is the function of the federal government!

[TaleWgnDg]

4. Yup. Bush is pushing religion . . . proselytizing for votes . . .

.
Yup. Bush is pushing religion . . . proselytizing for votes in the face of our nation's tragedy in and around New Orleans!

Every one of those mentioned in FEMA's list on its website is a religious organization or has systemic ties w/ religious organizations . . . Indeed.

Yes, the Salvation Army is a religion. And, the Salvation Army discriminates in its hiring and firing policies against gays as can other religions. And, the Salvation Army was brought into federal court because it failed to pay minimum wage to recovering substance abusers and alcoholics! Failed to pay a wage when working for the Salvation Army. The court ordered the Salvation Army to pay those workers or not to hire them for work, period.

The sole exception in FEMA's list that is not affiliated with any religion or religious institution is the American Red Cross, period.

F*ck this Bush Administration in buying votes through religions as well as walking all over the Separation of Church and State in the 1st amendment to our constitution! When Bush goes to Louisiana and Mississippi, can he mention the American Red Cross? Or that the National Guard is bringing in food, water, and other supplies? Why does he repeatedly mention the Salvation Army or any other religions? wtf ????

America's Second Harvest:
"Q: What Kinds of Organizations Operate A2H Emergency Food Programs?
A: 76% of pantries, 71% of kitchens, and 43% of shelters are run by faith-based agencies affiliated with churches, mosques, synagogues, and other religious organizations" http://www.secondharvest.org/site_content.asp?s=82

.

[LittleClarkie]

6. That's my understanding

and it shows that we can't push off disaster relief on privatization.

[TaleWgnDg]

8. And buy religious votes through monies given to them from

.
And buys and bribes religious votes through monies given to religious institutions from federal taxpayers. That's his "faith-based program" initiative! Bribery.

1.) It decentralizes the federal government. Ignorants love that.

2.) It gets freebie votes for him when he pays religious institutions through his "faith based programs" and his executive orders. Hey, what a way to "reach" minorities, huh?

3.) It allows "tax cuts" which is delusional since it reduces the ability of the federal government to do its job as evinced in New Orleans and surrounds.

4.) Bush's religious charity "privatization" is a throw-back to the two-class system depicted in, e.g., the movie "The Titanic" wherein there were two distinct classes of people: steerage class and upper class.

5.) Overall, when reality hits the fan as it did and continues to do re Katrina, the Bush model of government destabilizes the nation, period.

.

[EVDebs]

7. Just saw Biloxi MSNBC reporter say they hadn't spoken to federal officials

Only Salvation Army and Red Cross all this week...

Since the staging areas in New Orleans (Superdome/ConventionCenter) told people to wait for help, and it never arrived, the 'faithbased' plan didn't include bus transit or water/MREs either.

I guess they were trying to get a Halliburton contract or Dynecorp to do it apparently.