Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?

[SnoopDog]

Mike Malloy told this story - here it is...

Here is this administration KILLING MORE AMERICANS on purpose...


Story:



Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?

* Acess to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.

* The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.


* The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of thousands of New Orleans residents in some 90 shelters throughout the state of Louisiana and elsewhere since before landfall. All told, the Red Cross is today operating 149 shelters for almost 93,000 residents.

* The Red Cross shares the nation’s anguish over the worsening situation inside the city. We will continue to work under the direction of the military, state and local authorities and to focus all our efforts on our lifesaving mission of feeding and sheltering.

* The Red Cross does not conduct search and rescue operations. We are an organization of civilian volunteers and cannot get relief aid into any location until the local authorities say it is safe and provide us with security and access.

* The original plan was to evacuate all the residents of New Orleans to safe places outside the city. With the hurricane bearing down, the city government decided to open a shelter of last resort in the Superdome downtown. We applaud this decision and believe it saved a significant number of lives.

* As the remaining people are evacuated from New Orleans, the most appropriate role for the Red Cross is to provide a safe place for people to stay and to see that their emergency needs are met. We are fully staffed and equipped to handle these individuals once they are evacuated.





Link: http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Because the head of the Red Cross is a GOP shill.

[2Design]

2. this is why red cross is not the best organization to give to

if you are looking to help people right away

it seems the only way to help these people would to be get in a car and go get them

because the government is letting them die

[Old Vet]

3. CEO of red cross says they were told not to go into NO........

She was covering her ass,She said it wasnt safe.

[Old Vet]

4. DO NOT give a fucking penny to the red cross

[SnoopDog]

5. bull crap... that is their job - to help people in their dire need.

[MnFats]

6. The Red Cross had no approved operations in NOLA..

...because there was no site in NOLA that they felt certain would be safe in the event of a major flood.

that's what i read somewhere.
believe it or don't.
just throwing the comment into the mix.
please don't flame me for this.

[sarahlee]

7. You have to read this diary

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/2/2125/04978

<...>
So I called the Red Cross and asked them if its true....

And, to my surprise, the nice lady answering the phone said it was true and they told/asked/ordered not to enter NO. She then went right into her spiel about all the other work the Red Cross was doing across the region. I said that's nice, but I still didn't understand why they weren't in NO. To my amazement, she patiently explained it to me. I even called back to verify what she said. This time she asked if I was media, I said no, just a concerned and confused contributor.

So here goes: Homeland Security (her term, not mine) told the Red Cross DO NOT enter New Orleans and says this still now. And why, you may ask? Not Security. Not worker safety. Not lack of access. It was because people would be drawn to the Red Cross food and they wouldn't want to go to be evacuated. So I asked: "The people starving and dying at the convention center yesterday couldn't get Red Cross food and water because they would be drawn to the food at the convention center, where they were, and not want to be evacuated from the convention center where no evacuations were going on or planned and all the while they are dying". (Actually, it was a couple questions.) She went back into her spiel about all of the other good work they were doing. When I asked again, she said yes, that was true. She seem relieved to admit it.

In closing, I asked if she asked this question before since she was very familiar with the answer she gave. She said yes. And I promised another donation. Which they will get after this post.

So, the question for Bushies, why was the Red Cross banned from NO when they knew people were starving? Could it be they were saving the convention center rescue until Bush's visit today? It certainly seems like it. Doesn't it?

Red Cross National Affairs number (202-303-5551)

Some interesting stuff in the comments to the diary as well.

[FloridaPat]

8. It really does look like they are trying to kill these folks. How can

people be this incompetent? How can they even think these things. How can one not want to be out of a city without water, electricity, or police. A city stinking with bad water and dead bodies. Are these people nuts?

[riverwalker]

9. NO RED CROSS IN NEW ORLEANS

incredible. This needs to be sent to every media outlet.

[sarahlee]

10. Someone else made some calls...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/3/02454/07418

Let's get this to Keith Olberman and Jon Stewart. MSNBC was raising money for the Red Cross tonight so should be interested.