Malone Bulldozes over Katrina red tape

[Coexist]

via Michael Moore

Karl Malone is a hero

I don't care if the man is a Democrat, Republican, Neocon or Socialist - the man is a hero. So please don't reply that he once donated to this cause or that, or drives whatever. I don't care. He did good and will get his props.

When former Utah Jazz all-star Karl Malone brought his logging company in Arkansas into Pascagoula, Miss. to clear out debris left behind by Hurricane Katrina, his team was met by a brick wall named Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and orange cones nicknamed the Army Corps of Engineers. Both said Malone wasn't authorized to bring his machinery into the area to clear private property.

<snip>
''There was a lot of red tape, and I ain't got time for that,'' he told AP. ''I found out that if you're going to do something good, just go ahead and do it. Once I get in my machine, no one is going to get me out. We just said 'the hell with it.' FEMA didn't approve, but we did it for the people.''

<snip>
''We were totally self-contained with our own food and everything,'' said Malone. ''We didn't want to take even one bottle of water away from these people. When we told them we were doing this for free, they looked at us like we were crazy or something.''

<snip>
''Everything about this just felt right,'' the NBA vet tells AP. ''My mom died two years ago, and in our last conversation, she told me that one day I would have to step up on a grand scale and help people. I knew this was it.''

This makes me smile and cry at the same time. Good for him.

[Glorfindel]

1. No argument from me! As a resident of Mississippi...

I appreciate Mr. Malone's contributions, and those of everyone else who has helped out during the great catastrophe. The fact that he bypassed FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers just adds icing to the cake, in my opinion.
:evilgrin:

[astonamous]

2. I read something similar to this a couple of months ago...

I don't know if Malone has been there clearing debris or if this is the same story, but he's right, the red-tape is ridiculous under these circumstances. The work needs to be done and the only way it is going to get done is to do it. All the paper work can wait for another day.

Good for Karl - even though he is a backwoods redneck that likes to do those he-man things like hunting and chopping down trees or driving big trucks...he has always been generous to those with less.

And you are right, it doesn't matter the politics or beliefs someone has, if they do something good, they should be recognized for that. If we were all the same, the world would be really boring. I have even found it necessary to thank Sen. Hatch a couple of times when he has stepped out of the Republican line on a couple of issues.

[babylonsister]

3. Malone 'gets it'. Why can't FEMA? nt

[poverlay]

4. Now there goes a REAL AMERICAN. Nice to see. Thanks4post n.t.

[madokie]

5. A good feel good sunday morning read, thanks for posting

I read about him shortly after the hurricanes struck and that he was taking his machines and personel to the coast to help clean up. I have a son down there now working in the clean up.