FEMA to expel volunteers from Gulf Coast

[markus]

In another dizzying twist in the alternate reality in which FEMA operates, the organization is moving to close camps housing thousands of volunteers helping with recovery efforts in the New Orleans area.

In a story reported by WWL-TV's online site but not picked up by the Times-Picayune, FEMA has announced that tent sites housing over 3,000 volunteers will close April 10 and 11. "FEMA originally had contracts for about the last six months to operate three camps in the New Orleans areas, and the contracts run out mid-April,” said FEMA representative Leo Skinner.

“Right now the biggest issue for us, especially coming up this summer when every youth group in the country wants to come down here, is where are we going to house them, where are we going to put them, where are we going to feed them?” questioned Aaron Arledge with the Louisiana Baptist Convention.

“The tent cities are critical in maintaining that level of volunteerism. If they are shut down or they go away, we’re going to have two alternatives. We’re either going to lose hundreds of hard working, willing volunteers, or we’re going to have to scramble to find other housing for them,” said Jim Pate with
Habitat for Humanity.

The only other media coverage has been by the Christian Broadcasting Network and a posting/discussion thread on the liberal political site TPM Cafe. Many of the volunteers come from church groups or liberal action groups, two groups not used to sharing showers and cafeterias...

The rest here on Wet Bank Guide.

[saltpoint]

1. "Not used to sharing showers and cafeterias..." ?

How much adjustment does a cafeteria require of these folks, anyway?

And since FEMA obviously has failed miserably to provie support, it seems as if these church groups are doing FEMA's job. In this one instance, if 17-year-olds are doing part of the government's job, they should get part of the government's pay.

At least they showed up.

[knitter4democracy]

12. Yeah, they are.

I did stuff in my youth group and later my Christian college that entailed sharing facilities with other groups. It's not a problem. Heck, for the St. Louis flood clean-up in 1993, we all slept on the floor of a high school hallway in sleeping bags and had to share the girls locker room with hundreds of other girls. It all worked out fine.

I don't think they want the money, though--give that to the people still trying to rebuild. They need it more.

[saltpoint]

14. Hi, knitter4democracy. It sounds to me like your experience was

similar to what some of these folks may be having, and if it's like yours, it's a noble thing, and it also sounds like you handled deprivation beautifully. It really does. Hats off to sacrifices like that.

Also agree with you wholeheartedly on the money part.

[knitter4democracy]

44. It's just what we all should do.

I remember sitting cramped in the back of a van for hours only to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor when we got there. Then, when we got to the site, it was frankly scary. I had never seen filth like that--flood waters up to the rafters, and we had to gut it all. There were fish in the walls and black gook everywhere.

I think of that all the time now after Katrina--how those people need a lot of people helping them.

[marmar]

2. Trailers that no one can use, expelled volunteers....

FEMA - Fucked if there's an EMergency Agency.

[merh]

3. See the government does not want the Gulf Coast to rebuild.

If they did, they would be supporting the volunteers not pulling out on them.

[markus]

21. Ports open, Oil & gas back over 80% of capacity

Mission accomplished.

The million survivors of Katrina and Rita are collateral damage in their march to the sea. Those that vote Red (Mississippi gulf coasters) get five times the aid. NOLA and associated areas, well, too damn bad, but we can't send any money to you good Red folks in St. Benard and St. Tammany and Plaquemine cause of all those untrustworthy dusky folks down there.

Calcasieu Cameron? Is he that Cajun comic, you know, the "how y'all are?" guy?

Only in the last instance, the survivors of Rita, is it just plain old incompetence and cluelessness I believe.

[Nikki Stone1]

24. Yup. The "important" stuff is fixed. Screw the people.

:kick:

[pitohui]

28. five times the aid in mississippi

what's scary is you go over there, as i did last week, and they've done fuck-all repairing gulf coast mississippi either

five times the aid is still not enough

i hear most folks in cameron and plaquemines have given up on any chance of return

st. bernard is not giving up, i would say many or most of those folks have surprising reserves of savings (blue collar but not a high spending lifestyle and extended families who are pooling money) and they seem to be buying homes in st. tammany and putting up as many family members as possible and just digging in and refusing to be disappeared

[merh]

41. It is scary, isn't it.

Folks would be appalled if they came here to see what the government has done to help folks.

[markus]

47. The levee cost news is going to upset St. Bernard

I am going to piss some people off, but one of my next blog posts will be that any efforts to protect land east of NOLA should wait to next year, for focus on getting the protection in place for the core of NOLA, where people are back.

In case you're from St. Bernard, before you flame on, please read this:

http://wetbankguide.blogspot.com/2006/03/parish.html

[Horse with no Name]

31. Hiya Merh!

Is that the case? Or do they just want to make sure one of their croney's get paid to do it--no matter how long it takes?
These damned volunteers are screwing up their profit margins.
:hug:

[merh]

42. Profit margins

are very important to this evil bunch.

Screw the people, full profits ahead :cry:

[wtmusic]

33. The Iraq syndrome?

Get the oil flowing, and screw the people. So predictable.

[acmejack]

4. The proof is there for all to see.

They are blocking every effort to help these victimized folks. We can't even help these poor suffering people on our own dime. WTF is going on?

[MiniMe]

5. They have to take off those rose colored glasses first n/t

[file83]

37. All those volunteers are proving departments like FEMA are useless...

...which means that FEMA's budget could get reduced next year. Why pay FEMA to do what others volunteer and do for free? So FEMA's solution is to kick the volunteers out so that FEMA can be the only option left. That way they can ask for more money in next years budget package.

Government is sick like that. Just ask Sibel Edmonds about her experience within the FBI.

[babylonsister]

6. Rec'd for total disgust. Yet another reason to add to the list

why this government is so ineffective.

[Betsy Ross]

8. I disagree

*Co has been extremely effective in accomplishing its goals. Katrina was just a boost to their adgenda to turn the Blue portions of the Gulf states into resorts for Repukes.

[babylonsister]

11. The upcoming hurricane season will tell the tale, won't it.

Is it all calculated, or are they sincerely inept? My vote's for the latter.

[ooglymoogly]

16. this is the lihop government

calling it treason is far worse than calling it incompetence so they will settle for incompetence.

[Joe Fields]

7. I wonder why the Times-Picayune didn't pick this story up.

Is this a credible story?

[egadsbrain]

9. I'm wondering too...

and where's Oprah... Anderson?
:shrug:

[markus]

18. WWL-TV is an authoritative news source

The CBN is, well, at least they pretend to be news, so the fact that they have a story tells me there's a story there, even if I wouldn't normally rely on them as a source.

I'm hoping that a few former colleages in journalism who now work at the Castle Newhouse, whom I know read Wet Bank Guide, will wonder this themselves.

[Joe Fields]

22. I haven't seen where FEMA actually said they were kicking

tent city people out. I have only seen conclusions drawn. I am no fan of FEMA, but it is a leap to conclude that because FEMA says their lease is up in mid April, that the tent cities are going to close.

Can you provide more convincing info? It could just be that FEMA will renew the agreements.

[markus]

23. I have seen an email distributed to people using the camps

on the TPM Cafe thread.

Again, WWL-TV says the camps are scheduled to close, won't commit to extending them, and have informed people to prepare to clear out.

Go follow the TPM link from the original Wet Bank Guide story.

[Maestro]

10. Over the west side of Louisiana the digust with FEMA

is still felt. North on Highway 27 I snapped this pic.

[markus]

19. Calcasieu and Cameron are the forgotten story

Everything in New Orleans, and then the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Nobody remember that Rita leveled much of two parishes. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of sympathy for NOLA west of, oh, the 17th Street Canal. It's too damn bad, cause we're all in this together. And with a name like Folse, well, mine came up from LaFourche but we're all kin to some extent.

The next successful politician will be the one who can tie together the votes of the metro NOLA area--Orleans and suburban--along with St. Tamanny (which is of course part of suburban NOLA) with those of the southwest.

The only caveat I have is that the last sucessful politician to pull of something like that was named Huey Long, riding the results of the 1927 flood. Given our history, we have to be careful what we wish for. But some good, honest populist (little p) anger put to good use wouldn't be a bad thing.

[AnnInLa]

26. Don't forget us in Vermilion please!

Altho, we did get a bus tour last week, made up of state congress-critters rubbernecking at us like we were in a zoo or something. They started in Calcasieu and worked their way this way. Then, after that exhausting tour, they all dined on fresh Louisiana seafood! Yay, mission accomplished.

[markus]

45. Sorry. I will look at the map

next time before I discuss SW La. to remind myself.

[havocmom]

13. Corporate gods Forbid that young people should discover doing good

instead of mindlessly consuming in the pursuit of trying to feel good about themselves!

Corporate gods Forbid that people should find out they have the power to affect changes instead of feeling helpless and dependent on what is marketed to them!

Corporate gods Forbid that there should be any independent observations about the shortcomings of government for profit!

Corporate gods Forbid people should experience real humanity and become addicted to acting humanely!

Do I see another tent city in the making for THIS summer of our discontent, not unlike Camp Casey of last summer? Damn STRAIGHT!

[BeFree]

15. Lesson:

You can't trust this government. Do you think a president Kerry would shut down these tent camps?

[robinlynne]

17. I'm sure they would leave them open if they were paying a few million

dollars to halliburton.

[SoCalDem]

20. It's back to the "stray dog" theory..

Remember when Dad would say "Stop feeding that stray dog and he'll just go away"? :cry:

That's FEMA's new plan apparently..close down what few amenities there are , and maybe the people will disappear too.. "problem" solved :(

[nicknameless]

25. Interesting that FEMA will take action to oust

people who are there to help, but continues to NOT take action themselves, to help.
Bodies of victims (of Katrina and the gov't) continue to be found, mountains of debris remain.
So much is left to be done, but all FEMA cares about is chasing out those who are willing to do the work.

:grr:

[alphafemale]

27. BULLSHIT! This pisses me off!

To borrow a line from Mike Malloy.

Have I told you how much I HATE THESE PEOPLE?

Bastards!

But this will NOT stop people from coming to help.

Forget building volunteer centers and "they will come."

You can TEAR DOWN the tent cities for the volunteers...

And they will STILL COME!!!

:mad: :grr: :nuke: :grr: :mad:

[2Design]

29. one thing they are good at - making sure no one helps - mission accomplish

again - BFEE does it again - they blocked all the help to start with - now they want to kill what is left of those that are not rich enough to take care of themselves

this is genocide

[SeattleGirl]

30. Jeebus! The government is doing their best to screw things up

and now they want to bring the volunteer effort down to THEIR level, rather than taking a cue from the volunteers and RAISING their (the government's) level to match the volunteers. These folks are there because they care about their brother and sister citizens, they care about what's happened in the Gulf region, and now FEMA wants to send them away? Fuck that shit!

It may not do any good, but I say let's slam FEMA with calls and emails and letters about this, and demand they let the tent cities stay. Let the volunteers keep doing what they're doing -- helping in ways this screwed up agency can't seem to do!

[justice1]

32. In my opinion FEMA isn't incompetent

They want to frustrate locals to the point that they give up, and start over somewhere else.

The land will be dirt cheap, developers will start buying everything, and the government will find money for reconstruction projects.

[izzybeans]

34. Key word is contracts: Privatized red tape trumps humanity every time.

[Kurovski]

35. Add this to the list of outrages BushCo keeps racking up.

Recommended.

[file83]

36. With a government agency like FEMA, who needs Al Qaida?

[northofdenali]

38. My god, file83, I thought it - and you said it!

I'm becoming convinced that they will starve or medically neglect seniors to death, ditto poor children, ditto the mentally or pysically disabled - they are looking for slaves. The response to Katrina is just another of their methods to be sure no one recovers from any disaster.

[file83]

39. Yeah, I agree. Katrina/N.O. is just a huge, sick, twisted, sociological

experiment to push the envelope of Government control within our own borders! No one wants to talk about New Orleans and how fucked up it still is. We all KNOW what's going on, but don't want to face the ugly truth: Our gov't is conducting a large experiment on using a "disaster" to transform society.

They have displaced the residents, taken away their property rights, supplied disinformation about how they orchestrated the "failure" with Michael Brown being the 'fall guy' (that was a test in and of itself), FEMA is now kicking out the volunteers trying to help the Gulf Coast recover, and the Government is trying something that has never happened before on U.S. soil: proposing the disbandment of a police district and replacing them with the PRIVATE MERCENARY GROUP "Black Water".

Yeah, like I said, they are destroying America from within. I just wonder, what other disasters will follow this prototype?

[BR_Parkway]

40. Glad the church groups are getting a first hand look at Compassionate

Conservatism from Glorious Leader.

It should do much to further erode his base of support.

[markus]

46. Never thought of that angle but it's a good one n/t

[lies and propaganda]

43. This debacle was LIHOP from start to finish.

they couldnt give a shit about La and its people.

[Trevelyan]

48. drowning of New Orleans and the federal government's bizarre response

http://www.unknownnews.org/0509160916Docmuststop.html

Filed under: Katrina: A criminal catastrophe
The drowning of New Orleans and the federal government's bizarre response

Aug. 29, 2005:
As Katrina strikes, FEMA urges first-responders not to respond

Sept. 2, 2005:
Who is this incompetent doofus running FEMA?
by Rachel R., Unknown News

Sept. 2, 2005:
Emergency crews turned back by FEMA:
They lacked "the required paperwork"

Sept. 2, 2005:
FEMA won't allow airboats to rescue Katrina victims

Sept. 2, 2005:
Troops sent to New Orleans for "combat operation"
with comments by Rebecca and Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 3, 2005:
FEMA chief had to be 'asked to resign' from previous job with horse club

Sept. 3, 2005:
FEMA turned back 500-boat rescue flotilla

Sept. 3, 2005:
Bush declares "zero tolerance" for New Orleans
survivors seeking food and water

Sept. 3, 2005:
Thousands of New Orleans refugees held at gunpoint,
not allowed to leave growing hell of Superdome
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 3, 2005:
Homeland Security stops Red Cross from bringing food for New Orleans
with comments by Sir J and Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 3, 2005:
Police official says Nat'l Guardsmen 'played cards' amid New Orleans chaos

Sept. 4, 2005:
Red tape keeps hundreds of doctors from helping hurricane survivors

Sept. 4, 2005:
Homeland Security Chief says New Orleans disaster couldn't have been predicted
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 4, 2005:
College sophomores used fake press passes to circumvent FEMA's rescue roadblocks
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 4, 2005:
Navy hospital & water purification ship anchored on nearby coast, underused

Sept. 4, 2005:
FEMA turns down water, fuel for New Orleans, cuts area's emergency communication line

Sept. 5, 2005:
FEMA "dragging its feet" as businesses try to help hurricane, flood victims

Sept. 5, 2005:
Firefighters waited five days for FEMA's OK to enter New Orleans, then gave up, returned to Houston

Sept. 6, 2005:
Now is the time for pointing fingers
by John M., Unknown News

Sept. 6, 2005:
No food drops planned for New Orleans
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 6, 2005:
U.S. military smuggled white vacationers out of New Orleans Superdome squalor
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 6, 2005:
As New Orleans waits, FEMA sends firefighters to seminar, assigns them to hand out fliers

Sept. 6, 2005:
New Orleans during the disaster:

Police lied to survivors, blocked escape from city
by Larry Bradshaw and Lorrie Beth Slonsky, EMS Network
From inside New Orleans as the crisis worsened, these survivors found that the authorities were never any help, and often an ugly enemy.

Sept. 6, 2005:
FEMA head specifically ordered lackadaisical response to "near catastrophic" Hurricane Katrina

Sept. 7, 2005:
International offers of help came immediately, but U.S. approval was delayed by days

Sept. 7, 2005:
FEMA's top-level management stacked with Bush's cronies
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 8, 2005:
FEMA contractors arrested for looting
with comments by Underground Panther in the Sky

Sept. 8, 2005:
Katrina survivors "evacuated" at the point of a gun
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 8, 2005:
Canadian search-and-rescue team first to reach New Orleans suburb

Sept. 9, 2005:
"Mission accomplished" in New Orleans
by Harry Highwater, Unknown News

Sept. 9, 2005:
Homeowners' guns confiscated in New Orleans, police threaten evacuation by force
with comments by Sir J and Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 10, 2005:
FEMA sent back German plane carrying fifteen tons of food for hurricane victims

Sept. 11, 2005:
Experts question how much looting and mayhem really took place in New Orleans
with comments by The Coyote and Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 11, 2005:
New Orleans doctors had to kill their patients

Sept. 11, 2005:
Sheriff threatens to arrest FEMA officials
Countermands FEMA order that stores remain closed

Sept. 11, 2005:
Bush signs executive order lowering wages across Katrina-devastated areas
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 12, 2005:
Racist police blocked bridge and forced evacuees back at gunpoint
with comments by Chris M. and Helen & Harry Highwater

Sept. 13, 2005:
Chertoff delayed federal response to Katrina disaster, memo shows

Sept. 13, 2005:
As bodies are recovered, reporters are threatened: 'No photos, no stories'
http://www.unknownnews.org/0509160913NoPhotosNoStories.html

Sept. 14, 2005:
Feds delayed Nat'l Guard's hurricane response for days

~~Doctor says FEMA ordered him to stop treating hurricane victims

by Laurie Smith Anderson,The Advocate Sept. 16, 2005

In the midst of administering chest compressions to a dying woman several days after Hurricane Katrina struck, Dr. Mark N. Perlmutter was ordered to stop by a federal official because he wasn't registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency....http://www.unknownnews.org/0509160916Docmuststop.html

[Coastie for Truth]

49. Thank you for posting this

and the direct link to http://www.unknownnews.org/0509160916Docmuststop.html with its included links to http://www.unknownnews.org/0509090903RedCross.html and http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html and http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05246/565143.stm

It is important to get the word out that the ball was not dropped by the Red Cross or Salvation Army Volunteers in the shelters and kitchens- or by the brave air crew members of the USCG, but at the Executive Management Level of the National Command Authority in the White House, DHS, and FEMA.

I was a Red Cross Katrina Relief Worker.

Earlier in my career I was a HazMat Officer at Coast Guard Captain of the Port, New Orleans, and my wife taught at a Public School in the Lower Ninth Ward.