Homeless Katrina Victims Forced To Take Out Ad To Get Congress’ Attention
Homeless Katrina Victims Forced To Take Out Ad To Get Congress’ Attention
According to one of President Bush’s advisers, Katrina “has fallen so far off the radar screen, you can’t find it.†Meanwhile, Congress has not yet approved funding to repair New Orleans’ broken levee system. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has threatened to keep the Senate in session through holiday recess unless funding is approved for flood protection, and she is backing a D.C. rally tomorrow that hopes to bring attention to the issue.
A group of Katrina evacuees has taken action to counter the federal government’s apathy. In today’s edition of Roll Call, displaced residents of the Lakeview section of New Orleans purchased a full-page ad chastising the response thus far to Katrina. Together, they pooled some $10,000 to purchase the “Message From Homeless New Orleanians,†with the purpose of reviving awareness about their city’s perilous situation.
Here is an excerpt from the ad:
In the past three months, we have become experts at waiting. Waiting for flood waters to recede. Waiting for word from family and friends. Waiting to see what our homes and our city has become. … Now we are waiting on you.
It is fully within your power to spearhead the rebuilding of our flood protection and reclaim one of the nation’s most important cities from ruin. You can secure the Port of New Orleans and the surrounding infrastructure, insuring new commerce and economic opportunity. You can safeguard our lives from storm. You can support legislation that would assist the thousands of underinsured families who have nothing left but hope. All of this is in your power.
It’s truly a sad day when victims of a natural disaster have to purchase ad space to have their voices heard.
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I don’t know, Ryan – they have cheerleading championships on now you know.
December 13th, 2005 at 12:47 pmThat is shameful.
December 13th, 2005 at 12:48 pmThis is tragic – this must get to the MSM and it has to be shown and talked about over and over. I hope Sen. Landrieu is serious about keeping the Senate in session. This is a national (and international) disgrace.
December 13th, 2005 at 12:52 pmYeah, there are a lot of things that can be done, but not much will be done if it comes at the expense of neglecting the wealthiest among us.
Does anyone know the status of the reconstruction of Trent Lott’s porch in Mississippi? This has kept me up many a night, crouched down at the end of my bed as though it were the very edge of the world.
Whose helping Trent Lott?
December 13th, 2005 at 12:54 pmI hope Trent has a home for all of his cats.
December 13th, 2005 at 1:00 pmI bet most Iraqis would like us to take care of our own first and foremost.
December 13th, 2005 at 1:08 pmThis imbecile President is all for restoring and fixing Iraq, but he doesn’t give a damn about his own people affected by Katrina. Shame on him. There is a place in hell for this so-called President.
December 13th, 2005 at 1:11 pm“I don’t know, Ryan – they have cheerleading championships on now you know.
Comment by progressive and proud ”
Then bush is sure to be watching, you do realize he was a ‘cheerleader’ in college, where he earned the nickname of ‘lips bush’ :()
http://sf.indymedia.org/uploads/2004/10/2-22.jpg
December 13th, 2005 at 1:16 pmhttp://sf.indymedia.org/uploads/2004/10/school33.jpg
http://sf.indymedia.org/uploads/2004/10/cheerleader.jpg
It is even sadder yet that after purchasing the ad the only ones hearing their voices will be the choir themselves. There is no one in the Bushco that gives a damn and very few other WIIFMs (What’s In In For Me) in the Senate and House, Senator Landrieu possibly excepted, that care only if they can attach their own Pork to any bill. The Senate should be forced to remain in session until the entire Bushco is impeached, sent to Leavenworth, and the keys buried in the new levees in New Orleans.
December 13th, 2005 at 1:16 pmPretty emblematic of our current political system: want to get heard, it’ll cost you. So much for “free” speech.
December 13th, 2005 at 1:19 pmis it just me or does it seem liek maybe the paper could have given them a bit of a price break on the ad considering the situation?
December 13th, 2005 at 1:20 pmWell if they could afford to do business like everyone in Washington and buy a few congressmen, they may get someone attention. Too bad Jack Abramoff (sp?)is tied up at the moment. I hear he was really good at lobbying the pols…
December 13th, 2005 at 1:31 pm[...] From ThinkProgress we read of the ongoing Katrina boondoggle: Homeless Katrina Victims Forced To Take Out Ad To Get Congress’ Attention [...]
December 13th, 2005 at 1:32 pmDiebold’s CEO (and close personal friend of bush) resigns because of fraud and insider trading. Anyone still believe the voting machines are honest, when clearly the CEO was not?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/121305N.shtml
December 13th, 2005 at 1:39 pmAs someone posted somewhere, it’s a mostly minority, democratic city. The hell with el georgo’s photo ops and speech from Jackson Square. Those were for poll points. Bridges to nowhere and the disgrace in Iraq are more important to the “ruling class.” After all, Halliburton has already made money in the post-Katrina Gulf. What more is needed? Pardon me while I barf.
December 13th, 2005 at 1:40 pm“I’m outraged that these people are using our tax dollars to run an ad critical of the president in a time of war!”
(I’m just waiting for someone to say that…)
December 13th, 2005 at 1:49 pmhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/14/AR2005091402654.html
Since Katrina struck, Congress has already spent $62.3 billion, dwarfing the inflation-adjusted $17.8 billion that Congress spent on hurricanes Andrew, Iniki and Omar, which struck in 1992, and the $15.2 billion emergency appropriation for the Northridge, Calif., earthquake of 1994. The entire Persian Gulf War of 1991 cost less than $83 billion in today’s dollars.
It seems that some here are thinking that this ad has to do with the rebuilding of New Orleans … they’re not saying that … they’re saying that a new flood restraint system must be started.
Rebuilding began in earnest long ago but these people are worried about rebuilding and having the same thing happen again … makes sense. “It’s a mostly minority, democratic city” has ZERO to do with it … so is New York City. We can’t afford to lose the jobs and the infrastructure (long term) that exists in New Orleans.
December 13th, 2005 at 2:41 pm#16, paul, Bridges to nowhere and the disgrace in Iraq are more important to the “ruling class.”
December 13th, 2005 at 2:46 pmI am in total agreement with your comments. Isn’t it pathetic that rsidents have to take out an ad in the Capital newspaper so that they might be heard?
Bush will rebuild his bombed out Iraq before he devotes any real money or effort toward the Gulf region. He defended himself, saying “don’t call me a racist,” but he offered no reason why we shouldn’t think that. His actions are racist, and anti-poor. He is a Christian in Name Only (CINO) — he doesn’t have a clue concerning compassion and morality – much like his Republican friends on the hill.
#8 Those aren’t his own people in New Orleans, they are black people and we all know what Kanye West had to say about that.
December 13th, 2005 at 2:55 pm“The future is made of the same stuff as the present.”
Simone Weil
December 13th, 2005 at 3:32 pmThe flood protection system around New Orleans was financed and built by the Federal government. If those levees failed under forces they were designed to resist, the Federal government is liable for the losses. Relief, resuce, reconstruction – call it whatever you want – is not an act of charity by Congress, it is an obligation of Congress on the part of the Federal agencies that failed to perform.
December 13th, 2005 at 3:50 pmDevil’s advocate here – why is there consideration of rebuilding a city that’s below sea level and continuing to sink? For the sake of the ‘historical’ argument, ancient cities are being excavated all the time. Many places that were wonderful have been lost. But I truly fail to see the logic in reconstructing a city and re-establishing a community in an area that is likely to experience similar devastation in the future.
Of course it’s difficult; but rather than holding on to the past, we might be thinking about building a more secure/safer future.
December 13th, 2005 at 4:16 pmMeow,
Much of the problem with NOLA has to do with the development that went on in the marshlands and wetlands surrounding. Money, yanno, and both Democratic and Republican admins have allowed this to happen. There is a very delicate eco-balance in that area, like many areas, and this is part of a much larger complex problem. There are folks here who know more about this than I.
December 13th, 2005 at 4:48 pmBushs first priority was not to help Katrina victoms , it was taxbreaks of course , oh and that law that gave people 9 dollars an hour {oh boy} of pay for lost jobs whatever it was , not a big surprise .
December 13th, 2005 at 4:52 pmIsnt it interesting how fraudulent “victims” like Bill O’Reilly and the Fox News Pimps are able to broadcast their fake victimhood (e.g. war on Christmas) – nothing more than a PR stunt – while the actual victims are left behind and ignored.
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
December 13th, 2005 at 5:00 pmThey’ll laugh at that ad. They simply do not care. This is what our country has become thanks to Bush and the Republicans. If you’re not rich, you’re forgotten.
December 13th, 2005 at 5:05 pmNot all of New Orleans is below sea level, parts of it are more than 10 feet ABOVE sea level. Not all of New Orleans is “continuing to sink.” Parts of New Orleans are sinking at an excruciatingly slow rate, about 0.16 to 0.6 inches per year, according to the National Geodetic Survey.
A very good education can be had at http://www.umces.edu/President/Kusky%20critique.pdf.
New Orleans can be protected by levees and pumps. Over half a million New Orleanians live in their dry, unflooded homes. Those homes were protected by levees and pumps.
December 13th, 2005 at 6:04 pmThe saddest and stupidest part of the entire New Orleans Disaster is that it took longer for authorities in the USA to respond than it did for a number of third world countries too respond to the needs of their citizens when there is a disaster. I have an incredibly hard time believing authorities saying they were surprised or that the logistics were too difficult. How is this even possible it really seems like the administration never gave a dam in the first place. I know for a fact that a number of charities in Canada were prepared to send aid to New Orleans two day after the Hurricane the president turned them down saying they didn’t need the aid. (It was 4 day’s before the administration realised people even needed food.)
December 13th, 2005 at 10:07 pmWell, let’s stop blaming Bush here and do something constructive! How many of you have written your congress person and told them to get on the ball with this recovery effort. If you haven’t, then do it….NOW!
December 13th, 2005 at 11:09 pmJesus. They have to take out an ad to get DC to realize they need to rebuild a levee system that can sustain at least a Cat 3 BEFORE rebuilding their homes?
Isn’t this just plain common sense anyway?
Well, don’t worry because Laura and Santa Clause has been visiting everyone down south to let them know they “Shouldn’t be sad”. ::gag::
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/state/13391206.htm
December 14th, 2005 at 6:36 am“Try not to be sad. It’s very important for your children.”
Let’s all hope someone else is driving Laura around and she’s not behind the wheel……..Blessings
December 14th, 2005 at 10:44 am>It is “SAME OLD –SAME OLD!!
December 14th, 2005 at 10:49 amA man is a man who makes a promise and KEEPS THE PROMISE..or was “the hugging scene of Mr.BUSH( on the TELEVISION) just a photo “OP”….CHEAP!! HOW could MRS.BUSH tolerate this from anyone especially A HUSBAND….
…….again…..ALL TALK!! where is the ACTION..(if only in the movies!!)
Another post where no republican apologist dares show up. Typical. History will mark us in this time as being quite evil and uncaring of our own people, while shouting and screaming about helping out those poor Iraqis. This is a reflection on where our countries morals have gone – being led by the fundamentalist right wing Christian (wannabes): “I got mine, get your own”. Jesus would be SO proud of us right now. In fact, he IS: he’s sent message to Lucifer that he’s going to need to expand hell’s housing by (oh, how many peole are in America?….). I just want a seat close to the SOB’s who brought us to this moral vaccuum so I can watch them burn. Anyone got any sunblock 1000?
December 15th, 2005 at 11:16 amXBOX 360
XBOX 360 games
December 17th, 2005 at 6:53 pmVerizon Ringtones
Verizon Ringtones
December 18th, 2005 at 11:00 amSomebody tell Bush, Congress, & WhateverGutlessBastards that there’s “terrorists running around New Orleans” and maybe they’ll find the money, time, and motivation to do something about it. WAKE THE F UP!
-Louisiana Resident
December 18th, 2005 at 9:42 pmWedding Bands
Wedding Bands
December 20th, 2005 at 6:26 pm50Cent
50Cent
December 20th, 2005 at 10:17 pmwedding ring
wedding rings
January 1st, 2006 at 1:28 pm