ThinkFast AM: June 6, 2006
ThinkFast AM: June 6, 2006
The Defense Department’s quarterly report to Congress on Iraq claims the “Iraqis have confidence the new Baghdad government will improve the situation.” But the poll the Pentagon used to prove this point “is described as a ‘nationwide survey’ with no explanation of who was polled and how.â€
The Supreme Court has agreed to rule on two cases that will determine the role of affirmative action in elementary and secondary schools, a move that could ultimately “spell the end of official efforts to maintain racial integration in U.S. public schools.” “It’s bad news for desegregation advocates,” said Goodwin Liu of the University of California at Berkeley. “It looks like the more conservative justices see they have a fifth vote to reverse these cases.”
“A lawyer for terror suspect Jose Padilla has filed a motion to suppress evidence” he claims the FBI obtained illegally from two sources, one of whom was allegedly tortured after U.S. rendition. The informant, a Pakistani, says he was hung by leather straps in his cell and “tortured by means of a razor being used to make incisions on his chest and his genitals.”
Nearly 1,400 Iraqi civilians were killed across Baghdad in May, the largest number of deaths in one month since the U.S.-led invasion three years ago.
The U.S. military has cut the number of Iraqi civilians killed at checkpoints or shot by U.S. convoys to about one a week today from about seven a week in July. The statistics indicate hundreds of Iraqi civilians were killed at checkpoints or on Iraqi highways during the first two years of the war, a period when statistics were not recorded. The killings are “are almost always the result of mistakes.â€
While the Senate debates a gay marriage amendment and Paris Hilton Tax repeal, Congress has yet to approve funds for spending in Iraq and the Gulf Coast. “This supplemental [spending bill] went up in February,†said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. “It’s now June.†Because of the delay, “the Army will impose a civilian hiring freeze Tuesday and has cut spending on spare parts, transportation and travel.â€
U.S. officials fear a domestic terror attack is likely before the end of the year, as activity by “homegrown” cells is increasing. “The next attack here, officials predict, will bear no resemblance to Sept. 11. The casualty toll will not be that high, the target probably not that big.â€
California State Attorney General Bill Lockyear “has begun hauling the CEOs of major oil companies into his office – demanding, in closed door sessions, that those executives tell him, under oath, why gas prices are higher in California than almost anywhere else in the nation.â€
The Security and Peace Initiative (SPI), which is co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress, is hosting a major foreign policy conference today in New York called “Power and Superpower: Global Leadership for the 21st Century.” Democracy Arsenal, the official SPI blog, will be live-blogging the event all day.
And finally: When asked by a reporter if he would see Al Gore’s global warming documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,†Jeb Bush said, “No, I’m not going to be doing that.†(He did see the latest X-Men movie, which he described as “excellent.â€)
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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A Very Late Checkout
“He’s been broke for over a month now. fema sent him $9,000 in housing aid, but he spent it all on booze, cigarettes, some clothes, and food—partying, mostly. “I spent my money just the way I wanted, and I think [fema] should send me some more,†he says.”
I’ve found my poster boy on why personal responsibility should count for more, and the expectation of gov’t support should be non-existent, even his case-worker is fed up:
June 6th, 2006 at 9:20 am“When Johnson’s caseworker, Sharon, comes around, she gives him some bus passes and maybe a few bucks, but she’s getting frustrated. “They sit around on their butts watching TV. There’s only but so much I can do if they’re not willing to help themselves.—
1400 killed in May. Things are just going so well. And isn’t it great that folks aren’t getting killed at checkpoints so much anymore. Makes you want to give the Republicans a big hug don’t it?
50 Ways To Dump The Dubya
June 6th, 2006 at 9:21 amOf course the Bush’s won’t see an Inconvenient Truth – it’s against family honor to respect truth. Plus, I imagine the oil companies made sure their money was being thrown at Bush’s as a hint not to see it.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:25 am#1 I found my poster boy on conservatives and republicans in Bush. And frankly, mine beats yours any day.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:28 amAnd this is the man our Commander-in-Chief has said would make an excellent President. Why should he mess up his pretty head with inconvenient truths?
June 6th, 2006 at 9:37 amTHE WIN HO LEE CASE
The United States Government and several newspapers settled this civil case for huge buck.
Daniel Schorr is reporting, per ATRIOS that the reason for the settlement was the fact that our federal government had people feeding the papers “bullshit” on Lee, accusing him of everything under the sun. None of the source allegations were true.
The government urged the papers to settle the case because they did not want the “sources” to be named in court in this civil case.
Do I smell Karl Rove here? Absolutely, this was his operation from start to finish.
In other words folks the government, in the guise of Karl Rove fed false information to newspapers about Lee and when crunch time came talked the papers into settling the case so the names of the sources would not be revealed.
This is another example of your government in action.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:44 amBut since our Commander-in-Chief says we don’t torture (all the while reserving the right to torture), the informant must be lying.
Recall the earlier story about the possibility of Prime Minister Blair being converted to Catholicism? Perhaps the Catholic Church can teach Blair and Bush some of the techniques they used during the Inquisition. Certainly using the Iron Maiden, The Rack and other measures can be justified as “time-honored interrogation techniques.”
June 6th, 2006 at 9:45 amSomeone should tell the troops that their expectations of government support should be non-existent. Congress has FAR more important issues to deal with.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:47 amLooks like we’ve reached another “turning point.”
June 6th, 2006 at 9:49 amWow Squeege. I guess this one person’s irresponsibility is supposed to taint the rest of the victims of Katrina. In that case, all conservatives must be crooks since so many are being carted off to jail lately. If I use your logic then most conservatives are gay since Mary Cheney is a lesbian and the Log Cabin Republicans are a bunch of rump rangers. Do you see how ignorant it is to use the actions of one to stereotype others?
I think the people who lost all that they owned during hurricanes Katrina and Rita deserve some compassion. It didn’t happen to you so it’s easy to jeer from the sidelines. I would think that you would use more restraint though. This was a natural disaster and we all could fall victim to one. If you were homeless with nothing to show for your entire life’s work except a FEMA check then maybe you would appreciate a little compassion yourself. It costs you nothing to acknowledge and sympathize with the plight of those that have lost everything. Maybe you should use some of the time you waste trying to find a poster boy to volunteer. People are still homeless. Neighborhoods are still barren. But I guess none of that matters because “Johnson” is partying.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:50 amCyra, right you are!
“While the Senate debates a gay marriage amendment and Paris Hilton Tax repeal, Congress has yet to approve funds for spending in Iraq and the Gulf Coast.”
Let’s not forget, there’s an Amendment to ban flag burning in the works, too. All of these issues are far more important to the American People than protecting the lives of a few young men and women who, after all, volunteered to join the military and sacrifice their lives so that we can have the freedom to ban gay marriage, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:53 amBeware, Our Own Government approaches.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:54 amA Very Late Checkout
“He’s been broke for over a month now. fema sent him $9,000 in housing aid, but he spent it all on booze, cigarettes, some clothes, and food—partying, mostly. “I spent my money just the way I wanted, and I think [fema] should send me some more,†he says.â€
I’ve found my poster boy on why personal responsibility should count for more, and the expectation of gov’t support should be non-existent, even his case-worker is fed up:
“When Johnson’s caseworker, Sharon, comes around, she gives him some bus passes and maybe a few bucks, but she’s getting frustrated. “They sit around on their butts watching TV. There’s only but so much I can do if they’re not willing to help themselves.â€â€
Comment by squegeeboo
Well now that you have shown us YOUR typical black person … here is a typical white person… right?
Video
June 6th, 2006 at 9:54 amExactly Gerald, I was def. going for a racial statement on that one.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:58 amExactly Gerald, I was def. going for a racial statement on that one.
Comment by squegeeboo
Ya I figured. It was an easy guess considering your outlook on life.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:01 amYou know what was REALLY dumb? Just handing out $9000… why didnt that come with some strings attached? Like helping to rebuild his own house? Help rebuild your house and you get $9000. Or help rebuild your house and one other persons house and you get $9000… Doesnt the government have smart people sitting around figuring out how to organize the reconstruction of these peoples lives? Ohhhh ya… We got a republican administration right now… well I guess a bunch of cronies are not exactly engineer types…
June 6th, 2006 at 10:08 amPeople are still homeless.
People like Johnson, there’s no excuse for receiving a few thousand dollar check from fema and still being homeless.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:09 am“U.S. officials fear a domestic terror attack is likely before the end of the year…” Oh boy. It now seems it is safe to anticipate the worst. They are TELLING us there will be an attack, but they aren’t going to kill TOO many people. It will no doubt occur before the election, giving everyone the chance to make sure that we ’stay the course’ with the government, as it is now. Stability matters! I am officially freaked out now. I hate that I am even capable of thinking this way, let alone willing to share it. I feel like crying… maybe later.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:12 amthere’s no excuse for receiving a few thousand dollar check from fema and still being homeless.
Comment by bhealy — June 6, 2006 @ 10:09 am
I would love to see you people with no compassion, or sense of reality, be put into a situation where you had to survive. Might humanize you yet.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:13 amPeople like Johnson, there’s no excuse for receiving a few thousand dollar check from fema and still being homeless.
Comment by bhealy
Where can you buy a house for $9000?
June 6th, 2006 at 10:13 amYou know what was REALLY dumb? Just handing out $9000
Yet when the funding was cut ya’ll bitch and moan.
Help rebuild your house and you get $9000. Or help rebuild your house and one other persons house and you get $9000… Doesnt the government have smart people sitting around figuring out how to organize the reconstruction of these peoples lives?
It’s difficult for the Feds to stipulate how the money is used. Its the state government’s responsibility. They were failing in that so the the Feds got fed up and said no more money until you show you can use it well.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:15 amWhere can you buy a house for $9000?
You don’t need to purchase a house to not be homeless. That will cover many months of rent.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:19 amStr8UpNoChaser
“It costs you nothing to acknowledge and sympathize with the plight of those that have lost everything. Maybe you should use some of the time you waste trying to find a poster boy to volunteer. People are still homeless. Neighborhoods are still barren.”
It costs me nothing, except my tax dollars, which thankfully Fema has finally stopped giving to people like him. And people who go about trying to rebuild I sympathize for, peoplpe who are to lazy to do anything besides sit in a hotel room waiting for the gov’t to take care of them, I have no sympathy for.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:20 amIf they had proper insurance they would have had the money to restart.
People are still homeless, yah, like the people who sit in a hotel room doing nothing, and expecting the gov’t to take care of them
Neighborhoods are still barren, because people are still sitting in hotel rooms doing nothing, waiting for the gov’t to take care of them.
I would love to see you people with no compassion, or sense of reality, be put into a situation where you had to survive. Might humanize you yet.
He received a large check. When does the money get cut off and “reality” set in?
June 6th, 2006 at 10:21 am#17 Bhealy:
People like Johnson, there’s no excuse for receiving a few thousand dollar check from fema and still being homeless.
Comment by bhealy — June 6, 2006 @ 10:09 am
Okay, I’ll bite. What kind of home would $3,000 buy? If you spend the whole $3,000 on housing what will you eat? What will you wear? How will you provide for your children? How will you pay for cleanup of your property? How will you pay for demolition of your home if necessary? When you have nothing, I mean absolutely nothing $3,000 isn’t a lot of money.
This whole recovery effort is a joke. Many families were told by FEMA that their homes were not in an area likely to be flooded and they didn’t need flood insurance. On FEMA maps, their homes were in “safe zones”. Guess what? Their homes were indeed flooded. FEMA says oops our maps were outdated. There is no recourse for these people because they can’t sue the federal government. How would you start over from scratch without even insurance money as a safety net?
Other families are suffering because inspectors still haven’t approved their mobile homes for occupancy. People are sleeping in cars in front of the trailers because they haven’t been approved for occupancy yet.
It is 10 months after Katrina. 10 MONTHS! Would $3,000 have lasted you that long? Where would you live for 10 months while inspectors and demolition teams wrk to get to your particular case?
As I said to Squeege, it is very easy to jeer from the sidelines and make boastful claims of what you would do in the same situation. However, actually living it is a different story.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:22 amComment by bhealy
Excuses, excuses, excuses, blah blah blah….
And just yesterday squeebo was going on about libreal handouts… seems like conservative handouts to me. They just want to hand out a check and say, “Now disappear”
THAT is what they calling helping Americans whos lives where permenantly destroyed by the hurricane? THAT is their big plan? I have no reason to bitch and moan about funding being cut… because it isnt about funding… there should have been a FDR style PLAN for reconstruction … no plan for Iraq… no plan for new orleans… no PLANS… just a bunch of loyal cronies taking bribes and living it up on the public dollar as long as bush can hang on to power…. Who hates America again? Whos actions show disdain for Americans? Seriously. What kind of DUMB ASS would just handout checks to people that have probably never seen $9000 in their entire lives? Did the republicans think they were going to use their well trained stock market skills to spin that $9000 into $90000 so they could buy a house? WTF were they thinking? WERE they thinking at all? WHAT WAS THE PLAN HERE? Did they think $9000 was just going to last forever? Is it just me or does it seem like this entire adminsitration is retarded? If I did my job like this I would be fired and so would all of you. Where is the detailed PDF I can download that showed how that $9000 was suppose to make a serious progress towards getting Johnson back on his feet? Can you post a link to that please?
June 6th, 2006 at 10:23 amThe military slips in torture into the doctrine as part of Torture Awareness Month.
Here’s my take on the hidden justification of torture in the military’s abandonment of part of Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. The focus so far has been on “humiliating and degrading treatment”. The real focus ought to be on torture.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:24 amWhere can you buy a house for $9000?
You don’t need to purchase a house to not be homeless. That will cover many months of rent.
Comment by bhealy
And then?
Surely you thought processes dont stop there… are you saying in a few months the world will explode so that is just the end of the story?
June 6th, 2006 at 10:25 amI’d like to see what Halliburton has accomplished on the Gulf Coast, so far. Because we have given them BILLIONS of dollars to do the rebuilding and, clean up all of the debris left after the storm. It was a huge task, but they have been at it for at least 8 months now. Should be looking great, comparatively speaking, that is. So…?
June 6th, 2006 at 10:31 amWhy is the US building 14 permanent bases and a Vatican sized embassy in Iraq? Why is there no mention of it in the MSM or in most “progressive” blogs? The US has been self censoring since the late 1800s when large corporate media was pushing it’s weight around. I haven’t seen a history book worth the paper it was printed on. Books on the history military strategy and arms give a much clearer picture on what we have done. The freedom of information act added even more access to information. To bad that this administration is in the process of killing it. The current state of the media is as bad as Pravda during the Stalin years. I have 4 hours of tape from a trip to Russia and everything we were told about the country is a load of crap.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:32 amOkay, I’ll bite. What kind of home would $3,000 buy? If you spend the whole $3,000 on housing what will you eat? What will you wear? How will you provide for your children? How will you pay for cleanup of your property? How will you pay for demolition of your home if necessary?
A job?
This whole recovery effort is a joke. Many families were told by FEMA that their homes were not in an area likely to be flooded and they didn’t need flood insurance. On FEMA maps, their homes were in “safe zonesâ€. Guess what? Their homes were indeed flooded. FEMA says oops our maps were outdated. There is no recourse for these people because they can’t sue the federal government. How would you start over from scratch without even insurance money as a safety net?
It’s difficult, some people lost everything, it’s terrible and they should be helped because it was a large scale disaster. I think they have been, I don’t know what the average person received but if it’s a few thousand dollars it’s enough to get going.
It is 10 months after Katrina. 10 MONTHS! Would $3,000 have lasted you that long? Where would you live for 10 months while inspectors and demolition teams wrk to get to your particular case?
You have to figure something out and you have to work to sustain an income, not sit around and wait for another check.
Gerald:
THAT is what they calling helping Americans whos lives where permenantly destroyed by the hurricane? THAT is their big plan? I have no reason to bitch and moan about funding being cut… because it isnt about funding
I can imagine the outrage from the left if there were stipulations about what a person must do to qualify for aid. They would complain of all the red tape people have to go through to receive any aid. And frankly, they would probably be right. If I lost everything and was to receive aid, I’d want it with no strings attatched, wouldn’t you?
June 6th, 2006 at 10:33 amHe received a large check. When does the money get cut off and “reality†set in?
Comment by bhealy — June 6, 2006 @ 10:21 am
I think his reality set in when Katrina hit. Something you have zero compassion for or understanding of, apparently…
June 6th, 2006 at 10:35 amGerald
“Surely you thought processes dont stop there… are you saying in a few months the world will explode so that is just the end of the story?”
And then you find a job, as opposed to on days when you feel like it, you panhandle, or walk down to the food pantry for hand outs.
Str8UpNoChaser
“This whole recovery effort is a joke. Many families were told by FEMA that their homes were not in an area likely to be flooded and they didn’t need flood insurance.”
They lived in a hurricane prone area that was marshy and partially below sea level, if they couldn’t figure out they need flood insurance, to bad for them, lesson learned for next time.
“As I said to Squeege, it is very easy to jeer from the sidelines and make boastful claims of what you would do in the same situation. However, actually living it is a different story.”
June 6th, 2006 at 10:36 amSo then liberals shouldn’t be able to comment on Iraq or wiretapping because your on the sidelines?
#23 Squeege:
It costs me nothing, except my tax dollars, which thankfully Fema has finally stopped giving to people like him.
You and your tax dollars. Are you insinuating that nobody in N.O. paid taxes too? People like him? Are you saying that after a natural disaster only certain kinds of people deserve help? Wow….just wow.
And people who go about trying to rebuild I sympathize for, peoplpe who are to lazy to do anything besides sit in a hotel room waiting for the gov’t to take care of them, I have no sympathy for.
You can’t just rebuild. It’s not that simple. There is a lot of red tape involved. You act as though people are happy that their whole existence has been wiped out. They are happy to sit in a hotel room and worry about what comes next. I’m sure there are those that are full of shit. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the system that is in place has failed these people.
If they had proper insurance they would have had the money to restart.
Again ignorance of the facts is no excuse for your utter lack of compassion. People were told that they didn’t need flood insurance. Dateline has even done a story on this. People showed the maps that FEMA had given them showing their homes to be in safe zones. When folks wanted to buy flood insurance anyway they were not able to. Where does that leave them? Is it their fault that the FEMA maps were outdated? Is it their fault that oops, FEMA was wrong? Hell no it isn’t. But they are the ones suffering for FEMA’s mistakes. Your outrage is misdirected.
People are still homeless, yah, like the people who sit in a hotel room doing nothing, and expecting the gov’t to take care of them
Neighborhoods are still barren, because people are still sitting in hotel rooms doing nothing, waiting for the gov’t to take care of them.
Comment by squegeeboo — June 6, 2006 @ 10:20 am
What should they be doing Squeege? Should they rent heavy equipment and remove the debris from their own property? Should they demolish their ruined homes themselves? Should they reconstruct roads, electricity grids and water lines themselves? The government has moved at a snail’s pace to get these things done. There is only so much that the average person can do on their own. This has to be a joint effort. Right now, the government end is being mismanaged and the victims are the ones paying for it.
I wonder Squeege. Do you have the same lack of compassion for those living in tornado alley who require help rebuilding their homes after every tornado season? Do you have any compassion for those that choose to continue to live in Florida even though hurricanes ravage them every season? What about victims of mudslides…wildfires? It could happen to you too. Since I am a compassionate person, if you are ever stranded for days on an interstate overpass without the benefit of food, water or shelter I will pray for help to come. I won’t insist that you handle the crisis on your own.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:40 am#23 Squeege:
It costs me nothing, except my tax dollars, which thankfully Fema has finally stopped giving to people like him.
You and your tax dollars. Are you insinuating that nobody in N.O. paid taxes too? People like him? Are you saying that after a natural disaster only certain kinds of people deserve help? Wow….just wow.
And people who go about trying to rebuild I sympathize for, peoplpe who are to lazy to do anything besides sit in a hotel room waiting for the gov’t to take care of them, I have no sympathy for.
You can’t just rebuild. It’s not that simple. There is a lot of red tape involved. You act as though people are happy that their whole existence has been wiped out. They are happy to sit in a hotel room and worry about what comes next. I’m sure there are those that are full of shit. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the system that is in place has failed these people.
If they had proper insurance they would have had the money to restart.
Again ignorance of the facts is no excuse for your utter lack of compassion. People were told that they didn’t need flood insurance. Dateline has even done a story on this. People showed the maps that FEMA had given them showing their homes to be in safe zones. When folks wanted to buy flood insurance anyway they were not able to. Where does that leave them? Is it their fault that the FEMA maps were outdated? Is it their fault that oops, FEMA was wrong? Hell no it isn’t. But they are the ones suffering for FEMA’s mistakes. Your outrage is misdirected.
People are still homeless, yah, like the people who sit in a hotel room doing nothing, and expecting the gov’t to take care of them
Neighborhoods are still barren, because people are still sitting in hotel rooms doing nothing, waiting for the gov’t to take care of them.
Comment by squegeeboo — June 6, 2006 @ 10:20 am
What should they be doing Squeege? Should they rent heavy equipment and remove the debris from their own property? Should they demolish their ruined homes themselves? Should they reconstruct roads, electricity grids and water lines themselves? The government has moved at a snail’s pace to get these things done. There is only so much that the average person can do on their own. This has to be a joint effort. Right now, the government end is being mismanaged and the victims are the ones paying for it.
I wonder Squeege. Do you have the same lack of compassion for those living in tornado alley who require help rebuilding their homes after every tornado season? Do you have any compassion for those that choose to continue to live in Florida even though hurricanes ravage them every season? What about victims of mudslides…wildfires? It could happen to you too. Since I am a compassionate person, if you are ever stranded for days on an interstate overpass without the benefit of food, water or shelter I will pray for help to come. I won’t insist that you handle the crisis on your own.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:41 amtoday, 6/6/06, evil does not reside with some imaginary devil, it’s within us, as always… but mainly in Republicants!
http://blogdebogs.blogspot.com/2006/06/disturbing-revelations-for-060606.html
June 6th, 2006 at 10:47 am” Do you have the same lack of compassion for those living in tornado alley who require help rebuilding their homes after every tornado season?”
They live in TORNADO ALLEY, if they don’t want to rebuild after every tornado season, maybe they should be living in a place called Tornado Alley.
“People were told that they didn’t need flood insurance.”
It’s called common sense. Gov’t tells me I don’t need flood insurance, but I live below or close to sea level, near a body of water, in a hurricane prone area, I’m still getting flood insurance.
“What should they be doing Squeege? Should they rent heavy equipment and remove the debris from their own property? Should they demolish their ruined homes themselves?”
Well if they had been working for the past 10 months, instead of doing absolutly nothing, they could have saved up enough to start home repairs, esp. if they had the proper insurance which would then help with the costs. Alternativly, they could always start a new life in whatever region of the US they relocated to, as opposed to doing absolutly nothing.
“It could happen to you too.”
June 6th, 2006 at 10:55 amYes, it could, which is why I have insurance for any common disasters that could happen in my area.
Squeege,
Grow a brain stem and try to focus on something OTHER than your hatred.
Hate and fear arise from ignorance, which you seem to be overrun with.
You hypocritical yankee types brag about your racial integration, but I’ve travelled to all 50 contiguous states multiple times, and believe me, THERE’S JUST AS MUCH RACISM, if not more in the north than the south.
Thanks for maintaining stereotypes, moron.
Honestly (squeege, bhealy), if you’re not in the south, SHUT THE F*CK UP about this topic, cause your verbal diarrhea is making us sick.
June 6th, 2006 at 10:58 amI’ve travelled to all 50 contiguous
There aren’t 50 contiguous states. How’s that for semantics =)
June 6th, 2006 at 11:00 amFind a job?
You go to New Orleans, look for work, and let us know how that goes.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:00 amBhealy, sorry, I guess your not aware that DC is it’s own entity.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:02 amYes, it could, which is why I have insurance for any common disasters that could happen in my area.
Comment by squegeeboo — June 6, 2006 @ 10:55 am
Okay… reality check. What insures your insurance company will or can come through? What if they deny your claim (they are all about money you know)? Or go bankrupt? Or something that leaves you with $0… Then what?
June 6th, 2006 at 11:04 am“You go to New Orleans, look for work, and let us know how that goes.”
You can always work in your relocated area.
DieNowForPeace
June 6th, 2006 at 11:05 am“THERE’S JUST AS MUCH RACISM, if not more in the north than the south.”
I’m not talking about racism, I’m talking about lazyness.
“Hate and fear arise from ignorance, which you seem to be overrun with.”
Nice, after claiming my statements are based on racism, and talking about the 50 contiguous states, you call me ignorant. Fine wordsmithing there.
Find a job?
You go to New Orleans, look for work, and let us know how that goes.
There are endless jobs availible in NO, even many for unskilled labor. Nothing says you have to go back to NO either. If these people received checks maybe they can finally relocate. Before this disaster many claimed they were too poor to move anywhere, well now’s their chance.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:06 amYou can always work in your relocated area.
Comment by squegeeboo — June 6, 2006 @ 11:05 am
What about the ones who couldn’t relocate?
June 6th, 2006 at 11:06 amcyra #29, reminded me of something i heard yesterday… a caller to randi rhodes pointed out how the contractors in iraq are making huge amounts of money – taxpayer money – while those local people are still needing jobs AND while paying low/minimum wages to their workers, some probably illegal, HERE on reconstruction projects… that’s the bottom line – all take and no give…
June 6th, 2006 at 11:06 amimagine that…
“What if they deny your claim (they are all about money you know)? Or go bankrupt? Or something that leaves you with $0… Then what?”
June 6th, 2006 at 11:07 amThen I’m fubar.
Bhealy, sorry, I guess your not aware that DC is it’s own entity.
Comment by DieNowForPeace — June 6, 2006 @ 11:02 am
LOL, no comment.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:08 amYou can’t defend your statements simply by stating “I’m not a racist”.
Your attitude speaks for itselft.
Provide some REAL examples of your “race and diversity lovin’ self”.
I’m waiting…
June 6th, 2006 at 11:09 amThere are endless jobs availible in NO, even many for unskilled labor.
Comment by bhealy — June 6, 2006 @ 11:06 am
You can’t just pull stuff out of the air. It has to be true. There aren’t ‘endless jobs’ there.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:10 amYou can’t just pull stuff out of the air. It has to be true. There aren’t ‘endless jobs’ there.
While not the most reliable sources, all of the job search engines I browsed came up with too many job listings to post. And the local NO sites also listed close to 1,000 positions availible. Around here (NY) we are seeing offers to go work in New Orleans. These are only jobs listed through websites. On top of this is certainly seems logical that there would be many jobs availible.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:14 amThen I’m fubar.
Comment by squegeeboo — June 6, 2006 @ 11:07 am
Except that you’ve never actually been FUBAR, so you can’t understand what that really means. And if you did – you’d understand that sometimes people need help…
$9000 is not a lot of money when your whole life has been devistated. In fact, I’d bet that you’re insured for more than $9000, n’est pas?
June 6th, 2006 at 11:15 am$9000 is not a lot of money when your whole life has been devistated. In fact, I’d bet that you’re insured for more than $9000, n’est pas?
It is the poor people who lost everything who most need the aid, for them I would argue that $9,000 is quite a lot of money. Half a year’s salary or so.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:21 amOn top of this is certainly seems logical that there would be many jobs availible.
Comment by bhealy — June 6, 2006 @ 11:14 am
Most of those are construction related jobs. They generally go to young men with experience. Or illegals who will work for cheap. Not everyone can work construction.
I think there are answers. I’m actually nor big on throwing money at people. I just don’t think you and SpongeBob are being realistic about it. Or sympathetic to what these people have gone through.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:22 amDuh dhealy, maybe nobody’s opting for jobs and rushing back to the Big Easy because they STILL HAVEN’T REPAIRED THE LEVEES ADEQUATELY.
See, you are stupid.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:23 am#33 Squeege:
So then liberals shouldn’t be able to comment on Iraq or wiretapping because your on the sidelines?
Comment by squegeeboo — June 6, 2006 @ 10:36 am
You do yourself a great disservice by making statements like this. Are you really trying to insinuate that liberals aren’t fighting in Iraq? How utterly retarded. Liberals are dying everyday in Iraq in defense of countrymen that slander them daily. Get over the labels Squeege. Every issue is not a liberal or conservative one. Most issues are human ones. Plain and simple.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:24 amMost of those are construction related jobs. They generally go to young men with experience. Or illegals who will work for cheap. Not everyone can work construction.
I think there are answers. I’m actually nor big on throwing money at people. I just don’t think you and SpongeBob are being realistic about it. Or sympathetic to what these people have gone through.
Fair enough.
My main concern is how people blame the feds for the problems when the state and local government should share more of it. But, that’s what happens when you’re at the top of the ladder.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:25 amIt is the poor people who lost everything who most need the aid, for them I would argue that $9,000 is quite a lot of money. Half a year’s salary or so.
Comment by bhealy — June 6, 2006 @ 11:21 am
Your compassion is astounding, really…
I truly hope you don’t get to live by your own ideology.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:26 amDuh dhealy, maybe nobody’s opting for jobs and rushing back to the Big Easy because they STILL HAVEN’T REPAIRED THE LEVEES ADEQUATELY.
See, you are stupid.
Yes Mr. 50 contiguous states, I am stupid.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:26 amMy main concern is how people blame the feds for the problems when the state and local government should share more of it. But, that’s what happens when you’re at the top of the ladder.
Comment by bhealy — June 6, 2006 @ 11:25 am
Oh, I agree. I was appalled that Ray Nagin was re-elected. He’s just as much to blame as anyone else in not evacuating people who couldn’t get out on their own – especially when empty flights left the city, and empty school buses sat around…
June 6th, 2006 at 11:29 amBhealy, you’re on your way to healing! Now just admit your a narrow minded ivory tower wanna be.
Elitist, Yankee scum.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:29 amI can imagine the outrage from the left if there were stipulations about what a person must do to qualify for aid. They would complain of all the red tape people have to go through to receive any aid. And frankly, they would probably be right. If I lost everything and was to receive aid, I’d want it with no strings attatched, wouldn’t you?
Comment by bhealy
Um, No.
I would like to see a bunch of FEMA people walking around handing out pieces of paper that tell people what the plan is…
1) If you lost a house go to the FEMA housing tent which you can find on the map on the back of this paper. It is marked with a blue X and a little symbol of a house. Tell the FEMA workers there your old address. They will get you to a place to stay and get you signed up on a worker program where you can work with your neighbors to get your houses rebuilt. Though we will not be giving you any checks we will be bringing in all the supplies you need to survive until your neighborhoods get rebuilt. We will also be bringing in heavy equipment and supplies and construction specialists who will team you up with some of your fellow neighbors to get your houses rebuilt. The plan is to have you back in your new homes within 6 months. During that time we will be housing you in either hotels or tents depending on weather and available hotel space. Familes with children will get the first rights to hotel rooms. Once your new homes are built we will provide you with enough money to survive for a couple months and we will have a long list of jobs to pick from in your local area. Public transportation will be a major priority to help shuttle you to and from your new jobs. If you choose not to participate we encourage you to find a homeless shelter or a church to find help.
2) If you lost family members go to the FEMA tent marked on the map with a red X and a small symbol of a family holding hands. Here we will take down your name and the names of your family members. We will be logging all this info in a computer system so we can try to make matches to get your familys back together. If you know your have loved ones that have died we will be helping with burial arrangements. If the primary household wage earner(s) have died we will also be providing you with education assistance and basic sustinance and housing to help you begin making yourself into a future wage earner.
3) …
You know a freakin PLAN???
June 6th, 2006 at 11:30 amDieNowForPeace
“Your attitude speaks for itselft.”
Disgust at lazy people? We’ll thats true, thats one group of diverse people I’ll never fully enjoy.
“I guess your not aware that DC is it’s own entity.”
I guess your not aware you used ’state’ which DC isn’t, and that even if we ignore that and count DC, your still only at 49.
“maybe nobody’s opting for jobs and rushing back to the Big Easy because they STILL HAVEN’T REPAIRED THE LEVEES ADEQUATELY.”
Sounds like working on repairing the levees should open up at least a few jobs for people.
Unbelievable
“you’d understand that sometimes people need help…”
Yes, some people do need help, but helping someone who is living in a hotel for 10 months doing absolutly nothing with their life is different then temp. aid to help people get back on their feet, or supporting someone as they are job searching or rebuilding their life.
“I just don’t think you and SpongeBob are being realistic about it.”
Absolutly, I’m arguing from one extreme, against the other, theirs always a middle ground in these sorts of things, but wheres the fun in that?
Str8UpNoChaser
June 6th, 2006 at 11:34 am“You do yourself a great disservice by making statements like this. Are you really trying to insinuate that liberals aren’t fighting in Iraq? How utterly retarded. Liberals are dying everyday in Iraq in defense of countrymen that slander them daily. Get over the labels Squeege. Every issue is not a liberal or conservative one. Most issues are human ones. Plain and simple.”
Alright then, but are you in Iraq? Because by your logic, your not allowed to talk about it, what with being on the side lines and all.
Gerald:
Let’s take this hypothetical situation and say there is a person who says something along the lines of, “I never knew I was supposed to go to the FEMA tent, I want money to replace my things.” Do they say too bad, are there special circumstances? Once again, this seems like something FEMA would organize and we can agree that it was mismanaged. The Feds tried to aid, they saw their money was being used irresponsibly and said screw it, no more money for you.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:40 ambut wheres the fun in that?
Comment by squegeeboo — June 6, 2006 @ 11:34 am
Hardly a topic meant for your amusement…
June 6th, 2006 at 11:41 amSqueege and Bhealy:
Both of you are indignant over issues that you don’t really understand. It is easy to make blanket statements when you don’t have all of the facts. It’s also easy to quarterback from the sidelines with all sorts of “I woulda” statements. Especially when you can’t see past all of your stereotypes to acknowledge the plight of the Katrina victims.
Everyone isn’t in a hotel. Those that were have been kicked out. Get over it. Most folks that remained in N.O. or have returned are there to protect their property. It is easy for you to say relocate, but if you owned property in N.O. and that is where you have lived your whole life it wouldn’t be so easy to abandon your property to start over from scratch in an unfamiliar setting.
Maybe I didn’t make myself clear about the insurance thing. People weren’t just told that they didn’t NEED flood insurance. Those in the safe zones on the map weren’t ALLOWED to purchase it according to the Dateline story. But I’m sure you would’ve found a way to do so anyway despite the government insisting otherwise.
If you have kids do you bring them back to N.O. with you? Schools aren’t open so where do you send your child while you are working? Medical care isn’t available so what do you do if there is an emergency with your child? Utlities aren’t operational all over so what do you do about the lack of electricity, water and sewage services while you are working on your property? What do you do for 10 months while new specs and maps are being drawn? You can’t begin reconstruction without knowing the new specifications can you?
Neither of you have thought about any of these issues. You see poor people receiving assistance and go crazy. Get a grip. Being poor doesn’t mean that you don’t pay taxes and it sure as hell doesn’t mean that your government and fellow countrymen should desert you in your time of need. Shame on you both.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:43 amGerald Gibson for the new head of FEMA!
June 6th, 2006 at 11:46 amWouldn’t it have been great? I’ll bet they had a plan in Florida.
Katrina was a deliberate job of “incompetence” directed at displacing a little blue spot in a sea of red states.
$9000?
No way could that get you any housing.
I sure hope we don’t have a major quake out here in CA, since earthquake insurance is reidiculously expensive when you can get it – lord knows we can’t get any help from FEMA.
I miss FDR…
In construction, you have to get a building permit on an approveable set of plans. Some municipalities wave that you have to have an architect prepare them – but you must have some documentation of intent. There are fees involved.
So, now, everyone is applying for building permits at the same time. How long do you think that takes? Especially in areas where there are natural concerns? Usually, it can take months in itself when the system is function under normal conditions…
And then you have to find building materials, sub-contractors – and you have to pay them.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:49 amSpongeBob,
You do know that the government is an insurance plan as well, right?
June 6th, 2006 at 11:51 amGerald:
Let’s take this hypothetical situation and say there is a person who says something along the lines of, “I never knew I was supposed to go to the FEMA tent, I want money to replace my things.†Do they say too bad, are there special circumstances? Once again, this seems like something FEMA would organize and we can agree that it was mismanaged. The Feds tried to aid, they saw their money was being used irresponsibly and said screw it, no more money for you.
Comment by bhealy
I dont know what type of job you have. In my job I got to plan out several months worth of work ahead of time. There are ALWAYS what ifs all over the place. We dont just sit around worrying about it and never doing anything right. Instead we use what is called a cyclic development model. 1) We make a plan for say 6 months. And we make a much more detailed plan for say 4 weeks. Every 4 weeks we make a more detailed plan for the next 4 weeks and maybe update the overall 6 month plan because we can now see more details that have been brought up along the way… we may even extend the 6 months because of unforseen what ifs that arose in the mean time… this goes on and on and on ..maybe for a whole year if need be unti the project is done. The idea is you make a plan and part of that plan is you re-evaluate the plan at predetermined intervals along the way. It is how most engineering projects get done whether it be computer software or sky scrapers. It isnt new. It isnt magic. It isnt liberal nor conservative. It is just logical sense. No bribes… no unrealistic time constraints. It is about getting a job done right.
Has this adminstration done this in ANY area other than political planing? Rove is good at this apparently, but Rove only cares about power. Where are all these compationate conservatives doing the same thing for NO? Where are all the BIG TUFF MILITARY types doing this for Iraq? Anyone who even tries gets kicked out unless 1) The are helping gather political power for GOP or 2) They are organizing spying on Americans which probably directly ties back to #1 … The Saudis attack America and nothing happens to them. NO gets wiped off the map and it doesnt get rebuilt. The motives are clear from what actions ARE taken and which are not.
You trying to defend this unprofessional mess doesnt make you look good. Dont defend the undefensible. Call out those doing wrong and support those doing right. If Bush attacked Saudi Arabia the Peaceniks would be screaming bloody murder then also… but I know I for one would not be supporting them. Blind allegiance is folly.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:54 am“You do know that the government is an insurance plan as well, right?”
Then why have private insurance at all?
June 6th, 2006 at 11:59 amNeither of you have thought about any of these issues. You see poor people receiving assistance and go crazy. Get a grip. Being poor doesn’t mean that you don’t pay taxes and it sure as hell doesn’t mean that your government and fellow countrymen should desert you in your time of need. Shame on you both.
Nor should they have a blank check to draw upon.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:01 pm“Those in the safe zones on the map weren’t ALLOWED to purchase it according to the Dateline story.”
Tried to find anything about that, couldn’t, you got a link(if you got the time, work even keeps me busy now and again) If it is true, I’m assuming it was just for the gov’t level insurance, not private insurance, a private company would love that, completly safe area and you want to buy flood insurance? Money in their pockets.
“Medical care isn’t available so what do you do if there is an emergency with your child? ”
Stay and work in your relocated area, until the city is built enough to move the fam. back down.
“It is easy for you to say relocate, but if you owned property in N.O. and that is where you have lived your whole life it wouldn’t be so easy to abandon your property to start over from scratch in an unfamiliar setting.”
June 6th, 2006 at 12:03 pmNever claimed life is easy, but you have to make choices off of whats best for you and yours, not off of sentimental value.
“You do know that the government is an insurance plan as well, right?â€
Then why have private insurance at all?
Comment by squegeeboo
Good question.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:03 pmOH MY GOD!! Does everybody know what day this is!? 6/6/06!!
The anniversary of D-Day & my grandfather’s birthday.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:12 pmWhat else would it be? ;)
Tell that to Halliburton. Your energy is focused on the wrong crooks. You think petty crinimals when you’re stolen blind. Tisk tisk.
Grow up republican children – you’ve been misled. Face the truth and stop being such victims.
I really don’t know much about Halliburton, I haven’t made the time to look it up or listen to reports about it. While you will probably use this as a point of attack against me unfortunately I don’t follow everything and while I understand Halliburton may be far more important and have more meaning I just haven’t had/taken the time to learn about it. I sadly have very little idea what it even has to do with. Can’t follow everything, I guess right or wrong the NO stuff just seemed more interesting to me. As an aside, just because you’re being robbed blind by some does not sacrafice your ability to slap away the petty thiefs.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:14 pmOH MY GOD!! Does everybody know what day this is!? 6/6/06!!
The anniversary of D-Day & my grandfather’s birthday.
What else would it be? ;)
Comment by Zookeeper
According to the Mayans we still got 6 more years till dooms day. So dont sweat it )
June 6th, 2006 at 12:15 pmThe anniversary of D-Day & my grandfather’s birthday.
What else would it be? ;)
Comment by Zookeeper — June 6, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
That explains the absence of the far-right-wing Christonazis today. They’re probably all huddled together in church praying for the Rapture.
I dated a guy in college with this birthday. He was born in 1966, and used to joke about turning 40 on 06.06.06… He was ironically one of the nicest people you could ever meet.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:17 pm#73 Squeege:
“Those in the safe zones on the map weren’t ALLOWED to purchase it according to the Dateline story.â€
Tried to find anything about that, couldn’t, you got a link(if you got the time, work even keeps me busy now and again) If it is true, I’m assuming it was just for the gov’t level insurance, not private insurance, a private company would love that, completly safe area and you want to buy flood insurance? Money in their pockets.
Your assumptions aren’t facts. I’ll find a link. These people had maps given to them by FEMA showing that their homes would be safe in a flood. Their homes weren’t safe, but it’s their fault for believing that the governement knew what it was talking about? That’s bullshit Squeege. Besides, just because soemeone reacts differently to a situation that you doesn’t make them wong it just makes them different.
“Medical care isn’t available so what do you do if there is an emergency with your child? â€
Stay and work in your relocated area, until the city is built enough to move the fam. back down.
Again, that is fine for you if that is your decision. Others feel differently. Does that mean that they don’t deserve our assistance? Does that mean that we turn a blind eye? I think it’s crazy to ask people to move their families to a strange place. Find housing and feed your children off of your FEMA check. Find a job. In a few months pick up your family and move again back to N.O. in order to start from scatch all over again. Give me a break.
“It is easy for you to say relocate, but if you owned property in N.O. and that is where you have lived your whole life it wouldn’t be so easy to abandon your property to start over from scratch in an unfamiliar setting.â€
Never claimed life is easy, but you have to make choices off of whats best for you and yours, not off of sentimental value.
Comment by squegeeboo — June 6, 2006 @ 12:03 pm
Sentimental value? That is how you refer to a family’s home? It may be easy for you to pick up and desert property that you have spent your whole adult life paying for, but I assure you it wouldn’t be easy for everyone. Life isn’t easy Squeege, you’re right about that. Neither is staying in N.O. to rebuild your life. Still there are those that are brave enough to do it. Too bad they receive your scorn and derision instead of compassion.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:24 pmBest phone call ever 9partial transcript):
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/06/best-phone-call-ever.html
To one of my (ouch) Senators, namely Sen Crapo, regarding his support of the ban on gay marriage. Hilarious call, hilarious name.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:52 pm#79 – So dont sweat it )
Comment by Gerald Gibson
As if! The 6.6.06 thing is cracking me up!
June 6th, 2006 at 12:55 pmAnd by the way, I don’t sweat — I glow. :P
Um, where did the Anne Coulter thread go?
June 6th, 2006 at 1:09 pmSquegee – EXCELLENT JOB!!! You managed, with one post, to divert almost the entire thread away from the topics of the suspect Pentagon Poll, segration in public schools, torture, domestic terror attacks, higher gas prices in California than the rest of the country, deaths of Iraqi civilians, and the delay in funding the troops so that congress can vote on a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriages.
One person who has managed to milk the system after a natural disaster compounded by governmental incompetence is apparently far more eggregious to you than the topics of this post.
You talk of individual responsibility, yet we live in an economic system which REQUIRES a large percentage of the population live in poverty.
You cloak your hate in “individual responsibility.” I suggest you do as the son of a carpenter commanded: go, sell all you have, give it to the poor and follow Him. If you are not willing to do that, then you know what you value more.
June 6th, 2006 at 5:36 pmZookeeper – http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/06/coulter-911/#comments
June 6th, 2006 at 5:44 pm[...] Think Progress [...]
June 6th, 2006 at 11:38 pmWell 666 day ended with NO big problems > thank God or did Satan decide to lay low yesterday? Only bad thing today was a baby goose on my lake in Georgia got grabbed by a snapper turtle who pulled it underwater and drowned it > not a pleasant thing to witness!
June 7th, 2006 at 2:00 amThe Supreme Court has agreed to rule on two cases that will determine the role of affirmative action in elementary and secondary schools, a move that could ultimately “spell the end of official efforts to maintain racial integration in U.S. public schools.†“It’s bad news for desegregation advocates,†said Goodwin Liu of the University of California at Berkeley. “It looks like the more conservative justices see they have a fifth vote to reverse these cases.â€
GOOD!
Maybe we can get some closure to the Civil War…
…and either rid this country ONCE and for ALL…
…of the perniciously evil, racist, bigoted, anti-democratic, anti-Christian, anti-human, incestuous, conservative, inbred, Confederate flag loving TRAITORS…
…or the PATRIOTIC AMERICAN, erudite, thinking, progressive, culturally/racially sensitive advocates of constitutional authority…
…time to draw the battle lines America…
June 7th, 2006 at 9:46 amNice post!
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June 7th, 2006 at 6:36 pm10.000 Free software downloads: Freeware and Shareware