9/13/2005

In case you haven't heard the news about the Salvation Army being barred from the Super Dome (I hadn't) it's getting a variety of coverage on the Web. Huffington's take blames FEMA and Bush, naturally; others blame FEMA, and still more blame Governess Blanco.

1. Louisiana officials turned back both Red Cross and Salvation Army conveys of food and water for people in the Superdome. Before 1,400 firefighters from around the country were allowed to help in New Orleans, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had them sit in a conference room in Atlanta for an eight-hour training session that included — in an act of staggering callousness and stupidity — a sexual harassment class.

2. Red Cross and Salvation Army Barred by Louisiana Officials
For two days now Fox News' Major Garrett has reported on first the Red Cross, and then the Salvation Army, being denied entrance to New Orleans by Louisiana State authorities. According to Garrett and the Red Cross website, officials didn't want the food, water and sanitary supplies to get to the Superdome and Convention Center because it might encourage others to come to those sites rather than evacuate the city. The result of the decision to withhold aid was thousands of New Orleans refugees

3. But they couldn't get in to meet those needs. They asked to get in. They were prepared with their...the Salvation Army has these ever-familiar portable kitchen canteens, is what they call them. They can actually make food, produce food on spot, and distribute it there. People line up. We've seen that at hurricanes and other natural disasters. They were ready. Not allowed in. At first, it was this idea that we don't want to create a magnet at the evacuation site. Secondarily, it became an issue of well, there's lots of water, and we can't assure your safety, so on and so forth. Here's another key point, Hugh. I was very specific with the American Red Cross, president and CEO Marty Evans, and said wait. Tell me clearly. Were you prepared to go in before the levees broke? Before water became an issue of any kind? She said absolutely. Were you denied access before the levees broke? She said we were denied access from minute one....
The Left is blaming Bush FEMA 100%, Global Warming 100% and closing their eyes to anything else. Nobody is ever going to get the truth out. The Left will always insist that the illegal president is at fault and the Right that Mayor Nidel and Governess Blanco are at fault.