scout prime

Game on Bitches..........

2010-04-12T04:42:00.001-05:00

Was Posted to fd on Feb 3, 2006

The fight over the Baker bill that would aid Louisiana Katrina victims by providing funds to buy out their homes at 60% equity got serious Thursday….

The debate over how to rebuild homes and communities destroyed by Hurricane Katrina erupted into public warfare between Louisiana and the White House on Thursday as the Bush administration sharply denounced the state’s preferred solution and the author of the Louisiana plan accused the administration of misleading the public in an effort to kill the proposal.
Bush’s reconstruction czar Don Powell launched a “media blitz” that included an op-ed in the Washington Post and TV appearances and a press conference in which he announced another 18 billion for hurricane relief. However details on where the money would go will not be available for another 10-30 days.

Richard Baker a Louisiana Republican, and sponsor of the popular Baker bill was Outraged…..

“That Mr. Powell would take out op-ed space specifically to undermine my legislation is disappointing to say the least,” Baker said in a written statement. “That he would use that column to spread gross mischaracterizations of the legislation is just disturbing. If I had any worries that my legislation was dead, I am now certain that it isn’t, or else Mr. Powell would not be shooting at it.”
He said that the White House suggestions that Louisiana’s housing problems can be solved by helping 20,000 homeowners outside flood zones rebuild is ludicrous, given the estimates that 200,000 homes were either seriously damaged or destroyed.

“If you relegate the solution to just helping people outside the flood zone then your relegating most of our country to not receiving housing help in the event of a major catastrophe like Katrina,” Baker said.

Later in the day Baker got a call from the White House saying let’s talk about housing.

If the administration would devote a sizable portion of the new $18 billion to housing in Louisiana, Baker said, “We could be a long way to meeting the problem.”

But early indications are that the emergency financing is intended for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Small Business Administration, and perhaps for damaged military facilities in the hurricane zone, not for new major housing restoration programs.

Reaction to the new spending proposal was uncertain because no details were provided.

The Bush administration has never supported fellow Republican Richard Baker’s bill which does have bi-partisan support in Louisiana. Of course they won’t give details on the $18 billion for 30 days. They are stonewalling. The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee has agreed to a Feb. 15 hearing on the legislation at which time the bill will either live or die. If the administration dangles enough out there to make it look like they are going to do something then the bill will be seen as unnecessary. If they can get through 30 days with that, the bill goes away and so does Louisiana’s best chance for recovery.Don't trust that in 30 days Bush will will put any of that $18 billion to buy out home owners. If that was the intent they would have said so now.

I know you would want to do something worthwhile to help the Louisiana victims of Katrina. This is your chance. The Baker bill is very popular in Louisiana. People want it because it is essential to recovery. Without the Baker bill everything that 200,000 homeowners had will be worthless. Absolutely worthless. They will face foreclosures and walk away from their former lives with nothing. And developers will buy the land up cheap and make a killing. (one of the most prominent developers is a Bush pioneer and leader of the NOLA rebuilding commission…. Read about this after the jump)

I spoke with Rep. Baker’s office and and to help they urge you to call your representatives and ask that the bill be brought to a vote. Please call your reps. and the White House. Use this link to Call or Email your representatives in Washington (Just Enter your zip code. You will get an email and an info link for all your rep, senators and White House. Phone numbers are at info links)

Hold Bush to his promise of rebuilding NOLA.

From Scout:

Scout’s analysis on the Baker Bill from scoutprime Jan 26…..

I am almost surprised at the Bush administration's transparent support in helping big business rebuild NOLA. Amongst residents and LA officials there has been widespread support for the Baker Bill which has been viewed as absolutely essential to rebuilding NOLA. However Bush has never supported it and informed Baker earlier this week that the White House will not support it now or in the future.

Bush's pointman in rebuilding NOLA, Donald Powell states why.......

The bill would add a federal bureaucracy and set up what would be a government real estate agency, "which we don't think is a good business," said Mr. Powell, a former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
It's no coincidence that 2 of New Orleans biggest businessmen on the Bring Back New Orleans commission are not concerned about passing the Baker Bill. Real estate developer Joe Canizaro was in fact foretelling for it's demise 2 weeks ago...

However, Canizaro also said that even without the Baker bill, he thinks enough federal money will be available -- in the form of Federal Emergency Management Agency grants and other sources -- to make homeowners whole. The panel estimates it will cost $12 billion to buy out every home that received at least 2 feet of water, but Canizaro said he expects only half of the flooded homes will be bought out in the end.

And Donald Bollinger is quoted in today's NYT saying this......

"Everybody wants to think that if the Baker bill fails we have no other solution," he said. "I don't agree with that at all. I know we need a tool similar to that."
It's laughable that Bush is worried about adding federal bureaucracy when he had no problem in doing just that with the Medicare Part D plan. What is important here is what is "good for business." Adding clumsy bureaucracy is OK if Big Business structures it and profits from it. If not, then another "tool similar" will be found.

It must be asked just what "tool" exactly are the Bush Boys, Canizaro and Bollinger, and fellow big businessmen on the Bring Back New Orleans commission looking for? Clearly it's not the Baker bill.

A little history first. There were 3 NOLA rebuilding committees formed initially: the Mayor's, the City Council's and the Governor's. But it was the Mayor's Bring New Orleans Back (BNOB) commission that prevailed when Bush met with and supported them....

That's not all that differentiated them. Canizaro who has been the leading force in the BNOB commission contributed over 1 million dollars to Republicans since 1997. Bollinger, who owns the 3rd largest shipbuilding company in the country, contributed over $130,000. Canizaro was one of 22 wealthy business leaders whom President Bush invited to lunch in 2001 to discuss his tax cut for the wealthy. Is it all that surprising that Bush"sanctioned" them to be the rebuilders of NOLA?

And there is evidence they are dominating the BNOB commission. The NYT reported in October that there were "sharp divisions"and several areas of "trouble" within the BNOB one of which was some commissioners stating they were the "B team" that was being excluded from meetings. Meetings which Canizaro did attend. Two commissioners stated this at the time.....

"No one goes over with us what they discuss at those lunch meetings," said Oliver M. Thomas Jr., one of the commission's 17 members and president of the City Council. "It would be nice if they did."
Added W. Anthony Patton, a small-business owner on the commission, "Let's just say I haven't been invited to any lunches, either."

So just what is being planned by the Bush Boys in these secret meetings? There may be some clues. Powell said that the $6.2 billion in Community Development Block Grant funds will go to help 20,000 homeowners. Yet there are over 200,000 homeowners whose homes have been destroyed. What will happen to the other 185,000? I doubt they will see any CDBG money as "Mr. Powell has all but put state officials on notice that close watch will be kept on the Community Development Block Grant money." And Mr. Bollinger concurred saying, "I think we have to demonstrate to Congress and the president that we are going to handle our C.D.B.G. grants responsibly."

Now think about that a minute. In effect they are saying they will do everything possible to make sure only those 20,000 homeowners receive a federal government buyout and none of the other 185,000.

So what fate awaits the rest? Without government money it appears they face either......

1) free market forces determining what they will receive

or worse

2) Eminent Domain...... "commissioners say, not every neighborhood will be sustainable and there will be a need to use eminent domain to seize some property"

So if you severely limit the number of people to receive a buyout you leave a large number of homes (ie Land) available to be bought up cheap or taken. With that much land on the market at once and sellers needing to sell, it most likely will be very cheap

Just kill the Baker Bill, be so called 'good stewards' of CDBG funds and viola.

It's a Bush Boy's dream come true.........buy the land cheap, develop it and then the Big Payoff.

You know it may be more accurate to say Bush is THEIR Boy after all.

One thing is for sure .......the people of NOLA? They got no Boy at all.

UPDATE: Read Baker's & bankers Reaction on how Bush's plan will render land worthless and be a "death blow" to Louisiana.

Of course as I've stated above developers will profit handsomely

Chertoff Should Resign

2010-04-12T04:26:00.004-05:00

Was posted to fd on February 1, 2006

Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff’s role in the Katrina debacle is slowly coming to light and it isn’t pretty. The GAO released a critical report today in which they placed blame upon Chertoff for not providing leadership and not activating the National Response Plan on time or properly. (see earlier post) It appears the Senate has Chertoff in the crosshairs also. Joe Lieberman asked Ray Nagin today at the Katrina hearings about a story he heard……

LIEBERMAN: I heard a story I want to ask you if you could recollect it in your own words that sometime later in the week perhaps Saturday, Secretary Chertoff came to town and went to the FEMA staging area which was at the New Orleans Saints practice field

NAGIN: Ya…You heard about that huh?

LIEBERMAN: Ya..Ok So I’m right so far……

Here is VIDEO of Nagin’s account of the story (Direct link, 3 minutes)

As I said earlier, there should be calls for Chertoff’s resignation.

God Is Watching Us

2006-03-25T23:42:00.000-06:00

Here's a music video of my visit to the 9th Ward...
Music: Nanci Griffith
9th Ward: God is Watching Us

I'm in New Orleans

2006-03-04T14:46:00.000-06:00

I hope you'll
go
to
the
New Orleans Blog

Big Announcement

2006-02-07T19:23:00.000-06:00

OK last week I hinted at more news to come. Well here it is. Some folks who are regular commenters at another blog have decided to try to raise funds to send me to New Orleans! A website is now up and running that explains what is happening and how to contribute if you so desire. It is also an opportunity to get involved in the news you want.
So I hope you go vist the site HERE.
Peace
scout

UPDATE: Grand News! In less than 24 hours we have met our fundraising goal!!!!
Thanks to everyone. I will be blogging from New Orleans Feb. 27-March7
scout

2006-02-05T06:27:00.000-06:00

We're Hanging At First Draft

2006-02-03T16:39:00.000-06:00

We're hanging out at First Draft.

I'm not abandoning this blog but my energy will be going into First Draft.
Teddy and I hope you will come visit.

Nagin has a story about Chertoff

2006-02-01T12:43:00.000-06:00

Nagin had this story about Chertoff today.

CLICK to VIEW Video

Change Is Good

2006-01-31T22:57:00.000-06:00

Remember in the movie Apollo 13 how the astronauts felt when they finally abandoned the LEM that had saved their lives? I'm feeling a bit like that now.

I have been offered the opportunity to join the great blog First Draft and I have accepted. I will reach many more people than I do here in my cozy little lem. But I know I have some wonderful people who visit here regularly and I do hope you will follow me over to First Draft. I hope you will bring your comments because I truly love reading what you think. Now I know registering at First Draft can sometimes be difficult...something to do with ferrets and chinchillas. If you have any trouble email me and I'll move heaven and earth to get you settled in.

I won't jetison my little (lem) blog just yet. In fact I hope to have another big announcement in the next day or 2. But starting tomorrow I will be at First Draft. Well in fact I put up a small post there tonight on the SOTU.

So I hope to see you there. And thank you for the wonderful journey we've had here.

Riesz and EPT could you email me? thanks-- scoutprime@charter.net

Female Soldiers Died to Avoid Rape

2006-01-31T14:35:00.000-06:00

Pam's House Blend has a disturbing post on females soldiers in Iraq who died of dehydration and the reason why will piss you off.

May she rest in peace

2006-01-31T08:22:00.000-06:00

"She'll be remembered as a strong woman whose grace and dignity held up the image of her husband as a man of peace, of racial justice, of fairness," said the Rev. Joseph Lowery, who helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. King and then served as its president for 20 years. "I don't know that she was a civil rights leader in the truest sense, but she became a civil rights figure and a civil rights icon because of what she came to represent."

I would agree with Rev. Lowrey on the first point and disagree on the latter.

I met Coretta Scott King once when as a young teen I spent parts of a summer doing civil rights work in a small Missisippi town. (story here) There was a voter registration drive going on at the time and Mrs. King and Ralph Abernathy came to town to speak at a small but packed church.

What I remember is a women of strength and Grace. I can not remember a thing she said but I remember her presence and the importance of her being there to the people who respected and admired her. She was definitely a leader of civil rights to those in that church. She was an inspiration to carry on what could still be dangerous work even then. I am grateful I had the opportunity to be inspired by her presence.

Landrieu to Run For Mayor

2006-01-30T23:24:00.000-06:00

The Times Picayune reports that Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu will soon announce he is running for mayor of New Orleans.

Say bye bye to Ray Nagin

NOLA Society Women Hit DC

2006-01-30T23:01:00.000-06:00

(Women of the Storm with blue umbrellas to symbolize blue tarped roofs of NOLA)

140 of NOLA's prominent women lobbied members of Congress today to come to NOLA and see it for themselves. They call themselves Women of the Storm and offered members an all expensepaid trip to NOLA. They believe if more would see it for themselves they would realize the need for more federal support. So far only 55 representatives and 30 senators or 16% of Congress has visited NOLA. Some of the prominent women included:

Verna Landrieu, the 73-year-old matriarch of one of Louisiana's political dynasties
Olivia Manning, wife quarterback Archie Manning and mother ofPeyton & Eli
Anne Milling, 65, an eminent community activist

The Times Picayune reports this .....

While images of poor, black residents stranded at the Superdome have lingered, many middle- and upper-class neighborhoods also were flooded but received far less attention. The women, who represent a Who's Who of New Orleans society, offer a starkly different image of Katrina's victims. Along with their designer bags and strings of pearls, they carried bright blue umbrellas, symbolizing the tarps covering their pockmarked roofs.

I don't care Who they are at least they're organizing and doing something.

A Ban I Can Get Behind

2006-01-30T02:25:00.000-06:00

From WaPo.....

At least five Midwestern states are considering legislation to ban protests at funerals in response to demonstrations by the Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, who have been protesting at funerals of Iraq war casualties because they say the deaths are God's punishment for U.S. tolerance toward gays.
Though the soldiers were not gay, the protesters say the deaths, as well as Hurricane Katrina, recent mining disasters and other tragedies are God's signs of displeasure. They also protested at the memorial service for the 12 West Virginia miners who died in the Sago Mine.

Here's a Candidate for Worst Person in the World

2006-01-30T01:21:00.000-06:00

Leonard J. Samia is "one of Boston's largest and most notorious landlords." His Samia partnership owns Louisburg Square Apartments in New Orleans. After Katrina hit many of the apartments remained intact and unharmed. So evacuees who had not yet returned home thought they had dodged that proverbial bullet. But Samia launched an aggressive 3 month campaign to remove all the tenants from the 200 apartment complex in order to lease the apartments for higher rents to contractors and such......

In interviews with the Globe, former tenants, their lawyers, neighborhood residents, housing advocates, and community activists said it was a concerted, relentless eviction effort. In those interviews, stories emerged of attempts by the complex's managers to oust tenants despite a statewide eviction moratorium; of demolition crews gutting the apartments of tenants who had not yet returned after fleeing the hurricane; of units emptied of personal possessions by contractors, and of contractors and building employees who then cherry-picked valuables such as VCRs and televisions from trash heaps; of contractors now living in the same apartments that tenants were told were uninhabitable; of license plates removed from tenants' cars in the complex parking lot and then towed as abandoned vehicles; of access to mailboxes blocked by the demolition and locked laundry facilities; and of garbage and construction debris piled near doorways, attracting flies and vermin that created intolerable living conditions.

Samia has been unavailable for comment so the Globe went to his home.....

Samia did not return several calls for comment and was not available at his Brighton office last week. A woman who answered the door at Samia's house -- a six-bedroom mansion perched on a one-acre wooded lot with a gated driveway, high stone fence, security cameras, and a statue of a large camel in Lexington's wealthy, historic Meriam Hill neighborhood -- said ''no comment" and slammed the door.

Read the rest though be forewarned it will piss you off because Samia is the Worst Person in the World. I wonder if Keith has seen this story?

New Documents Show Further FEMA Failures

2006-01-29T23:38:00.000-06:00

Documents released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee show that FEMA refused aid from The Interior Dept which offered FEMA:
300 dump trucks and other vehicles,
300 boats,
11 aircraft
400 law enforcement officers to help search and rescue efforts.

An internal email shows that FEMA called off its search and rescue operations just 3 days after Katrina struck.

This makes me wonder what horrors the Bush administration is hiding in the documents it refuses to release to Congress.

Bush Won't Meet with Blanco....Again

2006-01-29T23:17:00.000-06:00

From WWLTV....

Blanco is scheduled to attend President Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday and testify before a Senate committee on Thursday.
Bottcher (Blanco's press secretary) says Blanco asked to speak with Bush about housing assistance for hurricane victims but has not heard back from the White House on whether that discussion will occur.

Bush refused to meet with Blanco when she was in Washington in December.

Seems a "uniter not a divider" would meet the governor.
I bet Haley Barbour would get a meeting.

If it happened to them it could happen to any of us....

2006-01-29T10:49:00.000-06:00

The Times Picayune has a great editorial entitled "Don't Leave Us to Foreclosure" on the need for the Baker bill. If you're not familiar with it this editorial will get you informed. They also take Bush and his "reconstruction czar" Powell to task and blow holes in their reasoning to block the Baker bill. Finally they make the argument as to why the rest of America should perk up and take heed. I love the Times Picayune. They are what a paper should be. Here's part but read the rest too......

Rep. Baker's plan would make it possible for homeowners to avoid foreclosure, get at least 60 percent of their equity back and have resources to use toward a new home. This is not a government giveaway. The government bonds used for the buyouts would be repaid by the sale of property to developers, who would have to put the land back into use. It is a practical, targeted solution to an immense problem.

There seems to be some sentiment that South Louisiana has gotten enough government help and that people here should have expected flooding. That ignores a crucial fact: the federal government's Army Corps of Engineers told us that our levees would keep us dry.

Families who settled inside the flood plain knew to expect occasional street flooding during a rainstorm. But they had no expectation that canal floodwalls would buckle and fill their homes with 8 or 10 feet of water for weeks on end.

If 180,000 families in greater New Orleans are left with worthless homes and no way to get rid of them, everyone else in this country who lives in a vulnerable spot should be worried. And that means that most of them should be worried.

More than half of Americans live along the 19,924 miles of coastline in this country. How many millions more live in river valleys, on fault lines or in Tornado Alley?

Yes, there are risks in living near water. But New Orleanians believed that those risks had been minimized. We should not be written off simply for choosing to make this place our home.

Who's Running the Show?

2006-01-29T00:03:00.000-06:00

The NYT has a good article on a "White House that was plagued by the fog of war" in responding to Katrina. It raises grave concerns on how capable this administration is to protect us. However since the White House is withholding documents and not allowing aides to testify it is difficult to assess the problem and blame.

There is also a question of whether the White House should be making disaster decisions....

But Mr. Duffy, echoing a point made by Mr. Rapuano, said: "The White House should not be making combat decisions in Iraq. The same is true for a domestic emergency response."

Mr. Rapuano is the deputy assistant to the president for homeland security who according to the NYT was "the senior official in charge of managing storm events at the White House when the hurricane struck."

What are Mr. Rapuano's qualifications for managing a natural disaster? Here is his work history....

was previously the senior policy advisor for national security to the Energy Secretary handling a wide range of programs and issues related to nonproliferation, intelligence, counterintelligence, homeland defense and special access programs
served as director of the international affairs and nonproliferation department at Southern Research Institute
worked supporting the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the development of national security policies related to weapons of mass destruction
served as special assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for international security policy, as a foreign affairs specialist in the Office of the Secretary of Defense,
counterproliferation program manager for DynCorp
served on active duty as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps

I'm not sure if he's just a WMD policy wonk or a CIA spook but I would agree with Mr. Rapuano's assessment that the White House shouldn't make natural disaster decisions if a guy with his qualifications is to be in charge.

The NYT also revealed this tidbit........Mr Rapuano "acknowledged that he left the White House about 10 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 29, the night the storm hit."

Like many others I know I was up past 2 in the morning on the 29th glued to CNN coverage of Hurricane Katrina. But I'm just a concerned citizen. Just saying.........

Bush the Obstructor

2006-01-28T23:30:00.000-06:00

Friday Bush criticized Louisiana officials for not having a recovery plan. Of course Mayor Nagin had to come out today and state that that there is indeed a plan.

It is ridiculous that any Louisiana official has to jump through these hoops to prove they are indeed working on recovery. More important it is incredibly disingenuous of Bush to point fingers at anyone.

It is Bush that has held up the Baker bill.
It is Bush that has cheated NOLA out of Cat 5 levee protection.
It is Bush's FEMA that hasn't produced the flood maps yet.

All of the above are critical corner stones of the recovery process.

The Baker bill is necessary for homeowners to decide if they will rebuild or cut their losses and move on.

Bush has only promised funding that will in effect bring Cat 3 levee protection. Without Cat 5 hurricane protection businesses and homeowners will be reluctant to rebuild if they are to be washed out again perhaps next year or the year after.

Finally FEMA is in charge of producing federal flood maps that will "provide critical information for residents trying to decide whether -- or how high -- to rebuild their damaged homes" and "could drive new building codes and standards that try to minimize future flood damage." But they are not done yet.

If presented with this I suppose Bush would say.... heh I'm a constructor, not an obstructor.
Perhaps I shouldn't give him any ideas.

For the Record...

2006-01-28T20:51:00.000-06:00

I got an email from someone who thought that I lived in New Orleans. So for the record I do not. I live in Wisconsin. I know I have never said that I live in NOLA and people who have read my blog for a while would know I live in WI as I have written about that. It never occured to me before but I can see that someone new to this blog may think otherwise as I have written so much on NOLA and with some passion.

As I was writing this I got another email asking why I write on NOLA. Sometimes I am not completely sure myself but I just can not believe this is happening in America, at least not the America I once knew. And what has happened and continues to happen pisses me off and breaks my heart all at one time. We can not abandon our fellow human beings. Simply put...It is Wrong. At one point I had thought of not writing about NOLA anymore but then a story pulled me back in. So I decided to put that post up again as it explains best. So here it is.......

From scout prime November 30, 2005.......

It Pulls Me In
I have never meant for this to be a blog about NOLA and Hurricane Katrina but I have done quite a few posts on that. And just when I think it will be my last there is another story that pulls me back in to it again. There has been just such complete devastation and such horror that it is beyond compelling. It reaches my humanity to the core and I feel such empathy for victims and survivors. I wonder what would I have done in their place? How would I cope in the aftermath?

The story of St. Rita's Nursing Home touches all of that. In the initial aftermath of the storm it was believed that the owners had abandoned the residents. Now it is found that this is not true. Though they must face consequences for not evacuating we learn that the owners and staff were present among others and fought to save lives as a wall of water came crashing down on them. Here is how some experienced that.....

Alonzo recalls the floodwaters flowing from the direction of the lake, a few miles north of St. Rita's.

Trishka Stevens, Jodi Hanson's grandmother, says that when the water burst into the building, it cascaded through air-conditioning vents "like Niagara Falls." Stevens, 75, who has not walked in five years, was in her bed in Room 407 as water rose around her.

"It was up to my chin," she says.

In the pandemonium that followed, nurses and aides waded and then swam through the halls, unhooking the straps that held the wheelchair-bound upright and pushing them onto mattresses. They then shoved the mattresses outside so the evacuees could be taken to higher ground by boat.

Alonzo, 55, says he put his 52-year-old brother onto a mattress, then grabbed Carlos' roommate, Harold Kurz. Alonzo recounts the frantic effort by nurses and others to save as many as possible:

"You can't get out a door, so they're kicking out windows to float the residents out on mattresses to put them on the roof. In every room, people were hollering. They were screaming like somebody was murdering them (and) ... for God to help them. It was a horror scene."

Stevens was saved by Steve Snyder, 29, an offshore oil rig worker who had motored past St. Rita's in a boat while fleeing his own flooded house nearby. By then, Snyder says, rescuers at St. Rita's were chopping holes in the roof to pull out residents who were floating just below the ceiling.

Snyder says he and his brother-in-law swam from room to room, searching for survivors. They gave up, he says, when "we just didn't hear no more screaming, no more people calling for help."

I doubt one gets those screams out of their mind perhaps ever. That's trauma. Alonzo faced another......

Alonzo returned to St. Rita's a month after Katrina to get belongings from his ruined car. He calls the place haunted, and says he will never go back.

"Can you imagine being in your wheelchair ... and that water came up over your head? I guess that's why people are so mad."

He tears up, and then says quietly he wasn't strong enough to hold onto both his brother and Kurz. "You can't swim with two people. I had to let Harold go. I still think about that when I fall asleep."

Maybe I can't let go because people like Alonzo had to.

Baker: Bush Offers NOLA "Death Blow"

2006-01-28T08:33:00.000-06:00

Louisiana Republican Richard Baker of the Baker Bill said this of Bush's approach to NOLA..."There is a price to pay for blind neglect. The current plan would be a death blow to the state's economy." So Baker has vowed to continue to fight for legislation to bail out homeowners and educate Bush and the nation on the necessity of it.

He says that his bill is not as costly as Bush has made it out to be. Here's how the plan would work....

Baker's bill, which enjoys broad bipartisan support among Louisiana politicians and planners, would create a public corporation financed by the sale of federal bonds. A board appointed by the president would use the proceeds to offer buyouts to the owners of flood-damaged homes for at least 60 percent of the equity based on pre-Katrina value. It also would pay off the mortgages, heading off a possible wave of foreclosures.
Unlike the block grant approach, Baker said the corporation would attempt to recoup some of the money -- and fuel the economic recovery of the region -- by selling tracts of land to developers who would rebuild communities according to local plans.

The Mortgage Bankers Association who supports the bill out of "fear that widespread homeowner bankruptcies in metropolitan New Orleans will cost them dearly" says this....

"Some people will simply never be able to repay those loans if the property is worth nothing," Kurt Photenhauer, a lobbyist for the mortgage bankers, said. "Any proposal, including Congressman Baker's, which proposes a method of restoring value gives lenders and borrowers something to work with."

Keep in mind Baker has been a loyal Bush ally voting with the administration 91% of the time. However now he finds himself allied more with LA Democrats. Yesterday he complained Bush "misconstrued" his bill as a drain on federal treasury when in fact 50% would be "repaid when land, whose value would presumably increase, is resold to developers."

Also keep in mind what I wrote yesterday that without the Baker bill those developers will make a killing on cheap land.

It should be asked everyday. Who is Bush working for........ The people of NOLA or his Cronies in NOLA?

The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee has agreed to a Feb. 15 hearing on the legislation.

Do something for the people of NOLA and Call your Rep and tell them to support the Baker bill.

Canizaro & Bollinger: Bush Boys in NOLA

2006-01-26T11:25:00.000-06:00

"Bush Boys"...Donald Bollinger & Joe Canizaro

I am almost surprised at the Bush administration's transparent support in helping big business rebuild NOLA. Amongst residents and LA officials there has been widespread support for the Baker Bill which has been viewed as absolutely essential to rebuilding NOLA. However Bush has never supported it and informed Baker earlier this week that the White House will not support it now or in the future.

Bush's pointman in rebuilding NOLA, Donald Powell states why.......

The bill would add a federal bureaucracy and set up what would be a government real estate agency, "which we don't think is a good business," said Mr. Powell, a former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

It's no coincidence that 2 of New Orleans biggest businessmen on the Bring Back New Orleans commission are not concerned about passing the Baker Bill. Real estate developer Joe Canizaro was in fact foretelling for it's demise 2 weeks ago...

However, Canizaro also said that even without the Baker bill, he thinks enough federal money will be available -- in the form of Federal Emergency Management Agency grants and other sources -- to make homeowners whole. The panel estimates it will cost $12 billion to buy out every home that received at least 2 feet of water, but Canizaro said he expects only half of the flooded homes will be bought out in the end.

And Donald Bollinger is quoted in today's NYT saying this......

"Everybody wants to think that if the Baker bill fails we have no other solution," he said. "I don't agree with that at all. I know we need a tool similar to that."

It's laughable that Bush is worried about adding federal bureaucracy when he had no problem in doing just that with the Medicare Part D plan. What is important here is what is "good for business." Adding clumsy bureaucracy is OK if Big Business structures it and profits from it. If not, then another "tool similar" will be found.

It must be asked just what "tool" exactly are the Bush Boys, Canizaro and Bollinger, and fellow big businessmen on the Bring Back New Orleans commission looking for? Clearly it's not the Baker bill.

A little history first. There were 3 NOLA rebuilding committees formed initially: the Mayor's, the City Council's and the Governor's. But it was the Mayor's Bring New Orleans Back (BNOB) commission that prevailed when Bush met with and supported them....

Donald T. Bollinger Jr., a commission member and a local shipbuilder, said, "Him (Bush) coming in and having dinner with this group and meeting with our group helped sanction us and differentiates us from other groups."

That's not all that differentiated them. Canizaro who has been the leading force in the BNOB commission contributed over 1 million dollars to Republicans since 1997. Bollinger, who owns the 3rd largest shipbuilding company in the country, contributed over $130,000. Canizaro was one of 22 wealthy business leaders whom President Bush invited to lunch in 2001 to discuss his tax cut for the wealthy. Is it all that surprising that Bush"sanctioned" them to be the rebuilders of NOLA?

And there is evidence they are dominating the BNOB commission. The NYT reported in October that there were "sharp divisions"and several areas of "trouble" within the BNOB one of which was some commissioners stating they were the "B team" that was being excluded from meetings. Meetings which Canizaro did attend. Two commissioners stated this at the time.....

"No one goes over with us what they discuss at those lunch meetings," said Oliver M. Thomas Jr., one of the commission's 17 members and president of the City Council. "It would be nice if they did."
Added W. Anthony Patton, a small-business owner on the commission, "Let's just say I haven't been invited to any lunches, either."

So just what is being planned by the Bush Boys in these secret meetings? There may be some clues. Powell said that the $6.2 billion in Community Development Block Grant funds will go to help 20,000 homeowners. Yet there are over 200,000 homeowners whose homes have been destroyed. What will happen to the other 185,000? I doubt they will see any CDBG money as "Mr. Powell has all but put state officials on notice that close watch will be kept on the Community Development Block Grant money." And Mr. Bollinger concurred saying, "I think we have to demonstrate to Congress and the president that we are going to handle our C.D.B.G. grants responsibly."

Now think about that a minute. In effect they are saying they will do everything possible to make sure only those 20,000 homeowners receive a federal government buyout and none of the other 185,000. So what fate awaits the rest? Without government money it appears they face either......

1) free market forces determining what they will receive

or worse

2) Eminent Domain......"commissioners say, not every neighborhood will be sustainable and there will be a need to use eminent domain to seize some property"

So if you severely limit the number of people to receive a buyout you leave a large number of homes (ie Land) available to be bought up cheap or taken. With that much land on the market at once and sellers needing to sell, it most likely will be very cheap.

Just kill the Baker Bill, be so called 'good stewards' of CDBG funds and viola.

It's a Bush Boy's dream come true.........buy the land cheap, develop it and then the Big Payoff.

You know it may be more accurate to say Bush is THEIR Boy after all.

One thing is for sure .......the people of NOLA? They got no Boy at all.

UPDATE: Read Baker's & bankers Reaction on how Bush's plan will render land worthless and be a "death blow" to Louisianna.
Of course as I've stated above developers will profit handsomely

Political Activism in NOLA

2006-01-26T10:54:00.000-06:00

What happens when people lose everything and the powers that be ignore their plight? Some organize.......

They are called "Women of the Storm," and if all goes according to plan, a charter flight will land Monday in the nation's capital with this group of Jews and Christians, wealthy and poor, young and old, famous and not-so-famous -- women of African, European, Vietnamese and Hispanic ancestry. They will disembark with primary and secondary missions.
The Women of the Storm will separate into pairs, and each pair will formally invite four members of Congress to visit the Katrina-ravaged area.

"What we will be presenting to the elected leadership of this country is the face of New Orleanians, the face of the people of south Louisiana who have lost so much," said Milling, who organized fund-raising efforts for the initiative, including $70,000 for the charter flight.

The pairs also will advocate increasing the share of revenue Louisiana receives from drilling off the state's coast, enhanced levee protection, coastal restoration and legislation proposed by Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, that would use federal money to buy flood-damaged homes in Louisiana and pay off homeowners' mortgages.

NOLA needs some Jersey Girls so to speak. Let's hope Women of the Storm will be successful.

Shocked Shocked ........

2006-01-26T10:23:00.000-06:00

I don't understand the shock that Hamas won a majority of seats in the election. What did they expect? For years Hamas has provided essential services to Palestinians. As Bush has vowed to re-shape the Mid East with democracy I've always thought be careful what you ask for.

Bush Doesn't Want Any Debate

2006-01-26T10:07:00.000-06:00

The LA Times has this today on the feds domestic spy program............

A Justice Department spokesman confirmed Wednesday the administration had opposed changing the law in 2002 in part because it did not want to publicly debate the issue.

"There was a conscious choice not to have a public discussion about it. It could have exposed the program. This was a military defense intelligence program," said the spokesman, who asked not be named because of the sensitivity surrounding the still-classified presidential order on wiretapping.

They don't want no stinking debate. Bush can claim what he is doing is legal but he is a Liar.

Think Progress has more on this.

America is Dying for Bush's Sins

2006-01-25T02:15:00.000-06:00

Wolcott wrote New Orleans Died for Bush's Sins. Today I believe America is dying for his sins.....

The Bush administration, citing the confidentiality of executive branch communications, said Tuesday that it did not plan to turn over certain documents about Hurricane Katrina or make senior White House officials available for sworn testimony before two Congressional committees investigating the storm response.

Then there is this next paragraph.......

The White House this week also formally notified Representative Richard H. Baker, Republican of Louisiana, that it would not support his legislation creating a federally financed reconstruction program for the state that would bail out homeowners and mortgage lenders. Many Louisiana officials consider the bill crucial to recovery, but administration officials said the state would have to use community development money appropriated by Congress.

Though I expected the Baker Bill to be killed I am still very disappointed. However I am alarmed by Bush invoking executive privilege. Just as Bush sacrificed New Orleans to pursue his mad war on Iraq he is sacrificing this country in his mad pursuit of executive power. As we focus on the context of each new scandal in hope that exposure will limit Bush, the neo-con vision of the powerful executive becomes a reality before our eyes. Hopes of limiting the executive are dashed by the power of the executive as if we are caught in a cruel political tautology.

We are losing this country to a stonewalling, corrupt, law breaking, constitution shredding, dictatorial manchild. No president has pushed the limits of executive power as this one. George Bush is dangerous. In Bush we have a reckless, immature, irresponsible individual owned by a radical ideology. When he said, " if this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator" it was not hyperbole. He meant it. He was not elected to the office, he acquired it. Since that time his conduct regarding war and national security has been extralegal. The transparency inherent to democracy that would expose him is obscured through brute manipulation of Congress, the judiciary, the press and of course his stonewalling of all.....
On the creation of the 9/11 Commission
On testifying before the 9/11 commission
On the August 6th PDB
On investigating the CIA leak
On dismissing staff involved in the CIA leak
On the commission on pre-war intelligence
On torture
On rendidtion
On global warming
On Cheney's energy task force
On wiretapping citizens
And now on the federal response to Katrina.

Executive privilege has its place but it is not intended to cover a multitude of sins. It is not cover for illegal acts or a means to dodge accountability for mistakes made. We face 3 more years of this and I fear how much worse it will become under George Bush. I fear not of terrorists destroying our country from without, but of the immature, irresponsible power hungry executive destroying us from within. If the other branches of government and the American people continue in their acquiescence, American ideals, as we once knew them, will be as dead as the New Orleans we once knew. And both will have died for Bush's sins.

Gonzales at Georgetown

2006-01-25T01:30:00.000-06:00

Students turned their backs to Gonzales as he spoke.

Student banner.....way to go Georgetown

Yesterday AG Gonzales spoke at Georgetown and defended warrantless wiretaps with this......

"You may have heard about the provision of FISA that allows the president to conduct warrantless surveillance for 15 days following a declaration of war. That provision shows that Congress knew that warrantless surveillance would be essential in wartime."

This makes me want to bang my head against a wall.
Allowing 15 days before obtaining a warrant does not mean warrantless.
How stupid do they think we are?
Never mind....don't answer. Just point me to a wall.

To the AP: Please Do A Fact Check

2006-01-24T21:30:00.000-06:00

The AP has a story entitled "Nagin Chides Media Over Coverage" in which the following appears.......

Estimates are that more than 1,200 died in Louisiana and Mississippi in a devastating 2005 hurricane season that left almost 1 million people displaced ......

First look at the "estimate" of the death toll. It wouldn't take much to find that the official death toll for MS and LA is 1311. A few google searches would get the death tolls of each state, then Add. Is it really that hard to be precise and count all the dead?

Worse however is the number of displaced people is OFF by......almost 1 million!

At present there are 2 Million people displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. FEMA of course had the number wrong until a few weeks ago but they did own up to the mistake and released it to the press. Now that figure is for both Katrina and Rita. But 28 days after Rita struck FEMA was working to find temporary housing for 30,000 people displaced by Rita in Texas. Let's say that FEMA was way off on that number too in October and so make it 60,000. Also subtract 35,000 for those presently displaced in Alabama which brings it to 100,000 of the total are outside LA and MS. Then the number displaced in Louisiana & Mississippi is still 1.9 Million.

OK it took me about an hour to track down that last part but is it really asking too much of a newswire reporter to do the same. I would certainly hope people see there is a big difference between 1 million and 1.9 million yet I continue to see the 1 million figure due in large part to the AP from which many papers subscribe.

Numbers mean something.
They determine how we view and attach meaning to the problem in our collective conscience.
And they definitely have meaning when Washington responds to the problem by disbursing aid.

Look I really appreciate the AP but it is time the 1 million figure disappears.
I sent an email to the AP. If you would like to do the same the address is info@ap.org

Katrina Death Toll Rises Again

2006-01-24T17:02:00.000-06:00

The Katrina death toll for Louisiana has risen again.
1103 bodies have been recovered. 23 of those have been determined not to be storm related. The official death toll for LA due to Katrina now stands at 1080

Death Toll in other states:
Mississippi.............231
Florida......................14
Alabama.....................2
Georgia.......................2

Katrina Total is now at 1329

The number of missing in Louisiana decreased from 3200 to.........2865

Bush Continues to Block Baker Bill

2006-01-24T15:09:00.000-06:00

U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge tried last year to get legislation passed that would use treasury bonds to buy back damaged homes at 60% of equity and then parcels would be packaged and redeveloped. These are home that were without flood insurance outside the flood zone. LA officials and residents believe the Baker Bill is essential for the rebuilding of NOLA. Yet the White House would not support the bill and blocked its passage. Bush continues to oppose the legislation. Bush wants LA to use Community Development Block Grants to aid homeowners instead of passing the Baker Bill.

The White House points out that Mississippi has said it will use CDBG money it received for aiding homeowners and Bush wants Louisiana to do the same. Problem is Louisiana only received $6.2 billion in CDBG yet faces a problem more than twice the size of Mississippi which none the less received $5.3 billion in CDBG funding. There are 35,000 damaged homes without flood insurance outside the flood zone in MS. But LA has 77,000 such homes and another 140,000 in the floodplain. LA Gov Blanco states they need a large part of the $6.2 billion to replace infrastructure "including hospital repairs, university support, sewer and water service and electricity."

Clearly Louisiana is being shortchanged. LA leaders say they need either the Baker Bill or $9 billion more in CDBG funding to equal the payments MS will be able to make to homeowners.

Pressure should be brought to bear on the White House to pass the Baker Bill.
Help the people of LA and Call or email W at the White House to tell him to end his oppososition to the Baker Bill. And also call your reps.

To call the White House......202-456-1111
To Email White House.....comments@whitehouse.gov

NOLA Election

2006-01-24T14:18:00.000-06:00

It is expected that Gov. Blanco will set April 22 as the date for NOLA elections. Local political analysts say no one knows what to expect of the election.......

“This is going to be an incredibly unusual election,” Renwick said. “We don't even know who the voters are. We don't know who's going to vote. We don't know which race is in the majority. We don't know who's going to run. What we know is not much of anything.”

Both Lee and Renwick agreed that even with potential heavy hitters such as Peggy Wilson, Oliver Thomas, Mitch Landrieu, Rob Couhig and George Fowler in the mix, no one candidate would necessarily be a shoe-in. They said the big question on election night would be how many displaced residents decide to vote by absentee.

Back from the Vet

2006-01-24T12:47:00.000-06:00

Well Teddy and I just got back from visiting the vet.
Teddy is Very Pissed with me.
She is quite a challenge at the vet. They gave her some laughing gas to do the exam.....she's not laughing though. At any rate she gained 5 oz. She is not out of the woods yet but they seemed more hopeful for her. She will have to stay on the meds forever but so what. So I'm feeling better.

Feds Warned Before Katrina of Devestation to Come

2006-01-23T19:08:00.000-06:00

Documents that were released today show that the Homeland Security Dept (and therefore FEMA) was warned one day before Katrina struck that levees would likely be breached and massive flooding of NOLA would result......

An Aug. 28 report by the department's National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center concluded that a Category 4 or 5 hurricane would cause severe damage in the city, including power outages and a direct economic hit of up to $10 billion for the first week.

"Overall, the impacts described herein are conservative," stated the report, which was sent to Homeland Security's office for infrastructure protection.

"Any storm rated Category 4 or greater ... will likely lead to severe flooding and/or levee breaching, leaving the New Orleans metro area submerged for weeks or months," said the report, which was released by a Senate panel examining the government's breakdown in responding to Katrina.

The documents are the latest indication that the federal government knew beforehand of the catastrophic damage that a storm of Katrina's magnitude could cause.

Levee Failure
The Times Picayune also has a good article on the levees failure. It's worth reading but basically it says the levees that protected from Mississippi River flooding held while the hurricane levees did not. Why? After the 1927 great Mississip[pi River flood a decision was made to build levees to withstand the worst ever flooding. But in 1965 Congress decided to build hurricane levees to withstand only a fast moving Cat 3 hurricane.........

"After the 1927 flood, the nation made a commitment never to let that happen again, so the design criteria (the corps) had was for the worst that could ever happen -- something that might not occur again for 400 to 450 years," said Al Naomi, a senior project manager at the New Orleans office. "In some (areas) the (river) levee was overbuilt, but that was done because the design criteria we were given was to build for the maximum possible flood.

"That wasn't the case with the hurricane protection project here."

The 1965 congressional authorization for the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection project was based on what the corps described in its 1962 planning document as the "standard project hurricane," which would have maximum sustained winds of 100 mph in a radius of 30 nautical miles, and a storm surge of 11.2 feet on the south shore of the lake. That translates approximately into a fast-moving Category 3 storm. The report said the probability of that occurring is once every 200 years.

And the powers that be still have not learned. What Bush has authorized is Cat 3 protection. It's 1965 all over again.
Here's futher explanation.....

Russert's Shameful Performance

2006-01-23T08:42:00.000-06:00

Many in the blogosphere have questioned why did Timmeh ask Barak Obama about Harry Belafonte yesterday. But it gets worse. Arianna Huffington questions why Carville & Matalin were on yesterday? Was it to promote Timmeh's son new job?

And what made it all even more special is the relationship of Carville's radio co-host to Meet the Press's host -- a relationship not even revealed in the following exchange:

RUSSERT: James Carville, before you go I understand that politics may be part of your past, that you're going to go on XM Satellite Radio and do sports?
CARVILLE: Well, Mr. Russert, I can't talk about that too much, but I think there's going to be a story in tomorrow's paper. Tomorrow night I'll be on the Jay Leno show on NBC, and we'll be talking about some exciting new developments and maybe a new twist on an old career.

RUSSERT: With anyone I know?

CARVILLE: Maybe you would be familiar with someone I'll be teaming up in this, but let's just say it's going to offer a generational look at sports and the coaches of sports and things like that, and we'll be joining Bob Dylan.

Hmm, whoever could it be? Notice the playful banter? "With anyone I know?" "I can't talk about that too much..."

Fortunately, a faithful Russert Watch insider sent me an advance copy of the press release about the talk show and Carville's mystery partner. Here is the release's headline:

JAMES CARVILLE AND LUKE RUSSERT TO HOST NEW SPORTS TALK SHOW EXCLUSIVELY FOR XM SATELLITE RADIO

Ah, mystery solved!

I was watching yesterday and it was obvious there was an inside joke going on but I never would have guessed Timmeh was plugging his son. I'm really sick and tired of Washington DC being a playground for all the insiders to enrich themselves and their families as the rest of us stand by with our faces pressed up against the one way mirror in wait for real solutions to very serious problems.

NOLA ER's Overwhelmed

2006-01-23T07:39:00.000-06:00

NYT reports that as more residents return NOLA emergency rooms are being overwhelmed. Many doctors have not returned so people go to hospitals for care but.....

The emergency rooms of this bedraggled region are facing their own emergency. As thousands of residents have begun returning in the weeks since New Year's, there are far more sick people than there are doctors, nurses, beds and equipment to take care of them.
The slow repopulation of the city picked up speed after the holidays as more schools reopened and, in the words of one emergency room doctor, the sicker people began to return. But only seven of what had been 15 adult acute-care facilities in the city and three surrounding parishes are open, and only one-third of the acute-care beds.

Hospitals
Five NOLA hospitals are closed as the buildings are severely damaged. "Some hospitals have opened neighborhood clinics or parking-lot tents for walk-in care, but some may never reopen, or may take up to a year to find the money to rebuild." Touro Infirmary is the only full service hospital at present in New Orleans proper so many people are sent to suburban hospitals. There were 5,063 available beds pre Katrina for the NOLA area. Now there are about 1,750 beds. The military had set up hospital facilities after Katrina but they are now gone.

Ambulances
At present ambulances can be tied up for hours delivering a patient. Ambulance calls have usually tripled during Mardi Gras from 120 a day to 360. Doctors are so worried about the upcoming Mardi Gras that they have formed a planning committee.

Staff

The city's rebuilding commission said in a report this week that if 65 percent of the region's prestorm population returns by July 1 - as many experts have predicted - the city will need to triple the number of hospital beds available, which would require hiring 2,550 medical staff members in less than six months and an "extraordinary expense" in housing them and paying them enough to return

After Care
Long term care such as rehab, hospice, nursing home and psychiatric facilities are non existent at present so there is really no place to discharge patients. What ER facilities there are report being overwhelmed with psychiatric patients.

Question for the White House Press Corps

2006-01-22T16:23:00.000-06:00

Last week Scottie McClellan said he wasn't commenting on Abramoff's meetings at the White House unless the press had something specific...

Q Would you qualify it as senior staff that he met with here?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm just saying staff-level meetings is the way I would describe it. And if you have anything specific, I'll be glad to take a look into it.

Q Well, we're counting on you for the specifics --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, if there's any reason for me to check into it, please bring it to my attention.

Well here's a specific and I hope someone puts it to Scottie tomorrow.....

Scott, yesterday Time magazine reported on a specific meeting between Abramoff and Karl Rove saying that Abramoff, quote "was also admitted to the White House complex for meetings with several staff members, including one with presidential senior adviser Karl Rove," unquote. Would you please look into this specific meeting between Rove and Abramoff and report back to us?

They Wait

2006-01-22T11:15:00.000-06:00

Mimus Pauly of A Mockingbird's Medley has a good Katrina post. Go check it out.
I wonder just how many people are waiting ??

Time: We've Seen the Photos of Abramoff and Bush

2006-01-22T09:47:00.000-06:00

Time is reporting today that they have seen 5 photos of Bush with Jack Abramoff and another of Abramoff's kids with Bush and Hastert.....

The President's memory may soon be unhappily refreshed. TIME has seen five photographs of Abramoff and the President that suggest a level of contact between them that Bush's aides have downplayed. While TIME's source refused to provide the pictures for publication, they are likely to see the light of day eventually because celebrity tabloids are on the prowl for them
SNIP
In one shot that TIME saw, Bush appears with Abramoff, several unidentified people and Raul Garza Sr., a Texan Abramoff represented who was then chairman of the Kickapoo Indians, which owned a casino in southern Texas. Garza, who is wearing jeans and a bolo tie in the picture, told TIME that Bush greeted him as "Jefe," or "chief" in Spanish. Another photo shows Bush shaking hands with Abramoff in front of a window and a blue drape. The shot bears Bush's signature, perhaps made by a machine. Three other photos are of Bush, Abramoff and, in each view, one of the lobbyist's sons (three of his five children are boys). A sixth picture shows several Abramoff children with Bush and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who is now pushing to tighten lobbying laws after declining to do so last year when the scandal was in its early stages.

Time also says that Abramoff met with Karl Rove one time. What will Scottie say about this?

Keep W's Hands Off Social Security

2006-01-21T08:06:00.000-06:00

This is what Bush's cronyism gets us and it's sickening. You should read the whole article.

On the seventh day of the new Medicare drug benefit, Stephen Starnes began hearing voices again, ominous voices, and he started to beg for the medications he had been taking for 10 years. But his pharmacy could not get approval from his Medicare drug plan, so Mr. Starnes was admitted to a hospital here for treatment of paranoid schizophrenia
SNIP
Mix-ups in the first weeks of the Medicare drug benefit have vexed many beneficiaries and pharmacists. Dr. Steven S. Sharfstein, president of the American Psychiatric Association, said the transition from Medicaid to Medicare had had a particularly severe impact on low-income patients with serious, persistent mental illnesses.

"Relapse, rehospitalization and disruption of essential treatment are some of the consequences," Dr. Sharfstein said.

24 states have had to take emergency actions to deal with George's mess. In the meantime the mentally ill can't get medications. Many can't afford their medications now even if they can get them......

For the first time, residents of Dayspring Village found this month that they were being charged co-payments for their drugs, typically $3 for each prescription. The residents take an average of eight or nine drugs, so the co-payments can take a large share of their cash allowance, which is $54 a month.
Even after the insurer agreed to relax "prior authorization" requirements for a month, it was charging high co-payments for some drugs - $52 apiece for Abilify, an anti-psychotic medicine, and Depakote.

When one of these folks goes off because they could not get their meds and hurts someone I hope it is remembered who is to blame. George W. Bush. His "reform" was nothing but a handout to insurance companies and Big Pharma and here are the consequences.

"Consistent Info" on Missing Persons Leads to Search of 400 NOLA Homes for Bodies

2006-01-19T23:14:00.000-06:00

(NOLA Lower 9th Ward---1/6/2006)

I began writing about the need to search NOLA homes for bodies on October 4, the day after the official search was called off. I knew there had to be bodies in the rubble, dozens of bodies, perhaps even hundreds. Some areas had never even been searched as of October 3rd.

Now with 3200 people still listed as missing, Louisiana authorities are calling for the search of 400 homes "because authorities have consistent information about people missing from those locations."

400 Homes!
That means there is a good possibility that the death toll could rise dramatically. We are nearing 5 months since the hurricane struck and there are still 400 families out there who have no answer! This is an atrocity...

It's also possible some of those listed as missing were washed into the gulf or Lake Pontchartrain following the Aug. 29 storm. Others might be in the rubble of homes washed off their foundations or pancaked in place, though Cataldie has declined to speculate how many of the missing might have been killed.

This horror could have been avoided had the search continued in October. As difficult as it may have been, every effort should have been made to recover our citizens
Shame on us.

UPDATE: Here is a CNN story on one woman still searching for her mother. It includes an interview with Dr. Louis Cataldie, LA state's medical examiner, who requested the search......a good guy.
Click here to View Video
(Direct link, 2 minutes)

More Housing Discrimination Against Katrina Victims

2006-01-19T22:56:00.000-06:00

Can we just admit we're a racist nation? In a previous post I wrote about housing discrimination by online charities providing housing to Katrina victims. Now the feds are starting an ad campaign to remind tenants and landlords that housing discrimination against Katrina victims is illegal. Why you ask? Because landlords are discriminating against African American Katrina victims.....

HUD officials said the office has received 87 allegations of housing discrimination from evacuees since the hurricane, 14 in Houston. A spokesman for HUD said they do not discuss the details of complaints.
SNIP
Last month the National Fair Housing Alliance accused five apartment complexes in Texas, Florida and Alabama of discriminating against black hurricane evacuees.

The complaints filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development were made following a test survey by the group, in which white callers posing as hurricane victims were treated more favorably than black would-be applicants in 66 percent of telephone inquiries.

Rental agents informed black callers no apartments were available moments after telling white callers they had space. White callers were quoted lower rents than black callers.

Cue one of those ads for the wingnuts who proclaim Katrina wasn't any harder on blacks than whites.

Damn it. Get. It. Together.

2006-01-19T21:56:00.000-06:00

From WaPo...

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) apologized to 33 Republican senators yesterday for a hard-hitting news release that accused them of ethical and legislative lapses, in an awkward about-face that tripped up Democrats' effort to keep the GOP majority on the defensive over alleged corruption.

"I am writing to apologize for the tone of this document and the decision to single out individual senators for criticism in it," Reid said of the 27-page statement sent by his communications office Tuesday.
SNIP
Spokesman Jim Manley said Reid did not see the document before it was e-mailed to hundreds of journalists and others
SNIP
As partisan attacks go, the statement was hardly the most scathing seen on Capitol Hill lately.

Sheesh Dems have the biggest scandal in American history withering in their laps. Get it together please! First get your attack together. Second--Attack. Last --Keep on attacking!

24 Hours of the Spectacular Ignorance of Tweety

2006-01-19T20:57:00.000-06:00

On Hardball tonight Tweety compared Michael Moore to Osama bin Laden. Yesterday Tweety and Imus did some Bareback Mountain gay bashing. And last night as I watched Hardball he questioned how Laura Bush knows God wants NOLA rebuilt......

MATTHEWS:........She said, “God wants New Orleans to be rebuilt.” How does she know? Why are people talking for a deity? We can argue whether there is a God, but then to be hearing voices. This is the Joan of Arc stuff.
SNIP
MATTHEWS: She said God wants us to rebuild New Orleans.
ROGERS: Well, maybe he does.

MATTHEWS: Well, sure. Maybe he hasn't give it any thought, I'm not sure. I just don't know, but I wouldn't presume.

ROGERS: I don't want to pick on Mrs. Bush. I don't know what she said. I give her the benefit of the doubt.

MATTHEWS: Well, I just told you what she said. But you can hide behind ignorance.

ROGERS: Ignorance is bliss.

MATTHEWS: I know. I've heard that before.

I thought geez I got to hear what Laura said! But the only thing I've been able to find is what the AP reported......

Asked about the comment, Mrs. Bush joked that she didn't really think she could speak for God. Then she added that she believes Nagin wants New Orleans to be rebuilt.

"He wants people who lived in New Orleans to come back," Mrs. Bush said. "I do, too, and I know the president does, too. You know it's going to take a long time."

Now I don't know where Tweety got his quote but according to AP Laura Bush refused to speak for God THEN said NAGIN wants NOLA rebuilt. I've not been able to find anything that supports what Tweety said. If anyone can point me to something, OK. Otherwise Tweety is just wrong.......Again. Ignorance is bliss indeed.

Bush and Abramoff?

2006-01-19T13:56:00.000-06:00

UPDATE: Think Progress decided it is NOT Abramoff.

Think Progress seems to have it.........

I've been going through White House pics (my eyes were bleeding last nite) but have found nothing. But I knew eventually someone would.

This is the MLK Speech from NOLA the Country Should Have Heard

2006-01-19T13:12:00.000-06:00

Here is an excerpt of the speech by Pulitzer Prize-winning musician and New Orleanian Wynton Marsalis on MLK Day.....

If you realize the unfortunate consequences of inaction, hopefully you will understand even more the importance of holding both your elders and your peers accountable when it comes to the rebuilding of New Orleans. Stay up on the facts.
What, other than injustice, could be the reason that the displaced citizens of New Orleans cannot be accommodated by the richest nation in the world? You, along with the entire world, saw the bureaucratic fumbling and lack of concern inflicted on those very same citizens at the Superdome and the Convention Center. Who is being held accountable now?

The rebuilding of New Orleans is an important point in the history of the United States. Don't wish for someone else to do later what you can do now. When you perceive a problem, put together a group of friends and be loud in your dissent. When you notice inconsistencies between what is said by government officials and what is done, exercise your individual and collective power to take steps to remove them. Our form of democracy allows you to do that. Remember, the best way to be is to do.

What are you going to do?

Good Question.....

(thanks to reader janeboatler)

3200 Still Listed as Missing after Katrina

2006-01-19T11:40:00.000-06:00

I do think many of these people are alive but were reported as missing and later never reported as found. I'm also sure that some of these people are dead. Officials have said unknown numbers were certainly washed out to sea. But just how many suffered this fate? I hope in publicizing this LA authorites will be able to get an accurate accounting.

More than 3,200 people remain listed as missing nearly five months after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.

Nearly 11,500 people have been reported missing to the Find Family National Call Center, a center run by federal and state workers, the agency said Wednesday. All but about 3,200 have been located.

Some of those reported missing likely have already been found by family members but remain on the list because the center hasn't been notified.

Officials were asking people who have reported someone missing but have since found them to notify the Find Family Center.

In Louisiana, the state Department of Health and Hospitals has set up a web site to help reunite families at www.katrinamissing.dhh.louisiana.gov.

Coming Home

2006-01-19T01:24:00.000-06:00

Just go read this at Steve Gilliard.

Falling Down

2006-01-19T00:09:00.000-06:00

Trent Lott had this reaction to ethics reforms on lobbyist buying meals.....

"Now we're going to say you can't have a meal for more than 20 bucks," said Senator Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi. "Where are you going, to McDonald's?"

Why the hell not. It's how the rest of live.

I think it would be good for Trent to have to deal with Rick.....

Brownie's A Heck of a Flip-Flopper

2006-01-18T22:31:00.000-06:00

Now Drownie Brownie says it was his fault.....

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. - Former FEMA Director Michael Brown on Wednesday accepted a greater share of the blame for the government's failures after Hurricane Katrina, saying he fell short in conveying the magnitude of the disaster and calling for help.
"I should have asked for the military sooner. I should have demanded the military sooner," Brown told a gathering of meteorologists at a ski resort in the Sierra Nevada.
"It was beyond the capacity of the state and local governments, and it was beyond the capacity of FEMA," said Brown, former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Brown's remarks Wednesday stood in contrast to his testimony at a congressional hearing in September, when he blamed most of the government's failures on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin — both Democrats.

OK so what's his angle now?
A. Drownie needs some attention
B. Drownie has a guilt ridden conscience he must unburden
C. Drownie is concerned about the future welfare of his fellow man.
D. Drownie realized he needs to demonstrate he does indeed have a grasp on reality if he is to attract clients to his consulting biz.

I'll go with D of course.

I Didn't Know

2006-01-18T19:33:00.000-06:00

Honestly I didn't know she was still alive......

LOS ANGELES - The reclusive Harper Lee - the Greta Garbo of novelists who's been running away from fame ever since her only published book, "To Kill a Mockingbird," appeared 45 years ago - is venturing back into the public eye to support the movie "Capote."
At Vanity Fair's star-studded Golden Globes party Sunday night at the newly renovated Sunset Tower Hotel - and by "newly," I mean the renovations were completed three hours before the party started - I heard that the 79-year-old Lee just faxed a blurb to the film-makers.
"You told the truth about Truman, and Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance is a work of art unto itself," wrote Lee, the late Truman Capote's best friend from Alabama, who's portrayed in the movie by Catherine Keener as she helps the flamboyant author research "In Cold Blood."

Thanks to Eli

Mrs. George Bush?

2006-01-18T18:44:00.000-06:00

Look at the photo, then the caption.

What's a Corrupt Pol To Do?

2006-01-18T17:43:00.000-06:00

If Montana Sen. Conrad Burns thought returning the money would make it all go away well he hit a snag....they won't accept. (via Wampum)

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council has rejected a $111,000 donation from the campaign of Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, with some saying the money is tainted because it originally came from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his clients.

James Steele Jr., also chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, said Tuesday evening that the council voted not to accept the donation, which was made up of contributions from Abramoff, his associates and his tribal clients.

Julia doney, president of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council, a member of the tribal leaders council, said that some of the tribes are ``tired of being used'' and do not want to appear as if they are helping Burns with his political troubles.

Just a Reminder

2006-01-18T14:18:00.000-06:00

(via TPM: above believed to be Ralston, Reed & Abramoff far right)

As Scottie stonewalls on Abramoff's meetings at the White House it seems just a little reminder is in order that Susan Ralston was Jack Abramoff's executive assistant before she became Karl Rove's executive assistant in 2001.

(Susan Ralston & Prez)

Former Young Republican Paying Snitches

2006-01-18T11:43:00.000-06:00

As we fight wars to spread democracy just exactly where is freedom on the march.....

A fledgling alumni group headed by a former campus Republican leader is offering students payments of up to $100 per class to provide information on instructors who are "abusive, one-sided or off-topic" in advocating political ideologies.

The year-old Bruin Alumni Assn. says its "Exposing UCLA's Radical Professors" initiative takes aim at faculty "actively proselytizing their extreme views in the classroom, whether or not the commentary is relevant to the class topic." Although the group says it is concerned about radical professors of any political stripe, it has named an initial "Dirty 30" of teachers it identifies with left-wing or liberal causes.

The university said it will warn the association that selling copies of professors' lectures would violate campus rules and raise copyright issues.

The Bruin Alumni Assn. is headed by Andrew Jones, a 24-year-old who graduated in June 2003 and was chairman of UCLA's Bruin Republicans student group.

Nagin Ditches CNN Again

2006-01-18T10:36:00.000-06:00

This is funny. Anderson Cooper keeps trying to get Nagin on his show and thought he had him last night but Nagin cancelled due to an Emergency To Deal With. So CNN persued him and found him dining at a Bourbon Street restarant with the members of the Bring New Orleans Back commission. In fairness I'm sure he was dealing.....

It was here on the program that we expected to speak with Mayor Nagin, even though getting the mayor to come on the program is only a little easier than herding cats. When we -- when he last appeared on 360, which was about four months ago, shortly before Hurricane Rita, he promised he would be back.

Since then, we have put in dozens of requests for interviews. He's always declined them. Twice, he has agreed to appear, then canceled shortly before airtime, as he did tonight.

This morning, he agreed to appear. And, then, around 6:00 p.m., he confirmed he would appear. Then, shortly after, his office told us the mayor had an emergency to deal with. They said he would not be showing up.

Now, they didn't say what the emergency was. And we're not here to judge a person's emergencies. But, last we checked, the mayor was eating dinner at a restaurant called Bourbon House on the corner of Bourbon Street.

And Sean Callebs is actually standing outside the restaurant right now.

Sean, is the mayor still inside having dinner?

CALLEBS: Well, as best we can tell, Anderson, he is, indeed.

I can you how this evening played out. After we got the call that the mayor was going to cancel the interview, we had a crew out here. Somebody went upstairs to the second floor in a private dining area. They saw the mayor greeting members of the Commission to Bring Back New Orleans.

Now, we had people out here the entire time. There are still a number of city vehicles out here. We went up a short while ago to check once again to see if Mayor Nagin was upstairs on the second floor. This time, those doors were shut, and the mayor's press officer is standing out in front -- Anderson.

Kurtz Gets Defensive of His Swiftboating Article

2006-01-18T09:53:00.000-06:00

Howie Kurtz took umbrage today of the "left side of the commentariat" questioning his using the conservative CSN as the source of his article on Murtha. Kurtz appears to say swiftboating is ok because "politcs ain't beanbag" and the media will see through and expose false attacks. He claims after all the media did so with the John Kerry Swiftboaters saying this---" even though the media poked significant holes in their account."

They did? Now that's news.

Perhaps Howie can explain how that story persisted for months if the media had supposedly exposed it to be 'holey' or how the term "Swiftboating" ever came into our lexicon if that affair had been promptly laid to rest by the diligent members of the 'pressitariat'.

Big Guns in Politics

2006-01-17T23:02:00.000-06:00

I just found this from Stars & Stripes to be interesting. Strange politics....

Recently, the unit began to curtail its use of so-called “terrain denial” fire as part of an agreement with local tribal leaders and sheiks. Terrain denial fire targets areas that insurgents have used to launch attacks or hide weapons. Insurgents may or may not be in the area when the rounds land, but it discourages them from returning, officers said.

Firing into populated areas can be done only under specific criteria, and Miller said that in the unit’s seven months in Ramadi, he has not heard of one civilian death or injury caused by U.S. artillery here. However, locals are very tired of having the shells land on or near their property, and use of terrain denial fire has become an important bargaining chip in dealing with local tribal leaders.

Commanders agreed to taper off the fire if local sheiks promised to use their influence to discourage insurgent mortar attacks. Whether the terrain denial missions stop entirely depends on what happens next on the part of the sheiks and insurgents.

Nagin’s a Tool

2006-01-17T16:54:00.000-06:00

I don't rant often but I'm going to today. I'm pissed off. Maybe it's because we lost a major American city and people have moved on as though the neighbors rickety garage blew over in a windstorm. Or maybe it's that we never even bothered to search for the bodies. Or maybe it's because we have 2 million people displaced but no one, not even FEMA, knew it. Or maybe it's because people are living in tents cause the only way to get a damned FEMA trailer is to chain yourself to one. Or maybe it's because Bush's crony buddies are about to make a killer land grab that will make the Louisiana Purchase look like a dimebag drug deal. Whatever it is I've had it. It's time to get serious about helping our fellow Americans before we lose our last shred of moral decency. So today as people are taking a sharp look at Ray Nagin, here's my take.

Nagin came out of the White Republican Big Business Tent for one day to have his Come to Chocolate moment and got his teeth kicked in. I say good.

It’s time to face reality about Nagin. He is Democrat in name only. We owe him nothing. Throwing a verbal chocolate bone to the people one day of the year doesn’t erase being a tool for Republicans and Big Business the other 364.

I had my Nagin awakening when the levee funding deal went down. The people of NOLA needed Cat 5 levees. The Democrats were lobbying hard for it. But they are expensive and Bush couldn’t part with any of his war bucks or tax cuts for the wealthy for that. But polls show Americans want NOLA rebuilt and 71% say cut Iraq spending or delay/cancel tax cuts to do it. What was the boy king to do?

Get a Tool. And he found one in Nagin. Bush brought Nagin to the White House. Now keep in mind this is at the exact same time that Blanco was refused an appointment with no explanation and LA Dems were lobbying furiously in DC for Cat 5 funding. That was all to end, when Bush announced his funding for levee rebuilding with a smiling, grateful Nagin in tow for all America to see. Impression to be left for Americans? Must be a good thing.

It’s not. What Bush gave was Cat 3 levees. And what were Dems to do as a fellow Dem slurped up the crappy deal. Well they smiled and went along. Bush knew what he was doing. He found a nice wedge tool in Nagin or should I say axe to cut the legs out from under the Democrats. Well it’s time Democrats face reality regarding Nagin and cut him loose….actively and completely. He opened the door and he certainly made his own bed. Tuck him in and say goodnight. Do it now before he gives away the absolutely necessary Baker Bill, which Bush doesn't support either. Or as sure as FEMA will fuck up tomorrow Bush will pull out his tool once again. Make that a multi-tool. Nagin is flexible.

'Bring New Orleans Back' Commissioner's Campaign Contributions:94% Went to Republicans

2006-01-16T23:32:00.000-06:00

"The mission of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission is to work with the mayor to create a master plan by the end of the year that rebuilds New Orleans culturally, socially, economically, and uniquely for every citizen." They recently unveiled their plan which is controversial and has been met with criticism as has the role of commissioner Joseph Canizaro. Joseph Canizaro is a real estate developer who has made large contributions to Bush. (See previous post here)
I was curious not only of Canizaro's campaign contributions but the BNOBC as a whole as they hold great power in NOLA at present. First some background on the composition of the Commmission.

There are 17 members of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission (BNOBC). As race has been an issue in NOLA half of the members are black and half are white with one Hispanic. For bios of each member go here. In brief there are 2 attorneys, 1 community activist, an archbishop, a 9th Ward minister, a jazz musician, one Councilmember, the President of Tulane University and 9 major businessmen.

Researching the Federal Elections Commission data base I found the following based on the compilation of the many individual contributions from 1997-2005 :

Summary:
Total Campaign Contributions of the Bring New Orleans Back Commissioners:

8 contributors:
3 African Americans contributed $12,400 or less than 1% of the total. A minimum of 80% of that 1% went to Democrats.*

5 Caucasions gave $1,265,864 or 99% of the total. A minimum of 95% of that went to Republicans.**

Total of All Contributions............................$1,278,264
Total Percentage of all contributions
that went to Republicans.................................94%

Details are Below:

I found no campaign contributions listed for the following.....
Kim Boyls.................Attorney
Cesar R. Burgos.......Attorney
Barbara Major.........Community Activist
Archbishop Alfred Clifton Hughes
Fred Luter...............9th Ward Minister
Wynton Marsalis
Oliver Thomas.........Councilmember
Scott S. Cowen.........President Tulane
Anthony Patton.......African American businessman
...................................................
That leaves 8 of the businessmen all of whom made campaign contributions.

3 of the 8 businessmen are African American. They gave $10,000 to Democrats with one donating $2400 to a PAC that supported Democrats and Republicans. Below are the details.....

African American businessman, Alden McDonald gave $9000 to Democrats including the following:
William Jefferson............$7500 from 1997-2004
John Neely Kennedy......$1000
Marjorie McKeithen.........$500

African American businessman, Daniel Packer gave the following to Democrats:
Mary Landrieu........$250 contribution and -$250 (an apparent disbursement)
* $2400 to ENPAC which gave to Democrats and Republicans.To err on the side of caution however I counted them as Democrat donations even though most of the money went to Republicans.

African American businessman, David White gave $1000 to Democrat Stephanie Tubbs-Jones.

Total campaign contributions for the 3:
To Dems:........................$10,000
To Rep: .......................0-$2400 depending on amount of PAC contribution went to Republicans, though again $2400 was counted as a Dem contribution in the totals.
..................................................
The remaining 5 business men are all white and gave predominately to Republicans.
** The exception would be some Louisiana Democrats and PAC donations that in some cases supported just a few Democrats. To err on the side of caution however I counted them as Democrat donations even though most of the money went to Republicans.

1. Joseph Canizaro and wife...............
Soft Money: All to Republicans..........................$868,264
Joint fundraising: All to Republicans...................$39,000
Contributions to PACs........................................$141,500
.....$11,500 to Dems. and $9500 to a PACs that gave to a few Dems
Total of $1,048,764 with 98% going to Republicans.
..................................................

2.Donald Bollinger Jr. and wife..........
Soft Money to RNC Rep Natl State Elec Comm.......$33,950
Contributions to Political Committees.................$118,500
..... $9,485 went to Dem PACs and $12000 went to PACs that gave predominantly to Rep but some Dems
Joint Fundraising Committees................................$4250
Of this $1000 went to Dem. Max Cleland
Total of $156,700 with 86% going exclusively to Republicans
..................................................

3. Gary Solomon..........
To Republicans...........................................$25,000
To Louisiana Dem. Mary Landrieu.................$1500
To Joint fundraising Committees:
Landrieu .........................................................$500
Loiusiana Senate 02 which had
some contributions to Dems.........................$5000
Dem Senate Campaign Committee..................$4500
Total of $36,500 with 68% going to Republicans
..................................................

4. James Reiss Jr..........
To Republicans......................................................$8300
To Louisiana Dem. William Jefferson......................$6600
To Louisiana Dem. John Neely Kennedy ................$2500
Total of $17,400 with 48% going to Republicans
..................................................

5. Mel LeGarde and wife.......
To George Bush........................................................$4000
To RNC.......................................................................$500
To Charmaine Caccioppi Dem (Louisiana House).......$1000
PAC which supported primarily Rep .........................$1000
Total of $6500 with 69% going exclusively to Republicans
..................................................

Again the Summary:
Total Campaign Contributions of the Bring New Orleans Back Commissioners:
8 contributors
Total......................................................$1,278,264
Percentage to Republicans.............................94%

NOLA residents are very concerned about passage of the Baker Bill that would provide funds to pay residents for their flood-ravaged property and the issue of gaining Cat 5 hurricane levee protection. They believe both are essential to rebuilding NOLA. However George Bush has refused to commit support to either . And it is no secret the sway that business leaders and members of the commission have on Bush or he on them. Canizaro has even downplayed the necessity of the Baker bill. Given all of that and the above information I think it is right to question if the BNOBC will represent the best interests of the people of NOLA...... or George Bush and big business.

Abramoff's College Days:ALaddin Shame

2006-01-16T00:59:00.000-06:00

The son of a wealthy Beverly Hills businessman Jack came to Brandeis where he raised Republican hell and drove a 76 Cougar. The Boston Globe has an article on Jack Abramoff's roots at a college known for promoting social justice issues which now finds their alum an embarrassment. He went against the grain in 1977.......

Jack Abramoff, class of '81, resident of Deroy Hall, hated David Bowie, loved ice cream, and was always up for a trip to TGI Friday's on Newbury Street. Stocky and tan, he favored sweat pants and baseball caps.

But this passionately liberal campus is where the young Abramoff found his identity as a conservative firebrand who was not afraid to confront student protesters, hang banners for Ronald Reagan off Route 128, and cook up political hijinks in the name of God and country.

Hated Bowie? Such Alladdin Shame even then.

Selected the lead student organizer for Reagan in Massachusetts, Abramoff hung ''Reagan '80" banners off bridges over Route 128, helped register 3,000 students to vote, schmoozed men in South Boston social clubs, and accompanied Maureen Reagan, the candidate's daughter, on a trip to Brookline to persuade the Bostoner Rebbe, a national Hasidic leader, to endorse Reagan, a nod that was believed to be worth thousands of Orthodox Jewish votes.

Do you remember, your president nixon?
Do you remember, the bills you have to pay
Or even yesterday

When 100 sign-toting students took to Yakus Plaza in front of the student center, protesting US military aid to El Salvador and chanting ''one, two, three, four, US hands off El Salvador," Abramoff crashed the demonstration, waving American flags in students' faces and belting out ''God Bless America." Disgruntled students wrote that week to The Justice, denouncing Abramoff and the Republicans who had joined him as brutes.

And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through

Abramoff also charted his own course socially. At parties, he rarely drank and would leave the room when students smoked marijuana, friends said. He dated the same woman, a quiet pre-premed student, all four years

Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on'

'The person that I knew was smiling and laughing much more readily than the scowling images that you see on television now," Rovins said. ''This is a guy that loved to laugh and loved to joke more than anything."

Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing Gnome and you don't catch me"

How different things may have been if Jack had toked up, got laid a lot and heeded Bowie ..........

So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test
Changes

Fame, what you like is in the limo
Fame, what you get is no tomorrow
Fame, what you need you have to borrow
Fame

Rebel Rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel Rebel, your face is a mess

Who'll love Aladdin ~~Sane~~ Shame
Millions weep a fountain, just in case of sunrise
Who'll love Aladdin ~~Sane~~ Shame

But alas no. All I can say is......

Ohhh, Wham Bam Thank You ~~Ma'am!~~ Jack

Times Picayune Deserves Tribute.

2006-01-15T17:22:00.000-06:00

I have become a huge fan of the Times Picayune. They have earned my utmost respect and I hope yours. Just stop and think about it a moment. While their city drowned they kept on reporting. As their homes were destroyed they kept on reporting. And as their city rebuilds not only do they report on all of it and there is a great deal but they also advocate. I hope someday their reporters tell their story. I think it would be a great read. Until that time read this story from today's TP. Below is the entire story "Big Easy Paper Trying to Report, Survive"and I decided to not put it in blocks so it will be a bit easier to read.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Staff members of the New Orleans newspaper that survived Hurricane Katrina are facing a continuing dilemma — how to report objectively about a story in which they are key players.
"Like our readers, we're also the ones to whom the events happened, at once narrator and subject," said Jim Amoss, editor of The Times-Picayune. "The intersection of these two roles has been excruciating."

In an address Saturday to the American Bar Association's Communications Lawyers Forum, Amoss described how the devastation strained the newspaper that once predicted in a lengthy series that New Orleans would be destroyed by just such a disaster.

Asked if the paper had adequately prepared the public, Amoss said: "I don't think any news organization in our area could prepare the reading public for what eventually happened."

"In the course of a single day, our way of life and sense of order were wiped out," he said.

Amoss recalled that the newsroom was calm as the powerful storm approached, with nearly all the reporters and editors believing Katrina was headed elsewhere.

The lone worried voice belonged to reporter Mark Schleifstein, who had co-authored the series three years earlier predicting devastation if the city's levees were breached.

"Over the years, Mark's colleagues had grown numb to his warnings of the swamped-bowl scenario," Amoss said, referring to the city's geography. "But that afternoon his voice and his pallor made me listen."

Schleifstein told his editor the eye of the hurricane was headed directly toward New Orleans, and that he had been warned by a source at the National Hurricane Center to consider evacuating the newspaper building.

That was the beginning of a weeks-long ordeal that tested the city and the newspaper. At first, Amoss and the staff of 140 slept in sleeping bags and on air mattresses, typing and transmitting stories electronically from a bunker at the building's core.

Some of the first details of the widespread devastation came when James O'Byrne, features editor, and Doug MacCash, art critic, rode bikes to an area being flooded. O'Byrne paused as they watched from a bridge.

"At this point, James put down his notebook," Amoss said. "He stood frozen on the bridge for several minutes as it dawned on him that his house was drowning, that there would be no coming home when this was over. Then he shook himself back into reporter mode, grabbed his pad and continued writing."

From then on, reporters and editors were torn by ethical dilemmas centering on how they could tell the story objectively without letting their own plights get in the way, Amoss said.

When the decision finally was made to evacuate the building, the most upsetting aspect was leaving without finishing one of the most important editions in the paper's history, Amoss said.

"We left with the queasy fear that, for the first time since the Civil War, we might not produce a newspaper for tomorrow," he said.

Traveling in delivery trucks, they made it to Baton Rouge, La., where Amoss reached a friend, Jack Hamilton, at Louisiana State University's communications school, who offered classrooms with computers.

Groups of reporters went back to the swamped city to send in details. Some — Schleifstein included — found they were homeless.

Reporters who went to a Wal-Mart to buy food and water found the store being looted.

"Our group stood in the parking lot, debating the right thing to do," Amoss said. "They had three options, take the items, take them and pay for them later, or put them back."

One reporter argued that if they took anything without paying, they would have to write about themselves as part of the story.

"His view prevailed," Amoss said. "The goods went back to the shelves and on they drove, empty-handed."

For three days, the paper published only electronically on its Web site, http://www.nola.com/. Then, a 16-page paper was produced with help from other newspapers.

"When a group of reporters and editors showed up at the New Orleans Convention Center with a bundle of those first papers, people grabbed for them as if they were food," Amoss said.

Debates over ethics and personal involvement continue. Amoss has taken criticism for crusading fiercely to rebuild the city and putting an editorial on the front page. He said he believes advocacy on behalf of the community is a duty.

"For us, Katrina is and will be a defining moment of our lives, a story we'll be telling till the day we die," he said. "Being a part of the plot is both riveting and deeply unsettling. We don't yet know the end of this story ... It's the story of our lives, and we must both live and chronicle it."

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus Christ they put back food and water to do what was ethically correct!
Can you see Judy Miller or Bob Woodward doing that?
The Times Picayune is in a class all by itself.

It Defies Logic

2006-01-15T11:15:00.000-06:00

DKos has a post on the the Washington Post ombudsman, Deborah Howell repeating of the GOP lie that Dems are involved in the Abramoff scandal. Kos says we need to push back on this lie.
My pushback line will be a KISS.......

There's no way a Republican would have given money to a Democrat?

The Times They Are A Changing.......

2006-01-15T10:25:00.000-06:00

Last week Bush had this to say on the Global War on Terror...

I made a foreign policy decision in the Middle East that said, we can't tolerate the status quo any longer for the sake of inexpensive energy. In other words, there was a period of time when people said, let's just kind of deal with the situation as it is, sometimes tolerating strong men for a economic objective. I changed our foreign policy that said, that attitude of kind of accepting the things the way they are is going to lead to the conditions that will allow the enemy to continue to breed hatred and find suiciders and soldiers in their attempt to do harm.

Keeping in mind that bin Laden planned 9/11 from Afghanistan and 14 of the attackers were from Saudi Arabia how much has changed in the status quo?
LA Times reports today.....

WASHINGTON — Although Saudi Arabia has cracked down on militants within its borders, the kingdom has not met its promises to help prevent the spread of terrorism or curb the flow of money from Saudis to terrorist cells around the world, U.S. intelligence, diplomatic and other officials say.

As a result, these critics say, countless young terrorism suspects are believed to have escaped the kingdom's tightening noose by fleeing across what critics call a porous border into Iraq.
U.S. military officials confirm an aggressive role by Saudi fighters in the insurgency in Iraq, where over the last year they reportedly accounted for more than half of all Arab militants killed.

And millions of dollars continue to flow from wealthy Saudis through Saudi-based Islamic charitable and relief organizations to Al Qaeda and other suspected terrorist groups abroad, aided by what the U.S. officials call Riyadh's failure to set up a government commission to police such groups as promised, senior U.S. officials from several counter-terrorism agencies said in interviews.

And in Afghanistan... (from WaPo)

The incident was the latest in a string of brazen attacks that continue to haunt the country four years after the Taliban was ousted from power. In recent weeks, a teacher was beheaded, and numerous other Afghans have been killed in suicide attacks.

The Taliban, whose members are waging an insurgency against international forces and the new democratically elected government, asserted responsibility for Khaksar's killing.
SNIP
The killing came on a day of violence throughout southern and eastern Afghanistan, which have been the most dangerous parts of the country in recent years. In the southeastern town of Khost, one person was killed and 40 wounded by two bomb attacks. In the southern province of Helmand, a suicide bomber blew himself up near U.S.-led forces operating in the area, injuring a U.S. soldier. And in the eastern province of Paktia, an Afghan soldier and two suspected insurgents were killed in a clash.

Over Half of NOLA Stoplights Still Out

2006-01-15T09:17:00.000-06:00

56% of the stoplights in NOLA are still not working.....

More than four months after Hurricane Katrina, fewer than half the 450 traffic lights in New Orleans are working, creating herky-jerky commutes across a stop-sign-dotted city and a daily reminder of the long wait for even basic services.

SNIP

Drivers' frustrations with the stop-sign system became evident on a recent tour of the city's main thoroughfares. Near the corner of Poydras Street and Claiborne Avenue, a discarded refrigerator blared spray-painted profanity at passing drivers: "Slow the f- - - down please!"

The city turned repairs over to the state which has turned it over to contractors due to the breadth and complexity of the task. It will be another 6 months before all the lights work and will cost $25 million.

Polling: Delay Is Toast

2006-01-14T20:58:00.000-06:00

Stick a Fork in him and haul him off to jail.......

Barely one of every five of former House Majority Leader Tom Delay's constituents would vote for him if the election were held now, according to a newspaper poll released Saturday.
SNIP
In polling conducted Tuesday through Thursday, 22 percent of respondents said they would vote for DeLay, 30 percent chose Lampson and 11 percent favored Republican-turned-independent former congressman Steve Stockman.

Katrina T-Shirts Hot in NOLA

2006-01-14T18:53:00.000-06:00

WWLTV has a little video report on the hot Katrina T-shirts selling in NOLA. They couldn't show the hottest seller.

Now I'm curious. Anyone have any guesses or their own design?

(thanks to reader janeboatler for the FEMA t- shirt pic above. I think I'll use it in My Daily FEMA F##kup)

Nary A Scratch on Them

2006-01-14T18:25:00.000-06:00

The Swiftboaters going after Murtha for receiving medals for wounds they call "scratches" to the face should remember their big guns went through the whole Vietnam conflict without even getting as much as a scratch cause 5 Deferrment Dick and Wandering AWOL W never showed their faces in Vietnam. These guys disgust me....again.

Murtha has a response.

firedoglake has more

Congress Holds NOLA Hearings

2006-01-14T14:28:00.000-06:00

That's Bob Ney to the right....

Ney, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee's housing subcommittee, led members of his panel on a bus tour Friday of the Lower 9th Ward, Lakeview and other devastated New Orleans communities to see the housing situation firsthand.

He later presided over a contentious hearing on housing issues, in which some Democratic members of the subcommittee and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin criticized what they said continues to be a lackluster federal response to the situation.

I wonder how Bob can keep his mind on NOLA given what's happening to him in Washington .

Rep. Bob Ney’s days as chairman of the House Administration Committee appear numbered, as Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) is considering asking the Republican Conference to oust the Ohioan from his post, GOP sources said Friday.

Where are the FEMA Trailers?

2006-01-14T13:55:00.000-06:00

When Bush visited the Gulf Coast he spent little time with the people. He did meet with business leaders who apparently gave him an earful. I bet those living in a FEMA trailer would have liked to been accorded that same opportunity. Oh wait make that living in tents.
From CNN.....

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These days it's not easy to think positive in St. Bernard Parish. Not with thousands of homeless people still waiting, many of them in tents, for FEMA trailers to live in.

JOEY DIFATTA, ST. BERNARD PARISH COUNCIL: We have 6,000 folks applied for trailers in St. Bernard Parish. There are roughly 1,300 were delivered.

And just how is it going with FEMA and proverbial trailers that are on the way as in the buses were on the way.......

JACK STEPHENS, SHERIFF, ST. BERNARD PARISH: Yes. You know, Coop, I checked before I came up here. One of my senior rank was with the trailer manufacturer today. There are 6,600 requests for individual assistance in my community. Only about 750 trailers have been located and there's a location on a major state highway that is stockpiling over 1,400 trailers right now that have not been distributed. The reasons for that, I understand, is that FEMA has not paid for the trailers, and the manufacturer will not locate those mobile homes on the sites until FEMA pays for them. And they've been there for over 40 days now.

So what's a person to do? Take any trailer hostage that you can find I guess....

COOPER: And I mean, people are getting desperate. I understand you had to respond to a situation where FEMA delivered a trailer to someone who didn't order one, didn't need one, but the guy's next door neighbor sees this trailer being delivered, freaks out and padlocks himself to the trailer, and you guys had to be called. What happened then?

STEPHENS: Well, yes, he chained himself to the trailer and my deputies responded to it and negotiated a deal and guaranteed him that FEMA would deliver his trailer the next day. He made the deputies personally guarantee that they would and fortunately for all of the parties involved, the trailer was delivered. And while, you know that's somewhat of a humorous situation. It is really sad to see the desperation that exists amongst our local population with regards to getting temporary housing, just so they can try to start rebuilding their lives. I mean, there's nothing funny about that. And you know, I mean, we're starting to see a higher degree of agitation and anxiety over this. I mean, we've had a couple of suicides. And I mean, people are really at their wit's end about how to deal with their housing situation at this point.

Many who do have trailers can not use them......

If the trailer in front of Henry Clay's flooded home had power, he could spend an extra five hours each day working to repair the damaged yellow-brick ranch house in the Palm-Air neighborhood, which took on 4 feet of water.

But nearly two months after a federal contractor dumped the trailer on his front lawn, the temporary home remains locked and empty, while Clay and his wife remain at his brother-in-law's house in Harvey.
"I'm ready to unhook (the trailer) and put it in the middle of the street," he said. "That's just how angry I am about this thing."

Clay is not alone.

After waiting for months for trailers to arrive from the Federal Emergency Management Administration, scores of displaced homeowners are facing another unwelcome delay: waiting for electricity.

Times Picayune has the details

Friday Cat Blogging

2006-01-13T17:14:00.000-06:00

It's been tough getting Teddy to eat again.
She seems to only want the gravy. Thankfully she does eat
dry food. She's on meds and will go to vet next week for follow up.
It's worrisome.

Hello Kenosha Kid

2006-01-12T22:13:00.000-06:00

Here I Am.
One of my fans wondered where I was today.
I went out in the sun and warmth of 50 degree WI winter. Brrrrrrrr

NOLA Protest

2006-01-12T13:34:00.000-06:00

Photos of protest today in NOLA. Here's the background info from WDSU.....

Four months after President George W. Bush stood in Jackson Square and vowed to rebuild New Orleans, protesters plan to jam the same square on Thursday during Bush's ninth visit and demand the government rebuild broken levees stronger than before.Organizers said protesters will wear life jackets, a symbol of their flooded-out homes and a statement on the current lack of flood and lifesaving protection.

They want CAT 5 protection. Presently the levees will be rebuilt or repaired to CAT 3 level.

Important NOLA/Katrina News

2006-01-11T06:50:00.000-06:00

For all you folks that have been following my NOLA/Katrina posts
I have a story up at First Draft that I think is very important
and I hope you will read it.
Thanks
scout

I'm reposting the story here as I tried linking to it for another post and the link goes all F##kity....

The BBC has a good article on the rebuilding plan for New Orleans which is to be unveiled over the next 9 days. The plan sparked controversy a few weeks ago due to recommendations from the Urban Land Institute to focus on only rebuilding some areas which many feared would virtually eliminate black neighborhoods.

In the BBC story is this....

The main author of the plan, Joseph Canizaro, says the commission will propose that the city should discourage homeowners from rebuilding in the hardest-hit areas, but will not forbid them from doing so.

I did a post on Mr. Canizaro in early September when WaPo ran an article on people flocking to the Gulf Coast. I thought they were a bit heavy on the people's demand for Gulf Coast land and a bit light on the role developers and certain elected officials (Lott) had played in creating that demand. It sparked me to do some research on developers and I discovered one such developer that stood out....Joseph Canizaro. Here's some background on him from that post (unless otherwise linked)....

-- Former President of the Urban Land Institute

--CEO of Columbus Properties of New Orleans and one of the 4 Loiusiana Bush 2000 Pioneers and 2004 Rangers.

--In 1998 ranked #30 in the Mother Jones campaign contribution profile with $587,250 to the Republican Party

--Canizaro was one of 22 wealthy business leaders whom President Bush invited to lunch in 2001 to discuss his tax cut for the wealthy

--Canizaro founded Coporate Capital in 1998 which invested in Automated Technology Machines or ATM machines, owning 1,000 ATM's in the US.

--In February 2000, Canizaro contributed $240,000 to the Republican National Committee. He offered reporters a succinct explanation for his generosity: "You have to participate in this government if you want to get something." Six months later he gave another $250,000.

I just knew this guy would end up at the top of the NOLA rebuilding pyramid. I also thought the ULI was a front for real estate developers. In a November article on rebuilding NOLA (do go read this), NewOrlean.IndyMedia.org makes just that claim, among others, and backs it up quite well.

Katrina was a tragedy for New Orleans. Bush Cronies will now make a travesty of New Orleans. And they're going to get rich doing it. Like Mr. Canizaro says...."You have to participate in this government if you want to get something."

Actually that should read....."You have to OWN this government if you want to get something." He does. And he will.

-----------------------------------------------------

UPDATE: The Times Picayune has the plan......

Residents of New Orleans areas hardest-hit by Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters would have four months to prove they can bring their neighborhoods back to life or face the prospect of having to sell out to a new and powerful redevelopment authority ...........
In perhaps its boldest recommendation, the panel says Nagin should impose a moratorium on building permits in shattered areas covering most of the city.......
SNIP
Addressing the debate about whether planners and politicians should declare areas off limits or allow market forces to determine the city's future, Nagin's panel clearly sought a compromise by instead proposing a process to gauge residents' intentions to return to their neighborhoods. But ultimately, commissioners say, not every neighborhood will be sustainable and there will be a need to use eminent domain to seize some property.
SNIP
Ultimately, the rebuild blueprint, the product of three months of work by hundreds of participants, also must pass muster with the White House and the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

There is a lot in this article to digest and analyze but on first glance I see many problems. I will have more later. BTW Bush will be in NOLA tomorrow to discuss the plan.

NSA Source Talks To NightLine

2006-01-11T01:18:00.000-06:00

One of the 12 sources for the NYT NSA spying story spoke with Nightline tonight.

Click Here to VIEW Video
(Direct link, No download, 4+ minutes)

Hearings

2006-01-10T17:07:00.000-06:00

Having listened to the Scalito hearing buzzing in the background all day as I try to nap I would just say as far as humans go.......he's pretty dim.

Isn't this for your highest court in the land?

scout is still Guest Blogging at First Draft
And has this News on FEMA...They finally admit they don't know what F#@k is going on.
She said feel free to leave comments though

Teddy's Monday Video Pick

2006-01-09T17:33:00.000-06:00

You're Preznit talks so different since he's Preznit

And scout is still guestblogging at First Draft

FEMA Cuts Off Rent Checks

2006-01-08T11:54:00.000-06:00

scout is guestblogging at First Draft.
Go over and read about one of FEMA's latest screw ups.

Guestblogging at First Draft

2006-01-07T10:01:00.000-06:00

The wonderful Athenae from First Draft has generously invited me to guestblog at First Draft this next week as she takes time to work on a book project. I am very honored and will do my best but I know I will never fill her shoes as Athenae is one of the best writers on these here internets. She is also one of the nicest people I have ever met.

Teddy will step in and do a few posts here but I will be posting at First Draft starting tomorrow.
I hope you'll come over and read.

So here's Teddy.....

Mmmmm not so sure I want this honor though
now I rule all of scout's domain.
I think I'll go check out First Draft.
I hear they got ferrets.

Native American Reaction to Abramoff

2006-01-07T08:52:00.000-06:00

Throughout the Abramoff scandal I've wondered how the the Native Americans who he bilked out of tens of millions have felt about him. WaPo has a story on reaction of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, who were taken for $32 million which is more than $38,000 for each of their 837 tribal members........

It was thievery, tribal members said, that echoes the historic losses of Native Americans to European settlers.

"Abramoff and his partner are the contemporary faces of the exploitation of native peoples," said David Sickey, a member of the tribal council. "In the 17th and 18th century, native people were exploited for their land. In 2005, they're being exploited for their wealth."
SNIP
But even more rankling to many Coushattas is the knowledge that Abramoff had, in released e-mails, referred to some of his Native American clients as "monkeys," "troglodytes" and "morons."

"That hit a nerve," Sickey said, frowning and pausing. "That really hit a nerve."
SNIP
The old tribal council, which entered into the agreements with Abramoff and Scanlon, has been swept from power. Many voters said they were disappointed with the former council members but doubted that they had enriched themselves.

"He cheated us. He deceived us. And he shouldn't get away with it just because he's big in Washington politics," Sylestine said.

"We want justice," Kirk Langley, a tribe member who works at a millwork shop, said during a cigarette break. "And we want our money back."

My Lai Hero Dies

2006-01-06T14:19:00.000-06:00

From WFAB.....

ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) - Hugh Thompson Junior, a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot who rescued unarmed Vietnamese civilians from his fellow GIs during what became known as the My Lai massacre, died early Friday. He was 62.

Thompson, who was from Lafayette, died at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Alexandria. It was March 16th, 1968, when Thompson and his crew watched in horror as an American Army officer walked up to an injured Vietnamese girl, flipped her over with his foot -- and shot her dead.

They saw the bodies of Vietnamese children, women and old men piled in an irrigation ditch and saw American soldiers approaching. He placed his chopper down in front of the advancing Americans and gave his gunner a direct order: Train your M-60 on the GIs and if they try to harm the villagers, "You open up on them."

Trent Angers, Thompson's biographer and family friend, said Thompson was being treated for cancer and had been removed from life support earlier this week. Angers said Thompson's former gunner, Lawrence Colburn, had driven in from Atlanta to be at his bedside.

Katrina Death Toll Still Rising

2006-01-05T12:43:00.000-06:00

Four more bodies have been found since Dec 21 bringing the Louisiana Death Toll for Katrina to 1100

Four bodies found in Louisiana over the past 17 days have brought the total found since Hurricane Katrina to 1,100, the number attributed to the storm to 1,077 and total storm deaths to 1,326 in five states.

The official search for bodies in Louisiana was called off Oct. 3, but fire departments and people returning to destroyed neighborhoods have continued to find the dead.
SNIP

The state also maintains a listing of people who were reported missing. There are about 3,700 names on the list, though DHH spokesman Bob Johannessen said family members may have located some of them and not called the state.

Fun

2006-01-05T12:07:00.000-06:00

If you aren't familiar with watertiger's Dependable Renegade you should be.
For a little Katrina update

Listed

2006-01-05T12:02:00.000-06:00

skippy the bush kangaroo points to the story of Bush's Brain co-author having been placed on the No Fly List.

What You Should Know About the National Heritage Foundation

2006-01-04T08:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I posted on a discrimination lawsuit brought against 5 Katrina housing websites including katrinahousing.org. I'm not particularly surprised that some people refused to offer housing to blacks, gays or non Christians but I was surprised by the reaction of katrinahousing.org. Then I did some research. The founders are Seventh Day Adventist but even more interesting is that the katrinahousing.org site is a foundation with the National Heritage Foundation. Now this is an interesting outfit. It's stated purpose is to return the US to its national heritage of individuals helping one another and not the government doing so which I'm sure is a strongly held belief by the founder but it is really all about taxes.

NHF is an umbrella foundation for over 9,000 foundations. Here's how it works. Anyone can register as a charitable foundation for a fee of $285. Once approved (you can Not promote atheism, violence, or undermine the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution) you receive 501(c)(3) tax status. All donations that you raise for your charity goes to NHF and of course are tax deductible. NHF takes 2.5% of each donation (more in some instances) for themselves and also hold and administer all funds.

Now when they say anyone that is so true. You want to protect grandma's assests? Register her as a charitable foundation. You want to be rid of property taxes? Register yourself as a charity and donate your property to your charity. Plus you can pay not only yourself a yearly salary but also family members and anyone else for that matter. NHF offers Donor-Advised Funds, Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts and Pooled Income Funds. As they say " you can donate anything of value to your Foundation and receive a tax deductible receipt from us" including propery, cash, stocks, bonds and life insurance and get tax benefits. Depending on what type of "giving opportunity" you set up you can avoid inheritance tax, take a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes and avoid capital gains taxes to name a few examples. Simply put unlike similar funds," the donor-advised funds offered through NHF allow individuals to use income generated by a fund to reimburse themselves for their role in disbursement decisions."

NHF was founded in 1968 by J T Dock Houk to basically take advantage of the '69 Tax Reform Act. The IRS put NHF out of business in 1983 for tax violations but they sued the IRS, won and was back in business in 1987. They've been building ever since. In 2003 their net assets were $180 million.

Houk's bio is an interesting read ....

An heir to the Mead Corporation fortune
Played full time on the Tennis Circuit
Taught at Jerry Falwell's Liberty College
Methodist
Charity Entrepreneur
Republican

NHF has had it's problems.....
It was under Senate scrutiny last summer
and
From The Joplin Globe..."The National Heritage Foundation, a controversial non-profit organization that has come under fire for helping its clients help themselves to tax breaks, has dropped the Church of Israel at Schell City as a designated charity. A spokesman said the Virginia-based foundation would not knowingly support any racist or anti-Semitic group, and that the Southwest Missouri whites-only church was dropped for fear of offending its Jewish clients."
That and the IRS guidelines prohibit discrimination based on race.

NHF obviously has its critics....

From the NYT...
"It's like paying the Girl Scouts to sell cookies," said Jack Shakely, president of the California Community Foundation. "It's not illegal, but it just doesn't pass the 60-second smell
test."

From The Granstmanship Center.....
In 1999 Tax lawyer Victoria Bjorklund,who has been compiling a list of questionable
new “charities” said this about NHF: “The good news is, outfits like that are few and far
between. The bad news is, they ruin things for everybody else."

As far as the 9,000 foundations....I could not find a list but if you do a google search it is quite an eclectic bunch....I would say menagerie. Foundations focus on anything from golf tournaments, to animal groups, to christian music, to art, pain, children, orphans, international causes, christian literature and of course Hurricane Katrina. A good number are Christian oriented but it is difficult to know what percentage. And the NHF site does put forth Christian ideals and has a smattering of Bible quotes.

So back to katrinahousing.org
The 3 founders are Latter Day Saints and the site is a NHF foundation which raised some questions in my mind. Just how closely do they follow Mr. Houk's NHF philosophy? He doesn't think much of volunteerism....He calls volunteers Dregs (ie its wrong to do something for free when you could be getting paid plus you're crippling America). So I thought I'd at least check if anyone was taking a salary or disbursements.
.
LDSMag states that "Winkdesign donated the design of the site." I called WinksDesign and spoke with owner Chad Winks. He informed me that Paul Wilson the spokesman for and registrar of the katrinahousing.org site is a tech consultant for WinksDesign. But Mr. Winks states they donated their services and did not take a disbursement.

LDSMag states MyTechSupport offered the offices that are being used as a command base for katrinahousing.org. The founders of katrinahousing.org are the Owners of MyTechSupport.
I spoke with Paul Wilson who is also a Latter Day Saint. He stated MyTechSupport did not take any disbursement either. He stated they joined NHF because it was an "amazing organization that provided alot of counsel" and helped them get up and running fast.

Sounds like these guys are "Dregs" pulling down America.
Snark aside and in all honesty I was left with the impression that these young men have done nothing nefarious as regards finances.

What does trouble me is the growing role of religion in charity organizations. National Heritage Foundation is subtle (compared to others) about it's religious leanings yet it is there. And there is no doubt faith based groups took the lead in Katrina relief as the government blundered. They will come out of this with greater power and even prestige. But it must always be remembered they have an agenda. And if you are gay or not Christian it doesn't bode well for you. If the Big One hits San Francisco will faith based groups help those in the Castro? I doubt it. One can make numerous similar analogies regarding social services. I wonder how many Americans realize what is coming and just how great a threat it is to civil rights. Do they even care?

We Gots Some Charity..... for Straight Whites Only

2006-01-03T13:22:00.000-06:00

I doubt they would put their message in their yard but did they really think it was OK to post it on the internets????? Apparently......

NOLA.com reports The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, a nonprofit civil rights organization has filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development against 5 websites that advertise free housing for Katrina victims. Seems they have allowed "White Only" posts and a few "No Gays" which is illegal as the sites accept paid advertising.

Here's a sampling of the 68 such postings found on 5 Web sites that offer housing to people displaced by Katrina........

"Not racist, but white only," says a Jasper, Ala., posting that offers two rooms in a mobile home.

"As a white couple, we would be looking for a white mother and baby," advises a posting from Casselbery, Fla.

"Will help white males ages 20-45," says a Baton Rouge offer.

"We would prefer a white Christian couple. Pastors are welcome," says someone from Douglasville, Ga.

"Gays and lesbians not welcome."

"We live in a redneck county here and blacks are frowned on,"

Paul Wilson who is behind katrinahousing.org said they're pulling the posts but whined like a titty ass baby about it.......

The discriminatory postings make up only a part of what's on the site, said Wilson, who found the complaint a hassle but agreed to comply. Wilson said he can understand someone asking for a "Christian" roommate.

"If you're opening up your home free of charge, it's probably one of the most intimate things you can do," Wilson said. "This is adding to our plate. It's one more thing we have to do. We're all volunteers."

Boo F#*king Hoo. It'd be one thing if this slipped by them but it appears this was a whole other matter. Must have learned from Bush that when laws are inconvenient just ignore them and once caught........ whine about expediency.

UPDATE: No surprise I guess that katrinahousing.org isn't gay friendly. The organization was started by 3 members of the Latter-day Saints.
It is also a foundation of the National Heritage Foundation as disclosed at the bottom of their homepage
I'll have more on all of this tomorrow.
UPDATE: Here is the post on the National Heritage Foundation

So Much Suffering

2006-01-02T23:12:00.000-06:00

Well Bush visited wounded soldiers the other day and ended up regaling them with his own silly story of his brush clearing wound. I wonder what nonsense he'd share with the Alcozer family.....

An Elmhurst family is homeless after a candle left burning on a shrine to their son -- a soldier killed six weeks ago in Iraq -- set their house on fire.
SNIP
The absence of injuries was a bright spot in an otherwise horrible stretch for the family, beginning in 2004 when the family patriarch, Jesse Alcozer, lost his job."We're still dealing with it all. It's been very hard. It's been a year of sadness. One thing right after another," said his 41-year-old wife, Judy Alcozer, Christopher's stepmom.

Jesse Alcozer, 57, a disabled Marine who was wounded seven times while serving in Vietnam, lost his machine-operating job when the plant where he worked closed. Unable to get work and with so much time on his hands, he began to think more about Vietnam and what had happened there. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and rated 100 percent disabled and unfit to work by Veterans Affairs doctors. But in October, the VA decided to cut Jesse Alcozer's benefits 20 percent and threatened to further reduce them by 80 percent, he said.
Then on Nov. 19 Christopher Alcozer, a 2003 graduate of Villa Park's Willowbrook High School, was killed after his unit was attacked with small arms fire and hand grenades in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
Ten days later, Jesse Alcozer, his wife and their extended family buried Christopher, a 21-year-old Army infantryman, while a half-dozen protesters stood across the street carrying signs that read: "Thank God for Dead Soldiers."
"It was bad enough that I got harassed after I got out of Vietnam," Jesse Alcozer said. "But after 37 years of trying to get rid of this wound, they are doing this to my son."

This family has surely had more than it's share of pain. And it pains me to think of the family having to endure these "protestors" who were most certainly the Fred Phelps' family and members of the Westboro Baptist Church. These f#*kers who use to protest at the funerals of AIDS victims are now "protesting" at the funerals of soldiers. However in November they were met with a unique counter demonstration at another soldier's funeral

Whenever the few protesters from Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church shouted or sang Wednesday in South Haven, the earth trembled.

Any time they spoke up, the wrists of biker veterans twisted on dozens of throttles to strike the thundering chords of Honda and Harley-Davidson.

More than 200 bikers had made themselves into a chrome-and-black leather barrier. The 10 anti-gay picketers stood on one side, drowned out by the noise. Mourners arriving for the funeral of Army Sgt. Evan Parker passed on the other side.

I was kind of hoping the bikers would have meted out some justice in only the way they are known to do on occasion if you catch my drift.

Katrina Puppy Boom

2006-01-02T22:37:00.000-06:00

WDSU reports there is a puppy boom going on in NOLA post Katrina. Though more than 6000 pets were rescued from the region there are still 1000's of pets remaining in NOLA that are running loose.....

Now, puppies are being seen everywhere amid the rubble.
One animal control officer from Massachusetts, who has made two trips to help trap loose dogs and cats in New Orleans and Mississippi, said he has never seen so many puppies.He pulled 10 pups and their mother from under a porch in Biloxi. On another shift, he found seven puppies and seven more dogs.He took them all to a shelter that was built for 75 animals, but now holds about 250 dogs and cats on any given day -- including nearly 50 puppies.

Parent of a "Hero" Speaks Out

2006-01-02T22:09:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow's WaPo has an editorial from a father whose son died in Iraq. Do read it all.

Though it hurts, I believe that his death -- and that of the other Americans who have died in Iraq -- was a waste. They were wasted in a belief that democracy would grow simply by removing a dictator -- a careless misunderstanding of what democracy requires. They were wasted by not sending enough troops to do the job needed in the resulting occupation -- a careless disregard for professional military counsel.

But their deaths will not be in vain if Americans stop hiding behind flag-draped hero masks and stop whispering their opposition to this war. Until then, the lives of other sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers and mothers may be wasted as well.

This is very painful to acknowledge, and I have to live with it. So does President Bush.

Monday Night Video

2006-01-02T17:57:00.000-06:00

New Year so New Feature. The Monday Night Video.
Tonight it is a Video slideshow entitled.......
Bitter....

Click above image or here to View Slideshow
(Direct link, No Download, 2 minutes)

Music by Jill Sobule

Live from Tehran?

2006-01-02T10:18:00.000-06:00

ABC News co-anchor Bob Woodruff will begin reporting for World News Tonight tonight from Iran "Woodruff isn't likely to appear live on video for "World News Tonight," though facilities for live TV could be made available through the state-run networks."

But will they have a "four-wire" transmitter......

as seen in Live from Baghdad, for when the bombs fall? SpiegelOnline reports....

Recent reports in the German media suggest that the United States may be preparing its allies for an imminent military strike against facilities that are part of Iran's suspected clandestine nuclear weapons program.
SNIP
According to Ulfkotte's report, "western security sources" claim that during CIA Director Porter Goss' Dec. 12 visit to Ankara, he asked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to provide support for a possibile 2006 air strike against Iranian nuclear and military facilities. More specifically, Goss is said to have asked Turkey to provide unfettered exchange of intelligence that could help with a mission.

DDP also reported that the governments of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and Pakistan have been informed in recent weeks of Washington's military plans. The countries, apparently, were told that air strikes were a "possible option," but they were given no specific timeframe for the operations.

One of Many NOLA families

2006-01-01T16:02:00.000-06:00

Read about the Katrina experience of each member of The Green Family.....

Top 10 Wastes of Air Time for 2005

2005-12-30T20:31:00.000-06:00

Being the year's end my thoughts have turned to the many stories which at best should have consumed mere minutes perhaps hours and at worst should have been relegated to being local news stories if even that. Upon learning that almost a quarter of Americans still believe Saddam was linked to 9/11 and that same number believe the 9/11 hijackers were Iraqis I believe this is not just a cute year end round up but points to opportunities lost for informing the populace of basic facts. I wonder how things might be different if it were not for these collosal time wasting stories.........

#9 Iraqi Elections

Which election? Take your pick..... its all the same feel good purple finger cheerleading that doesn't make much difference to what happens on the ground in Iraq a few days later. Of course the first election was the best for the cheerleaders. You always remember your first time. For Geraldo it was AMAZING....."They are casting their ballot for the first time. It was so inspiring. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in my entire life....It is the most amazing sight.....I'll tell you folks, it is an amazing, amazing feeling."
Got it. I'll be amazed when we have paper tracking of ballots in the good 'ol US of A.

#8 Stuck Landing Gear

OK it was a good story the first time. But since that ratings grabber we have watched fuel burning planes circle the cabloid friendly skies live for hours on end. Like an old jock trying to re-live his glory days the 3 cabloid networks chase each of these planes in distress hoping the 4th time will be as good (ratings Ka ching) as the first. It won't unless one crashes in a ball of flames...is that what they're hoping for?

#7 Pope Dies

Yes it is history but Smoke Cams, TV doctors, priests, bishops, live all nighters, Chris Matthews Catholic extrordinaire and live wall-to-wall-coverage for days on end? Or was it weeks? I literally tuned out and turned it off. Pooped on pope I missed a week of TV news.

#6. Hurricanes except Katrina

From Dennis to Wilma to Rita we saw way too many news folks lashed to the masts, live 24 hours a day. MSNBC's Al Roker took the top prize with his flop. I get the feeling this is like adolescents who try to see how much they can drink in a night without killing themselves. Are hurricanes the cabloid Death Wish?
But props to the cabloids for Katrina coverage. More please? It ain't over.

#5 War on Christmas

Never has more war fraud been created of whole cloth than since DeNiro bombed Albania. O'Reilly may have led the sleigh but all the cabloids jumped on for the ride of shame.

#4 Run Away Bride

Another TV News Lost Weekend for me. Turned.It.Off.
Of course O'Reilly had it figured out from the start..."It's got to be a crime. A woman like that with a long history of responsibility. She had a steady job... She just wouldn't bolt and not tell anybody."
That's the kind of stuff that gets you to the top of the Pyramid.

And from Sally Quinn Sugary Medicine Woman ....."I think the appeal of it, if you look what is in the news this week or last week, Social Security, the filibuster and the horrible bombings in Iraq, what do you want to know about? I want to think about the runaway bride, because it means it's either not going to be boring or it's not going to be depressing."

Network entertainment has gone to reality TV and news programs have ditched reality for fantasy land. We're all Sally in Wonderland now.

#3 Missing White Woman....Original Aruba version

Sequels just never do well so its best to go with 7 months of the original. At one point Fox News' Van Sustern boasted that Fox News had 20 people on the ground in Aruba. From 6/26-6/30 the word Aruba was uttered 1100 times on the 3 cabloid networks. Fox won that pissing match with 685.
To quote Mr. Gump..."Stupid is as stupid does.....That's all I have to say about that. "

#2 Terri Schiavo

I have saved 2 close biological relatives from making terrible life choices with just 2 words..."Terri Schiavo"......and this admonishment...."we could all end up on CNN, you can't risk doing that to your family!"
This was a family matter run amok by the Christian Right that eventually brought us Senate video diagnosis, late night debate and the only instance of Bush ditching vacation and jumping to action. And TV egged it on all the way. But when a dead woman's life is at stake......

#1 Michael Jackson

Ahh. The King of Crap. Even CNN prez Jonathon Klein regrets it. He told Newsweek "he's taking steps so that CNN doesn't have to go wacko for Jacko, or someone like him, again.....He marveled at opportunities lost: "We could have done 60 stories during that time."

NO SHIT and Give me a break.
If Whacko Jacko dangled a Baby in Bahrain tomorrow Klein would be chasing Fox to the Persian Gulf faster than you can say Bye Bye Aaron Brown.

So that's it folks....Oh wait, that's only 9 you say.
Yes it is because I want to give you the opportunity to put one on the list.
I'm sure I missed something.

Or what story listed above drove you crazy this year?
Or in what order would you place them?

Rumsfeld's Tokyo Torture

2005-12-30T01:21:00.000-06:00

You may remember General Pace's disagreement with Rummy last month at a press conference about US soldiers obligation if they saw Iraqi soldiers abusing detainees . Well yesterday Pace attempted to clear it up....

When General Pace was asked again on Thursday by reporters in Bahrain about the exchange, he said for the first time that he and Mr. Rumsfeld had not really disagreed at all. General Pace said he was talking about the obligations of American soldiers in a war zone like Iraq or Afghanistan; Mr. Rumsfeld, he said, was talking about the obligations of Americans in a nonhostile setting like, say, Tokyo.(emphasis mine)

Torture in Tokyo???
Who
Knew.........

2005-12-29T23:38:00.000-06:00

From Survival of New Orleans Blog.....

How long does it take to raise a new flag after Hurricane Katrina? The answer is obviously more than three months for at least one building as pictured above. Obviously some individuals are too busy to put up a new flag or just don’t have the resources to purchase and put up a new flag. Any guesses why this flag has not been replaced? The flag is attached to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals building. Here are a few more pictures from today http://www.tampabusiness.com/directnic/flag/.

US Teen Goes To Iraq By Himself

2005-12-29T23:22:00.000-06:00

Oy......Just go read it

Sorry I had the wrong link...thank you Kenosha Kid

Number of Gitmo Hunger Strikers Doubles

2005-12-29T23:00:00.000-06:00

The BBC reports there are now a total of 84 detainees are on hunger stikes with 46 having joined in the strike on December 25. They are being fed with nasal tubes which one BBC correspondent claims amounts to force feeding.
One hunger striker is Jumah Dossari. He has attempted suicide 9 times since March 2003. You can read about him here.

This is Why They're Stingy with Antibiotics

2005-12-29T22:43:00.000-06:00

FromWaPo
There is a mysterious intestinal bug that is spreading rapidly which can be fatal and is believed to be a consequence of our use of antibiotics and heartburn drugs. This isn't a run of the mill bug. The symptoms include very painful stomach cramps, severe diarrhea, fatigue and nausea. Mortality rates have been as high as 6.9% in Canada.

But scientists do have a few clues. The dangerous strain has mutated to become resistant to a class of frequently used antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. That means anyone taking those antibiotics for other reasons would be particularly prone to contract C. diff .

"Because this strain is resistant, it can take advantage of that situation and establish itself in the gut," Gerding said.

Experts said the resistant germ's proliferation offers the latest reason why people should use antibiotics only when necessary, to reduce both their risk for C. diff and the chances that other microbes will mutate into more dangerous forms.

I Got NSA Cookies!

2005-12-29T11:26:00.000-06:00

If you visited the NSA website recently you may have received some Cookies.
Shakespeare's Sister has more on the story.....

Looks like the NSA has been caught with their hands in the cookie jar--the electronic sort. Now, most sites use cookies to remember info and it comes in handy, oftentimes. However, the NSA has these things called "rules" that they're supposed to follow when it comes to cookies on computers and privacy. Surprise, surprise--they didn't. Of course, it was "an accident".

Evidently they stopped the practice once they were caught this week.

But not soon enough for me.

I went to the NSA website after the story broke. So today I decided to check my cookies (eeew that sounds kind of dirty) And lo and behold the NSA cookies were indeed on my Computer.
They are called CFID, CFGLOBALS and CFTOKEN......

(Click image to enlarge and get better read)

Ahh excuse me readers we have special guests.....

"Romper, bomper, stomper, boo.
Tell me, tell me, tell me do.
Magic mirror, tell me today.
Did all my friends have fun at play?"

I see Porter and Dick and George and all you boys and girls out there at the NSA!!!

ACLU Calls for Special Counsel

2005-12-29T10:53:00.000-06:00

The ACLU ran the following advertisement in the December 29, 2005 edition of The New York Times:

Go to ACLU website to sign petition