Hundreds pack meeting on recovery efforts (Flood victims ticked at WH)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04268/384571.stm

The frustrations of some flood victims boiled over during a meeting last night in Scott as several people heckled a staffer for state Sen. Jack Wagner and called for grant money to help them rebuild their homes and businesses.

"Why are the feds sending money overseas?" Norm Hatterer, of Washington, Pa., shouted from the back of the Chartiers Valley Intermediate School auditorium, which was filled with several hundred residents from Heidelberg, Bridgeville, Carnegie and other nearby communities devastated by last Friday's flood.

<snip>

When Black finished speaking, Virginia Nicoll-Hernandez, who lost her ballet studio on East Main Street in Carnegie, read a letter that she plans to send to President Bush. She predicted a national economic catastrophe if more is not done to help business owners affected by Hurricane Ivan.

"We need to rebuild America instead of Iraq," Nicoll-Hernandez said to loud applause.

Wonder what's happening in other states.

[whistle]

1. Let's see how Bush handles Ivan slamming into east Texas this...

...weekend.

[Jacobin]

14. T'was a mere puff of wind

However, oddly enough, the weather dude says it may move BACK into the Gulf AGAIN in the next few days and if it does, it could re-generate.

This thing just won't die!

[whirlygigspin]

2. according to *Bush, the gov't is the problem

don't hold your breath for him to help ya.

[Booster]

9. And you can bet that a lot of these people screaming are

Repugs who hate the government giving handouts to anybody.

[Eye and Monkey]

3. "Wonder what's happening in other states." - rumors of hidden bodies

down on the Gulf Coast - dozens or hundreds of bodies that the authorities are hiding.

Hey, don't blame me, it was on the AP line yest'day.

[UpInArms]

6. they say those are just rumors

:)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/9737707.htm?1c

[merh]

15. Do you have a link for the AP story?

Thanks.

[Eye and Monkey]

16. here ya go - "Sheriff Denies He's Hiding Bodies Of Hurricane Victims"

http://www.wftv.com/news/3752232/detail.html

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- One rumor has it that a tornado hit a hospital and killed 157 people, another that a 40-foot tidal wave washed 20 people to their deaths and a third has hundreds of bodies being hidden away in a morgue.

That prompted Escambia County Sheriff Ron McNesby on Tuesday to deny that he was hiding bodies of people supposedly killed during and after the storm.

"There are not dozens and hundreds of bodies hid anywhere," McNesby said during a nightly news briefing by local officials.

<SNIP - more>

[merh]

18. Thank you kindly!!

:hi:

[JoFerret]

17. Mass hysteria

sounds like. Understandable - but improbable.

[qanda]

4. Bush played this one all wrong...

I guess Rove couldn't predict that there would be numerous Hurricanes and that they would affect so many battleground states. I think they gave Jeb all the money.

[Sydnie]

5. I remember reading an article

that the people of Ohio are pretty pissed off that they are not getting any flood help either. I am not even sure that it was ever officially listed as a disaster area although entire towns were flooded there.

Anybody know if Ohio ever was officially declared and if they have had any visits from FEMA yet?

[UpInArms]

8. here's an article that addresses your questions

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/national/main645139.shtml

excerpt:

Hurricane Ivan and its remnants have been blamed for at least 52 deaths in the United States and 70 deaths in the Caribbean. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses were still without electricity Sunday, most of them in Florida and Alabama.

President Bush declared a disaster area Sunday for many counties in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Officials estimated that the flooding has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Rendell, who toured hard-hit Allegheny County and parts of the Susquehanna by air Sunday, requested federal disaster aid for 42 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, and Bush declared disasters in 19 of them Sunday night. Rendell said more counties may be added as damage assessments are done.

[trueblew]

7. We need to De-Bush America...

before we can rebuild America. I think a Harvard-era George Bush would call these people lazy socialists.

[ochazuke]

10. Climate change means a more violent atmosphere

Sure it could be a natural variation that would come along without the increase in the tempurature of the world's atmosphere, but if you like these hurricanes, W and his gospel of carbon output will keep 'em comin for the next few hundred years, unless the higher precipitation rate causes a new ice age first.

So, let's review: Dubya --> global warming --> more hurricanes.

A vote for Bush is a vote for more devastating hurricanes! Not that much of a stretch, really.

[FlemingsGhost]

11. Where was this kind of passion on December 12, 2000?

:shrug:

We reap what we sow ...

[jwirr]

12. Predicted a National Economic Catastrophe

Unfortunately, that is exactly what the bushie's want. They took advantage of 9/11 to sucker all of us into giving up many of our civil rights and allowing an unjust war. If they can get this country truly down on its knees in a depression that counters the Great Depression they will be able to scare us into giving up the rest. That is what happened in 1929 in Germany and it can happen here.

[Eurobabe]

13. Glad they're pissed, sorry they have to endure this...

Hang tough FL, there more coming unfortunately.

[KoKo]

19. This was going to happen. I've been amazed at DU'ers who didn't see

the effect of these hurricanes. When you go through something like that your whole frame of mind changes. Suddenly the disaster is ME ...and who cares about ME!

Some of us "oldie" DU'ers who've been through some stuff would understand...because you have to live through a disaster to truly understand when the adrenalin is dissipated and you're looking at your destroyed home, business and lifestyle.

Bush and the Repugs thought doing a declaration of "Aid" would solve it all. But I know from two hurricanes way back that "Aid" from the Government is often slow, and not forthcoming. With the Bushies...it goes to the top 1% to get the "businesses back in shape."

The PEOPLE don't matter...and when the PEOPLE really see what disaster is and NEED their GOVT! They speak loud and clear.

Up and down the East Coast the devastion to homes and business has been "glossed over on CNN/MSNBC and even on the local "corporate owned" stations.

But...to live like the Iraqi's and others will be a hard lesson in compassion...and one we all wish we didn't have to suffer through to reach an understanding of the "COMMUNITY OF HUMANITY," on this planet.

sorry...a pontificating rant...but I just had to say what I felt...:shrug:

[snippy]

20. Kerry needs to exploit the sentiment expressed by these people.

"We need to rebuild America instead of Iraq," Nicoll-Hernandez said to loud applause.

This statement may be an over simplification, but it ties together domestic issues and Iraq in a short and sweet sound bite. It is easily understood by everyone. And it got "loud applause." A politician normally would have to pay a lot of money to political consultants and pollsters to develop such a sound bite. Republicans can try to rebut it but they will sound defensive and the explanation will be much more detailed than the sound bite.