AP: "White House - "Katrina Impact Likely Limited."

[flpoljunkie]

Katrina impact likely limited - W. House

Reuters
Wednesday, August 31, 2005; 10:41 AM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hurricane Katrina is likely to have only a modest impact on the U.S. economy, White House economic adviser Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday.

"As long as we find that the energy impact is only temporary and there's not permanent damage to the infrastructure, my guess is that the effects on the overall economy will be fairly modest," Bernanke told CNBC television.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/31/AR2005083100923.html

_________________

Could they possibly be more insensitive to the people of Louisiana and Mississippi? Their concern seems to be limited to the impact on the economy--not the human toll.

[skooooo]

1. Uh..no matter how you look at this...

The impact will not be and is not "limited." This is a great national disaster.

[Shadder]

2. What else would you expect

from the fucking assholes?

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

3. And You're Surprised By This? n/t

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

6. Significant Economic Impact

How the F%$K can they say the impact is limited? Looks to me like a lot of damage. Plus an enormous amount of tax revenue lost from businesses and casinos that are now closed, and may never reopen.

[nolabels]

26. Hurricane likely to leave deep mark on U.S. economy

Hurricane likely to leave deep mark on U.S. economy


As Hurricane Katrina plowed through the Mississippi River basin, shutting down ports, flooding cities and cutting power lines, economists warned that it was likely to leave a deeper mark on the U.S. economy than previous hurricanes because of its profound disruption of the Gulf of Mexico's complex energy supply network.

"The typical pattern with a natural disaster like this is that the regional economy gets clobbered but you can barely see it in the national statistics," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts. "This time it is very different because of the impact on the energy infrastructure."
(snip)
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/31/business/econ.php

'Complete chaos' on Gulf Coast

`WE'VE LOST OUR CITY': AREA'S DAZED SURVIVORS SEARCH, STEAL FOR BASICS

By David Ovalle, Erika Bolstad and Martin Merzer

Knight Ridder

NEW ORLEANS - The second day brought more horror and greater despair to the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast as levees failed, panic flared and spread and the death toll topped 100. Rescuers plucked thousands from rooftops.

New, terrifying floods swept through the heart of New Orleans on Tuesday. Up to 15 feet of water swamped at least 80 percent of the city. Fires raged, fed by leaking gas.

Medics transformed part of the Superdome into a triage center, but water lapped at the edges of the arena. Looters roamed. The governor worked on plans to shut New Orleans -- a place very close to ruin -- and remove everyone still there.

``We've lost our city,'' said Marc Morial, a former mayor of New Orleans. ``I fear it's potentially like Pompeii.''

The awful panorama of Hurri- cane Katrina's devastation stretched across four coastal states, and a ragtag, numbed army of refugees searched desperately for the bare necessities: water, food, shelter and, to escape from it all, gasoline.
(snip)
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/12521487.htm

[Totally Committed]

4. It's called...

"The Culture of Life" :sarcasm:

TC

[etherealtruth]

5. As you stated ...

I am sure that these words have provided much comfort to the people in the deep south. :sarcasm:

edit: to add :sarcasm:, lest anyone think I meant this ...

[rodeodance]

9. there concern IS the economy and keeping people happy.

Could they possibly be more insensitive to the people of Louisiana and Mississippi? Their concern seems to be limited to the impact on the economy--not the human toll.

[abluelady]

21. Maybe we'll have two more blue states!

What impact might that make?

[speedoo]

7. Stupid. Really stupid.

He might be right, but my point is, this is just another indicator of the insensitivity of this adminstration to a human tragedy that may turn out to be even greater than 9/11.

[Debau2005]

8. Excuse me?

When Ben Bernanke and the rest of the White House lackies decide to go to the Gulf Coast and dirty their hands in the clean up, remove the bodies, hunt for the missing, feed the hungry, etc. Then they have the right to discuss the "modest impact." And to those living in parts of the country where gas will soon be $4.00 a gallon, I think they would also disagree with the "modest impact."

These people disgust me...
:mad:

[gate of the sun]

10. oh please

this statement is unbelievable and geared to put the braindead to sleep. Nothing to worry about here yup yup let's go to the mall and get some stuff yup yup!

[Ganja Ninja]

11. Thank God the rich won't suffer too badly.

:banghead:

[TahitiNut]

14. The first class passengers on the Titanic weren't concerned ...

... when it was only the passengers in steerage who were afflicted, either.

[yellowcanine]

12. Shit! Gas prices jumped 20-30 cents a gallon within 2 days of Katrina

hitting the gulf coast! Meanwhile George eats cake with John McCain. Forget "Let them eat cake," says George. "Let ME eat cake!"

[Julius Civitatus]

13. Now watch this drive!

:(

[CottonBear]

15. 25% of domestic oil & gas production has been halted due to Katrina.

The NOLA mayor said this today. 25% of domestic oil & gas drilling, collection and refining takes place in the Gulf of Mexico, NOLA and the Gulf Coast. The port of NO is closed. Commerce, transportation and trade have been massively devastated.

[Botany]

16. Sure just because a huge % of grain from the midwest is shipped

from the port of New Orleans that shouldn't have a ripple effect across
the farming, rail, barge, grain mill, farm supply, and shipping industries.

Totally fucking clueless.

[gkhouston]

20. yep, and now that's going to have to come into somewhere

like Houston and travel by road or rail at a time when fuel prices are skyrocketing. "Limited" my ass.

[Botany]

28. Well they did say ....

..... We would be welcomed with "Rose Petals and Sweets," in Iraq.
So they are off by a little.

Bush should be impeached for incompetence ..... where the fuck is he?

[Massacure]

17. It's still going to have a hell of a regional impact though.

[melissinha]

18. It is limited

As a caller on Randi pointed out... the cost to rebuild three states is estimated to be $30 billion, but we have consented to rebuild the nation of Iraq at $300 billion, is that where we want our money to go? Just a little persepctive. I'll tell you what there WILL be effects felt in neighboring states with the influx of displaced people who are left with no homes, jobs, schools.... its a f*ing mess!

I work for the billing of an engineering/construction firm with offices in the Gulf coast, I was talking to a biller who deals with most of them, and we were talking about how many of her jobs are probably awash, how she can't get a hold of any of her offices, people aren't cheking in with main office casu they have no electricity.... its really disruptive. Countless people are going to have to start anew.

[xxqqqzme]

19. guess he didn't see all

the freight trailers looking like scattered wooden blocks. There were hundreds of them everywhere - all of them filled w/ goods? food? or worse chemicals? Never mind there is a long haul driver that will not be delivering every one of those.

Leave it 2 these sociopathic kriminals 2 B concerned w/ the economics because they have NO WAY 2 relate 2 the magnitude of human suffering. The campaign contributors will have insurance 2 cover all THEIR losses so see it really is very limited.

[leftofthedial]

22. this is a tirllion-dollar storm

3 to 5 miles along a two-hundred-mile length of coastline are 100% destroyed

5 to 20 miles inland are between 50% and 100% destroyed.

A major metropolitan area is 80% destroyed.

[Pithy Cherub]

23. WTF! Limited until the vision of over a million homeless

people are in more cities straining public resources further and we are not fully funding things at home because of the UNECESSARY IRAQ WAR.

These people are really stuck on stupid! :wtf:

[prolesunited]

24. I don't believe it

I finally had gotten my 401k into positive territory. Today, I moved most of it into bonds and money market funds to ride out the coming storm.

[Javaman]

25. "As long as we find that the energy impact is only temporary..."

and there's not permanent damage to the infrastructure, my guess is that the effects on the overall economy will be fairly modest".

Define modest you stupid fucks! Gas was at $2.50 a gallon two days ago, now it has sky rocketed!

So they are now defining modest as $2.50. Assholes.

colossal failure*.

[Hidden Stillness]

27. This is Cruel, and So is That

Wow, they really are "all business," aren't they? Don't let this little blip on the radar screen distract you from your stock-watching, cold, heartless bastard. Why, this is as bad as, well, the pricks here on DU who can't even wait a few days after this horrific tragedy before they exploit it to start attacking white women for existing ("Wanted Young White Women To Sit On Roofs In New Orleans" on General Discussion--not even locked or deleted or anything; lots of "fun"). There is always enough cold cruelty to go around.