In the aftermath of Katrina, nearly everyone pitched in to help (except George Bush, but that's an old story). Even Wal-Mart lent is vaunted logistics expertise to the devastated Gulf Coast.
This time around, in a man-made disaster more insiduous than Katrina, the oil industry that chomps at the drilling bit to pump crude from any crevice without regard to consequence, sits idly by, unwilling to lift so much as a pen to help out in the Gulf. Worse still, Occidental Petroleum, Tesoro and Valero, along with a few secretive allies, have put up over $2 million to pass an initiative here in California that would effectively elminate AB 32, our land mark green economy and clean air legislation, simply to make more money from fouling our state. They see BP and raise a California.
That's why Courage Campaign Thursday called on those companies to donate at least that much money to efforts to rehabilitate the Gulf, to help the tens of thousands whose lives have been upended or worse by the petro-sharks.
Few events have proven the folly of letting people who hate government run government like Hurricane Katrina. Everyone predicted the flooding of New Orleans was one of the "three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters" along with a terrorist attack on NYC (Bin Laden determined to strike US) and a San Francisco earthquake, yet the Republican Party's focus on hating government has already crossed off 2/3 of the worst case list.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - On the eve of Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary, a nervous New Orleans watched Wednesday as another storm threatened to test everything the city has rebuilt, and officials made plans to evacuate people, pets and hospitals in an attempt to avoid a Katrina-style chaos.
Forecasters warned that Gustav could grow into a dangerous Category 3 hurricane in the next several days and hit somewhere along a swath of the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to Texas - with New Orleans smack in the middle.
Taking no chances, city officials began preliminary planning to evacuate and lock down the city in hopes of avoiding the catastrophe that followed the 2005 storm. Mayor Ray Nagin left the Democratic National Convention in Denver to return home for the preparations.
This is looking to hit on the eve of the GOP Convention. Yet I doubt Republicans will change the program to talk about global warming and effective government and protecting America. And speaking of the RNCC, are any obstructionist legislators planning to go to the convention while still holding the state hostage to the tyranny of the minority?
In a little noticed vote yesterday, the Merida Initiative passed easily through the House of Representatives 311-106. It provides $1.6 billion with an emphasis on training and equipment to fight drug cartels in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, because as Rep. Brian Bilbray explained:
"Either we can go after these cartels in Ensenada, or we can fight them in Escondido," said Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad), who voted for the plan. "I'd prefer that we move now and take care of this problem south of the border. The drug wars in Mexico and in other regions have grown horrendously violent, and their destructive ways must be quashed."
Saturday night at Fiona Ma's karaoke hospitality suite, Dante dedicated The House of the Rising Sun to (still) Senator David Vitter. That was the first reference I heard all weekend to New Orleans, after a long day and a half of speeches that did give a lot of attention to national issues like Iraq and the crashing economy.
In the midst of all the hoopla over bitter Vitter, transplant Jindal and freezer king Jefferson, do not lose hope, my people!
Cross posted with dKos, Daily Kingfish
I am Gilda Reed and I am running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Louisiana’s 1st District to give my people the representation they deserve. All of us are Katrina survivors. We must have a Democrat who feels the pulse of the people. Republicans have held the seat for 30 years and it is time for a change. Government is supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people—not a government created by the rich to protect their own interests. Over 90% of our Congress members are millionaires. I have no ill will for rich folks and can properly represent them. However, I do not know too many who have walked a mile in the shoes of my constituents. How can a person empathize when he/she is so far removed from our wants, needs and desires? A few courtesy visits, handshakes and empty rhetoric are not what we need. My people need me, one of their own, to fight for them.
