Something has gone terribly wrong in Florida....

[deminflorida]

Various news sources (CNN, WFOR, etc) were reporting this morning that there may be "stacks of bodies" in the Punta Gorda area in a mobile home park and possibly in other areas inland. This is the type of death toll I would expect from underdeveloped countries like India or maybe in the orient. Not here, not in the U.S. the most developed country in the world.

Where was the National Guard and authorities, knocking on doors and telling people to get the hell out??? I'll bet these are poor areas, and the dead are the poor and elderly. Everyone was expecting Tampa..and hearing Tampa, Tampa, Tampa by the news whores who were wish-casting a disaster on a major metro city....but then suddenly the storm turned and dropped drastically in pressure becoming a CAT 4 monster in a matter of hours.

Bush will try and make political hay out of the suffering and loss of these poor people. The real questions won't be asked by the media...why didn't they leave? Was it because they didn't have the money or resources in a lagging economy. For some of them I'll bet a damn trailer is all in the world they had and many stayed for that reason alone.

There are things wrong down here in Florida and John Kerry needs to be here soon and start addressing them. Want to know how bad things are..look at where I live and do the research...Navarre, Florida. Ground Zero for Hurricane Opal. Not one official community hurricane shelter for this area of Santa Rosa County, and we are right on the water. The shelters are all 38-40 miles to the north in Milton, Florida, and only two roads to get there.

http://www.santarosa-emergency.com/shelter.html

I called last week and asked why we didn't have a shelter down here in Navarre, want to know the answer...no funding. What the hell is Jeb doing with our homeland security funds?

John Kerry and John Edwards need to be in North Florida addressing these issues. We may have another storm visiting next week, and things are not right here in Florida, your hearing it straight from a Floridian.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. I'll bet these are poor areas.....

Yes.... we have all the money in the world to make war... invade sovereign nations (instead of going after the true terrorists) but we don't have a nickel to provide shelters for the elderly and the poor.

Funny how your tax dollars get spent eh? And the RWingers are afraid to have programs that benefit the lower classes.... afraid they won't get somethin in return I guess.... I am just so disgusted with all of this.

Want to know what gets done with your homeland security money? It goes like this:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0670031410/qid=1092506112/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-0343795-2153419?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Thieves in High Places
>>Author, populist, and radio commentator Jim Hightower is nothing if not direct. In Thieves in High Places, Hightower lambastes the current American power structure and exhorts his readers to fight against it. Hightower's indignation runs deep in this "us versus them" exposé of corporate malfeasance, governmental abuse, the militarization of American society, and the Bush administration's empire building. In the first part of the book, Hightower illustrates how the Bush administration and Congress work with major corporations (including our nation's vast media conglomerates) to add to their obscene wealth at the expense of America's working class, our environment, and (most lamentably) our rights and liberties. "The elites have pulled off a slow-motion coup, radically wrenching America's power balance from a people's democracy to Kleptocrat Nation."<<

[Nashyra]

3. Great Post

I hope the Kerry Campaign sees this and does something.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

9. I hope the Kerry Campaign sees

this and does something.

I am sure that is the wish of many DUers... that their posts make a little spash upon the sea of consciousness, and travel out like ripples on a pond... affecting a little change here... a little there and perhaps affecting the reality of tomorrow that we all must share. One can only hope....

[nono]

2. You are Right

Thanks

[rocktivity]

4. WHERE were the National Guard and other authorites?

Iraq.

:headbang:
rocknation

[eleny]

15. Yeah - building schools

And serving up democracy to Najaf.

[codegreen]

5. all Floridians need to get their local media on this aspect of the news

at least SOME of the local news reporters will be willing to do some real investigative journalism.

Kerry should not go; this is a job for local media who still have it in them to look for a story and do real work

[Gloria]

12. Please help my memory--did Clinton go to Homestead in 92? Didn't

he go until Bush Sr. had done his visit? Clinton went a while later???

[codegreen]

13. i'd have to look it up, i don't really know

[madrchsod]

16. if i remember bush

went there and caused more problems by showing up after the hurricane.clinton went later when things were kin`a back to normal..

[molly]

6. Michael Moore - where are you?

[KittyWampus]

7. Thanks For Your Perspective

although I think Kerry would be lambasted for going down there and speaking.

Perhaps he could make a detour and just observe and give condolences in person?

Questiong the state of affairs down there is for the Democrats in eState Legislature and/or Congress, I think.

[nofurylike]

8. "Perhaps he could make a detour...and give condolences..." yes. n/t

[Bullshot]

10. It wouldn't surprise me if that area votes Democrat

and Bush and his stooges figured the casualities would be fewer votes for Kerry.

Sounds sick, but we're talking about the Bushes here.

[Lefty Pragmatist]

14. Exactly.

They're officially trying to kill Democrats.

Wow, you guys are amazing.

[nofurylike]

11. thank you for alerting us to this, deminflorida. so very sad..... n/t