Ike survivor (on MSNBC) pleads with Bush...

[CoffeeCat]

Did anyone else see this woman on MSNBC, begging George Bush to help them?

She said that the trucks are low on food and almost out of water, but there is a plentiful
supply of ice. She said she and her two girls (with her in the video) had not eaten
today, because the food FEMA was handing out required cooking, and they have no power
or electricity to cook it.

How utterly incompetent, to load a truck with food that is inedible, until cooked--when these people
have no way to cook food. There's no power at all!

The camera man just panned into an empty semi-truck. Nothing in it. Many people standing in line and there
are no supplies, except for ice.

Andrea Mitchell just said, as the camera showed the empty FEMA truck, "Note to FEMA, people need food and
they don't need food they have to cook."

The incompetence is just staggering.

[BattyDem]

1. They're handing out uncooked food?!?!?

:wtf: :banghead: :wtf: :banghead: :wtf:

[musette_sf]

2. if the cholera don't get them

the salmonella will

Disaster Assistance A La Bu$hCo

[aquart]

3. MREs, I think. Aren't they supposed to be ready to eat?

[CoffeeCat]

4. All I know is what I saw this woman say...

She said the food that FEMA was handing out--needed to be cooked and they hadn't
eaten all day--because they had no way to eat the food.

She had two little girls with her, who were about 8 or 9 years old.

This is disgraceful.

[aquart]

7. No argument.

I saw someone on the news last night trying to figure out an MRE. That's why I'm assuming that's what they're handing out. Probably a little sterno would have gone nicely with it.

[BOSSHOG]

9. The latest version of MREs

has a built in "flameless ration heater" and I know they have been used since before Katrina.

[pacalo]

15. Water added into the MRE envelopes is all that's needed to "cook" the contents.

Science is amazing -- the envelopes do the cooking & the water added doesn't have to be hot.

It's hard for people, including Chertoff, to understand how horrible the aftermath of a hurricane is. What I missed most after Katrina was the grocery stores. Even when the grocery stores reopened, there was little food to be found because either the distribution centers who ship the food to the stores were affected or the trucks couldn't get through to make deliveries.

I'd like to see someone replace Chertoff who has personal experience with hurricanes & has a clear understanding of what those affected need.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Somebody who is trained in disaster management for real

would be a good choice

[itsrobert]

5. I think she said it was "rice"

n/t

[aquart]

10. Okay. Uncooked rice? Did they divert a shipment going to Darfur?

Even those packets of 90-second rice wouldn't work.

[MercutioATC]

6. An interview I saw yeaterday said they were handing out MREs.

...and you don't have to cook MREs...

[aquart]

11. I'm guessing a problem with the instructions?

[MercutioATC]

13. I figure "Open". "Eat". is pretty simple...

I'll allow that most MREs are more palatable when warmed, but we're talking survival rations, not fine cuisine.

[jus_the_facts]

8. Where was this....Galveston or Houston?

[CoffeeCat]

12. Here's direct quotes from that segment...

(This is in Houston)

"Breaking news here. Lines were a mile long this morning. However, supplies are running out and people
are turning away because they are not getting what they need. No food boxes left. Some water."

The woman they interviewed said she has "no power and the food has to be cooked. We're asking our President
Bush for more food and water..."

She says she had no food, water or gas.

The lines for food and water were 4 miles long.

The commentator goes on to say, "There are trucks on the way...There is not enough supplies to feed these people since
the storm made landfall..."

"...While these stores are opening up, the people are out of gas. So they have to walk a mile to these supply stations, and
then walk back a mile with a bag of ice...we're waiting on an update from FEMA."

Then he pans to an empty truck.

"Empty trucks. Hungry mouths."

I'm hit rewind on the Tivo, and wrote out as much as I could. I didn't get every word, but that's essentially what
was said.

[jus_the_facts]

16. Thank You....got a friend in Houston I'm really worried about...

...his POS father wouldn't give him the money to drive home here last week and he'd just started working there about a month ago on commission basis only to start...I need to call his momma and find out if he's still there or if he was able to leave....I'd hate to know he's stuck down there in this mess. :(

[snappyturtle]

14. I don't agree with everyone here. We have have six family units

in Houston. Help is almost non-existant.