New Orleans to stay shut for at least nine months

[ECH1969]

New Orleans will have to be abandoned for at least nine months, and many of its people will remain homeless for up to two years, the US government believes.

The bleak assessment will deepen the biggest-ever crisis faced by President George Bush, who last week in an embarrassing gaffe called the devastation of Hurricane Katrina a "temporary disruption".

As the relief effort finally got under way yesterday for the tens of thousands of people left without food, water, medicines or the rule of law for five days, the federal official in charge of disaster recovery told foreign diplomats that reconstruction cannot begin until next summer.

Officials say that the job of recovering, let alone counting, the dead may not start for weeks. The death toll is likely to far exceed the numbers killed in the 9/11 attacks almost exactly four years ago.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10343951
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* really said the hurrane would be only a temporary disruption for the people? Does anyone have a full quote for that?

[William769]

1. Thats our Georgie boy.

[mcscajun]

2. Full quote...

"In our judgment we view this storm as a temporary disruption that is being addressed by the government and by the private sector."


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/01/national/nationalspecial/02BUSH-TEXT.html

It's from the same speech as "Don't buy gas if you don't need it."

It's truly a wonder that he could walk with Both Feet firmly planted in his own mouth.

[ET Awful]

3. I can't believe I missed that quote . . . a "temporary disruption"

I mean . . . bah. . . I can't even adequately express my disgust at a quote like that.

:puke:

[arwalden]

6. And They Still Need Food To Put On Their Families.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Nice way to orchestrate

a land grab. In a few years Bush can then build all those fancy houses for his friends. What a nice guy.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

8. I'm not thinking

fancy homes - maybe there is Earl (er, oil) under there.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

5. What -

no flowers and happy songs like "we" were supposed to get in Iraq??

[mom cat]

7. "there is no system to collect and store bodies"

Sergeant Nicholas Stahl, of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says that rescuers are focusing on finding an estimated 50,000 people still stranded by the flood waters and admitted "there is no system to collect and store bodies

[Zynx]

9. Nine months? Write off the above-water stuff too. Climate 'll eat it.

[bluestateguy]

10. Some people will never recover

I feel for all of the victims, but the people who will not be getting nice checks from the insurance companies will likely slide further downward into an even worse cycle of poverty--barring significant changes to public policy here in the United States.

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. $192 BILLION and counting to destroy Iraq

.
.
.

http://costofwar.com/

now how much would those levee upgrades and evacuation plans have cost again??

(sigh)

safer indeed

:eyes:

[Mister K]

12. New Orleans a 'ghost town' for 9 months

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article310186.ece

New Orleans will have to be abandoned for at least nine months, and many of its people will remain homeless for up to two years, the US government believes.

The bleak assessment will deepen the biggest crisis faced by President George Bush, who last week called the devastation of Hurricane Katrina a " temporary disruption".

As the relief effort finally got under way yesterday for the tens of thousands of people left without food, water, medicines or the rule of law for five days, the federal official in charge of disaster recovery told foreign diplomats that reconstruction cannot begin until next summer.

The President is now facing a political hurricane of his own, with gathering criticism, even from inside his own party, for failing to heed warnings of the city's vulnerability, cutting spending on its defences to pay for the wars on terror and in Iraq, and responding sluggishly to the worst natural catastrophe ever to hit his country.

[Radio_Lady]

13. Thanks for this view from across the pond -- good to see!

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. Important observastions, and very astute . . .

.
.
.

From the posted article:

" The criticism is all the sharper because the President did nothing to alter his holiday schedule for 48 hours. Vice-President Dick Cheney remains on holiday in Wyoming. Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, returned to Washington after being seen shopping for $7,000 shoes in Manhattan as New Orleans went under."
______________________________________________________________

Well that explains the no body count thing in Iraq

They don't even give a shit about their own citizens . . .

[beetbox]

15. New Orleans a 'Ghost Town' for 9 Months (Many to Remain Homeless 2 Yrs.)

New Orleans a 'ghost town' for 9 months

By Geoffrey Lean and Andrew Gumbel

Published: 04 September 2005


New Orleans will have to be abandoned for at least nine months, and many of its people will remain homeless for up to two years, the US government believes.

The bleak assessment will deepen the biggest crisis faced by President George Bush, who last week called the devastation of Hurricane Katrina a " temporary disruption".

As the relief effort finally got under way yesterday for the tens of thousands of people left without food, water, medicines or the rule of law for five days, the federal official in charge of disaster recovery told foreign diplomats that reconstruction cannot begin until next summer.

The President is now facing a political hurricane of his own, with gathering criticism, even from inside his own party, for failing to heed warnings of the city's vulnerability, cutting spending on its defences to pay for the wars on terror and in Iraq, and responding sluggishly to the worst natural catastrophe ever to hit his country.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article310186.ece

[daninthemoon]

16. I don't beleive most of those people will ever have a home in NO

to return to.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Eight years after the Kobe earthquake, some people were still

living in temporary housing--and Japan doesn't have the huge class divides that New Orleans does.

[alarcojon]

18. Hey, he also responded sluggishly to 9/11

why would he want to cut short his back nine so some lives could be saved in New Orleans? What an asswipe.

[killbotfactory]

19. Bush will make sure they have the latest, greatest diebold technology

for the time of the elections.

[Selatius]

20. Wow, New Orleans to become a Dead Zone?

It will be like the Chernobyl Dead Zone in the Ukraine except without the radiation. I can't imagine what kind of oppressive silence there will be if I were to stand somewhere inside that city alone.

[TahitiNut]

21. Property will be condemned and taken over for property taxes.

Real estate speculators will make a killing buying confiscated properties for the amount of taxes owing, as well as many others at rock bottom prices. I doubt that more than 50% of the current residents will be able to move back. If it's likely the city can come back, it will be done with wholesale "gentrification" of entire neighborhoods.

The rich will get richer and poor are shit out of luck. Again.

[Spangle]

22. At least they are being HONEST about this.

I live in central Florida. I'm still fixing my house. I wasted my ALE on short term housing and had to move back into my home that had no walls. Others, who were smarter.. went ahead and took a long term rental. Short term rentals cost more. But you don't have a long term lease. It was gamble either way. I gambled wrong!

The amount of damage we had in florida created a crises in housing materials. If it was bad then... what will it be after this impact. Last year was NOTHING compared to this. People as far as GA will be needing shingles because their roof got tore off.

It is BETTER for people to KNOW so that they can start mentaly planning on their direction. For the people who lost their homes and for those trying to help them. These citys need to realize that their town has EXPANDED and it isn't just for the weekend.

People will be down there. But it will mainly be workers who are rebuilding. As bad as it is down there, it will ONLY be the workers. Where will their familys live?