The same conversation has been everywhere - online, on the phone, in the streets and on blogs - Katrina. The helpless feeling of watching video and seeing pictures, listening to accounts of people who have lost everything and "what can we do?" has exhausted me.
NCSU is now acepting students that have been displaced by the hurricane. Radio stations, TV stations, churches and schools and just about everyone is collecting donations for the Red Cross relief effort. I pray that it gets to those who need it most - the elderly, the hungry, the sick and everyone who has lost the normalcy of their lives.
Like my friend Becky, I am frustrated with the Federal government's response (or lack there of). This is a MAJOR disaster and so little has really been done. It proves how unprepared we are for disaster and what happens when nothing is immediately done to make a plan, get help to the people and make things secure.
From WRAL news:
The mayor of New Orleans is seething over what he sees as the government's slow response to his city's disaster.
Ray Nagin went on WWL Radio Thursday night to say the feds "don't have a clue what's going on." He added, "Excuse my French -- everybody in America -- but I am pissed."
Nagin said that there are many drug addicts who are searching for a fix. He said that's why they are breaking into drug stores and hospitals.
"What you are seeing is drug-starving crazy addicts that are wreaking havoc and we don't have the manpower that we can deal with it," Nagin said.
Nagin is angry, and wants people to flood the offices of the president and the governor with letters calling for help. He thinks not enough is being done to help the evacuees. He said that federal officials "don't have a clue what's going on."
"Get off your asses and let's do something and let's fix the biggest goddamn crisis in the history of this country," Nagin said. "People are dying. They don't have homes, they don't have jobs. The city of New Orleans will never be the same. And it's time."
The mayor said he needs troops and hundreds of buses to get refugees out.
He said that it was laughable that some officials had mentioned possibly having school bus drivers brought to New Orleans to help with the evacuation.
"I'm like, 'You have got to be kidding me.' This is a national disaster, get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses to New Orleans," he said. "This is a major, major, major deal."
Nagin accused state and federal officials of "playing games" and "spinning for the cameras." He said he keeps hearing that help is coming, but "there's no beef."
He called for a moratorium on press conferences. He said he doesn't want any more press conferences there until there is actual manpower on the ground helping his city. He said that he is tired of hearing that thousands of troops are on their way because they are just not there.
Earlier, he issued a "desperate SOS" on behalf of the thousands who are stranded at the convention center. He also gave the go-ahead for them to march across a bridge to a dry area of the city and look for whatever relief they could find.
At least seven bodies were scattered outside the convention center. People desperately called for help, chasing after reporters, sometimes pleading and sometimes threatening.
Congress is rushing through an aid package of more than $10 billion and the Pentagon is promising 1,400 National Guardsmen.
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It's almost the Labor Day weekend - it isn't looking as bright & relaxing as I had hoped. Gasoline is insane, especially when your car only takes premium. The averge is around $3.29 ... so no roadtrips this weekend. My parents are set to fly up tomorrow morning, so at least that major piece of the weekend puzzle is in place. I think we're going to just have some old fashion fun at home - we've got board games ;) On the bright side, the weather is great! No rain in sight (although the grass could really use some) and the humidty is down. We can actually spend more than 5 minutes outside, it's great! Fall is on its way..!? :) Let's hope so.
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