(no subject)

[theweaselking]

Geographic piece of context: the New Orleans Hyatt Regency Hotel is *attached to* to New Orleans Superdome.

Guests Evacuated Today From Hyatt Regency New Orleans

The approximately 900 guests that remained on the premises following Katrina's powerful blow -- primarily hotel staff and their families, officials, and those in emergency-related roles -- were safely relocated to the hotel's well-sheltered ballroom, exhibit hall areas and serviceable guest rooms where they were kept comfortable following the hurricane while city and emergency officials began the difficult process of assessing storm related damage to the hotel and the city.

A convoy of food and supplies provided by Hyatt hotels in Atlanta and Houston arrived at Hyatt Regency New Orleans on Wednesday of this week.

Superdome evacuation halted: 2000 remain

At one point on Friday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the Hyatt Hotel could move to the front of the evacuation line - much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking Superdome since last Sunday.

"How does this work? They (are) clean, they are dry, they get out ahead of us?" said Howard Blue, 22, who tried to get in their line.

The National Guard blocked him as other guardsmen helped the well-dressed guests with their luggage.

The 700 had been trapped in the hotel, next to the Superdome, but conditions were considerably cleaner, even without running water, than the unsanitary crush inside the dome.

That's right. The Hyatt got food and water in to the hotel guests, but it was "impossible" to do it for the poor people next door. They had space and dry conditions and clean places to sleep - so they got evacuated first. Why? Because they weren't poor.

British families trapped in New Orleans last night claimed that US authorities had refused to evacuate them as Hurricane Katrina approached the city.

Although assistance was offered to US residents, British nationals were told they would have to fend for themselves. According to those who remain stranded in the stricken city, police had visited hotels and guest houses on the eve of the hurricane offering to evacuate Americans, but not Britons.

Any non-American thinking of entering the USA, remember. You have, "at most", the right to not be killed out of hand, and you are not eligible to have public services save your life.

Tales from the Superdome: US Armed forces shoot man for trying to get help for a rape victim.

"A young lady was being raped and stabbed.

"And the sounds of her screaming got to this man and so he ran out into the street to get help from troops, to try to flag down a passing truck of them.

"He jumped up on the truck's windscreen and they shot him dead,"

Dennis Hastert defends his statement that sending money to New Orleans doesn't make any sense - by *skipping* the emergency relief bill's signing to attend a personal political fundraiser for a colleague. Remember, if Cheney and Bush die, this guy is President.

In Syracuse, N.Y., former president Bill Clinton was discussing New Orleans's dilemma when someone described the speaker's comments. Had they been in the same place when the remarks were made, Clinton said, "I'm afraid I would have assaulted him."

Head of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff was asked why it took so long to get the military moving. His response, direct and unedited was reportedly: "We don't ask them to pack up in 24 hours unless it's a real emergency."

Bush's visit halted food delivery into New Orleans.

Three tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees in St. Bernard Parish and on Algiers Point sat on the Crescent City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as air traffic was halted because of Bush's visit to New Orleans, officials said.

The provisions, secured by U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, and state Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom, baked in the afternoon sun as Bush surveyed damage across southeast Louisiana five days after Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm, said Melancon’s chief of staff, Casey O'Shea.

"We had arrangements to airlift food by helicopter to these folks, and now the food is sitting in trucks because they won’t let helicopters fly," O'Shea said Friday afternoon.

The food was expected to be in the hands of storm survivors after Bush left the devastated region Friday night, he said.

Also from the New Orleans Times-Picayune, "Lies don't get any more bald-faced than that, Mr President."

interdictor, on the ground in New Orleans, reports rumours of cannibalism.

US Senator Bill "Cat Killer" Frist (R-Arkham Asylum) actually does something useful: He went to New Orleans as a doctor, not a Senator, and actually helped out. No word on whether he asked if he could take any of the refugees home with him to practice his vivisection.

The City of Chicago was told that no, their help would not be needed.

crickets tries to explain to her Republican father exactly why people are so pissed. Many links. Good stuff. Pass it on.

Viggo Mortensen weighs in, calling for Bush et al to face treason charges.

Rapper Kanye West: "President Bush doesn't care about black people." He went off-script on live TV during an aid telethon, and it took NBC a good minute to realise this and cut off his microphone. There's a transcript.




One last one, explaining just how bad things are and just WHY the only appropriate response is to clean up now and kill the people responsible as soon as possible after:

From Meet The Press

I want to give you one last story and I'll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I'm in, emergency management, he's responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, "Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?" And he said, "Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming to get you. Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody's coming to get you on Friday." And she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night.

Comments

[unnamed525.livejournal.com]

Evidence that they've been given orders to care about the wealthy more than the poor. Classism at it's most glaringly disgusting.
God, I should go back to reading Ghouls. It's more pleasant than this shit.

[sivi-volk.livejournal.com]

They aren't quite sure about this. there are a few conflicting reports. Still...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5256015,00.html

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[matgb]

That's a very effective summary, thanks for that. If you haven't already read it,t he article I linked to on my post on Lenin's Tomb about the subcontracted disaster planning company is pretty telling as well.

Odds of getting Bush for this?

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Saw it. I tend to keep track of China Meiville because of his books, even if I don't agree with something like 90% of what he says outside that.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Oh and:

> Odds of getting Bush for this?

Legally? None. Use the 25th Amendment and Cheney pardons him. Go for Cheney first and Bush pardons him. In fact, expect a Kentucky-style circle-jerk of pardoning - Bush pardons everyone, resigns, his chosen VP pardons Bush.

All that, of course, assumes that you can get your Congress to actually act against Bush, or that you'll ever manage a legit election again to get rid of your current Congress, neither of which are anything approaching sure things.