Rapid Response: "What else can we do?"
Liz from the Rapid Response Network usually blogs for Democracy for America on Mondays—she joins us today with a special update on New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's comments yesterday.
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OK, one thing I thought of, and will definitely do ASAP, is to look at Johnson & Johnson's web site. If they are doing anything, it'll be plastered all over their site. If not, I'm gonna write, telling them in no uncertain terms that, as a stockholder, I expect them to donate whatever is necessary, however many millions of dollars worth of goods, medicines, etc. it takes, to the relief effort. I'm also gonna post this at BuyBlue, and ask others to join in this letter writing campaign, both to Johnson & Johnson and to any other companies anyone can think of. We should also threaten these corporations with boycots.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing, that reading Liz's report made me think of, is that I'm gonna call Peter Pan, our local bus company, and also the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (if I can manage not to sob), and demand to know whether they have sent any busses and if not, why not. People should do the same in their own cities and regeons.
Private citizens aren't the only ones who need to volunteer, here. Corporate citizens also need to chip in and do their utmost.
Just saw this...
ReplyDeleteI know J&J has stepped up to the plate with contributions; it has a long record of social responsibility. Plenty of other corporations have as well:
Fannie Mae & its foundation donated $10 million.
Coca-Cola Co. gave $5 million.
Kimberly-Clark donated $250,000 and nearly $350,000 in products including diapers, baby wipes, and bathroom tissue.
United Health Foundation of Minneapolis dedicated $10 million to disaster relief.
Many of the contributions so far have been from the pharmaceutical industry, including AstraZenica, Merck, Wyeth, Eli Lilly and J&J. They sent a combined $9 million in cash and supplies including antibiotics, insulin, and toiletry kits.
Eli Lilly loaded a private jet with antibiotics, tetanus shots and insulin and went to the Gulf Coast.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that of the more than $93 milion in aid, more than $27 million came from corporations.
Hi Corine,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this report. It is heartening indeed.
I needed a boost. My computer has been malfunctioning, and it took me since my last post to get the blog entry written and posted at DAFD! So, I'm a bit frazzled. Great to know that those no good big pharma corps. are behaving decently and admirably. Think it might give the Feds a kick in the pants?
BTW for Oscar, Renee, or other in-charge-type persons, would it be OK for me to put the Shadow Blog's url in the trackback box for my blog entry about Katrina help?
Oscar, RE: tin foil hats:
ReplyDeleteI don't usually go in for conspiracy theories, but in this case it does not strike me as parenoid to think that, well, this whole debacle is something not unlike genocide.
Let's look at it. The great majority of New Orlinians are poor and/or black. The great majority of them vote Democrat. Georgie's war is expensive. Georgie's tax cuts for his rich friends are expensive. He needs to fund them both. What would you do in his place? Naturally, slash or remove funding for programs, such as the Corps of Engineers projects, Medicaid, Medicare, and Environmental protection that don't serve any good purpose. We understand that good purposes are only those that make Georgie and his friends richer.
I've come across rumors that the "don't rebuild NO" idear is ultimately to redound to the benefit of developers. It wouldn't surprise me. Clear away all those pesky poor folks who think New Orliens is theirs, and voila, virgin teritory on which to build multi-million-dollar mantions and wallmarts and whatever else will fill the bank valts of Georgie's friends. I'm not sure it's deliberately racist, it's just that many of the inconvenient New Orlinians are black. And, of course, that makes getting rid of them even easier conscience-wise and more desirable. I donno. It's a dark day in the history of America to be sure.
I've come across rumors that the "don't rebuild NO" idear is ultimately to redound to the benefit of developers.
ReplyDeleteI've heard talk as well about eminent domain issues, giving people pennies on the dollar for their land so the developers can come in and build these huge resorts on the Gulf Coast.
There was a caller on Randi Rhodes just now who said that she was missing the big picture. His theory, since we're speaking of tinfoil hats, is that LA is a red state with a blue governor. Bus the evacuees to TX, then while they're there, tell them how their governor messed up. Randi's been busy focusing on what the administration hasn't been doing that she hasn't stopped to look at what the LA governor has done. Randi herself admitted she didn't know that Gov. Blanco is a Democrat.
Now that's a pretty serious statement: charging that the administration is actually allowing people to suffer/die so they can benefit politically. After all, look at all the help Haley Barbour is getting for MS. Personally I think it's just the GOP Old Boy Network in action but it's enough to give a conspiracy theory some traction.
Ok, that's it for now. Have a good weekend and I'll probably drop by.
Hi Corinne,
ReplyDeleteNow, that's a thought, evacuate everyone and then bash the LA Gov. Humph!!! Frankly, I wouldn't put it past the NeoCons. Tell ya what, nice, old fashioned Republicans are starting to look really good by contrast to NeoCons. OTOH we shouldn't let ourselves get too carried away. The lack of proper response may indicate nothing organized at all, but rather merely the total incompetence of Georgie's govt. That is patently obvious and disturbing enough, after all.
SEASHELL11 HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
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How Long, O Lord?
ReplyDeleteby Robert Palmer
How long, O Lord, how long, before the flood
Of crimson-welling carnage shall abate?
From sodden plains in West and East, the blood
Of kindly men steams up in mists of hate,
Polluting Thy clean air; and nations great
In reputation of the arts that bind
The world with hopes of heaven, sink to the state
Of brute barbarians, whose ferocious mind
Gloats o'er the bloody havoc of their kind,
Not knowing love or mercy. Lord, how long
Shall Satan in high places lead the blind
To battle for the passions of the strong?
Oh, touch Thy children's hearts, that they may know
Hate their most hateful, pride their deadliest foe.
That was written in 1917.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't come that far have we?
Pride and hate: not good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the poem, puddle!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have a clue as to what happened to the BIG BLOG last night? I have never never seen such hate and violence there, ever. Was reading worse than Free Republic at its worst.
ReplyDeleteNew thread, people.
ReplyDelete♥
SEASHELL!! HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
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