Katrina By The Numbers

Over at Think Progress, they've taken a look at just how well the media has tackled the elephant in the room:

By the Numbers: In Katrina’s Wake, Race and Class Largely Ignored

“That’s the big elephant in the room: the race and economic class of most of the victims, which the media hasn’t discussed much at all.”– Jack Cafferty, CNN, 9/1/05

ThinkProgress has conducted a review of transcripts from the three major cable news networks over a full week — Saturday, Auguest 28 to Saturday, September 3 — for coverage of the race and class issues exposed in Katrina’s wake. The data demonstrates clearly that all three networks are still, to a greater or lesser extent, ignoring the “elephant in the room.”

The Findings, By the Numbers

Over at My Left Wing, teacherken has posted (crossposted at Kos) a diary about Katrina's effects on education and No Child Left Behind, based on an article at Huffington Post. This is a must-read:

Hurricane Katrina is being used to make schools “fail.” That is the only conclusion one can draw from the decision of Secretary Spellings that the children dislocated by Hurricane Katrina will still have to sit for the tests required under No Child Left Behind.

Look, Margaret Spellings is no more qualified than I am to be Secretary of Education but even I understand that these children's needs are greater than keeping NCLB on track. Apparently she feels more duty-bound to NCLB than to the children.

Jesse Lee over at DCCC catches Rep. Charles W. Boustany Jr. in a lie.

And Howard weighs in about the Estate Tax vote.

Labor Day in America

Post by Jim Dean at 1:32 p.m.
Labor Day in America

For the last several years, newspaper content on Labor Day has been all about the decline of organized labor and the union movement. We add our thoughts about our nation's business and political leaders who no longer respect the culture or capital of work in general. Employee costs are routinely used as excuses for company management failures and mass layoffs have become routine every time a company stock price declines a few points. Stewardship is not longer part of the culture of conduct among our business leaders. Senior management pay and perks have never been more excessive. They are continuously rewarded for incompetence and too often retain their jobs under circumstances that most of us would be fired for.

Read the rest here.
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Diaries of interest:
Why FEMA turned away help by Ducktape
The Lies & Depraved Indifference of Republicans by Maryscott OConnor
Crooks and Liars now has the video of Celine Dion's Crying Plea on Larry King's special Saturday "How You Can Help". She attacked the U.S.'s war in Iraq and the government's response to Katrina. She was visibly upset over the plight of the victims of the Hurricane, but Larry in the middle of it asks her if she'll sing a song. I know she was probably supposed to be there to sing, but come on Larry. She sang a prayer.

Demand Animals’ Safe Evacuation by susanhu

Urgent: Tell Your Federal Representatives to Demand Animals’ Safe Evacuation From New Orleans!

As always, please share articles or events of interest by posting them in the comments, or by emailing them to renee at bmgbiz.net. I may include them in an upcoming post. Also, if you would like to submit a guest entry, you can contact me at that same address.

Rapid Response: A flag divided

Posted by Anne Lindsay (NC) at 10:44 a.m.
Rapid Response: A flag divided

The flags began flying at half-staff at government buildings yesterday just as they did during another national tragedy, September 11, 2001.

We have lost hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Americans during hurricane Katrina and in its aftermath. There continue to be Americans trapped and dying in New Orleans. These are young and old, able-bodied and people with disabilities, African American, Caucasian, Hispanic, and many other races. The majority, though, are African American and poor.

Click here for the rest.

The Bring Them Home Now Tour is on its way from Crawford, Texas to Washington, D.C. Click here to see the scheduled tour stops. Also, here is the link to the Meet With the Mothers campaign.

This is an idea that arose out of the nights under the stars at Camp Casey. How to spread the spirit and potency of Camp Casey around the country? Congress has been breathig easy while Cindy was outside the door of President Bush. But now it is their turn to answer the questions.

The sponsoring organization is Gold Star Families for Peace. GSFP was founded in December by parents who had suffered the tragic loss of their child in Iraq and learning the war was based on lies and manipulation.

Meet With The Mothers. Org has been founded by independent individuals who have come forward to volunteer their efforts in coordinate and implement taking Cindy Sheehan’s questions to their representatives – the leaders that have the power stop the war. The effort is being undertaken by harnessing the various individuals and groups that came to Crawford to support the effort to meet with the President.

MeetWithTheMothers.Org is being run as a function of Gold Star Families for Peace.

We encourage you to join us and experience the power and love of Camp Casey, and help in any way you can. Cindy Sheehan is going over the Presidents head to the people, join her and support her call for answers from our President AND from YOUR representatives!

It's Official: Chief Justice Roberts

In news that was really no surprise to me, Bush has nominated Judge John G. Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Knowing the administration, we should not be surprised that Roberts was nominated with an eye to succeeding Rehnquist when he eventually lost his battle against thyroid cancer. After all, Roberts once clerked for Rehnquist and would perpetuate Rehnquist's conservative viewpoint.

I can only imagine what Justice Scalia might be thinking right now. I always thought his ambition was to become Chief Justice someday. "All that time I spent in a duck blind with Dick Cheney--wasted."

I'm sure the hearings will be delayed given this new development. Bush, however, is calling for him to be appointed before the Court reconvenes on October 3. While yesterday's Washington Post was saying red state Democrats were leaning toward confirming Roberts, I hope this encourages Democrats like Pat Leahy to slow the train down.

Nothing like some news to distract from the massive government failure to act in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Failures like this:

Hurricane Center Director Tells Paper He Briefed Brown and Chertoff on Danger of Severe Flooding -- Editor & Publisher, Sept. 4, 2005

NEW YORK Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, told the Times-Picayune Sunday afternoon that officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, including FEMA Director Mike Brown and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, listened in on electronic briefings given by his staff in advance of Hurricane Katrina slamming Louisiana and Mississippi--and were advised of the storm’s potential deadly effects."

Mayfield said the strength of the storm and the potential disaster it could bring were made clear during both the briefings and in formal advisories, which warned of a storm surge capable of overtopping levees in New Orleans and winds strong enough to blow out windows of high-rise buildings," the paper reported. "He said the briefings included information on expected wind speed, storm surge, rainfall and the potential for tornados to accompany the storm as it came ashore.

"Abandoned by our own country..."

At 9:37 p.m., Tara Liloia posted "Abandoned by our own country..."

This morning on Meet the Press, host Tim Russert tried to play the part of the accusatory talking head, asking questions like, "Shouldn't the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of New Orleans bear some responsibility [for the outcome of Hurricane Katrina]?" Jefferson Parish President, Aaron Broussard countered Russert's question by recounting a horrific personal and emotional story which exemplifies the lack of quick aid to Hurricane Katrina survivors
Click for the rest.

Various links and stories of interest:

By Arianna Huffington: Are People Dying Over Here Because We're Fighting Them Over There?

In The Nation, by Katrina Vanden Heuvel
'Indifference Is a Weapon of Mass Destruction'

From the Columbus Free Press:
All Supreme Court appointments must be postponed by Harvey Wasserman

From the same author: Bush to New Orleans: Drop Dead

Diaries
Bush's Disastrous Response: A Timeline. by Rp
New Orleans paper tells Bush they're tired of lies and photo op by Sharon Jumper

We will not forget.
by: hyperbolic pants explosion

I made this because I needed to.

This is the unspeakable sadness of watching a city die. Of watching the gathered masses of our youngest, oldest, poorest, and most vulnerable, with their arms outstretched and pleading, wondering why yet another truck, boat, helicopter, and day has passed. Of the unbearable feeling of helplessness. Of the darkest feelings of shame for how far we've fallen short of our promise as a nation to lift up and care for all of our people.

I needed a way to vent, and now I'm sharing it with you. If you are moved by it, please continue to pass it on. Please host the files on your own servers if you're able (because this server will get hammered pretty hard otherwise). Just get it out there.

For anyone who didn't know this already, hyperbolic pants explosion is also known as cdmarine, and used to be a regular commenter on Blog for America.

Save the Estate Tax (w/flyer & Talking Points)
by: Malacandra

The President likes to talk about how 9/11 changed everything. So do congressional Republicans.

But it hasn't changed their thinking.

Republicans have continued to cut taxes for the wealthy, despite the new challenges we are facing as a nation since 9/11. As a result, we have record-breaking budget deficits. And the Republicans sound like a broken record... playing the same old tune: "More Tax Cuts".

The resulting massive debt will be passed on to our children... and their children.

Now they're trying to do it again. The Senate is about to vote on a permanent repeal of the estate tax, a tax that only applies to the wealthiest 2% of Americans. And nearly half of that tax is paid by the wealthiest 0.1%
(click for more)

Finally, the following is from the comments:

listener said:
UPDATE FROM JASON!
(Jason is a member of Americorps, St. Louis and a good friend of my son.)
~~~~~~
written Saturday ~

This is an update on Hurricane Katrina. As planned right now, we will leave tomorrow or Monday and I will be on a team of 7 heading to Baton Rouge, LA to aid in their Emergency Op Center.

Our team was working today with a company that is developing a badge system to track volunteers or those in need (perhaps to be used in a shelter, or at a disaster site). We have purchased this system and will be in part testing it during our time there.

When I receive more information I will do my best to let you know.

Sincerely,
Jason

To read more about what's happening within the Corporation for National and Community Service as regards Hurricane Katrina, go here.


To make a donation that will help Jason and the other members of Americorps, St. Louis, click here.

Relocating to NC

Guest entry by Monisha Sujan at 2:27 p.m. on Blog for America

Relocating to NC

Monisha Sujan checks in again from North Carolina today—she shared her story of escape from New Orleans via email earlier this week.

Read the rest here.
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I was heartened to see this post by susanhu on Booman Tribune:

President Gore Brings Victims Home

`My understanding," said the local owner of a Tennessee ambulance service, "was that he [President Al Gore] made this happen, that he actually arranged for this aircraft."

"An American Airlines plane arrived at McGhee Tyson Airport at 3:10 p.m. Saturday with about 130 people from New Orleans.

"Former Vice President Al Gore was on the plane, helping patients. He did not grant interviews to reporters Saturday.

When I first read this story, I was so focussed on the picture of a disheveled Al Gore rolling up his sleeves (metaphorically--they're short sleeves, actually) to help, and the great story, that I totally missed the fact that Susan had called him *President* Al Gore. Heh. But on second thought--DAMN STRAIGHT!

Next, if you've followed my posts here for the past few days, I've been raging about Bill Frist's mustache-twirlingly evil insistence that *now* is the time to permenantly do away with a tax paid by millionaires. I was heartened to see that Howard Dean has released a statement on this.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean released the following statement in response to reports that Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will push for a vote on Repealing the Estate Tax when the Senate returns on Tuesday:

"Countless thousands of our fellow Americans throughout the Gulf Coast region continue to suffer in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. While some have begun the painful task of rebuilding their lives and coping with the unfathomable loss, so many still await help. And the cost of this disaster in human and material terms remains unknown.

"It's simply irresponsible for Senator Frist and Ken Mehlman to even think about spending our tax dollars on breaks for millionaires at a time when our top priority must be to ensure we have the resources needed to address the long and short term costs associated with rescue, recovery, and rebuilding in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Not to mention the vital lesson we learned this week about the deadly cost of diverting funds at the expense of the safety of the American people. These costs also come at a time when our nation faces a massive deficit, and mounting costs in the ongoing war in Iraq.

"There is also a question of values, priorities and choices. Tens of thousands of our fellow Americans have literally lost everything; we have a responsibility to put their needs first. Senator Frist should join Democrats in Congress who understand that our priority as a nation must be to focus our energy and resources on determining how we help the victims begin to rebuild their lives and addressing the long term issues we face as a nation in the aftermath of Katrina.

"Perhaps seeing the images on television was not enough this time for Senator Frist and having now had the chance to actually look some of the victims in the eye, he'll be able to better diagnose the situation, get his priorities straight and recognize that the victims of this crisis, and providing the resources to keep our people safe in the future, must be our highest priorities."

I love the way he continues to say what *I'm* saying and thinking--only much better.

See also URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED in NOLA
by Maryscott OConnor

I got a heads up about this from a longtime DKos reader who figured I might be an effective messenger. Generally I am not in the habit of posting other people's work, but this is by request, so I am posting it.

Click here for the transcript of today's Meet the Press. (Includes the interview with Michael Chertoff.)

Another home-sharing web site: Operation Share Your Home

Habitat for Humanity Hurricane Katrina Response Overview

Even Mr. Bill Knew the Levees Wouldn't Hold (The rude pundit has the text to the Mr. Bill ad mentioned in an earlier post)

Oscar's Word for the Week can be found at Underground Railroad.

Sunday Morning Shows

Here's the morning post on Blog for America:
Sunday Morning Shows

I need to leave for church. Please be sure to check out the posts below this one--there's a lot of important information in them.

The LAST thing we should be doing

Crossposted at Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, and My Left Wing

The big thing on my mind is Frist pushing for a vote on ending the estate tax. My rant of the day is about that.

Is Frist *clinically* insane?

But I really want to do more than rant. I want us to defeat this insane, irresponsible, inhuman proposal with a resounding NO!! vote. I want it stomped into the ground.

I want us to grab America by the lapels, look it right in the eye and say *we* need to say no to this thing. Work with me, America! *Everybody* who is not in the top two percent in income should be outraged--as well as the good guys and gals who *are* in the top two percent--and Senate offices should be *flooded* with letters. How *dare* they throw away an important source of revenue when so many people are in such desperate need right now!

And to be pushing this forward *now*--while so many of us "bleeding heart" liberal types are focussed on doing everything we can to help the hurricane survivors.

Wait a sec...that probably *is* why he decided now was the time. Push this thing forward fast--not giving us time to mount an effective response, especially since we're so preoccupied at the moment.

Jerk. This should totally backfire on him. So, how do we make that happen?
-----------
Lots of good articles about Katrina, and what went wrong as far as responding in a timely manner, can be found at the Citizens for Legitimate Government web site.

From the Disability Preparedness Center, articles about the plight of the disabled in the aftermath of Katrina.

And thank you, unien, for passing along the link to ASPCA's Hurricane Relief page. We've certainly seen some sad stories about the fate of beloved family pets in the past few days.

Finally, for anyone who didn't see this the other day, susanhu posted this funny-if-it-weren't-so-tragic piece on Booman Tribune:

"Ohh, nooo!!! The coastal erosion!"

In 2004, Mr. Bill -- the unforgettable clay figure of Saturday Night Live fame -- was tapped, by America's Wetland to raise awareness of the loss of Louisiana's swamps and marshlands.

Must-see video: Mr. Bill in "Hurricane Sluggo," "Save New Orleans," "Mr. Bill Does the Weather," and a 45-minute video, "New Orleans: The Natural History." Crooks & Liars has a write-up on the 2004 ad, noting that Mr. Bill knew, unlike Mr. Bush, that the levees could be breached.

DFA-Link in MO: Leave My Child Alone

At 6:33 PM, Tara posted this guest entry from Bill Monroe:

DFA-Link in MO: Leave My Child Alone

With 18 in attendance at our new (free and very nice) venue at the Temple of Labor on Garth St, our September DFA-Link Meeting was a great success. This was due in large part to the help of Darin Preis, Columbia School Board Member, who took our invitation to discuss School policy regarding Section 9528 of the "No Child Left Behind Act" very seriously. He spoke with the Superintendent of Columbia Public Schools, Dr, Phyllis Chase, who decided to attend the meeting as well. She came well prepared and was able to answer our questions and hear our concerns.

You can find the rest here.

And, for anyone who's interested, here is my rant of the day (continued from what I started writing in the entry below) about Bill Frist and his priorities:
Is Frist *clinically* insane?

Finally, just a reminder that My Vote is My Voice is collecting phone cards for the people who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina: "Bathtub"

Oscar's cartoon roundup can be found in the comments

Greg Greene posted Katrina: "Bathtub" at 11:17 a.m on Blog for America
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I've been seeing this ad on blogs for a few days, but I hadn't clicked it to find out more because, well, I don't click ads.



But, looking at it today, I realized, "Ohhh--I wonder if that has anything to do with cutting the estate tax." As I mentioned in last night's entry, Bill Frist has chosen this time of national tragedy to "move forward with a vote to permanently repeal the estate tax next week, likely on Tuesday". Don't we kinda need that money right now?

Anyway, the ad turns out to be for the Coalition for America's Priorities , and yes, that's exactly what the site is about.

Right now the U.S. Senate is considering an issue that will have a huge impact on the future of our nation: the future of the estate tax. Repealing the estate tax would cost $75 billion a year in federal revenue and over a trillion dollars overall. In order to make up that lost revenue either taxes will need to be raised or programs like Social Security and Medicare will need to be cut. Fewer than 2% of Americans have to pay the estate tax.

The Coalition for America's Priorities wants to ensure that Americans have the facts they need to make an informed decision on what they think should be done about the estate tax. There are a lot of misperceptions about the Estate Tax, and a lot of misinformation. This site will help you to gain a better understanding by helping you to separate the myths from the facts. Find out how estate tax reform affects your state. Read media coverage, scholarly papers, and other websites about the issue. Most importantly, you can contact your Senators and tell them why you support real reform, not repeal, of the Estate Tax.

Click here to visit the site. There's a map where you can find out how the estate tax affects your state, and you can also see ads the coalition has run.

Also of interest are these two entries on MyDD:

Kanye West
by Ben P
Contrasting Visions
by Scott Shields
(Words from John Edwards contrasted with those of Bill "Save Paris Hilton's Inheritance" Frist).

Hanging in There

At 10:41 PM on Blog for America, Tara Liloia posted Hanging in There

Though President Bush attempted to reassure the American people that help had arrived today, the situation in Louisiana is not improving quickly. More than 10,000 people are feared dead as survivors of Hurricane Katrina wait out their fourth day in the city waiting for rescue.

At Charity Hospital, New Orleans' largest public hospital, the staff coped with the food and water shortage by giving each other intravenous drips of sugar solutions just to stay alive to care for their patients.

Read the rest here.

Thank you to Oscar for posting the first couple entries today while my home internet access was down. When I finally was able to post an entry at 5:30 p.m., I took the opportunity to post a lot of links to good articles and diaries, so I really do recommend checking out that entry if you haven't done so yet.

And finally, some thoughts here about a minister in New Orleans who believes all of the destruction is some sort of divine punishment for a wicked, sinful city. Wow.

It's Friday in Mississippi...

Monisha Sujan checks in again from Mississippi today for a 5:13 p.m. post on Blog for America

It's Friday in Mississippi...

It's Friday morning and I'm in Starkville in Northeast Mississippi. We've spent yesterday moving from Baton Rouge across the state of Mississippi.

Baton Rouge seemed so overcrowded and desperate before we left. It seems like the city has doubled or tripled in size with some desperate New Orleans residents rumored to be roaming in downtown Baton Rouge in armed gangs, the S.W.A.T. is out and many displaced New Orleans residents are fruitlessly attempting to find a home in Baton Rouge. I'm concerned that the violence wrought by desperation will turn the refugee camp and rescue and recovery staging ground that is now Baton Rouge into a chaotic and violent mess. I'm also fear that the natives of Baton Rouge might react with violence in order to protect their city (I know of many friends buying shotguns). CNN reports late last night seem to confirm my fears.

Click here for the rest.

URGENT UPDATE
I just saw this diary by Armando on Daily Kos:
GOP Agenda in Action - Part II; Estate Tax To Be Voted On Tuesday

Senate Finance Committee members were informed this morning that Sen. Bill Frist will move forward with a vote to permanently repeal the estate tax next week, likely on Tuesday, ThinkProgress has learned.

That is just vile. And, as Armando says, "Callous, worthless, despicable, heartless." Senator Justice Sunday (the original, not the sequel) just did something desperately, miserably un-Christian. From yesterday's Start Making Sense post...

"If someone who has the riches of this world sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (1 Jn 3:17). It is well known how strong were the words used by the Fathers of the Church to describe the proper attitude of persons who possess anything towards persons in need. To quote Saint Ambrose: "You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his. For what has been given in common for the use of all, you have arrogated to yourself. The world is given to all, and not only to the rich."

Additional headlines of interest:
From Howie in Seattle:
Howard Dean Asks Bush to ''show some real leadership''
"Sheehan brings protest here"
One Nation – Two Countries

On My Left Wing:
It's no joke: Halliburton hired for Katrina cleanup by pamindurham Pam is also the author of Contempt for the masses starts at the conservative top. And, in response to my own diary, Disgusted in St. Louis made an important point regarding Dennis Hastert's comment that rebuilding New Orleans might not be sensible...

As the world watches
The "supposed" #3 man in the GOP, the Speaker of the House, the man second in line of succession to the President after VP Dick Cheney, saying the US can't reconstruct (rebuilding isn't sensible) a 500,000 population city in our own country when they have been telling the world how they were going to reconstruct a city of 6 million (as well as a country of 25 million) as a foreign occupier in another country.

In Tikkun, the Jewish magazine/interfaith movement, Rabbi Michael Lerner published an article entitled Hurricane Katrina, God and Social Morality

It didn't have to happen. And it didn't have to result in so many deaths and social chaos. This is the playing out of cosmic karma for ecological, economic and social irresponsibility. Unfortunately, as always the poor deserve it least and suffer most.

In Sojourners, Jim Wallis also addresses the reasons why, in disasters like Hurricane Katrina, those who have the least to lose are often those who lose the most.

Also, if you look at the links at the right side of this page, you will see that I have added links to HurricaneHousing.org as well as the Katrina Aftermath blog. In the comment section here, please let me know about any disaster relief programs that you think deserve a special mention and/or link on this blog.

Finally, on a happier note, a big blog family Happy Birthday to seashell!



Click here for the blog family birthday calendar.

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.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin answered this question yesterday in the most heart-wrenching interview you'll ever hear: "Flood their doggawn offices with requests to do something." Find an MP3 of this interview here and a partial transcript here.

For the rest click here.

Survivors of Hurricane Katrina Beware

Teri Mills is a longtime Blog For America community member and participant. Her guest column on health care appears on Blog for America on Fridays and she blogs at www.nationalnurse.info.

As the death toll climbs, and huge numbers of Southerners try to cope with the after affects of Hurricane Katrina, government officials are declaring a public health crisis. As early as Tuesday, this week, the Washington Post reported that the main health concern would be exposure to dampness resulting in an increased number of asthma attacks coupled with skin irritations. The author of this report also came to the conclusion that standing water is not usually very harmful especially when it is not used for drinking or treating wounds. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

Read the rest here.

Survivors on the Move

Guest blog entry by Monisha Sujan posted at 11:11 p.m.

Survivors on the Move
Monisha Sujan is a New Orleans resident, Tulane grad student and active member of New Orleans Democracy for America. She recently helped organize the Beaucoup Blues Louisiana organzing convention.

Click here to read the whole entry, which ends with...

The situation seems slightly overwhelming at this point regarding long-term planning. So, currently, my priorities are (1) making sure my family is okay, (2) making sure all my friends are okay and (3) doing something to make sure New Orleans and its people survive and hopefully thrive sometime in the future.

Monisha has also been searching for the following people:

Chris Daigle
Gabe Bordenave
Jacques Morial
Joyce and Dave
Mary Rigby
Melody Lee
Nancy and Ben Rosow

If you know the whereabouts of anyone above, please let us know and we can pass the message along.

Start making sense

Crossposted at Daily Kos, My Left Wing, and Booman Tribune

So, Dennis Hastert says rebuilding New Orleans isn’t sensible? Wow--I can think of a *lot* of things that are less sensible than that. How about Bush gutting FEMA? I think *that* wasn't very sensible. As Molly Ivins points out, it wasn't sensible for the Bush administration to repeal Clinton's wetland protection policies and allow developers to drain thousands of acres of wetlands. Molly continues...

Unfortunately, the war in Iraq is directly related to the devastation left by the hurricane. About 35 percent of Louisiana's National Guard is now serving in Iraq, where four out of every 10 soldiers are guardsmen. Recruiting for the Guard is also down significantly because people are afraid of being sent to Iraq if they join, leaving the Guard even more short-handed.

The Louisiana National Guard also notes that dozens of its high-water vehicles, Humvees, refuelers and generators have also been sent abroad. (I hate to be picky, but why do they need high-water vehicles in Iraq?)

This, in turn, goes back to the original policy decision to go into Iraq without enough soldiers and the subsequent failure to admit that mistake and to rectify it by instituting a draft.

The levees of New Orleans, two of which are now broken and flooding the city, were also victims of Iraq war spending. Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, said on June 8, 2004, "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq."

This, friends, is why we need to pay attention to government policies, not political personalities, and to know whereon we vote. It is about our lives.

Know what else makes no freakin' sense at all? The push to eliminate the "death tax". Golly, of course if you ask me "Do you want to eliminate the death tax?", I'd have to say, "Sure! That's just not right, taxing people just for dying!" 'Cept, isn't there *another* name for that boogey-man tax thingie they want to protect us from? Oh, that's right, the *estate* tax. On this petition page at MoveOn.org, it says:

The Senate will vote in September to eliminate the Estate Tax for the richest 2 percent of Americans.

Wow, the riches 2%, huh? Imagine all the stuff we could *do* with that money. Like, oh, I don't know...REBUILDING NEW ORLEANS?! Guess this makes me some sort of socialist or something, but I think if you have an *estate* such that it puts you in the top two percent, then it is your *duty* to do what you can to help the poorest of the poor. Maybe it's my Catholic upbringing talking. From Catholic Social Teaching, Option for the Poor:

"If someone who has the riches of this world sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (1 Jn 3:17). It is well known how strong were the words used by the Fathers of the Church to describe the proper attitude of persons who possess anything towards persons in need. To quote Saint Ambrose: "You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his. For what has been given in common for the use of all, you have arrogated to yourself. The world is given to all, and not only to the rich."

Back to Hastert's comments again...you know what *would* be sensible? Bankruptcy relief.

Rep. John Conyers, Jr., Rep. Mel Watt, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee announced today that when Congress returns next Tuesday, they will introduce legislation to protect the thousands of families and small businesses financially devastated by Hurricane Katrina from being penalized by anti-debtor provisions contained in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, scheduled to take effect on October 17, 2005. Reps. Conyers, Nadler, and Jackson Lee released the following joint statement:

"We are concerned that just as survivors of Hurricane Katrina are beginning to rebuild their lives, the new bankruptcy law will result in a further and unintended financial whammy. Unfortunately, the new law is likely to have the consequence of preventing devestated families from being able to obtain relief from massive and unexpected new financial obligations they are incurring and by forcing them to repay their debt with income they no longer have, but which is counted by the law.

How do you think *your* congresscritter will vote on that legislation? Maybe you should give him or her a little nudge, and say, "The American people are counting on you to do the *sensible* thing."

Not to mention the decent thing.

Lend a helping hand.

At 6:51 p.m., Tom Hughes posted Lend a helping hand.

Tens of thousands of newly homeless families are competing for area shelters, hotels, motels and cars. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Red Cross are working endlessly to find shelter for the displaced, as well as medical attention, food, clothing and all of life's necessities.

We've joined MoveOn in launching an emergency national housing drive to connect your spare rooms, empty beds and comfy couches with hurricane victims who desperately need a place to stay. You can post your offer of housing and search for available housing online at:

www.hurricanehousing.org

Click here for the rest.

Phone cards for hurricane victims

Jessica of My Vote is My Voice writes:

Do you want to contribute something you can see and feel to those who are displaced by Hurricane Katrina?

We do too, so My Vote is My Voice will be collecting phone cards to be distributed directly to refugees after they are moved to Texas. These phone cards will allow people to make the important calls that will help them rebuild their lives.

My Vote is My Voice will start the phone card drive by contributing $100 worth of phone cards. Every single phone card that is sent to us will be added to those we purchase, and will be hand delivered to the hurricane victims.

Phone cards may be sent to:
My Vote is My Voice
23C Mansfield Pl.
Rutland, VT, 05701

Thank you for showing the kindness we know is inside each of you.

The MViMV Board
Al, Charlene, Jessica, Liane, and Ralph

Hastert: Rebuilding New Orleans "Doesn't Make Sense"

Posted by Greg Greene at 02:10 PM

Hastert: Rebuilding New Orleans "Doesn't Make Sense"

Quoth Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Speaker of the United States House of Representatives:

Lawmakers have to ask themselves if it's worth sinking possibly billions of federal dollars into rebuilding New Orleans, a low-lying city which would remain a vulnerable hurricane target even after clean up, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said Wednesday.

"It doesn't make sense to me," said Hastert during an interview with the Daily Herald editorial board. "And it's a question that certainly we should ask."
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Blog family diary to read and recommend...

Corinne Marasco (aka mini mum at Kos) has a diary up
Katrina Economics: Stop bankruptcy "reform" now

From My Vote is My Voice:
Today is the last date to vote for your favorite Demfest location so please do if you haven't already. Click

From My Left Wing
Dispatch from the heart of New Orleans by dhonig

It's Almost Official - The Trapped in NO Are Slowly Being Abandoned to Survive or Die
by shanikka

Also, I just found out from kos that MoveOn.org has launched a site for those offering housing and those needing it. HurricaneHousing.org

Bloggers Lend a Hand

Tara Liloia at 10:52 AM:
Bloggers Lend a Hand

Amid the chaos, bloggers are reaching out in different ways to offer aid from across the nation. Andy Carvin, who joined DFA last night to share the story of his "Katrina Aftermath" blog, has declared tomorrow, Friday, September 2, as International Blogging for Disaster Relief Day.

Click here for the rest.

Links, posts and diaries of interest:

Here is the link to the page on FEMA that lists organizations where you can donate or volunteer to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina

UPDATE: When I tried to check out a few of those links, I got an error message saying "Page not found" on the FEMA web site. Not sure if that happens for other people as well, but here are direct links to those organizations:

Donate Cash and/or Volunteer

Adventist Community Services
1-800-381-7171

B'nai B'rith International

Catholic Charities, USA
1-800-919-9338

Christian Disaster Response
941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
1-800-848-5818

Church World Service
1-800-297-1516

Convoy of Hope
417-823-8998

Corporation for National and Community Service Disaster Relief Fund
(202) 606-6718

Lutheran Disaster Response
800-638-3522

Mennonite Disaster Service
717-859-2210

Nazarene Disaster Response
888-256-5886

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
800-872-3283

Salvation Army
1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)

Southern Baptist Convention -- Disaster Relief
1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440

United Jewish Communities
1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440

United Methodist Committee on Relief
1-800-554-8583

New Orleans Hospital Drama by dhonig on My Left Wing

My girlfriend is a labor and delivery nurse at East Jefferson General Hospital in New Orleans, and has been camping there with her family since Sunday night. You can read more details here in my recent comment. What follows is a continuation of the New Orleans hospital drama.

Class Revolt Brewing in Mississippi by mitch2k2

The Liberal Blogosphere for Hurricane Relief by Chris Bowers

Katrina - a survey of the economic and geopolitical impact by Jerome a Paris

Also, I just got this link from Lali (who Demetrius and I met in person at an informal Chicago area gathering in 2003)

Sign the Petition of Redress. Either the Bush Kids Put Their Lives on the Line for George's "Noble War" or the Troops Come Home.
A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL

The following articles can be found in The Free Press:

The mothers are coming!
by Sheila Samples
August 30, 2005

"Sarah, if the people had ever known the truth about what we Bushes have done to this nation, we would be chased down in the streets and lynched."
-- Bush 41 to reporter Sarah McClendon, Dec. 1992

Rev. Jackson comments on personal meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

Upcoming events: if your group has an event coming up and you'd like to share it with others in the Blog for America community, please let me know via email (renee at bmgbiz.net) or by posting in the comments here, and I will include it in an upcoming post.

If you're looking for Oscar's cartoon roundup, click here and scroll down to his 8:43 a.m. post.