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Bush and Katrina.....AWOL..but not in California

Submitted by Kathyschroeder on October 26, 2007 - 9:03am.

"It makes a big difference when you have someone in the statehouse willing to take the lead."
PRESIDENT BUSH, referring to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s response to wildfires in California

 

There was never any doubt that Bush would make a big splash in California and attempt to imply that the Governor acted swiftly.  The Governor of Louisiana acted swiftly but where was Bush.  His staff brought him a couple of tapes to watch, but he did nothing to help the people of Louisiana. 

The legislature in Louisiana begged for help and Bush did nothing.  They still need help and Bush continues to ignore the people of Louisiana and now is trying to say that Schwarzenegger's response to the fires was more effective than to the pleas of the people of Lousiana.

Bush is to blame for what happened on the gulf coast.  It is good to have strong leadership, Bush failed the test during Katrina.

‹ Rupert Murdoch Journal "Explains" California Fires Sorry Bob ›
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Absolutely!

Submitted by kwahlf on October 26, 2007 - 12:43pm.

I've been in close contact with people who have been evacuated from their homes.
My brother just learned yesterday that his condo was still standing and he can
return home.
He was evacuated from both his work in Rancho Bernardo and his condo on Monday.He's been here in OC all week.
A friend of mine was on her roof Sunday night, hosing down her house one mile from the Santiago Canyon fire. I found out that she hadn't evacuated Monday morning.
She and her house are OK.

The rescue efforts that were in place immediately after the evacuations were the result of hard work by the people in our communities.
We also received help from other states, Mexico and Canada.
At one time we had 17 wildfires in Southern California.
Soot and ash is everywhere, especially along the coast where I live.

I can't praise our firefighters enough.
Some crews came from Mexico.
They say it's " part of their job", but the fact remains
that they put themselves on the line everytime they fight
our wildfires.

FEMA showed up in San Diego on Wednesday, the third day of the fires.
GW came for a photo-op yesterday and according to first hand accounts from San Diegians,his motorcade clogged the streets and freeways adding an additional three hours to the traffic jam of residents returning to their homes.

This was hell on earth for us.
Everyone was affected.
Sunday night brought us winds up to 80 mph, humidity at 2% , nightime temps of 70 degress and the risk of fire was everywhere.

We didn't need GW to come here. FEMA hasn't helped either.
Locals in SD tell me they are in the way and hogging the airwaves.

Remember, our cities weren't flooded with sewage, either.
We were able to get help quickly.

We SoCals did better utilizing the people of our communities and
the help we received from all over the country, Mexico and Canada.

For that we are grateful.

"My parents had to wait in line while Bush dined"

Submitted by kwahlf on October 26, 2007 - 8:32pm.

"with firefighters."

Here is an excellent first hand account of the situation
in San Diego, from a DUer.

( posted with permission from author)

http://tinyurl.com/2drz76

My parents had to wait in line for 3 and half hours while Bush dined with firefighters this morning.

As some of you may know my parents lost their 100% of their avocado grove and barn in the Witch fire. This grove was their retirement, my father had planted these trees 5 years ago and built a house with his own hands so that they would have a retirement since my father had been self employed for most of his life and couldn't rely on a traditional pension plan.

Since Sunday after they were able to bring their pets to me for safe keeping, good friends of theirs that lived close to them have opened their home to them and another evacuated couple. They have waited patiently everyday to find out when they could return.
This morning they got word that a small community park was open for them to sign papers and start the process of filling out claims.
They spent an hour trying to get to this park which is about 7 miles from where they are currently staying.

My father is not the most patient man in the world but I can't blame him in the least bit for "losing it" this morning. It seems that Bush came to that community park/fire fighter staging area for his usual grand photo op with the peasants. People waited outside in hot sun while Bush dined with the firefighters inside. My father ended up leaving because after 3 and half hours as he was no closer in line than when he and Mom showed up in the first thing that morning. My Mom said he was yelling in the park, "Tell that asshole to just fly over next time and just send a check" She finally got him in the car.

--more at the link above.

consequences be damned!

Submitted by beamdem on October 27, 2007 - 12:59pm.

The account of Bushie dining & photo- oping while the rabble wait is nothing new. Actions without any concern for consequences is the Bushie way. Opportunism is the credo. Would you expect anything less from a bonafide oligarch? By comparison, the reaction the wildfires vs. the reaction to Katrina show the real picture. As John Edwards has said there are two Americas.  As the return of fire evacuees flows back to California, the diaspora of Katrina victims is permanent. This country once was the "Land of the free and the home of the brave". We have become the land of the well capitalized and the home of the opportunist.

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