The Battle For New Orleans

The battle over New Orleans is being fought on several fronts:

Local Government and the Feds are squabbling here

It's the age old game of blame, and nearly everyone in authority is running for cover.

Looks like the local Gov is calling for some specific aid, too: James Witt, former FEMA director, has been hired by the governor as an immediate liaison.

Someone from the DOD told NBC News that Rumsfeld will travel to Mississippi and Louisiana on Sunday to take a look and get a report from commanders on the ground there.

There's talk the President will visit the area on Monday for two stops, as well - locations not yet disclosed as a result of planning and security needs.

Here's the New Orleans Emergency Policy.

Printers for Pets is raising funds for animals.

Comments

[Hydrangea]

Ok in regards to the printer cartridges, what do they do with them? Are they recycled?

Just call me clueless!

[!]

Hydrangea, the printer companies refill them and yes they recycle them. They are donating money for the good of the animals left behind AFTER THE STORM. Its a good thing. I have many that I can send. I save all mine and was going to give them elsewhere down the road. Glad this will be for a good cause !!

[Hydrangea]

Thanks !
I didn't know this. I'll send a donation though. Can't imagine being seperated from my two "girls". My youngest dog is on medication for arthritis and can barely walk. I can't imagine what some of these poor pets are being subjected to down there. I know we must think of human life first but pets are part of the family to a lot of people. So sad.

[farmgirl]

Please help me with campaign to get Snow Ball back to his little boy.
If you didn't see the story..a guardsman took the small dog from a young child and put the hysterical child on a bus and put the dog on the ground in NO..to fend for himself.. The child realized that his dog was doomed.

I want that dog returned..whatever it takes..its a point that I won't back off from..Please help contact every guardsman on the ground and all your military family memebers on the ground there in New Orleans to help locate Snow Ball and return him.

There will be Humane Society tents at way stations to care for the animals as they travel out of NO.

Please help me with this effort..Find Snow Ball.

[!]

You are welcome,Hydrangea. I have known about these people for a long time. My golden dog that had cancer a few years ago need a sling after we had her leg amputated. they made us one. They are good folks and do a lot to help people.

Here is our story they posted on their site a while back.
http://www.handicappedpets.com/Articles/angel.htm

[!]

farmgirl..
That is a sad sad story as I am an animal lover in the worst way. Please keep us posted on your search to fnd this dog. Do you know who the little boy is and where they took him? There is no way I would ever leave my animals. We have 3 dogs and 3 cats plus I feed a cat on my porch everyday and it has its own little house in the corner on the porch for the winter. A person in my neighborhood moved away and left this beautiful cat to fend for herself. My other neighbors help feed it too. We all call her the neighborhood cat. She has been fixed so she want be having kittens and I took her to the vet last year and had all her shots and had her groomed. So, I am a pet lover in the worst way. :O)
We domesticated them and its up to us to take care of them !

[Hydrangea]

!
So sorry about your dog. She was beautiful. My brother's dog had the same cancer and only lived about 9 months. I will remember to keep my ink cartridges!
g'Nite!

[!]

Hydrangea, We still miss her a lot. She was almost 7 when she died. We got another Golden puppy a few months after ANGEL died so it would not be so heartbreaking. We named her Anna. She just turned 2 Years, August 2nd. She is a lot like Angel. Goldens are sweet dogs. !!!

[farmgirl]

I figure that if we keep after them then not only will Snow Ball be saved but as many as are still alive there brought out.

I do not know who the little boy is but have someone looking for the story to try to find out where that pickup point was exactly. If anyof you see the story please make a note of the network and reporter for me.

Snow Ball is the rally call..Let's get them all and then sort out ownership later. Snow Ball is every pet left in New Orleans.

The point is that the pets will be cared for ..if we can get them out.

I am even discussing setting up a request for funds and have the farm prepared for the lost animals..a local vet will help.

.people who are displaced woudl have a place tht is safe to leave their pets until they have homes and can come and get them.

Martha Josey ..well known Barrel Riding champion has taken horses from Louisiana into her stables.

There just was not enough planning..We would have caravaned to NO to pick up horses in trailers before the storm to keep them safe instead of the drownings. You know there is a track there and you have not heard about those horses stabled there.

Also..if he mayor had only requested it people would have gone in groups to drive vehicles to safety for the owners.

We have all learned a lot in just six days.

But for now there are not enough animals coming out of the areas to need large place and long term planning.

[kim]

I live in Texas and do animal rescue locally. I currently have many animals that I am caring for. All healthy, vaccinated, spayed and neutered and loved. (Not that way when they were rescued) Animals are my passion, really I feel my purpose in life. Anyway, does anyone know if any are being brought to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area? Animals lovers are an awesome group of people!

*Farmgirl- how can I help with your wonderful campain for Snowball's rescue?

[kim]

A friend just returned from the NO area and said that animals, especially dogs were just running loose all over the streets. I can't stand it. Are any rescue groups going in to get these animals?

[!]

FARMGIRL..I LOOKED THE STORY UP ON THE NET. HERE ARE SOME WRITERS FOR THE AP THAT DID THE STORY. MAYBE THEY CAN HELP. GOOD LUCK AND LET ME KNOW !!

By ADAM NOSSITER
The Associated Press
Many people had dogs and they cannot take them on the bus. A police officer took one from a little boy, who cried until he vomited. "Snowball, snowball," he cried. The policeman told a reporter he didn't know what would happen to the dog.

Friday September 2, 2005 6:31 PM
By MARY FOSTER
Associated Press Writer
Pets were forbitten on the buses. On Thursday, when an officer confiscated a dog, a little boy cried out ``Snowball! Snowball!'' until he vomited.
National Guard officers said dogs were being taken to a stairwell in the New Orleans Center, a shopping mall near the Superdome, and given food and water. They feared some of them might have escaped, and two small dogs were seen wandering nearby streets.
Katrina Evacuees Distraught Over Pets
Sunday September 4, 2005 6:16 AM
By MIKE STOBBE
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP)
In one example reported last week by The Associated Press, a police officer took a dog from one little boy waiting to get on a bus in New Orleans. ``Snowball! Snowball!'' the boy cried until he vomited. The policeman told a reporter he didn't know what would happen to the dog.
READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE. IT WILL BREAK YOUR HEART.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5254657,00.html

[Steve]

Battle for New Orleans ... or the Gulf War?

;-)

[FloridaPatty]

Tampa taking in 200 of the seriously ill victims for medical treatment.

Word is out victims need homes.

Two shelters open, one is full. One reported he drove and drove until he could find a room. It was Tampa.

Many mistakes here. There will be a report, an investigation into what went wrong, lack of preparedness and organization.

[WI Mom]

There seems to be a lot of blame to pass around for this tragedy. It seems to me the City of New Orleans was made aware of an extreme potential threat. I'm not sure they followed their own plan.

Franklin Graham has suggested churches take evacuee families to assist them in re-establishing their lives and the government hire them to assist in cleanup of their city. It sounds like a good plan to me.

[clintcarter]

A program like the old WPA would be a creative and productive idea. But is there the will?

[WI Mom]

Clint, that is a good question. I would certainly hope people would want to be involved in assisting with the work in their own city. It would give them pride and ownership, but I guess the "entitlement" attitude might be more prevelant than I would like to think. What are your thoughts?

[alabamajazz]

Posted by: Steve | Sep 4, 2005 5:39:34 AM

With the public eye on New Orleans, let's not forget the devastation in Mississippi and Alabama.

[clintcarter]

WI Mom, Boy do I ever have an opinion! :-)

But I must come back later.

[!]

Update about the two dogs that were left on the roof of the hospital I posted about. Article below. Please anyone that finds out about Snowball post it and let us know. THANKS !
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5254657,00.html

I hope I can help them. I just got off the phone with Valaire here in Atlanta at the Hospital with her husband at EMORY. She said that if her dogs were still alive they have been rescued. She will be talking to them today later to see if hers are there. They have our number and we are going to go and get them if hers are there at the shelter. We just do not know right now. I hope they are.SHE IS SUPOSE TO CALL THEM BACK TODAY. As for these two people they were form Buffalo and had just moved to Slidell in July. They do not know about their home there. They will be going back to Buffalo. Angel flight will fly him back AS HE IS STILL RECOVERING FROM A TRANSPLANT OPERATION.
Please anyone that can help just one person or one family do what you can. You cannot help everyone so pick up on one story and help them. Every little bits helps.

Posted by: ! | Sep 4, 2005 1:49:34 PM

[FloridaPatty]

halfway down the article, starts with Governor Blanco:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680.html

[*flo*]

Sunday, Sept. 4, 2005 12:47 p.m. EDT
Gov. Kathleen Blanco: No State of Emergency

Though her state has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and thousands are believed dead in New Orleans, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco has yet to declare a state of emergency and refuses to cede authority over rescue efforts to the federal government.
"Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans," the Washington Post reported in Sunday editions.

Yeah, theres enough blame to go around, I believe the above comments in this post could be a Topic withing itself, the New Orleans Emergency Policy is not worth the paper its written on. With NO Mayor Nagin said in a statement issued via CNN. "This is a desperate SOS." Statement noted 09/02.
To little to late, lets hope everyone has learn from this and better preparation is in the making for future natural disasters.

[!]

CLINT CARTER....
AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED YOU CAN KEEP YOU DAMN RACIST, BASHER, TRASHER, BITCHIN, COMPLAINING MOANING , GROANING, FINGER POINTING , ASSHOLE STATEMENTS TO YOURSELF!! AS WELL AS OTHERS..
I FOR ONE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR YOUR CRAP ! TROUBLE MAKERS !!!

WI Mom, Boy do I ever have an opinion! :-)

But I must come back later.

Posted by: clintcarter | Sep 4, 2005 1:31:14 PM

[No.CAMom]

I am so glad someone else feels the same way I do about the Snowball dog story. I will assist any effort to get Snowball and his family reunited, or at least to have Snowball in a foster care situation until that can happen. Has anyone heard any more about this? Please let me know. It has made me sick all day long, just thinking of that poor little boy and that poor dog. I have donated to both the ASPCA and Humane Society funds for Katrina animals, but I have no idea what those groups are doing, or how we could locate their people to see if Snowball was rescued.

[No.CAMom]

I have been in touch, via e-mail with some of the animal rescue organizations in the New Orleans area who can be contacted. Two of them said they are very aware of the Snowball story, and that many people are looking for Snowball. One group said they believed Snowball was either being sent to a Houston facility to be closer to the family, or was in a local shelter. The SPCA said it would put information about Snowball on its web page if Snowball was located.

[!]

Some of the stories are just horrible.They have only just begun..We will here so many.

I heard on the news last night that the goverment was looking for some land north of new orleans someplace so they coudl start setting up goverement trailer housing for these people.
I know it will take a while for them to even get that in place as they have to hook up septic tanks, gas line, electricity , water lines etc.
Thats a promising start. I am sure the homes will be given to them for free. I think we will see this happening a lot of places down the road. I see lots and lots of those trailers parked around the out skirts of Atlanta all the time. They are all white.
Then these people will need a lot of the essentials for setting up housekeeping. There is so much we can all do down the road to help as well. Keep up the good work all. This is an efort that will go on for a long long time to come.

[*flo*]

Why Didn't Louisiana Follow its Required Emergency Plan?
Self | September 4, 2005 | Joseph Ranos
On 09/04/2005 3:48:32 PM PDT
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477374/posts

Posted by: marchmallow | Sep 4, 2005 8:48:59 PM

moved from Topic: New Orleans left to the dead and dying

[!]

http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=specialreports&catid=04061773-BDB9-396E-

SNOWBALL MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND. READ THE ARTICLE ABOVE. HOPE SO. NOW, IF THEY CAN FIND THE BOY.:O)

[WI Mom]

Sheesh, ! how can you slam someone for an opinion they haven't even given yet? Previous experience, I guess.

[Mike R]

It is sad to say but probably over 90% of the ones who chose to stay in N.O. were bottom feeders who more than likely have never worked a day in their life.They are been conditioned through the years to expect the government to provide for every need they have.They are encouraged to work the system by having as many kids as they can because every kid will bring a raise in monthly benefits and this scenario has been going on for the last 40 years.

The ones who could have left should have left making it far less of a challenge to rescue the ones who truly could not leave.In effect the people themselves along with an incompetent elected mayor have brought about the problems that they have been facing.It is simply the nature of the welfare system for those recipients to sit and wait for someone else to do what they should have done themselves.THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE HELL OUT OF NEW ORLEANS.

I dont want to hear that they could not get out or that they had no place to go,hell they sure as hell were able to destroy the Superdome and the Convention Center along with the rest of the city.Loot everything in sight,rape and murder their own people.Hell yes if they were able to do all of this in the aftermath then they sure as hell could have gotten out when the getting out was good.

But no they only say they had nowhere to go which is what they have now and that is nowhere to go.Now they will sit in shelters and bitch and complain about how no one is doing this or no one is doing that and it will never dawn on any of them that perhaps the only place they need to look for help is in a mirror.

In the coming days and weeks they will be housed and fed and provided for by the very people who they have critcized for not getting them out sooner.While they are receiving all of this help pro bono they will ask where their monthly check and other freebies are since they are entitled to all of the freebies that make up their way of life.They will be on TV screens on the news saying "I have not gotten MY check,why are they not giving us our checks" as if they have earned a damn check but somehow feel entitled to a check to go along with the freebies they are now receiving.

A horrible scene is unfolding in shelters everywhere where grown able bodied men are lounging around on cots playing cards while volunteers are moving supplies in and distributing them to these worthless men who will not even help themselves.These same men should be forced to be the first ones to go back to N.O. nad start the clean up,but they wont be forced to do that as it has been reported that $62 million has been allocated to hire the refugees to go back in and clean up their own city.WHAT pay them to clean up their own city while they continue to already be provided for????BULLSHIT no work,no eat and if they dont want to work for the keep they are now receiving let them starve...

[Mike]

Still wondering why the New Orleans School District buses weren't utilized in a mass evacuation. Haven't heard anyone ask any New Orleans officials.

[Jaed]

I want Snowball found! I am too far away to physically go and search for him myself, but I have a little Bichon named Charmin. I could never leave her! But I have never been in any situation even remotely like this have I? It broke my heart to see those pets confused and trapped on rooftops. SAVE THEM!! They don't understand! SEND THEM HERE! Canada will take care of them until their moms and dads are found!!! Okay, so maybe I shouldn't volunteer all of Canada, but still. There has to be other options than leaving them until last to be rescued right?

[ReneeLD]

SNOWBALL - Farmgirl and others...please visit
http://katrinafoundpets.com/ This is the organization that is spearheading the search for Snowball (a story originally reported by the Associated Press and CBS TV.) You can also visit my blog http://reneelynndurante.blogspot.com/ to get more information about Snowball. I will update as soon as he/she is found.

God Bless.