fearlessly proclaiming the truth & the other truth! voice of the teknoshamanic institute
You Gotta Check THIS Out...
Published on September 5, 2005 By kingbee In Politics

this is a link to a new orleans isp that managed to stay online during most of last week.  one employee provided frequent posts as well as a live cam view of his area of the city.  Link

i'm not going to reveal very much of this because:  a. i havent read it all and i have to split for a while; b. you need to read this for yourself. 

i will respond to comments.  

bakerstreet, here's his first mention of people at the convention center and how they got there (report posted on thursday nite...but as you'll see, there were a lotta people there on tuesday. 

10:46p
The Real News
The following is the result of an interview I just conducted via cell phone with a New Orleans citizen stranded at the Convention Center. I don't know what you're hearing in the mainstream media or in the press conferences from the city and state officials, but here is the truth:

"Bigfoot" is a bar manager and DJ on Bourbon Street, and is a local personality and icon in the city. He is a lifelong resident of the city, born and raised. He rode out the storm itself in the Iberville Projects because he knew he would be above any flood waters. Here is his story as told to me moments ago. I took notes while he talked and then I asked some questions:

Three days ago, police and national guard troops told citizens to head toward the Crescent City Connection Bridge to await transportation out of the area. The citizens trekked over to the Convention Center and waited for the buses which they were told would take them to Houston or Alabama or somewhere else, out of this area.

It's been 3 days, and the buses have yet to appear.

Although obviously he has no exact count, he estimates more than 10,000 people are packed into and around and outside the convention center still waiting for the buses. They had no food, no water, and no medicine for the last three days, until today, when the National Guard drove over the bridge above them, and tossed out supplies over the side crashing down to the ground below. Much of the supplies were destroyed from the drop. Many people tried to catch the supplies to protect them before they hit the ground. Some offered to walk all the way around up the bridge and bring the supplies down, but any attempt to approach the police or national guard resulted in weapons being aimed at them.

There are many infants and elderly people among them, as well as many people who were injured jumping out of windows to escape flood water and the like -- all of them in dire straights.

Any attempt to flag down police results in being told to get away at gunpoint. Hour after hour they watch buses pass by filled with people from other areas. Tensions are very high, and there has been at least one murder and several fights. 8 or 9 dead people have been stored in a freezer in the area, and 2 of these dead people are kids.

The people are so desperate that they're doing anything they can think of to impress the authorities enough to bring some buses. These things include standing in single file lines with the eldery in front, women and children next; sweeping up the area and cleaning the windows and anything else that would show the people are not barbarians.

The buses never stop.

Before the supplies were pitched off the bridge today, people had to break into buildings in the area to try to find food and water for their families. There was not enough. This spurred many families to break into cars to try to escape the city. There was no police response to the auto thefts until the mob reached the rich area -- Saulet Condos -- once they tried to get cars from there... well then the whole swat teams began showing up with rifles pointed. Snipers got on the roof and told people to get back.

He reports that the conditions are horrendous. Heat, mosquitoes and utter misery. The smell, he says, is "horrific."

He says it's the slowest mandatory evacuation ever, and he wants to know why they were told to go to the Convention Center area in the first place; furthermore, he reports that many of them with cell phones have contacts willing to come rescue them, but people are not being allowed through to pick them up.


I have "Bigfoot"'s phone number and will gladly give it to any city or state official who would like to tell him how everything is under control.

Addendum: Bigfoot just called to report that "they" (the authorities) are cleaning up the dead bodies at the Convention Center right now.


Comments
on Sep 05, 2005
Thanks for bringing this vet to our attention Kingbee.

Between the breakdown of the Emergency Management Protocols, The fool the city calls, "Mayor" and the complete lack of leadership from the state level (To include the command and control of my fellow National Guardsmen)... At this point I'm wondering if there is a competent leader in Louisiana at all.
on Sep 05, 2005
Well, Nagin *was* a republican up until a week before he filed to run for mayor and that's the truth, not a joke.

Thanks for posting this, ric, there's another blog http://polimom.blogspot.com from a lady who was in constant contact with family in Algiers Point and pretty informative too...

Ted, I thought when a state of emergency was declared, the feds could take control of the guard...state of emergency was declared before katrina made landfall in LA.

Bush was probably too busy weeping over trent lott's house and dreaming of all those keg stands he used to do in the quarter...all he could seem to talk about when he finally came in off the ranch (and from John McCain's birthday party) and got to work...he's the fool we call "president"
on Sep 05, 2005
he's the fool we call "president"


This is the second time he sat on his ass for too long .
on Sep 05, 2005
Ted, I thought when a state of emergency was declared, the feds could take control of the guard...state of emergency was declared before katrina made landfall in LA.


No, and Yes. No, The State always retains command and control of the National Guard during humanitarian missions... Even if the Guard units come from different states. Yes, the Governor and Mayor did declare a state of emergency (my retraction to all staements I have made in JU to the contrary is included in my latest article) on Aug 27th, however, that declaration does not automatically mean a request for federal troops. The Mayor and Governor make specific requests for federal assets (and those of other states) based on their assessments of what they need.

For example, if I remember right, a state of emergency in Florida was declared before hurricane Andrew made landfall, but it wasn't until 3 days later that federal troops were requested and we headed down to Homestead.

In the way of pathetic self-promotion, if you read my latest article, you'll see how the emergency protocols for New Orleans weren't followed by Mayor Nagin. Link
on Sep 05, 2005
I'm giving this a bump because this blog that Kingbee has linked to is amazing.

Ted, if Nagin and Blanco get crucified, then that's fine. But they should be the thieves to the left and right of the head asshole Messiah, GW Bush.
on Sep 05, 2005
But they should be the thieves to the left and right of the head asshole Messiah, GW Bush.


Amen to that!

(another bump)
on Sep 06, 2005
Thanks for bringing this vet to our attention Kingbee.


glad ya found it of interest. i only wish i'd found his blog earlier...altho i'm not sure i woulda been able to pry myself away from it or the webcam from tuesday thru saturday if i had.
on Sep 06, 2005
Well, Nagin *was* a republican up until a week before he filed to run for mayor and that's the truth, not a joke.


he does seem to be easily diverted. even more telling,tho, he was a vp and general manager of cox communications. the american people should have more sense than to elect anyone with that kinda backround.

thanks for the other link too.
on Sep 06, 2005
Ted, I thought when a state of emergency was declared, the feds could take control of the guard...state of emergency was declared before katrina made landfall in LA.


No, and Yes. No, The State always retains command and control of the National Guard during humanitarian missions... Even if the Guard units come from different states. Yes, the Governor and Mayor did declare a state of emergency (my retraction to all staements I have made in JU to the contrary is included in my latest article) on Aug 27th, however, that declaration does not automatically mean a request for federal troops.


i may be misunderstanding your reply. what does this mean?
i copied it directly from the homeland security website's 'disasters and emergencies' page. Link


"In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility on March 1st for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation. This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort"
on Sep 06, 2005
I'm giving this a bump because this blog that Kingbee has linked to is amazing


another bump)


thanks to both of you for helpin to keep this visible.

there's so much stuff there and the people responsible for it have committed so much of themselves to keep it online and available. such dedication and ambition deserves recognition.

i've reread tuesday thru saturday several times and its still as intense and impressive to me.
on Sep 06, 2005
This is the second time he sat on his ass for too long .


he just don't handle surprises well.

as he explained to diane sawyer, "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."
on Sep 06, 2005
i may be misunderstanding your reply. what does this mean?
i copied it directly from the homeland security website's 'disasters and emergencies' page. Link


Nice link Kingbee, very interesting and informative I was especially interested in the National Response Plan...

National Response Plan establishes a comprehensive all-hazards approach to enhance the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents. The plan incorporates best practices and procedures from incident management disciplines—homeland security, emergency management, law enforcement, firefighting, public works, public health, responder and recovery worker health and safety, emergency medical services, and the private sector—and integrates them into a unified structure. It forms the basis of how the federal government coordinates with state, local, and tribal governments and the private sector during incidents.


Key words here are "coordinates with state, local, and tirbal governments and private sector during indicents. From what I am reading, the Department of Homeland Security is going to coordinate with state and local Emergency Services to ensure better planning, preparation and training before a Disaster occurs and better coordination during them.

Sounds good to me, but I fail to find any part of this plan that takes first line responsibility of Emergency Management from the local Emergency Management Offices and the Mayors.

There are many things the federal government can do to help improve Mitigation, Preparation, Response and Recovery Protocols and Operations in the U.S. This disaster shows that the protocols in many jurisdictions are incomplete and the elected officials aren't always willing to follow them when disaster strikes.

I see no problem in the department of Homeland Security doing more to ensure local protocols are complete, and training is accomplished. I also see a big benefit in helping Governors understand their roles and responsibilities after declaring an emergency, so the delay in response that occured in New Orleans doesn't happen again.

Now, these being good things, and the response moving pretty well now... how is all this Bush's fault?

Oh, yeah, you still think that the job of president is to micromanage every aspect of government... I wonder, are you really willing to grant Prs. Bush enough authority to accomplish everything you want to hole him responsible for?

For the most part, I support the guy, and I'm not even willing to to that! I'll stick with letting local leaders establish protocols based on the risks, assets and needs of their jurisdictions... Except for a few dark incidents, it does seem to work most of the time.

P.S... Some of the jurisdictional pissing contests going on between federal, state, local and private recovery organizations as we speak should reinforce the argument that coordination is needed. By rights (and by law) the jurisdictional authority should belong to the states, but once you ask for money from the fed, you also get the baggage.

Let's hope the lessons learned from this situation will be noticed in better protocols, training and planning in all the areas that are lacking!!!
on Sep 06, 2005
Oh, yeah, you still think that the job of president is to micromanage every aspect of government...


how could i still think that when i didn't think it to begin with ted? it's not my fault you confuse micromanagement with competent management.

I wonder, are you really willing to grant Prs. Bush enough authority to accomplish everything you want to hole him responsible for?


how much authority did he require to cut short his vacation and fly to washington for the schiavo vote?

i really wasn't gonna say anything about bush but since you decided to push the issue, i guess this is as good a place to ask how anyone benefits from having what used to be a responsive and capable fema put under the influence and authority of homeland security (take a good look at their website; talk about your basic den of useless sycophantic weasels)?

i'm not feeling more confident after spending a lil time online with hsd and fema. in fact, i'm really bothered because this is the one area in which it seemed things were gonna be enhanced rather than diminished.

i worry someone somewhere may now be deciding what happened in new orleans last week is exactly what it looked like...and then planning attacks in two areas.

what worries me even more is they just may be right.
on Sep 06, 2005
Kingbee, I've made my comments, you've made yours. I'm not going to get in a pissing contest over it. The article was great, and I really do appreciate you bringing it to our attention. Homeland Security is a new Department that is still being worked out, FEMA does a lot of good, but all too often gets too big for its breaches and forgets that it's the people who live in a community who know the community best, and (unless the community leaders drop the ball) FEMA is at it's best when it is working with, instead of against, the local Emergency Management Offices.

We'll just leave it at that.. for now.