“Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld toured a medical facility at New Orleans’ international airport. He spoke and shook hands with military and rescue officials but walked right by a dozen refugees lying on stretchers just feet away from him, most of them extremely sick or handicapped.”
— Astonishing report, eh? And from a Reuters Business Channel report today.
Meanwhile! My very own state of Washington — thousands of miles from the Gulf — “is expected to start welcoming at least 2,000 evacuees from the hurricane-devastated Gulf within three days, likely placing them at military facilities or other temporary housing.” Washington joins “Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Utah, West Virginia, Tennessee and Colorado” in offering to take in evacuees.
“Gov. Christine Gregoire announced yesterday the state is prepared to accept the evacuees, after ordering the Washington Emergency Management Division on Saturday to coordinate with local jurisdictions and agencies to determine the state’s capacity.
“Along with immediate medical aid and temporary housing, the state also will provide counseling, help in sorting out finances and obtaining official identification, longer-term medical care, schooling and unemployment assistance.
“‘Most of these people have lost everything and will need extensive help and services to begin to rebuild their lives,’ Gregoire said in a statement.” (Seattle Times)
Susan’s RANT: Busy, productive people like Democratic governor Christine Gregoire issue off-camera statements and get the work done. B.S. do-NOTHING fuckwads like Bush, Rumsfeld, Chertoff, and “Shit For Brains” Brownie hold endless piss conferences.
MORE BELOW:
“US actor Sean Penn bales water out of a boat with a plastic cup as he and members of his entourage make an attempt to rescue stranded people in New Orleans.
Efforts by Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina foundered badly Sunday, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.
Penn had planned to rescue children waylaid by Katrina’s flood waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch.
