I'm not a Celine fan or anything, but this really made me cry and she says pretty much everything I've been thinking about the hurricane victims... except for the part about Cheez-Whiz..
http://rapidshare.de/files/4703330/Celine_Larry_King.wmv.html
It's 12 MB.
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i think she probably feels frustrated that all the money in the world - ain't gonna do much to help right now - money is part of the middle/long-term rebuilding/repair process
what the people of N.O. really need now is real hands-on help - actions - not pledges
what the people of N.O. really need now is real hands-on help - actions - not pledges
"How come it's so easy to send planes to another country to kill everyone in a second?"
Wow, I just gained an infinite amount of respect for that woman. A true human being. You'd have to be completely empty and devoid of emotion to be left untouched by that speech.
Wow, I just gained an infinite amount of respect for that woman. A true human being. You'd have to be completely empty and devoid of emotion to be left untouched by that speech.
This was from Late Night Conan O'Brien last night...
Celine Dion has claimed on Larry King that she's very dissapointed that at the slow response of President Bush to evacuate people out of New Orleans...
...Celine Dion also said: - "If he would have called me, I could have gotten everyone out of there in two songs".
Celine Dion has claimed on Larry King that she's very dissapointed that at the slow response of President Bush to evacuate people out of New Orleans...
...Celine Dion also said: - "If he would have called me, I could have gotten everyone out of there in two songs".
CNNUSATODAYGALLUP POLL: ONLY 13% BLAME BUSH?
Wed Sep 07 2005 10:42:26 ET
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll of 609 adults taken September 5-6 shows:
Blame Game -- 13% said George W. Bush is "most responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane"; 18% said "federal agencies"; 25% said "state and local officials"; 38% said "no one is to blame"; 6% had no opinion. -- 29% said that "top officials in the federal agencies responsible for handling emergencies should be fired"; 63% said they should not; 8% had no opinion.
MORE
Government Performance -- 10% said George W. Bush has done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 25% said "good"; 21% said "neither good nor bad"; 18% said "bad"; 24% said "terrible"; 2% had no opinion. -- 8% said federal government agencies responsible for handling emergencies have done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 27% said "good"; 20% said "neither good nor bad"; 20% said "bad"; 22% said "terrible"; 3% had no opinion. -- 7% said state and local officials in Louisiana have done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 30% said "good"; 23% said "neither good nor bad"; 20% said "bad"; 15% said "terrible"; 5% had no opinion.
Once again, the loony left is in the minority....
They complain when Bush acts like a "cowboy", but when the federal response, which, can ONLY be requested by state and local government, who, by the way, were too busy crying on TV to call the Feds to ask for help in a timely manner, is deemed "slow", they want blood then too....
When all of this comes out in the wash, the local government, as well as the state of Louisiana's leadership, is going to be left holding the bag. The left can cry all they want, but facts are facts, and Ray Nagin, along with the Governor of Lousiana, are the politicians to blame here, folks....
All the Feds can do is come in and clean up the mess....why is that so hard to see?
I know exactly why. Those on the left work on emotion, not plain and simple fact. The emotions scream to blame Bush, when fact says otherwise....
Wed Sep 07 2005 10:42:26 ET
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll of 609 adults taken September 5-6 shows:
Blame Game -- 13% said George W. Bush is "most responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane"; 18% said "federal agencies"; 25% said "state and local officials"; 38% said "no one is to blame"; 6% had no opinion. -- 29% said that "top officials in the federal agencies responsible for handling emergencies should be fired"; 63% said they should not; 8% had no opinion.
MORE
Government Performance -- 10% said George W. Bush has done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 25% said "good"; 21% said "neither good nor bad"; 18% said "bad"; 24% said "terrible"; 2% had no opinion. -- 8% said federal government agencies responsible for handling emergencies have done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 27% said "good"; 20% said "neither good nor bad"; 20% said "bad"; 22% said "terrible"; 3% had no opinion. -- 7% said state and local officials in Louisiana have done a "great" job in "responding to the hurricane and subsequent flooding"; 30% said "good"; 23% said "neither good nor bad"; 20% said "bad"; 15% said "terrible"; 5% had no opinion.
Once again, the loony left is in the minority....
They complain when Bush acts like a "cowboy", but when the federal response, which, can ONLY be requested by state and local government, who, by the way, were too busy crying on TV to call the Feds to ask for help in a timely manner, is deemed "slow", they want blood then too....
When all of this comes out in the wash, the local government, as well as the state of Louisiana's leadership, is going to be left holding the bag. The left can cry all they want, but facts are facts, and Ray Nagin, along with the Governor of Lousiana, are the politicians to blame here, folks....
All the Feds can do is come in and clean up the mess....why is that so hard to see?
I know exactly why. Those on the left work on emotion, not plain and simple fact. The emotions scream to blame Bush, when fact says otherwise....
Who is saying that it's only Bush's fault?
Both local and federal authorities are to blame for the lack of response to the emergency. The reason why Bush is taking some much criticism is because he's the highest authority in the nation, and just like the rest of the officials he was absolutely incompetent.
Now, will anyone get fired for each of their own mistakes? OF COURSE NOT. They will all realize that they're all in the same boat of blame, and instead they will wash their hands and pretend like nothing's ever happened.
Both local and federal authorities are to blame for the lack of response to the emergency. The reason why Bush is taking some much criticism is because he's the highest authority in the nation, and just like the rest of the officials he was absolutely incompetent.
Now, will anyone get fired for each of their own mistakes? OF COURSE NOT. They will all realize that they're all in the same boat of blame, and instead they will wash their hands and pretend like nothing's ever happened.
Once again, the loony left is in the minority....
They complain when Bush acts like a "cowboy", but when the federal response, which, can ONLY be requested by state and local government, who, by the way, were too busy crying on TV to call the Feds to ask for help in a timely manner, is deemed "slow", they want blood then too....
The looney left has always been the minority, just like the looney right has always been the minority.
I guess you must be proud to be part of the minority of looneys from the other side, don't ya?
All the Feds can do is come in and clean up the mess....why is that so hard to see?
So you really expect local rescue teams with limited amounts of resources to help an entire city and hundreds of small towns in complete chaos? Do you really think that a couple hundred of rescue workers, nurses, firefighters, policemen, and paramedics are more than enough to aid hundreds of thousands of victims?
In your opinion it doesn't really matter that people in Lousiana and Mississippi need assistance right away in order to save their lives, because after all you were blaming all these people for not being able to evacuate New Orleans on the fact that they were just poor. Chances are the you probably think that its a waste of time to rescue black people, right?
Congratulations, you've just showed everyone here that you're completely ignorant.
Who is saying that it's only Bush's fault?
Both local and federal authorities are to blame for the lack of response to the emergency. The reason why Bush is taking some much criticism is because he's the highest authority in the nation, and just like the rest of the officials he was absolutely incompetent.
Is it just me, or does it seem the mayor of New Orleans is doing a tremedous job of passing the buck? Surely some of the blame must fall his way regardless of how completely devastated he is.
Once again, the loony left is in the minority....
They complain when Bush acts like a "cowboy", but when the federal response, which, can ONLY be requested by state and local government, who, by the way, were too busy crying on TV to call the Feds to ask for help in a timely manner, is deemed "slow", they want blood then too....
The looney left has always been the minority, just like the looney right has always been the minority.
I guess you must be proud to be part of the minority of looneys from the other side, don't ya?
All the Feds can do is come in and clean up the mess....why is that so hard to see?
So you really expect local rescue teams with limited amounts of resources to help an entire city and hundreds of small towns in complete chaos? Do you really think that a couple hundred of rescue workers, nurses, firefighters, policemen, and paramedics are more than enough to aid hundreds of thousands of victims?
In your opinion it doesn't really matter that people in Lousiana and Mississippi need assistance right away in order to save their lives, because after all you were blaming all these people for not being able to evacuate New Orleans on the fact that they were just poor. Chances are the you probably think that its a waste of time to rescue black people, right?
Congratulations, you've just showed everyone here that you're completely ignorant.
You are hopeless, Jingles......and here is a sincere Fuck You for the "Chances are the you probably think that its a waste of time to rescue black people, right" part.....
And who is the ignorant one?
Anyway, this piece spells it out slowly for those, like Jingles, who will never get it, as their hatred of all things Bush apparently clouds good judgement reagarding FEMA and what they do...
Blame Amid the Tragedy
Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin failed their constituents.
BY BOB WILLIAMS
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT
As the devastation of Hurricane Katrina continues to shock and sadden the nation, the question on many lips is, Who is to blame for the inadequate response?
As a former state legislator who represented the legislative district most impacted by the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, I can fully understand and empathize with the people and public officials over the loss of life and property.
Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn't fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible--local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city's mayor, Ray Nagin.
The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his emergency operations center.
The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved.
In addition to the plans, local, state and federal officials held a simulated hurricane drill 13 months ago, in which widespread flooding supposedly trapped 300,000 people inside New Orleans. The exercise simulated the evacuation of more than a million residents. The problems identified in the simulation apparently were not solved.
A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan. Again, they did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not corrected.
The New Orleans contingency plan is still, as of this writing, on the city's Web site, and states: "The safe evacuation of threatened populations is one of the principle [sic] reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan." But the plan was apparently ignored.
Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation and supervising the actual evacuation: His Office of Emergency Preparedness (not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the National Hurricane Center before he
Blame Amid the Tragedy
Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin failed their constituents.
BY BOB WILLIAMS
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT
As the devastation of Hurricane Katrina continues to shock and sadden the nation, the question on many lips is, Who is to blame for the inadequate response?
As a former state legislator who represented the legislative district most impacted by the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, I can fully understand and empathize with the people and public officials over the loss of life and property.
Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn't fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible--local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city's mayor, Ray Nagin.
The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his emergency operations center.
The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved.
In addition to the plans, local, state and federal officials held a simulated hurricane drill 13 months ago, in which widespread flooding supposedly trapped 300,000 people inside New Orleans. The exercise simulated the evacuation of more than a million residents. The problems identified in the simulation apparently were not solved.
A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan. Again, they did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not corrected.
The New Orleans contingency plan is still, as of this writing, on the city's Web site, and states: "The safe evacuation of threatened populations is one of the principle [sic] reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan." But the plan was apparently ignored.
Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation and supervising the actual evacuation: His Office of Emergency Preparedness (not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the National Hurricane Center before he
Zeni explained it better than anyone else on the other thread. All you really do is copy and paste biased opinions of conservative columnists instead of presenting true reliable facts to support your opinion.
Oh, and btw. Thanks a lot for that "FUCK YOU", because not only it shows that you're ignorant, but it also demonstrates that all you can do is lower yourself to some cheap shot to discuss an issue.
Oh, and btw. Thanks a lot for that "FUCK YOU", because not only it shows that you're ignorant, but it also demonstrates that all you can do is lower yourself to some cheap shot to discuss an issue.
Zeni explained it better than anyone else on the other thread. All you really do is copy and paste biased opinions of conservative columnists instead of presenting true reliable facts to support your opinion.
Oh, and btw. Thanks a lot for that "FUCK YOU", because not only it shows that you're ignorant, but it also demonstrates that all you can do is lower yourself to some cheap shot to discuss an issue.
You implying that I am a racist ins't?
Again, Jingles. Can you argue ANY of the points that were brought up in the article? IS any of it untrue?
That is what I thought. If you can't argue with the message, kill the messenger...
Why should it matter who writes an article if what is in it is ACCURATE?
I guess partisan bickering matters much more to you than truth....
It seriously wouldn't surprise me if you were racist. After all, you think that all poor people are poor because they chose to be, or because they're lazy and want to live off welfare.
I know there's a lot of people who just don't want to work and don't mind paying always with food stamps, but what can you tell me about those people who work 2 or 3 jobs and have to raise kids and they still don't have enough money to make a decent living. Do you think it's fair to consider these people leeches who want to live off the government because they can't afford the things the rest of us could?
I know there's a lot of people who just don't want to work and don't mind paying always with food stamps, but what can you tell me about those people who work 2 or 3 jobs and have to raise kids and they still don't have enough money to make a decent living. Do you think it's fair to consider these people leeches who want to live off the government because they can't afford the things the rest of us could?
It seriously wouldn't surprise me if you were racist. After all, you think that all poor people are poor because they chose to be, or because they're lazy and want to live off welfare.
I know there's a lot of people who just don't want to work and don't mind living from welfare but what can you tell me about those people who work 2 or 3 jobs and have to raise kids and they still don't have enough money to make a decent living. Do you think it's fair to consider these people leeches who want to live off the government because they can't afford the things the rest of us could?
What are you yammering about? You are arguing an entirely different point, and, frankly, putting words in my mouth. The point is, that the local and state officials KNEW that there were at minimum, 100,000 of the poorest people to evacuate, that those 100,000 people had no transportation out, and did NOTHING about it, save putting 40,000 in places knowing full well that they had no resources to sustain those people there....
The local officials knew that if this storm hit the way that it did, that tens of thousands would die, the vast majority of those being black and poor.
Blaming the Federal Government for things such as this is nothing new. This same blame game happened afterHigo in 1989, and after Andrew in 1992 as well. After Andrew, Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) slammed FEMA for a "pathetically sluggish" response, and on the ground, Dade County emergency director Kathleen Hale famously summed up the frustration felt throughout the stricken areas when she cried, "Where the hell is the cavalry?"
Simply put, evacuating is not a Federal responsibility, it is a local one first, than a state one. The FEMA folks come in after, and only after, request is made from the Local or State levels. The article points that out quite clearly. I cannot help if you either cannot believe it, or refuse to believe it.
Look. We all agree that this is a complete and utter disaster. However, that said, those who wish to pin the blame on Bush can do that if they wish, but the facts do not support the claim.
It's off topic a bit, but Celine listed Freddie Mercury as her only inspiration.