AS I SEE IT...

What my husband says, and other stuff...

Quote:

"In this day of satellite communications (i.e. satellite telephone, Inmarsat systems), and terrestrial radio communications a ship at sea has no excuse for “lack of communications”. The ship can send and receive email, FAX, and voice communications as long as it has power (ship’s power, emergency generator or even batteries). A portable system can be set up anywhere within a half hour to communicate anywhere in the world.

So why was there such a problem with communications during Katrina or in its aftermath? Equipment could be staged for quick response. Emergency satellite accounts could be set up. Was it a lack of funds, planning, or just disbelief that a catastrophe could happen?"

My husband was in the military for 32 years, with most of his military duty with the Coast Guard. He is much more diplomatic that I am.

My husband is an Marine Electronics Field Engineer. He is in the trenches everyday installing and fixing communications systems on ships and offshore rigs. Don't let anyone tell you that what happened in a port city like New Orleans had to happen.

I don't care what excuses the men at the top offer, there are some of us that know better. Unfortunately for too many people there is little or no understanding of how much money has been wasted on fruitless ventures. We have a saying here down the bayou, "Some people are so smart they're stupid."

Money, who you know, and fancy political talk will earn you a position in government. It now appears that too many people are even born into power and privilege - they vote themselves pay raises. It is beyond obvious now that when push comes to shove people like the Homeland Security guy, the person who had the authority to send in the National Guard, and the people managing FEMA are clueless, reckless, and irresponsible.

The media interviews today look like an exercise to cover their collective asses.

Some rapper on a telethon got cut off when he made the personal statement, "Bush don't care about black people." Well, for everyone information, I don't think Bush or any of them care about regular, everyday working citizens. Color has nothing to do with it. If you are black and rich, they'll take your money, and if you are rich enough they'll stand in line to kiss your ass. If you are white, or any other color, and poor - your a drain on their horded resources. That is just my opinion folks, please prove me wrong

I couldn't help but notice how fast the Red Cross, and ALL the other non-profit organizations featured on Larry King Special got their fund raising commercials up and running in no time flat. How quickly all the CEO's jumped on television pleading for donations. Let me remind you NATIONAL TELEVISION commercials are expensive.

Let me remind you that six months after the tsunami, money donated to help the tsunami victims has been proven not to have reached the tsunami victims.

Now we have an apocalyptic disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana. National Organizations have collected and are still collecting donations. Lets see how long it takes for help to arrive from all these non-profit organizations who are busy collecting money.

Individuals, and individual States have stepped up, opened their stadiums, and shelters, and are providing more assistance than ever could have been imagined would be necessary. To each and everyone of you - Thank you!

After the water is pumped out of New Orleans, and the mud dries, somebody needs to make all these organizations account for the millions of dollars they have collected. I am not just talking about filing the required IRS forms either. We all know that more can be stolen with a pen, and hidden from plain sight with fancy, creative accounting.

It didn't have to happen, but since it has - stand and take notice, "It could have happened anywhere, and the response to pleas for help from New Orleans that took so long to be answered - could just have easily been you, and your state."