PunditGuy

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Xeni Jardin has the story over at Boing Boing. Jacob Appelbaum has been live blogging inside the Astrodome interviewing Hurricane Katrina evacuees. There is a consistency to their stories. I don’t know how much of this is true or not.

UPDATE: Lots of people telling me this is all bunk. I have no reason to doubt that. John Hawkins with more.

This is the wrong thing to do.

The federal government plans to hand out debit cards worth $2,000 each to families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff, under fire for his agency’s response to the disaster, held a conference call with governors of states with evacuees and described the plan. While many details remained to be worked out, the plan was to quickly begin distributing the cards, starting with people in major evacuation centers such as the Houston Astrodome.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the cards are aimed at providing “some immediate cash assistance to those who are in shelters, those that were evacuated.”

Perfect. Two companies will end up benefiting most from this government handout. Phillip Morris and Anheuser-Busch.

Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski, a Republican, said he had concerns about the potential for abuse.

“That’s a lot of money. The question is how do you separate the needy from those who just want a $2,000 handout,” he said.

Exactly. In the same way that I don’t give a $20 dollar bill to the guy on the street corner with a sign that says “Will Work for Food”, the government will simply be wasting tax payer dollars if they proceed with this idea. No doubt there is a group of people back in Washington D.C. who believe this is the great “feel good, shot-in-the-arm” program that is just the kind of story the media will jump upon.

Here’s a better idea. Issue vouchers to Hurricane Katrina victims for places like Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, or Target. Help them buy personal necessities, food, diapers, formula and like goods. Help them purchase tools and other home repair supplies so (if they are lucky enough to still have a livable home) they can do a quick patching of a roof, temporary window replacement, or rent equipment like fumigation machinery and carpet cleaners.

Yes, we need to help the displaced, the homeless, and the penniless during these immediate days after the hurricane, but giving people cash with no strings attached is a bad move. There will be those who are responsible with the funds, but a majority will not. It is highly likely that they’ll be back next month asking for more, and the government will be hard pressed to deny them.

And think of the bad press that would generate!

The folks at FEMA don’t want you to see pictures, video, or artists renditions of Hurricane Katrina’s victims as they are recovered from New Orleans.

Forced to defend what some critics consider its slow response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Tuesday it does not want the news media to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from New Orleans.

FEMA, which is leading the rescue efforts, rejected requests from journalists to accompany rescue boats as they went out to search for storm victims, Reuters reported.

A FEMA spokeswoman told the wire service that space was need on the rescue boats and assured Reuters that “the recovery of the victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect.”

“We have requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media,” the spokeswoman told Reuters via e-mail.

I was against the censorship of “sensitive” photos from 9/11 because I think they serve as a reminder for all Americans to never forget that day and to guard against similar events from happening again. But when it comes to natural disasters, or plane crashes, or the local newspaper publishing a photo of the house fire victim, I don’t think a public viewing is necessary. It’s voyeurism, and right now, looking at bodies that have been soaking in water and baking in 100 degree heat isn’t a “have to” in my book.

Years from now someone can publish a big coffee table book with glossy photos, a historical timeline, and a bunch of satellite maps (ala LIFE Magazine). For now though, stuff the death pictures in a drawer. 

Say that five times really fast.

Jacob Appelbaum follows up on reports of communications jamming in New Orleans.

A new blog – FEMA Failures.

On Hurricane Katrina response/blame, Bush comes out smelling like a rose in the latest CNN/USATODAY/Gallup poll.

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.

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.

 

“I’d rather have ’em here dead, than alive. Ya know, at least they’re not robbing ya, and you don’t have to worry about feeding ’em.”

Theresa Roy, grocery store owner and resident of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, regarding the identification and processing of Hurricane Katrina’s victims. FEMA has set up a temporary morgue in the town, located 70 miles from New Orleans. The dead could end up exceeding St. Gabriel’s population of 6,000. (video)

According to Dan Riehl, the Levee board of New Orleans has had a few problems in the past.

Levee board under federal investigation before Katrina hit

Rampant public corruption was doing big business in New Orleans long before Hurricane Katrina ever hit. What then Congressman, now Senator David Vitter calls “corrupt, good old boy” practices were apparent in the New Orleans Levee Board just one year before the collapse of regional levees, emergency communications and government services brought the Big Easy to the brink of anarchy. In fact, Senator David Vitter requested a federal investigation into improper practices of a number of public utilities, including the New Orleans Levee Board, and a new Task Force was to have been initiated in the Baton Rouge office, beginning in July 2004.

Being a member of the Levee Board does not require an engineering degree, or any type of experience with a levee. Their only purpose is to serve at the Governor’s pleasure.

This will only add fuel to the fire storm calling for the president to fire FEMA chief Michael Brown.

Disaster chief waited to seek volunteers

The government’s disaster chief waited until hours after Hurricane Katrina had already struck the Gulf Coast before asking his boss to dispatch 1,000 Homeland Security employees to the region – and gave them two days to arrive, according to internal documents.

Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sought the approval from Homeland Security Secretary Mike Chertoff roughly five hours after Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29. Brown said that among duties of these employees was to “convey a positive image” about the government’s response for victims.

Knowing what we know now…this is ugly. I can’t help but think what would happen if the U.S. suddenly became a victim of a WMD attack. With Brown as FEMA head, he’d probably start the relief effort by sending out a press release and pre-signing thank you cards.

Quite a few others are calling for a FEMA head-on-a-stick. Jarvis, Malkin, and Sullivan for starters. I’m sure there are more today.

Will Bush do it? It will be awkward given that just days ago he gave Brown a public vote of confidence, but at this point I don’t see any other option but the axe.