Wow! This whole thing just keeps getting more and more crazy. Houston officials have stopped accepting evacuees to the Astrodome after the Fire Marshall notified officials that they have already breached safe limits for the structure. Estimates of people in the dome range from 5-8,000… a far cry from the 25,000 they had originally intended to house.
I feel for the people of New Orleans that spent 12 hours on a bus only to be turned away – but they are a far cry better off than the tens of thousands still stranded in the “Big Easy” (a term that will likely never be used again.) I suspect that the busses are heading on to San Antonio and Fort Worth – both of which have stated they will take refugees.
I am still disgusted with places like the George R. Brown Convention Center, Reliant Stadium, Reliant Center etc… there is a TON of usable space and sure, it will cost those companies income, but come on – we are talking about people’s lives… surely that should trump profits. Besides, the way government works, the companies giving up space to these refugees (OUR U.S. CITIZENS) will probably be reimbursed down the road. Any of these large facilities that does not suspend money making and help these people is downright evil.
It is embarassing that the wealthiest country in the history of the planet is only willing to give up their empty buildings. Shame on Reliant, shame on Minute Maid Park, shame on the Toyota Center, shame on the George R. Brown Convention Center, and shame on every large facility within 500 miles of New Orleans. I will never again pay to attend anything in these venues unless they step up and do the right thing for our citizens.
By the time the total is know, we will have lost more citizens in this disaster than 9/11 or the Iraq War – it is time for our military to create the type of camps that popped up overnight in Iraq. If they can create a city from nothing in the sand, they can do that in the U.S. – we have plenty of open ground in Texas.
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I feel exactly the same way. The Mayor of New Orleans was interviewed on WWL radio and you have to hear what he said! He admited that he knows he will experience backlash for telling the truth, that our government is just playing politics. (I have a link on my blog.) He asked for everyone to call our rep. and senators and/or email. (I have put links on my blog for that too.) I am disgusted with our leadership. It seems that most companys don’t want to touch this. Mayor Nagin said “We need at least 500 buses. Get Greyhound buses down here…” A call to the wind. Yup, again we see that money and profits rules this country.
Well, George R Brown and Reliant Center are being prepped now. About time too.