Tim Russert1950-2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
.. OMG! ...
(CNN) -- Louisiana officials are demanding that hurricane supplies the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave away be returned to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Hand towels sit unused in Fort Worth, Texas. Goods ranged from cots to camp stoves to coffee makers. Their request comes after a CNN story Wednesday revealed that FEMA had given away $85 million in supplies that lingered on storage shelves while hurricane victims suffered without the items they needed.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Sen. Mary Landrieu demanded answers from FEMA. "While I understand the stated need to save taxpayer money being spent storing these materials, I am concerned that there are still ongoing needs for these type of goods in my state," Landrieu wrote Chertoff, whose department includes FEMA. She asked for Chertoff's assistance "in reviewing this situation and redistributing these goods."
The Louisiana Recovery Authority announced that it was asking the federal government to return goods "that were intended to help disaster victims in Louisiana but were marked as surplus and remain unused." "Many of these items are believed to be household goods that could help residents moving out of FEMA trailers re-establish their homes," the agency said.
The CNN investigation found FEMA gave away extensive stocks of items such as cots, cleansers, first-aid kits, coffee makers, camp stoves and other items that had been bought as "starter kits" for people living in trailers after the 2005 hurricane. "There is a particular and critical need for exactly these materials -- especially household goods --- by organizations dealing with the critical problem and homelessness as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Landrieu wrote. "One such organization is Unity of Greater New Orleans, which works with FEMA to house homeless hurricane victims and was featured prominently in the CNN piece." Martha Kegel, the director of Unity of Greater New Orleans, said she was shocked to learn about the existence of the goods and the government giveaway. "These are the very things that we are seeking right now," Kegel said." FEMA, in fact, refers homeless clients to us to house them. How can we house them if we don't have basic supplies?"
Before the giveaway, pallets at a warehouse in Fort Worth, Texas, were piled high with boxes of buckets, boots, cleansers, mops and brooms, as well as clothing, bedding, plates and utensils. General Services Administration records show FEMA gave away 121 truckloads of material that had been declared surplus property and offered free to federal agencies and states.
Louisiana officials originally passed on taking any of the supplies when FEMA offered them to states. John Medica, director of the state's Federal Property Assistance Agency, said he was unaware that Katrina victims still had a need for the household supplies because no agency had contacted his office. But Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Louisiana Recovery Authority told CNN it was working with FEMA to try to get similar items to help Unity and other groups. The supplies "would have gone a long way toward helping residents re-establish their households," agency spokeswoman Christina Stephens wrote in an e-mail to CNN on Thursday. "We hope that any of the supplies that the federal government has in its possession that could benefit hurricane victims would be returned to the state," she said.
James McIntyre, FEMA's acting press secretary, told CNN earlier that FEMA was spending more than $1 million a year to store the material and that another agency wanted the warehouses torn down, so "we needed to vacate them."
Hand towels sit unused in Fort Worth, Texas. Goods ranged from cots to camp stoves to coffee makers. Their request comes after a CNN story Wednesday revealed that FEMA had given away $85 million in supplies that lingered on storage shelves while hurricane victims suffered without the items they needed.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Sen. Mary Landrieu demanded answers from FEMA. "While I understand the stated need to save taxpayer money being spent storing these materials, I am concerned that there are still ongoing needs for these type of goods in my state," Landrieu wrote Chertoff, whose department includes FEMA. She asked for Chertoff's assistance "in reviewing this situation and redistributing these goods."
The Louisiana Recovery Authority announced that it was asking the federal government to return goods "that were intended to help disaster victims in Louisiana but were marked as surplus and remain unused." "Many of these items are believed to be household goods that could help residents moving out of FEMA trailers re-establish their homes," the agency said.
The CNN investigation found FEMA gave away extensive stocks of items such as cots, cleansers, first-aid kits, coffee makers, camp stoves and other items that had been bought as "starter kits" for people living in trailers after the 2005 hurricane. "There is a particular and critical need for exactly these materials -- especially household goods --- by organizations dealing with the critical problem and homelessness as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Landrieu wrote. "One such organization is Unity of Greater New Orleans, which works with FEMA to house homeless hurricane victims and was featured prominently in the CNN piece." Martha Kegel, the director of Unity of Greater New Orleans, said she was shocked to learn about the existence of the goods and the government giveaway. "These are the very things that we are seeking right now," Kegel said." FEMA, in fact, refers homeless clients to us to house them. How can we house them if we don't have basic supplies?"
Before the giveaway, pallets at a warehouse in Fort Worth, Texas, were piled high with boxes of buckets, boots, cleansers, mops and brooms, as well as clothing, bedding, plates and utensils. General Services Administration records show FEMA gave away 121 truckloads of material that had been declared surplus property and offered free to federal agencies and states.
Louisiana officials originally passed on taking any of the supplies when FEMA offered them to states. John Medica, director of the state's Federal Property Assistance Agency, said he was unaware that Katrina victims still had a need for the household supplies because no agency had contacted his office. But Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Louisiana Recovery Authority told CNN it was working with FEMA to try to get similar items to help Unity and other groups. The supplies "would have gone a long way toward helping residents re-establish their households," agency spokeswoman Christina Stephens wrote in an e-mail to CNN on Thursday. "We hope that any of the supplies that the federal government has in its possession that could benefit hurricane victims would be returned to the state," she said.
James McIntyre, FEMA's acting press secretary, told CNN earlier that FEMA was spending more than $1 million a year to store the material and that another agency wanted the warehouses torn down, so "we needed to vacate them."
Friday, June 6, 2008
.. what a coincidence ..
Hank Williams, Jr. w/Lynyrd Skynard
06-06-2008
7:00 PM
FedExForum
Memphis, TN
06-06-2008
7:00 PM
FedExForum
Memphis, TN
There was a guy that was a good friend in high school, who introduced me to Hank Jr. (well, not him but his music) and today's that guy's 40th birthday. And Hank is in town. That's wierd. I just thought that this was such a coincidence that I couldn't let it go without blogging about it.
I've always been fixated on dates / numbers. I can remember two of my best friend's phone number from high school..20 years ago. And I can remember all my high school friends' birthdates even though I've not seen them in a long while. I should write them down so I can remember them when I can't remember anything... :)
... wow, calm down cowboy ...
A few weeks ago Spike Lee said something about Clint Eastwood not having African Americans in Flags of our Fathers, Clint's war movie about the flag raising at Iwo Jima. Well...Clint got to talking to the British press and let them know exactly how he felt about Spike's take on the film. The best part is the last line: "Has he (Spike) ever studied the history?" asked Clint. Yes, there was a small detachment of black troops on Iwo Jima as a part of a munitions company, "but they didn't raise the flag. The story is Flags of Our Fathers, the famous flag-raising picture, and they didn't do that. If I go ahead and put an African-American actor in there, people'd go, 'This guy's lost his mind.' I mean, it's not accurate." "A guy like him should shut his face."Thursday, June 5, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
.. saviors ..
There is a columnist, Wendi Thomas, who writes a weekly column for our local paper. Her typical topics are things going on in the city. Politics, fundraising efforts by the local inner city groups and from time to time she'll write about her know life. She is very much a Memphian.
And I can honestly say, I almost always agree with what she's writing about. This week is no exception. She wrote of how we're looking for someone to save our Memphis City School system. The Superintendent of our school system left a while ago to take a position up North somewhere. ...side note...I think she left under suspicious circumstances...Anyway, since then we've had a interim Superintendent. I forget his name. Older gentleman, African American. Seems like a nice enough man, very very quiet. Which in Memphis is unusual. (I'm getting to it, hold on.)
Anyhoo, this week Wendi wrote a great column about how the community is looking for a savior to come in and "transform" our schools. She goes on to say that neither of the candidates for Superintendent can do this task. Until I continued reading I thought Wendi had suddenly switched to "crazy" for a minute. But what she continued on to say was that this "change" would have to come from home. And until parents take responsibility for their children, then things will never change. Here's a link to the article:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jun/01/looking-for-a-school-savior-check-mirror/
I agree. The actions of the students in the schools are a reflection of what's going on at home. I think of it as cancer. It's genetic. If the parents act a certain way, the child will mimic that behavior. It goes back to the old tired saying, "children having children."
BUT... I also think, I mean know!, that even if your young and have children, you can raise them to be responsible well behaved contributors to society. Examples are my best friend Helen and my own mother.
Helen had two children before she graduated from high school. Raised them, with support of her family only. No active father in the picture. No consistent child support. Working a job at Krystal's restaurant... yep at minimum wage. She found a better job and went to college...yep...and graduated, all while raising her two girls. And they have since graduated from high school. One's a student here in Memphis at one of the local colleges and the other is enrolled at a school in Denver. Active members of society.
Another, very good example, is my own mother. Raised dirt poor in Mississippi, "rescued" by the guy from Memphis (my Dad) at 17, divorced by 26 (or so). Growing up...while raising a 2 and 7 year old. Working, working, working. Doing her best. Working her way up the world, gaining respect. Providing for us. Some minimal assistance from my Dad... he did the best he could, I have believe. All the while keeping her eye on us, guiding us to become active, good members of society. I just think, how in the world did she do it. Latchkey kids we were, but we knew right from wrong. Average students, some college. But contributors. She has always been supportive of any of good and bad ideas I've thought of. Caught me when I realized the bad ones were bad. She was an excellent example. I'm sure she's not perfect, there are bad decisions of course, but she recovered from those and so did I. She has always been there for me. My "savior."
So in my mind, anything is possible. And as Wendi says, check the mirror for that savior Memphis. We're the only one who can make that kind of change happen.
And I can honestly say, I almost always agree with what she's writing about. This week is no exception. She wrote of how we're looking for someone to save our Memphis City School system. The Superintendent of our school system left a while ago to take a position up North somewhere. ...side note...I think she left under suspicious circumstances...Anyway, since then we've had a interim Superintendent. I forget his name. Older gentleman, African American. Seems like a nice enough man, very very quiet. Which in Memphis is unusual. (I'm getting to it, hold on.)
Anyhoo, this week Wendi wrote a great column about how the community is looking for a savior to come in and "transform" our schools. She goes on to say that neither of the candidates for Superintendent can do this task. Until I continued reading I thought Wendi had suddenly switched to "crazy" for a minute. But what she continued on to say was that this "change" would have to come from home. And until parents take responsibility for their children, then things will never change. Here's a link to the article:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jun/01/looking-for-a-school-savior-check-mirror/
I agree. The actions of the students in the schools are a reflection of what's going on at home. I think of it as cancer. It's genetic. If the parents act a certain way, the child will mimic that behavior. It goes back to the old tired saying, "children having children."
BUT... I also think, I mean know!, that even if your young and have children, you can raise them to be responsible well behaved contributors to society. Examples are my best friend Helen and my own mother.
Helen had two children before she graduated from high school. Raised them, with support of her family only. No active father in the picture. No consistent child support. Working a job at Krystal's restaurant... yep at minimum wage. She found a better job and went to college...yep...and graduated, all while raising her two girls. And they have since graduated from high school. One's a student here in Memphis at one of the local colleges and the other is enrolled at a school in Denver. Active members of society.
Another, very good example, is my own mother. Raised dirt poor in Mississippi, "rescued" by the guy from Memphis (my Dad) at 17, divorced by 26 (or so). Growing up...while raising a 2 and 7 year old. Working, working, working. Doing her best. Working her way up the world, gaining respect. Providing for us. Some minimal assistance from my Dad... he did the best he could, I have believe. All the while keeping her eye on us, guiding us to become active, good members of society. I just think, how in the world did she do it. Latchkey kids we were, but we knew right from wrong. Average students, some college. But contributors. She has always been supportive of any of good and bad ideas I've thought of. Caught me when I realized the bad ones were bad. She was an excellent example. I'm sure she's not perfect, there are bad decisions of course, but she recovered from those and so did I. She has always been there for me. My "savior."
So in my mind, anything is possible. And as Wendi says, check the mirror for that savior Memphis. We're the only one who can make that kind of change happen.
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