My first diary entry. My sadness and feelings of helplessnes are turning to anger as I see the gross incompetence of the rescue effort. Why can hotels find buses for people while the government cannot? Although many have said this already, this is just beyond comprehension. WHAT IS GOING ON????
http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG.ac3fcea.html
there's more
From the WWLTV Blog:
"12:38 P.M. - (AP): Two French Quarter hotels says federal officials have foiled their plans to hire buses to ferry guests to higher ground.
The general manager of the Astor Hotel at Astor Crowne Plaza says the hotels teamed to hire ten buses to carry some 500 guests.
But Peter Ambros says federal officials commandeered the buses, and told the guests to join thousands of other evacuees at the New Orleans convention center.
One man says he and others had paid $45 a seat for the buses, and that they were "totally stunned" when the buses never arrived. Another woman said the crowd had waited 14 hours for the buses. She says the idea of walking to the convention center scared her because of reports of looting.
The woman says it appears Louisiana officials have forgotten about tourists, and are just intent on getting their own residents out."
Throughout the Bush years I have always held out hope that I was mistaken in thinking that W was an utter and complete idiot devoid of human feelings. Surely this was just a caricature of a person who must be more complex that that. Now I know the depths of his ignorance and apathy, as well as the total incompetence of those around him. I am reduced to tears-for all the suffering and lives lost-and also because I am so afraid of what will happen to us all. There is NO ONE in charge ANYWHERE, and it is now laid out for the world to see.