The chaos in New Orleans is worsening, with looters laying siege to the Children's Hospital:
Children's Hospital under siege
Tuesday, 11:45 p.m.
Late Tuesday, Gov. Blanco spokeswoman Denise Bottcher described a disturbing scene unfolding in uptown New Orleans, where looters were trying to break into Children's Hospital.
Bottcher said the director of the hospital fears for the safety of the staff and the 100 kids inside the hospital. The director said the hospital is locked, but that the looters were trying to break in and had gathered outside the facility.
The director has sought help from the police, but, due to rising flood waters, police have not been able to respond.
Bottcher said Blanco has been told of the situation and has informed the National Guard. However, Bottcher said, the National Guard has also been unable to respond.
These looters are just "desperate people" -- desperate for some fine, hospital-grade dope, that is. They're not there for the Jello.
(Via Michelle Malkin, who has a ton of info.)
UPDATE:
"There is way too many fricking ... cooks in the kitchen."
- New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagin.
You suck, Nagin.
According to the mayor, Black Hawk helicopters were scheduled to pick up and drop massive 3,000-pound sandbags in the 17th Street Canal breach, but were diverted on rescue missions. Nagin said neglecting to fix the problem has set the city behind by at least a month.
"I had laid out like an eight-week to ten-week timeline where we could get the city back in semblance of order. It's probably been pushed back another four weeks as a result of this," Nagin said.
You had your chance, Nagin. Now you're in charge of squawking and acting like a fool. There's no New Orleans Corps of Engineers, no New Orleans National Guard, no New Orleans Navy. The Governor is supposed to be in charge, but she's been astoundingly limp throughout this crisis. Now it's looking like it can only be a military operation.
UPDATE II
From the Superdome to the Astrodome - the buses are on the way. Once again, good ol' Texas.
UPDATE III
Check out the highly-recommended blog Hurricane Katrina Refugee. It's described thusly:
This family up and left their house and drove 500 miles with what they could carry. They have no idea of when they will go back, or to what conditions.
I'll be keeping my eye on that one.
(From Baron in comments.)
UPDATE IV
Country Store says the time is now to start sacrificing virgins, and MailMan Bill left such a great comment on disaster relief, I have to include at least part of it:
It would be admirable should the United Nations propose assistance but of course they would have to first ask the US for the money to fund it and then the committee meetings necessary for final approval will take time.
Willie Nelson and Barbara Streisand could give a charity concert in Beverly Hills where the Big Spenders live. Sean Penn might travel to the Gulf Coast to reassure the residents. Jane Fonda may turn her bus around and head back to New Orleans to deliver speeches attacking George Bush's failure to divert "Katrina." Possibly Martin Sheen could avoid being arrested long enough to help her. Jessie Jackson is terrific at raising money from big businesses and his tactics could be a big help to FEMA, should they care to adopt them. Robin Williams and Alan Alda both like to be out front in displays of morality, all they need is some catchy signboards. Louis Farrakhan has the ability to march millions of men, why not down to Louisiana and Mississippi to fill and place sand
bags for levee repair? Hollywood and their friends should just jump on this issue since they are all so expert in gathering attention to their causes. Heck, Michael Moore could even do a documentary on them! I even have a title for him: "My Big Fat Blowhard".
My advice to these 'show boaters' is to "stand back and let the help pour in from people that truly care"!
To understand the looting situation, you have to know that the center of New Orleans, the heart of the city, is surrounded by housing projects. When I say "surrounded" I mean five or six are within walking distance and a couple just a hundred yards away. One of the largest borders the French Quarter. This public housing arrangement is a relic of the genius of "Urban Renewal." When I lived in New Orleans, it was a regular occurrence for a downtown "rap" concert to end in a wild rampage that emptied all of the athletic shoestores in the area.
Posted by: Salt Lick at August 31, 2005 09:22 AMOne police officer said something like, "Stealing a basketball hoop in a flood. What's that about?"
Posted by: Donnah at August 31, 2005 10:45 AMActually the Corp of Engineers had their chance, since they are responible for and in charge of the Levees. But they been having a little budget problem for about the last ten to fifteen years and a little leadership problem almost as long.
Just two months ago, the congress was talking about cutting their budget AGAIN for the New Orleans projects. Just about two months ago the congress was told that the levee system in LA and MS was screwing up the wetlands and shorelines and had cut back protection for the inland from
disasters such as Katrina.
So, there is plenty of blame to go around.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
There is help coming from all over the state of Texas. Our little town sent crews [teams] from several agencys out today with plans to stay until they tell us to leave.
I imagine the same can be said for thousands of cities and towns across this Great Nation.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
I don't understand why Governor Kathleen Blanco's new (from March) best friend, fidel castro, hasn't given her a hand.
Posted by: Juan Paxety at August 31, 2005 01:04 PMA blog worth a look is "Hurricane Katrina Refugee". This family up and left their house and drove 500 miles with what they could carry. They have no idea of when they will go back, or to what conditions.
http://katrinarefugee.blogspot.com/
I got this from Daily Pundit.
PS Donnah, I wish I could hot-link it!
Posted by: Baron Bodissey at August 31, 2005 01:44 PMMailman Bill does a great job of analysis, but his take on the U.N. completely ignores the 90% U.N. administrative costs which would come out of the U.S. money provided to the U.N. for U.S. relief, not to mention the 1-2% cut off the top for Kofi and accomplices and another 1-2% for U.N. public relations promotion of its generosity.
Posted by: Levans at August 31, 2005 09:17 PMWhat really kills me is that "the Media" in its great wisdom shows nothing but blacks in its footage of the refugees as it has dubbed them. I say this as a WHITE MALE who great up in a very black neighborhood in Indiana. Ive seen social unrest but not in such a grand performance as the hood rats weve seen from the various network footage. I say shoot anyone causing mayhem, black or white, restore order under any circumstances and for god sake,, the celebrities need the SHUT THE HELL UP!
Posted by: Saltine Cracker at September 1, 2005 11:51 PMWhy isn't the news media taking Nagin to task for FAILING TO IMPLEMENT his hurricane evac plan!? The plan even allowed for what to do for those who had no t.vs or radio or no way of knowing if a storm was coming?! Please get the word out to take Nagin and his smooth talking ways to task. He didn't even use the municipal buses to take his citizens to the superdome! Unbelieveable. Nagin and Blanco have blood on their hands. Don't people in America remember 7th grade Civics class? Government starts at the local level!!! So stop blaming BUSH, FEMA, and The Federal Government (Especially you ignorant celebrities. Please get the word out to the press and media to hold Nagin and Blanco accountable. Blanco's failure to declare a state of emergency (after Bush begged her) and her placing inadequate National Guard troops in the super dome AND Nagin's complete dismissal of the hurricane plan caused many many people to die! Did you see her squirming when Soledad interviewed her on CNN as to why she waited 24 hours to request help from the Federal Government?! Now turn the spotlight on NAGIN!
Posted by: dormani at September 7, 2005 02:01 PM