freya46

This is one of those time I'm glad I'm not an American. But, I fear that my country wouldn't do any better. :-(

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Wilyumz says: "I'm asking that everyone who reads this posts it in their diaries, (and she told two people and she told two people) until our outrage is heard."


To: President George W. Bush
cc to: Vice President Dick Cheney
Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House
Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader
Michael Brown, FEMA
The Today Show, NBC
MSNBC
WWL TV New Orleans
WDSU TV New Orleans

From: William J Embley of New Orleans, temporarily displaced and residing in Florida

Sir,

Yesterday morning (09-07-05) I called 1-800-621-FEMA and opened a claim. I was told that there was no immediate aid for evacuees, that I would receive further information by mail and in the meantime I should contact the Red Cross for assistance with food and clothing. I did; they helped, some. Thanks for that.

Later in the day, Michael Brown, FEMA's illustrious director, gave a press conference in which he stated "debit cards are being issued to help with food, clothing and shelter." I called FEMA back this morning to find out how to obtain one of these cards.

Operator number one, when told that Mr. Brown made this statement, said, "No he didn't." When I asked to speak to his supervisor he put me on hold. I was connected to a recording which stated "due to the high volume of calls all representatives are busy. Please try your call later."

Operator number two was equally helpful.

Operator number three -- Rosa, FEMA ID# 48220 -- was slightly more informative if not more helpful. She told me that, yes, debit cards would indeed be issued as I had heard. I asked what I should do to obtain one of these debit cards and was told that since I had filed a claim the process had already begun. She could, however, provide no solid timeframe. "Claims normally take 14 days to process but that number has changed due to the disaster," she said. When asked if "that number" had gone up or down, she answered, "It's just changed." When I told Rosa that I would use her name and ID# and quote her as a representative of FEMA she became silent, refusing to answer any further questions. She put me on hold so I could speak to her supervisor, George. Again I got the recording which stated all operators were busy.

I stayed in New Orleans for four days after Katrina hit, not out of choice but because I have a dog I would not abondon and no provisions were made to evacuate or even shelter people with pets. My experiences in the days following the storm, though shocking, were by no means unique. I walked several miles to the FEMA command center at Zephyr Field on Airline Highway in an attempt to obtain food and water for over one hundred people stranded at a hotel in Kenner. I was ordered away by deputies brandishing weapons without receiving the provisions I‘d requested.

I sat with an elderly gentleman as we waited first for EMS to evacuate his sick wife, then for MPs to collect her body. She was placed on hold waiting for assistance and died before a supervisor picked up the phone. The city of New Orleans is littered with the bodies of others who died of neglect. How many more must die, drowning in red tape while official after official wastes oxygen blaming every other facet of government without providing acceptable solutions themselves?

My father, a staunch, lifelong republican, is as outraged as I. He insists that I add that he will never again vote republican. I suspect this sentiment is echoed by republicans everywhere. Across the Gulf Coast, American citizens are begging for assistance. Across the country, American citizens are demanding an explanation for this fiasco.

I remain outraged,
W J Embley