I have been in Bogalusa, LA for the past three days and today I lost it...emotionally. The pain and suffering, the bullshit by every fucking government agency from the locals to the FEDS.
I have managed to bully my way into the main command center and become friendly enough with the 'important' people, that I have been invited into crucial meetings that are affectionally called "OPEC" meetings because they are about draining/screwing Americans.
Yesterday I was with the "crisis manager" of Bogalusa, Tom Anderson...he's actually a detective in the sheriff's department and while he surely was nice, he's a lying SOB when it concerns what is TRULY happening in Bogalusa. More on the FLIP...PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ THIS AND RECOMMEND
I talked to FEMA reps, RC reps, State Health reps and the hospital folks and received the same "we don't need doctors or nurses to run clinics" (I've been placing medical teams)
Today at the Red Cross shelter, the doctor I traveled with...Dr. Ken Levine, was STILL seeing patients that 'didn't need him' when I left at 7 p.m.
There is NO MEDIA HERE...PLEASE KOSSACKS, GET ME MEDIA...THE NATIONAL KIND NOW.
I went to check on my little 80 year old ladies today and stopped at another house with TWO TREES still through it and the couple living there...14 days AFTER the hurricane hit, they put a sign out on their lawn that said "this is how the government treats you"...FEMA went there the next day, gave them a $2k check and wished them good luck.
These people sent their kids to Texas and want to go there...it's a town south of Houston, the name escapes me now. These people have NOT seen the RC and scavange for food/water. She drove for an hour and waited in line for 9 hours to fill out the paperwork for getting RED CROSS vouchers and then was given a NUMBER and told to come back on MONDAY. Now you might think, well they must be in the middle of no where...WRONG, these people are on the ROAD THAT ALL THE GOVERNMENT agencies take to the main control center at least 10 times daily. FEMA never even got people to remove the trees off their roof, they had FRIENDS show up finally.
At my little 80 year old ladies home, I find out they haven't seen the RED CROSS for 2 days and they were out of food and water and needed medical attention and meds. I got them all of that.
While there, their young neighbor talked with the photo journalists who requested I talk to him and I find out that the RED CROSS REFUSED to talk to him, much less help him. This is a 36 year old man who has a wife with POLIO and they are living in a church with NOTHING. FEMA won't talk to them, they have no phone, etc.
So KOSSACKS, here is the low down from here and what I am praying you will do.
- Contact the press and get them to come here and use me as their 'point' person so I can show them the 'real' shit.
- Contact the RED CROSS and ask them where the fuck the $700 million is going, cuz they sure aren't helping the folks much here. Sure, they have shelters and soup kitchens, but that is that. The shelters may or may not have food or sundry items. I actually took a load of things to the one here today because they didn't have stuff.
- Start a ruckus, make all of these entities accountable.
- Texas KOSSACKS, get me a house for this one couple, they are poor, but they are wonderful.
- Help me get a home in Bogalusa for the man (Lucky) with the wife with polio.
- Mediate/pray that I will have the strength to continue.
I will be able to use this computer and the dial up connection each evening for the next few days. I PRAY YOU WILL RECOMMEND THESE DIARIES.
The situation is horrible here, 85% of the powerlines are down, thousands of homes are destroyed. Animals have died, more are displaced or abandoned...I am horrified.
CALL ME if you need to. The church where I am staying at night has good cell coverage...during the day in Bogalusa, it's hit/miss.
619.213.2762
If you can't or don't want to contact the press CALL ME WITH DIRECT NUMBERS PLEASE.
THank you.
In Peace and horrified.
Barbara
SUNDAY A.M.
It is 6:30 a.m. and I'm going to head to Slidell for a few hours and then get back here and may go up to Bogalusa to check on 'my' folks and bring them some things.
Jim and Linda Creel, 1002 West Tenth, Bogalusa, LA are the couple who said they would go to Splendora Texas.
Lucky Pope and his wife (with polio) are the other couple
Miss Rosie and her sister are my '80 year olds'.
URGENT: Missing woman. Ashley N. Dones, DOB 11/6/86, black, 250 pounds. Mother is Lisa Lewis. She was taken on a separate bus out of SLIDELL (by the RED CROSS apparently) and no one has heard from her or knows where she is. The Red Cross hasn't a clue with her bus went, they THINK it went to the DAYTON OHIO area.
I know there are message boards for missing people.
FEMA supposedly has begun 'community sweep teams' with the purpose of going DOOR-TO-DOOR to 'assess' the needs of people and get them registered with FEMA. Interestingly they have ONLY 24 teams and a pretty large parish. They won't be out until this week. Am trying to get names/numbers of the FEMA 'leaders' for that. Supposedly these are paying positions folks.
I have heard that a 'BOBCAT' is worth $1000/day paid by FEMA (us), flatbed trucks something like $500/day. Then it seems the contractors try to collect additional money from homeowners, many poor.
It just gets better.
Please continue to pressure politicians in this area. This is Distric 12...I have the State Senator (not US) business card somewhere...Ben Neevers comes to mind...start CALLING HIM, let him know that Barbara from Oceanside needs to talk to him and give him my number. I met him at the "OPEC" meeting, I LIKE the guy...he told me to CALL HIM if I saw things that the others claimed were 'fine'....
The congressional guy (probably state) is Mr. Richey...he didn't have a card with him...he was okay, but not much of go getter.
Well, I am off.
I will attempt to beg for this computer later.
THANK YOU.