FEMA re-bids after a Whistleblower says "Shame"
Mood:  d'oh
Now Playing: The Shell Game
Topic: FEMA & FAILURE
Well now first I must mention that on 8.29.05 a whistle blowers law suit is in the mix by Bunny Greenhouse. The officer who served as the top procurement official for the army corps of engineers, who has now been fired from her top job by the Pentagon and demoted from her hard-earned position in the elite senior executive service of the federal government. What did she do to merit this?

well... Bunny crossed Halliburton

All she did was ask why Halliburton was getting longterm no-bid contracts, and why it was getting waivers from on high for overcharging the government on fuel contracts.

In Congressional testimony, she called Halliburton's $7 billion oil-repair contract "the most blatant and improper contract abuse I have ever witnessed during the course of my [20 year] professional career." She added that "every aspect" of the deal had been controlled by Donnie Rumsfeld's office.

*Zipadeedo Da Zipadee-a Controlled by Donnie Rumsfield --all the way* .., sounds like that sad song that is sung to the sleeping. Pretty painless when one is asleep to care about anything.

So then I read in a blog from New Orleans that I have mentioned as being a favorite web cam site in previous posts. Well he says to go to this --> website to read about how... (quote) "Last week, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La, introduced the Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita Fairness in Contracting Act of 2005. The legislation would require open competition for contracts and emphasize the use of Louisiana businesses".(end quote)
Well how surprising!

One of those big bidders was The Shaw Group (Hey deep sleepers Remember Shaw Co from my post titled FEMA Quinn and a Blackhawk National Guard Hero CLICK HERE IN CASE YOU FORGOT Well there were three other companies besides Shaw that received $100 million no-bid FEMA contracts to build emergency housing.

So now Acting FEMA Director David Paulison followed up on a pledge he made to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee last week. He said hundreds of millions of dollars already handed out with little or no competition would be rebid. Now we seem to be making progress....he goes on to say in addition to rebidding the major contracts, a FEMA plan to competitively award recovery contracts to small disadvantaged businesses and to consider the geographic location of prime contractors and subcontractors to ensure a preference for local hires

......oh wait isn't Shaw Co local?(heheh)

Why Are Republicans on the Top 10 List ?
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: $180 Million Given to Oil Lovers Lawmakers
Topic: FEMA & FAILURE
This list is made of all Republicans, they make up the Top 10 Favorite Oil Industries Politicians:

As I paste from the Greenpeace
website that said "Meanwhile, members of Congress and the oil industry are using the Katrina catastrophe as an excuse to expand offshore drilling. Last week, more than 100 companies sent a letter to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and other Republican leaders, asking Congress to open up coastal areas in other parts of the country for offshore oil and gas exploration.

The oil industry has clearly demonstrated that it cannot safely operate offshore drilling operations, and the last thing Congress should be considering is exposing the rest of the nation to these risks.

If any lesson is to be learned from hurricane Katrina, it is that the nation must move to renewable sources of energy, which will cut down on global warming and reduce dependence on unstable and dangerous forms of energy like oil and gas. “It is outrageous and unacceptable that elected officials on both sides of the aisle appear willing to do whatever it takes to help their buddies, even if it means allowing them to profit off the backs of homeless hurricane victims,” said John Passacantando, Executive Director of Greenpeace


Instead of investing in these Oil Barron's, Our elected officials who are truly concerned about this issue will take the necessary steps to invest in renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. These sources are safe, affordable, and long overdue
click HERE to send your Congressman a letter urging them to use the right type of rebuilding solutions and to quit feeding the profit ridden Oil Giants "more money" by allowing them to promote and perpetuate more dependency and not take responsible alternative answerers to real issues that need real honest attention. Sorry, this cant just be another Oil Handout.

Click -->HERE for a Greenpeace look at the hurricane damage to the oil platforms. And they want to drill some more!
Are we sleeping America?

Who is this FEMA Emergency Agency & Get Off The Freeway!
Mood:  sad
Now Playing: The Calvary is Coming
Topic: FEMA & FAILURE
BULLSHIT NOBODY'S COMING

And Lest not we forget the Outragous & Shocking comments by the police.

Some of these people had been without food and water for days walking and/or waiting for buses that never would show up, for 'the help' that never came. So they tried to get out of town by walking miles and then they had to cross a freeway bridge, But Hey! that wasn't going to be hard to do.....they just walked miles together helping each other walk and caring for each other as they made a trail to freedom cept the only problem was .....

The damn Armed Gretna Sheriffs formed a line across the foot of the bridge preventing them from exiting to safe dry land. Before they were close enough to speak, the sheriffs began firing their weapons over their heads,sending people scattering and running for their lives, (Oh ooops forgot to insert the words "running Terrorized by those crazy Sheriffs." Next they had to break into small groups so they could hide in bushes under the bridge and avoid the Police and hope they wouldn't get separated or lost or shot)

Sounds funny hiding from the Police when they are suppose to help you I thought, especially during a flood you would think!?!?

Now do you the reader, find anything odd or wrong about this type of treatment to hundreds of people on the run from a flood. These authorities that prevented them from crossing the bridge are not only evil, but sick and in the wrong with serious mention of their disregard to saving & respecting honest US citizens in time of dire need!

This link below - I am providing which I found on my Friends blog ...is an excellent audio clip of various people that were in the flood and they are telling how they were treated during their plight to escape the flooded city and get to a safer place.

This recording is some very personal accounts of the sicking treatment and conditions that 'who ever was in charge' of this disaster wasn't anywhere around to do anything to help. Not to mention seems like they were just forgotten and left to die. Hard to believe? Well read the links and listen to the recording.

!!made me sick just to warn ya!!

Get Off The Fucking Freeway Audio Clip It is at least a good five minutes into the clip before they talk about the bridge. But the whole recording is excellent, I urge you to Please tune in.
Those folks on the bridge just wanted to get where they could survive, they were dieing "do you understand they were DIEING."
.... No help from those FEMA agents and Gretna police guy's, and that is what makes this whole mess even more outrageous.

Between FEMA and the Gretna Sheriffs and Brown(stain) how can a "refugee" get a decent chance in a disaster?.
It angered me enough to start-up a blog (Zebra 3Reports) just because of the bullshit that hardly gets mentioned that is wrong ....I need to pass the word. The concept of our in-humane ways we treat people in this country and abroad under this regime, is ruining US its destroying people before our eyes. I can not be silenced

Pretty bad when unsocial-responsible Wall Mart can even look like they care more!

This story of "Get off the F* Freeway" should be the story of the year to sum up the love that was sent to New Orleans. Forget the trumped up stories of rape and gunshots and roaming gangs....., most was unproven hype or misreported and had enough media-political spin to make you puke and wanna congratulate Brown(stain) on how good he was doing to help out.
Remember when at first Bush was thanking Brown(stain) and complicating him on such a great job he was doing..,
"Next thing ya know! whoops! -
Get Brown(stain) out of here they are on to us"
duhhhhhhhh uuummmmm cut the phone lines ?!?

And 'Hurry' start the spin machine!

Hey speaking of spin ....(O) you got to check this cut and paste I took from a 1995 web page article on FEMA
Its all about the Excutive Orders and FEMA regulations read this-here little copy/paste I did.

----> FEMA's deceptive role really did not come to light with much of the public until Hurricane Andrew smashed into the U.S. mainland. As Russell R. Dynes, director of the Disaster Research Center of the University of Delaware, wrote in The World and I, "...The eye of the political storm hovered over the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA became a convenient target for criticism." Because FEMA was accused of dropping the ball in Florida, the media and Congress commenced to study this agency. What came out of the critical look was that FEMA was spending 12 times more for "black operations" than for disaster relief. It spent $1.3 billion building secret bunkers throughout the United States in anticipation of government disruption by foreign or domestic upheaval. Yet fewer than 20 members of Congress , only members with top security clearance, know of the $1.3 billion expenditure by FEMA for non-natural disaster situations. These few Congressional leaders state that FEMA has a "black curtain" around its operations. FEMA has worked on National Security programs since 1979, and its predecessor, the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency, has secretly spent millions of dollars before being merged into FEMA by President Carter in 1979.

FEMA has developed 300 sophisticated mobile units that are capable of sustaining themselves for a month. The vehicles are located in five areas of the United States. They have tremendous communication systems and each contains a generator that would provide power to 120 homes each, but have never been used for disaster relief<----.
Now that sounds just like the FEMA of today. Now here it is 10 years later and these thugs are still screwing up like they always have.
For the complete webpage on this 1995 article which is real interesting
click ----> HERE


I urge you to
Take the time to at least read my posted link
outrageous & Shocking

or listen to

Get Off The Fucking Freeway Audio Clip
it may change you forever!

PEACE
Joe Anybody

FEMA Quinn and a Blackhawk National Guard Hero
Mood:  spacey
Now Playing: FEMA in the morning FEMA at night
Topic: FEMA & FAILURE
Man to bad they can’t do anything right, even after the Katrina you would think they could wise up a little.

I think they spent to much time practicing how to be Black-booted thugs than actually doing what they are really needed and counted on to do. With Rita on the way FEMA shuts down a relief center in Houston I mean is this the way to help people who are doing without anything and everything? FEMA spokesman Justin Dombrowski said the agency closed the center for the day because of the heat and the unexpectedly large crowds. What?

'''HELLO is anybody Home?'''

that remind me I had a voicemail on my phone from an old friend, and have yet to research or look into it the factuality of it yet, but he said he was in Mississippi where the Rainbow Family has brought in big trucks and are feeding 1000's. He said it was amazing. He said the police were just letting them hippies "come on in" with all there gear and food to help feed all those hungry and displaced families. He said it was really cool. He had a nice positive comment from being a displased New Orleans flood victim himself. hmmmmmm?

But hey!
Do you remember my previous post click here to go back about the 500 dollar Hammer? -high price Hotel rooms for FEMA?-
Well next day I read in the Sept 23 05 issue of the NY Times a big article on this scallywag
Talk about making a buck when the opportunity is right.
Mr Quinn has, anyway at least from what I have read, reached out to officials inside FEMA that Mr. Quinn was able to identify through contacts at the Shaw Group, a large, well-connected construction and engineering company. Shaw has signed a $100 million contract with FEMA and another of similar size with the Army Corps of Engineers to help with the cleanup and rebuilding. Mr. Quinn is hoping to persuade FEMA to house a good portion of the workers indefinitely in his newly created temporary barracks. He also hopes to house displaced residents of New Orleans and other affected areas in any of the 21 hotels he said he was negotiating to buy.
Heck he even has taken up a new business as booking agents, charging other hoteliers a commission for passing along leads.
I read in another bit that said "A childhood friend of Mr Quinn's has taken a six-moth leave from an executive position to 'oversee negotiations" with FEMA and other federal agencies" Boy how cozy in the flood region can it get?
I wonder when I read them saying they only charge $20 MORE than the going government rate of $133 a night a room. Where they normally would be charging $179 to $299 for those rooms
So is it 300% of Rack Rate as my previous post or $20 dollars more than government going rate? i wonder?

Well Mr Quinn claims it?s a 50-50 chance. He said "I could come out broke!"
Ya! Which sounds a whole lot better than saying "I could come out Rich!"
No wonder he hires security chief, Michael Montgomery, who said he worked for an Alabama company called Bodyguard and Tactical Security (BATS)..remember!


But then, not everybody is making a buck. or using that 50-50 Quinn-theory.

I read in that same paper this article and I have a great sense of respect for this man from the story I read. It told of how he flew his National Guard Black Hawk helicopter into the flooded areas of New Orleans and landed on a Holiday Inn rooftop that he wasn’t even sure if he could fit the helicopter on to. And the added worry would they be over taken by people whom in trying to survive..., might take his chopper from him. well neither of his worries manifested. This guy was doing the right thing!

With his own home flooded and his Family safe, Staff Sgt. Michael Sorjonen spent the next 10 hours flying over 420 people from the rooftop to safety. He flew as many as 30 trips back n forth, helping several amputees and several in wheelchairs and at least eight pets.
When he flew up he was quoted as saying “"Hundred of people were crowded onto the balcony, with barely and inch to spare. Some were weeping, some waving hotel towels. Others were on the verge of passing out from the heat and days of privation"”

I like this guy!
It was nice to read about someone who cares during these greedy times.

I also heard about this guy who came to help do some demolition and flood damage removal and.... make some money, who said that they are being paid $35 an hour. However, when they worked at rebuilding after Hurricane Ivan they were allowed to work overtime. For the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding they are only allowed to work 40 hours a week.
Nevertheless, they anticipate that they will be in town for 6 months and they are thankful for the endless supply of FEMA money.? .....

Ha ha ha "endless supply of FEMA money" .....yha I bet.

The Brown Stink from New Orleans Disaster Area
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: "Brown Stink coming from New Orleans"
Topic: FEMA & FAILURE
Well
the old Brown-Stain blamed most coordination failures on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin., not without throwing some dirt on a Favorite(sic) Group of mine,
The Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency for FEMA for what he claimed "not acquiring better equipment ahead of the storm"

All in all it was all summed up by Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., who told Brown: “The disconnect was, people thought there was some federal expertise out there. There wasn’t. Not from you.”

As Brown becomes one of the many Bush Failure Symbols, in this natural disaster that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people, he says “I’ve overseen over 150 presidentially declared disasters. I know what I’m doing, and I think I do a pretty darn good job of it,”

Well La-Te-Da “Your fired you big screw up”

FEMA and Blackwater
Now Playing: "One Hand Washes The Other"
Topic: FEMA & FAILURE
So yesterday after work, I decide to check into my favorite web cam site from New Orleans, I have been using the num.3 mirrored site with the best luck.

Well then, how did I know they were going to be blogging about one of my favorite subjects? yep.. FEMA! Oh this is interesting, cause I have been reading-looking at lots of first hand info from these guys web site all throughout the flood!! They have passed on some great pictures and stories now a FEMA story.....

... within a few paragraphs I notice "Ha-ha! A first hand account, that those FEMA bastards are rolling in the luxuries of the tax payers money and.., wasting that money that should be going to help those that really are needing help in that crises." (more on this sorry group latter)

Now from that web-cam-blogThe Interdictor I read, And I will quote a paragraph from their site on September 26 2005 at 7:49

"Please Don't Tell Me That FEMA Pays $500 Per Hammer!
Post by Sigmund Solares
Chief Executive Officer
Intercosmos Media Group, Inc.
300% of "Rack Rate" a Night for Hotel Rooms at the W
I tried in vain to obtain a hotel room for an employee downtown so that the employee would not have to sleep on an air mattress every night. It turns out that FEMA has rented the 190 available rooms from the W hotel by paying 300% of "rack rate." Rack rate is the ordinary price for a hotel room without any discounts. This is the standard rate that a hotel will quote you when you ask for a room.
Let's make some assumptions here... I am assuming that rack rate for the W in New Orleans this time of year is at least $200 a night since the convention season has already started. That would put the rooms at $600 a night per room. That comes out to $114,000 per day for 190 rooms at $600 a day each. With costs like this I can see how rebuilding New Orleans will be insanely expensive. I would imagine that the rates should come down some in the not too distant future, but, I am not holding my breath. Assuming a rack rate of $251 and the cost would be $1 million a week for 190 rooms.
Anyone know of any good deals on hotel rooms in downtown New Orleans? Any word on when additional hotels will be back in action?

Gee wizzz is this the same FEMA subject I had I just read about? and it was RIGHT HERE in the 'main' indymedia.us website that said quote
"Others have been hired by the wealthy elite, like F. Patrick Quinn III, who brought in private security to guard his $3 million private estate and his luxury hotels, which are under consideration for a lucrative federal contract to house FEMA workers."

Well the FEMA workers are living good from judging what I have been reading here in this blog, at least when it comes to their lodging at the W in NewOrleans and its ritzy accommodations.
And ya know the security companies like Black Water and ISI or BATS (Alabama company called Bodyguard and Tactical Security) all which seem to be pretty well dug into this type of biz-nez with mercenary style of paid protection for the wealthy who, most likely seem to be, by a large part GOP supports, as are the founder and owners of Blackwater, themselves.


"Unlike ISI or BATS, The highly paid Blackwater guys are operating under a federal contract (Really? I am surprised?) (?) to provide 164 armed guards for FEMA reconstruction projects in Louisiana. Blackwater's success in procuring federal contracts could well be explained by major-league contributions and family connections to the GOP" Now these ISI and BATS guys ? ....whoaaaa where did they say these bad -asses came from? I mean take those guys names down for a private security company if you ever need one. Oh ya I remember, they were the veterans of the Israeli Special Task Forces thats who those ISI guys are! Yep! they probably are damn good hired killers! Now who was it that was hiring them? Do I got to look that up again.....?

But the part in the very last paragraph of the Indy article which I guess is really a Nation Article, is this comment, that describes the link as to how all this fits together, quote "After the killing of four Blackwater mercenaries in Falluja in March 2004, Erik Prince hired the Alexander Strategy Group, a PR firm with close ties to GOPers like DeLay. By mid-November the company was reporting 600 percent growth. In February 2005 the company hired Ambassador Cofer Black, former coordinator for counterterrorism at the State Department and former director of the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, as vice chairman. Just as the hurricane was hitting, Blackwater's parent company, the Prince Group, named Joseph Schmitz, who had just resigned as the Pentagon's Inspector General, as the group's chief operating officer and general counsel."
And then later it goes on to say ,"In May Blackwater's Jackson testified before Congress in an effort to gain lucrative Homeland Security contracts to train 2,000 new Border Patrol agents, saying Blackwater understands "the value to the government of one-stop shopping."" end quote.
oh brother you get what I'm smelling?

So these Right Wing supporters are now FEMA festeringing their services by being hired mercenaries un/(?)supported by our legal justice department? One hand washes the other or at least washes the stolen money fingerprints from the hands of the corporate feeding frenzy and our dis-honest government paws.


..so training for the Border patrolling ??hmmmmmm.., I have for the sheer interest in a Good Protest provided a link to see how one type of "border training session" was going, or should I say "not going"!

This training is not the same as the Blackwater one, this is a Minuteman training session
Although this protest was done to, stop their training session, there was some type of throwing stuff around and somewhat of a (?) disruption, which for my self let me say "I'm non-Violent"
Well non the less it was interesting to see Racism Training being stopped abruptly...rudely yes! but as I said abruptly!!
Smelly Minuteman were sniffed out since it was suppose to be a secret-private training session shhhhhhhhhh! Friends(sic) of the Border Patrol Training Sessions were not planning to have some loud protestors calling them "Racist" etc show up and disrupting their train-a-thon.

This was suppose to be a secret Training! Ha!
Looks like class is cancelled.
LISTEN to some people speak who were involved in this "direct action against the Minuteman Racism Training Session by closing it down. Their short audio MP3 download is I what I would say first hand reporting where the speakers-protestors tell why they were there, at the Scottish Rite and shutting down the training for that day.

Did I hear a tear drop?