ForumGarden

Louisiana 1927

Randy Newman

What has happened down here is the wind have changed

Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain

Rained real hard and rained for a real long time

Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

The river rose all day

The river rose all night

Some people got lost in the flood

Some people got away alright

The river have busted through cleard down to Plaquemines

Six feet of water in the streets of Evangelne

CHORUS

Louisiana, Louisiana

They're tryin' to wash us away

They're tryin' to wash us away

Louisiana, Louisiana

They're tryin' to wash us away

They're tryin' to wash us away

President Coolidge came down in a railroad train

With a little fat man with a note-pad in his hand

The President say, "Little fat man isn't it a shame what the river has

done

To this poor farmer’s land."

CHORUS

Adam Zapple wrote: I am a resident of Louisiana but away from the disaster. I also work for an emergency response agency. Let me assure you that this is a disaster made by local and state officials. The state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans were totally unprepared for this storm. Oh, they said they were. They assured us they had a plan. They did not! Hundreds of buses and boats along with trailers full of food and supplies were sent from other Louisiana cities to NO only to be turned away by city officials. They were told to go home! Whoever was in charge, if anyone was, had not idea what to do with the supplies and equipment. They were still in denial and rejected the help.

The cities pumping system, designed to pump water out of the city, was unmanned. How can you have a major hurricane approaching and leave the pumping stations unmanned?!!! Mayor Nagin can cuss for the cameras all he wants but he failed his city, he failed as a leader. Gov Blanco has that deer in the headlights look. Decades of political corruption in LA has now paid horrific dividends.

To add to the problem, gangs have taken over the streets. Rescuers are unable to do their job because of the lawlessness and danger. Let's put the blame where it is due. It's starts with failure of local government. It is exacerbated by absence of leadership from the governor's mansion. Engineering also failed NO. Scientists, enginneers, politiicans, they all failed to adequate anticipate this disaster. The federal government is the least of the problems. In fact, it seems to be the only entity to have a plan. It seems like a lifetime, but we are only a few days into this; the logistics are a nightmare. The organization must be constructed from the ground up after the fact because of the failure of local and state governments.

Frankly, I'm sick and tired of all the partisans trying to make a federal issue, pun intended, out of this. This is not a Bush problem. NO was a disaster waiting to happen long before Bush ever dreamed of the White House. NO has had years to put a plan in effect. They didn't. This storm is an indictment of Louisiana, not the federal government.

Our state economy faces long term problems. NO will not be rebuilt. It shouldn't be. Everything will have to be razed and started from scratch. Businesses won't return. Families won't have jobs or homes to go back to. NO, as we knew it, is no more.

I have also been on the other end of a category 4 hurricane having ridden out Hugo from my Charleston, SC apartment in 1989. People affected by Hugo felt abandoned and criticized federal response also. When you are in that situation a day seems like a month. A minute, a day. But it takes time to respond, especially when the state was totally clueless and unprepared. No one had an idea what to ask the government for, no one in LA had a clue how to attack this problem. Remember, it was at least 24 hours after the levees broke before local officials admitted they had a serious problem. Quit letting my state officials and NO ofiicials off the hook by blaming the federal government. The accountability for this tragedy lies squarely in NO and at the state capital. Our leaders were negligent and must be held accountable. If we don't take this opportunity to change our state leadership and how business is done, the entire state will wither and die. The flow of criticism should focus on LA, not DC.


A voice of reason. Thank you for the post, it was most enjoyable. And thank you for all your efforts!

,,,





Well it was out in California by the San Diego sea

That was when I was taken in and it left its mark on me

Yeah she nearly drove me crazy with all those China toys

And I know she really didn't mean a thing to any of those sailor boys



Louisiana rain is falling at my feet

Baby I'm noticing the change as I move down the street

Louisiana rain is soaking through my shoes

I may never be the same when I reach Baton Rouge



South Carolina put out its arms for me

Right up until everything went black somewhere on Lonely Street

And I still can't quite remember who helped me to my feet

Thank God for a love that followed the angel's remedy



Louisiana rain is falling just like tears

Running down my face, washing out the years

Louisiana rain is soaking through my shoes

I may never be the same when I reach Baton Rouge



Well I never will get over this English refugee

Singing to the jukebox in some all-night beanery

Yeah he was eating pills like candy and chasing them with tea

You should have seen him lick his lips, that old black muddied beak



Louisiana rain is falling at my feet

Baby I'm noticing the change as I move down the street

Louisian rain is soaking through my shoes

I may never be the same when I reach Baton Rouge



Louisiana rain is falling just like tears

Running down my face, washing out the years

Louisiana rain is soaking through my shoes

I may never be the same when I reach Baton Rouge

just as a point of interest, they have taken 7200 prisoners out of NO and sent them to other states. they have also set up a booking/detainment facility for the thugs that have been raping and pillaging. last night a 'mob' killed a guy who attempted to rape a 13-year-old. too bad.

We just went down to the local Trucking company- I am proud to say that we as a community are filling 2 semi's and taking them to Houston. I was so moved by the way it is coming together. We are a small town and there has been an incredible amount of support. They have just built 2 new apartment buildings and are offering a fresh start for some people here...My kids and I helped load and the people are amazing. We are going back at 3:00 for 2 hours again. I think this is an INCREDIBLE learning experience for my kids. It makes me proud that our simple life style here will help a small few...Someone made the comment down there that "like our 2 semi's will do any good... I looked at him and said- its more food then we eat in a year so YES we are helping! :-4

mominiowa wrote: We just went down to the local Trucking company- I am proud to say that we as a community are filling 2 semi's and taking them to Houston. I was so moved by the way it is coming together. We are a small town and there has been an incredible amount of support. They have just built 2 new apartment buildings and are offering a fresh start for some people here...My kids and I helped load and the people are amazing. We are going back at 3:00 for 2 hours again. I think this is an INCREDIBLE learning experience for my kids. It makes me proud that our simple life style here will help a small few...Someone made the comment down there that "like our 2 semi's will do any good... I looked at him and said- its more food then we eat in a year so YES we are helping! :-4
You make me proud to be a fellow human being. THANK YOU for representing humanity so well.

three carnival cruise ships have been hired by the government to house displaced persons.

I have not read the 3 pages of the thread - I love NO - I've been there 6 times. ...It is a great cityI will always keep it in my heart and soul.

KUWAIT CITY (AP) - The oil-rich Persian Gulf state of Kuwait said Sunday it will donate $500 million in aid to U.S. relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

The offer is the largest known put forward since the hurricane ravaged Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and follows a $100 million aid donation from the emir of a Mideast neighbor, Qatar.

Kuwait's energy minister said his country would provide "oil products that the disaster-stricken states need in addition to other humanitarian aid."



More:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050904/D8CDH45G0.html

Hallelujah! I guess we're not such devils over there after all.

Definately encouraging. It isn't a bad policy to help your friends fight off an invasion after all.

WHY??? why shoot at contractors??????or were they firing on the police?i hope this sends a real message to the terrorists. that is what they are. ------------------ NEW ORLEANS ” Police shot and killed at least five people Sunday after gunmen opened fire on a group of contractors traveling across a bridge on their way to make repairs, authorities said. Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley said police shot at eight people carrying guns, killing five or six.

Fourteen contractors were traveling across the Danziger Bridge under police escort when they came under fire, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers .

They were on their way to launch barges into Lake Pontchartrain to help plug the breech in the 17th Street Canal, Hall said.

Sounds like a war zone...friendly fire and all.

no friendly fire incidents that i know of yet....have you heard of any?

My best girl friend is a financial officer for the National Guard. She's been working overtime to get the money for our NM Guard to get to Louisiana. Bush authorized the money but it takes about 2 months to get here so she has been juggling money to deploy them. The other thing she told me was very upsetting.......the Guard is only authorized to draw weapons in their home State without special permission from the Feds and they don't have it yet. Does that mean our guys have to do hand-to-hand with the looters? She also said NM is sending med units this week.

the guard IS authorized to shoot.

lady cop wrote: the guard IS authorized to shoot.




She told me they can't draw a weapon - even in national crisis - outside of their own state. I am sure you are correct LC - she is an accountant. Dang - I hope you are right!!!!

there are many rumors about...but the guard is fully-authorized LE.

It's 11:30pm here I just watched several of the news broadcasts, it does seem that they are getting the people out finally. The convention center is now empty, and the lights were on. It will be a 24/7 job until everyone is out. They seem to be making progress now.

I saw a piece on the dome in Texas where so many are staying now. They have a hospital set up. All the needs of the people are being taken care of down to the littlest detail. The children will start school Monday the 12th. They are trying their hardest to get these people back to some sort of normal.

NEW ORLEANS WILL HAVE TO BE REBUILT FROM THE GROUND UP, I THINK IT CAN BE DONE IN TIME. THE REBUILDING WILL PROVIDE JOBS.. WHICH WILL BE SO NEEDED.. IT'S OVERWHELMING NOW BUT I PRAY IT WILL HAPPEN..:-1