Galveston is in ruins, and a post-Katrina nation is unmoved.

[Lisa0825]

I work in Galveston, but am mostly working offsite right now. On those days when I do drive down to the east end of the island, I see a mix of moving-on and giving-up. For the most part, people in other parts of the state and country think everything is back to normal by now down here, but it is far from it. I went to a political event with candidates for judge in Texas, and each seemed very interested to hear of the predicament that UTMB is in, and how devastating it will be if 4000 people, many of whom have lost all their possessions, also lose their jobs.

"Galveston is in ruins, and a post-Katrina nation is unmoved."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008325964_webgalveston29.html

Don't forget us down here. The local paper keeps "pushing" the story to the AP. It doesn't seem to be working yet.

"World must hear how Galveston’s hurting"
http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=31e1884d9da7398f

[ColbertWatcher]

1. This deserves more than my little k+r can possibly give it. n/t

[codjh9]

154. I agree, but I'll do the same. n/t

[rudy23]

2. It's true--they can bury news about a city of hundreds of thousands.

The unchallenged swift-boating of New Orleans paved the way for the neglect of Galveston--not to mention Iowa, when they flooded, too.

[Sebass1271]

3. It is not the nation is unmoved.. is that the media dont' want

to damage our president in chief further for not doing his job..

[lib2DaBone]

161. BINGO and AMEN !

[Bluebear]

4. Of course, the world was told everything was no fine, it was "no Katrina" blah blah

Disgraceful.

[Lisa0825]

72. In pure human suffering, truly, it was not Katrina/New Orleans, but.....

I have been saying that we survived one hurricane and are about to be hit with another unless our legislators will give us the support we need to keep jobs here. People who have nothing left are losing their only source of income, and with that comes loss of hope. People are proud and want to support themselves. This state and this country has the ability to help Galveston help itself, if only they will answer the call.

[druidity33]

100. what would you propose?

It's a difficult situation. Would you suggest the gov't give people checks? That the state help rebuild? Has Galveston been wiped out before? Who's to say this won't happen again next year?

I'm not trying to be critical, but i wonder what the gov't can really do to help people through this situation. Give them an insurance settlement and a moving allowance? Maybe extended UE benefits?

Was there ever an accurate count of people reported missing/dead?


It seems like this dropped off the radar as soon as folk figured out thousands hadn't been washed out to sea.

:(

[Lisa0825]

115. Helping to save jobs with our largest employer would be one way.

When the Texas Medical Center in Houston flooded during Allison, big bucks were poured in to make it bigger and better. But when UTMB was damaged and lost hundreds of millions in revenue (and climbing), the legislators and UT Regents have sat squabbling over how much they will help. I don't think they were going to do a thing until the med school president said he'd have to cut 4000 jobs, and with the election so near, they suddenly started talking.... now they won't say what they will do until AFTER the election, so we sit here in limbo.

[lib2DaBone]

160. Make the Insurance Companies live up to their Contracts...

Homeowners pay through the nose for years on their policys. Then, when they need it, the Insurance Companies "Weasel Word" their way out of paying for damages. The weasel words, the co-pays, the no-pays, deductables. Insurance is legalized extortion.

[Sam Ervin jret]

165. I remember a time when the US didn't have to "propose" having an efficient effective disaster relief...

agency. (sigh)

remember? And other countries didn't have to offer us help with national emergencies? We could do it ourselves. And we felt it was good to have a government that did that WITH us.

Now we have a government that does unspeakable things TO us(spy) and IN our name(torture) but when you need them it's all, "what do you expect the government to do?"

I expect them to fulfill their part in the social contract. And that means a national disaster relief agency that is run by people who know what they're doing not people who are buddies with the President and share his religion.

[drm604]

5. K&R

:kick:

[Robbien]

6. The same situation in Indiana and Illinois, parts which were also flooded by Ike

And in Ohio and Tennessee I hear.

A disaster strikes a major section of the country and no one is aware.

[smoogatz]

7. I don't think most people are aware. This story has really been suppressed

by the government (including the Texas governor, IMO, who ought to be yelling his head off) and the national media.

[gkhouston]

29. Yeah. I didn't realize, until I got my power back and started googling to see

what news coverage I'd missed in two weeks how shockingly little had been said about Galveston. I think I learned more those nights I was listening to local station on a hand-cranked radio than I ever did on the 'net. Shameful.

[Grinchie]

136. I have seen one picture of a barrier island that got swept.

Other than that, there has been a media blackout on this Hurricane

[illuminaughty]

94. And I want to know why.

Why the suppression on this? At first, those of us here thought it was because of a huge death toll.
Last I heard the missing was about 300, but I had to research to even hear that fact.

Do they just not want us to see the dysfunction of FEMA or is there more to it? Honestly, I've never seen a story die so fast after being covered before the storm 24/7.

[smoogatz]

105. FEMA dysfunction, most likely.

And the failure of the federal government to put together a coherent, coordinated response.

[snappyturtle]

8. We hear nothing of this and we live a hour north of San Antonio.

Think I'll drop an e-mail to Anderson Cooper. Maybe after the election CNN reporters could get off their political butts and do some serious reporting from Galveston and re-visit NO too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. The whole thing, from Ike's approach to now has been suppressed

reminds me of the press in OTHER countries...

[MonteLukast]

10. Because nobody SAW anything on the national media!

They even declared the airspace over Galveston a no-fly zone! If you don't know about something, you CAN'T care about it!

Expect a lot of revelation to come about this after January 20...

[sonias]

11. And guess what agency has dropped the ball again?

AAS 10/19/08
FEMA blamed for slow housing response to Ike

HOUSTON — Thousands remain homeless weeks after Hurricane Ike lashed the Texas coast because of what the state calls a federal "bureaucratic logjam" slowing the delivery of temporary housing.

Frustrated officials in areas flattened by Ike are also piling blame on the Federal Emergency Management Agency as families continue living in tents and sleeping in cars more than a month after the storm.

Michael Gerber, executive director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community affairs, acknowledges a "serious housing crisis" is facing several thousand people in hard-hit areas.

Gerber and county officials hold FEMA responsible.

"FEMA keeps telling us that they've got a process to deploy temporary housing. But in four weeks, they've deployed fewer than a hundred that are occupied," Gerber told the Houston Chronicle.

Did they bring in another Brownie to do a heck of a job for Texas? :grr:

Here's a slide show from Texas Monthly website:
Texas Monthly Ike slideshow



Sonia

[snappyturtle]

20. Thank you Sonia. This footage offers some insight into the devastation. nt

[barbtries]

31. fewer than a hundred?

that is truly pathetic. jeez obama's going to have his hands full trying to restore damn near the entire federal government and saving it from the worse than useless bushies.

[uppityperson]

12. k&r. Added Ike to my sig line. I was researching this yesterday.

It is getting to be too much and I am sorry for not keeping up with post-Ike.

[lxlxlxl]

13. Ex Clear Laker hears you...

I wonder how vocal the local Houston TV stations are...knowing the talk radio scene there I am sure they are steadily pushing the Obama and Socialism b.s.

In the "big picture" of how media works, the local outlets have to start raising hell for anyone else in the national media to notice. This is something that can happen if local anchor people care, but I have to say that like most "local" news stations around the country -- the staff and the anchors in Houston might seem to exhibit sympathy when provoked, but they are at heart - careerists. They lack the intelligence and capacity to do anything other than report what state and local governments want them to, or go along with what the national media decides the day's priorities are.

Just glancing at the chron's front page, it doesnt even look like there is any editorial focus in the print media.

I am so sorry you have to deal with all of this. I was down there for Ike, but left two week after. It is absolutely disgusting 1) how centerpoint was treated with such soft gloves , and 2) how predictable the national media's short attention span is...the marginal campaign stories must be infuriating to listen to when there is so much long-term devastation down there...

Keep us informed please...are there even any local blogs that are focused on post-ike galveston?

[Lisa0825]

15. The Galveston Daily News seems to be the only

paper that is still talking about Ike. I have some blog links, but not on this computer. I will look them up tonight.

[deaniac21]

14. Living in a coastal resort area can have it's downside but I bet

the help and money start flowing into Galveston after the election where caring is put back in the government.

[lxlxlxl]

17. not really a resort town fyi...

it might be marketed nationally as a "Resort" area, but galveston is really just old houston. a bunch of people that live and work down there, supporting either oil and gas, or fishing, or as the original poster mentioned a huge research/educational hospital (UTMB)

they have tried to make it look like a vacation resort nationally, but it really isnt like that down there...

[deaniac21]

18. I go to Galveston several times a year and I beg to differ. My

sister lives in Lake Jackson and we go to Galveston to PARTY! My nephew is a third year student at University of Texas Medical School at Galveston. I think they are gonna move the hospital to Austin.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

86. The beaches are gross.

I've grown up in the Houston area.
I used to go down there occasionally with my family when I was a kid.

I have no desire to go in the water now.

The water is green-brown; the sand is brown. It is an UGLY beach. The gulf currents carry all the dirt to the west. The nice beaches are in Florida.

People who go down there don't know what a nice beach looks like, I suppose. Or they go because it's close.

The power is unstable in Houston. Whole damn infrastructure is awful and been pushed beyond the breaking point.

[cobalt1999]

16. I went through the same thing with Hurricane Ivan.

The media has the attention span of a goldfish.

[ceile]

19. K&R

I was born and raised in Houston and honestly, I can't bring myself to go to Galveston. It would be too heart breaking. But I do plan on purchasing that book mentioned in the article.

[OneGrassRoot]

21. K&R...thank you. n/t

[KamaAina]

22. Perhaps you guys could emulate NOLA's neighborhood-based recovery movement

maybe even improve on it.

In New Orleans, it all began when the city published maps of its rebuilding plan, showing green circles meant to represent the proportion of various neighborhoods that was to be converted to greenspace. People misread the poorly designed map and thought the city was planning to build huge circular parks on top of nearly every neighborhood!

One that decided to do something about it was low-lying (even by NOLA standards) and hard-hit Broadmoor, home to our very own funkybutt. Under the leadership of LaToya Cantrell (with funky as secretary!), the existing Broadmoor Improvement Association became an engine for grassroots neighborhood-based recovery, a model soon copied all over the city.

http://www.broadmoorimprovement.com

By now, enough neighborhoods have organized along similar lines that they have joined together as the Neighborhoods Partnership (originally "Planning") Network:

http://www.npnnola.com

Alas, just as the movement was picking up steam, the entrenched power structure (think Nagin, "Dollar Bill" Jefferson et al.) woke up to the threat, circled the wagons, and choked off public input into the rebuilding process while paying a six-figure salary to a rebuilding czar who spends most of his time at his teaching job in Sydney, Australia!. Result: A largely stalled rebuilding process. :grr: Hopefully Galveston would be more open to change. I imagine a number of New Orleanians (who are, after all, less than 400 miles away), and perhaps even a few expats like myself, would be interested.

So much of those articles sound like they could have been pulled from the Times-Picayune archives in '05-'06. Example:

But Galveston needs help, and lots of it, from the Texas Senate and House delegations. Our local politicians must marshal that support, and they must do it aggressively.

Good luck. You'll need it. During what New Orleanians call the Federal Flood, the state of Louisiana was running a surplus, thanks to high oil prices. Scarcely a penny was spent to rebuild its largest and most important city, and most of what was went into a gigantic boondoggle known as the Louisiana Recovery Authority and its "Road Home" program. (Google "road home lra icf" for the gory details.)

[bobbolink]

26. Thank you for posting this. Another resource:

I was very impressed by a book called "Streets Of Hope", about a neighborhood taking control of it's own destiny. Yes, we need to have government involvement in the housing issue, but there is much we can decide to do to make sure we have the right to adequate housing:

STREETS OF HOPE

http://nhi.org/online/issues/76/books.html

[Lisa0825]

33. Thanks! I will forward that on to people! nt

.

[bobbolink]

23. When the suicides of poor Katrina survivors were ignored, it was clear

this nation is lacking in humanity and compassion.

And, do you remember any great outcry about those suicides right here on DU?

Then, how could there by anything different for Galveston?

Unless and until we ALL start demanding an end to poverty in this country, none of this will change.

Are you up for that?

[Lisa0825]

25. When John Edwards crashed ad burned his career due to his ego,

what pissed me off most was how this would hurt the campaign to end poverty. I was hoping he'd pull an "Al Gore" and take his poverty campaign outside of politics. Haven't heard much since. I hope that Obama will make alleviating/eradicating poverty a top priority.

Nothing in my life has ever made me more sad than witnessing the devastation and long term aftermath of Katrina. Ike devastated this area, but the sheer amount of human suffering from Katrina is mind boggling.

I hope that both cities with finally get the assistance needed to restore them

[MonteLukast]

34. I think Edwards still will.

After the election.

His ideas are important enough to him, that he will not allow them to be undercut by speculation about the affair. He's laying low to not distract from Obama's campaign... and it's my hope that he's been quietly doing Ike relief work away from the spotlight.

I think his ideas are, in fact, a big reason he lied. He knew how much damage the scandal could do to his life's work-- he saw what the MSM made of his haircut problem. How they, and some of us, STILL can't get that haircut out of our minds, even after learning of Sarah Palin's shopping spree!

[bobbolink]

52. I said NOTHING about Edwards. Enough already.

What I said is THIS NATION HAS NO CLUE OR CONCERN ABOUT POVERTY.

That includes a lot of "progressives".

[Lisa0825]

62. I mentioned him, because his campaign championed the cause of poverty,

and I was for him before I was for Obama. I hope that he will continue to work for poverty, in much the same way that Al Gore went outside politics to work for the environment.

Sorry what I said upset you. I was speaking about my own train of thought, not implying anything about anything you said.

[Lilith Velkor]

76. Please try to decouple the issue from John Edwards's dick.

Lives are at stake here.

Thank you.

[Lisa0825]

77. It was more about judgment, but I am sure we will disagree about that. nt

[bobbolink]

127. Thank you, Lilith! "Lives ar at stake here." !!!! That was the point of my original post on

this thread, but it never seems to get heard.

There is soooo much resistance to the issue of poverty by "progressives", yet they expect their OWN problems to be taken care of, and they further expect us poor folk to be enthralled with the party.

It's really :crazy:

[Lilith Velkor]

140. It's the fear talking.

They know deep down how close they are to joining us.

Especially since their new prince has seen to handing over the treasury to the robber barons. I sure hope he got a nice cut. The followers will get nothing but a smile and a handshake, and like it...or else.

[bobbolink]

126. When you reply directly to someone, it is natural to assume you are TALKING to that person.

The loss of a champion for POVERTY is

HUGE

And, no, I don't completely blame him. That was between him and Elizabeth.

I blame our damned society for digging into personal issues rather than issues that affect the country. It's insane, and as far as I know, this is the only democracy that does that.

I'm DONE with talking about Edwards' adultry.

DONE.

That is NOT the issue, and I'm tired of arguing RW talking points on a democratic forum.

[JVS]

102. link?

[bertman]

24. This sounds like the PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR OBAMA to hold a rally close to there

and point out what is happening AGAIN to an American city devastated and left for dead.

Edited to say that Barack would probably get even more Texas votes if he did that and highlighted the neglect.

[Lisa0825]

28. Oh, how I wish!

Maybe after the election... right now, I am finewith him tying down as many electoral votes as possible.

[malaise]

27. K&R for an important story n/t

[barbtries]

30. i'll kick it

i don't hear much news from down that way anymore - obviously there's still a story there. as is true for new orleans as well. bushworld. just move on, go shopping. to hell with the suffering.

[SoCalDem]

32. The "nation" only "cares" while it's being shown 24-7 on teeeeveeee

After that it's out-of-sight-out-of-mind..

Disasters make for "engaging" televison, but the aftermath of cleaning up mud, and looking for bodies is not something they want us to see, because it only reinforces the fact that our government safety net has holes big enough to drive a fleet of 18-wheelers though.

Angry demoralized people fighting with insurance agents is not something news people bother with..

The sad fact is that anyone living on the southeastern/gulf coast is vulnerable EVERY year, as are the people in the midwest who routinely get whacked by tornados & floods, and the west coasties who have raging wildfires, followed by mudslides, with the occasional earthquake thrown in for good measure.

We have a serious lack of advance preparation for disasters, nationwide... and we have thousands of inept city managers/city councils/etc who keep granting building permits in dangerous areas..and insurance companies who sell policies, then belly-up and move on when claims get filed..

[slackmaster]

35. I have not fogotten you, Galveston

Unfortunately money is very tight for me at the moment, and there isn't anything I can do personally to help you now as I did the victims of Katrina.

Sorry about that.

[Lisa0825]

36. Thanks.

:hug:

[Raksha]

37. K & R - This is so terribly sad.

I read the first article...now to read the second one. One reason Galveston is being ignored is that everyone is so focused on the election these days. I hope President Obama will make Galveston a top priority.

[earth mom]

38. I haven't forgotten. And I am furious that what happened in Galveston has been swept

under the carpet because of the dictatorTOT in office.

* & Cos fingerprints are all over this cover up because they won't allow another Katrina to take them all the way down; impeached & in jail where they belong.



:grr:

[bicentennial_baby]

39. My school is sending students down there to help out over Winter Break

and Spring Break. We remember up here in MA!! :hi:

[Lisa0825]

46. That's so great! Thank you! :-)

:pals:

[kentauros]

40. The Houston Press

(the weekly newspaper, and the only paper in Houston I read ;)) seems to be keeping abreast of what's going on down there. Here's a search I did just now for "Galveston" and "Ike" as they have several blogs that change headlines constantly:

http://www.houstonpress.com/search/index?collection=all&keywords=Galveston%20Ike&limit=50

I hope that helps, at least for letting you know we do still know about you there :)

I've been helping some friends in Seabrook the past few weekends clean up from the devastation they received (four feet of storm-water mixed with raw sewage.) We all noticed how immediately after the storm that all the news copters that went to that area focused on how horrible it was that the Kemah Boardwalk had been flooded. Nevermind the houses in the area washed away and later found out their insurance wasn't going to cover them for any reason they could get away with. No, corporate-theme-park-restaurants that were fully covered were far more important!

There are places along NASA Road 1 that are still a mess, though the power has been restored. My guess is that all areas on the coast and Galveston Bay are still recovering and will be for some time to come...

[Franzia]

45. It's so true about Kemah vs. Seabrook!

The media has fixated upon the Boardwalk circus, while less than a mile away forgotten people are left on their own to cope and rebuild.

[Lisa0825]

47. I want both sides covered.

The damaged businesses are very important because people need those jobs to go back to. It's like a double-whammy.... people are getting shafted by their insurance companies, FEMA isn't paying, and then they are losing their jobs to top it off. I was lucky. My job is all I have in jeopardy. I don't know how the ones who are losing it all are coping. I really don't. :cry:

[kentauros]

58. Our business was shut down for a week and a half

and the owner was nice enough to pay for our time away from work (it's a tiny company; less than ten people.) I was ready to return to work, but I was told it really hurt our company to do that. We are back to mostly normal business again, though the financial crunch has caused us to lose at least one client so far (we do pipeline route design.)

I hope your job and business makes it through. If the local media would focus more on what is still ongoing, recovery wouldn't be so bad. You'd think that they would since a fair amount of their advertising dollars rests on tourism and outings in the area...

[kentauros]

56. I have to wonder if Fertita (or whoever it is that owns it)

paid the media to give a "flyover" of his property a priority. I really can't see much reason to ignore the ruin surrounding it, especially as Seabrook was hit much harder than Kemah.

I took a few images some weeks ago when I first ventured out there. Most of the photos I was taking was for my friends' insurance or as backup in case they needed it for their case. The following are two I took driving over and one of a house that floated out into their street!


Two weeks later, that marina looked pretty much the same, with boats still strewn all over.




A ripped up trailer and what looks like the former base of another...




The house in the road and what we think are FEMA workers cleaning up.

[eridani]

41. Extreme weather events are now the "new normal"

Reporters calling attention to them are sort of like the second guy to think of the Pet Rock idea.

[onethatcares]

42. you'd think after all the tax cutting,

revenues would be through the roof and all the homes and businesses rebuilt.

This is going to stick in the craw of a lot of people. It's not just the blacks that got shafted on the Ike follow up, you'd think there would be round the clock coverage of what is not going on there.

[bluesmail]

43. It'll come in real handy when the *'s need more than one

reason for COG. Look for it in natural disasters and financial disasters and civil unrest. Oh hell, don't stop with the one's he signed the Executive Order for. Be creative. The more unbelievable the more they're sure to use it. On edit, it's true, I haven't heard crap about Ike for what seems like weeks. :thumbsdown:

[BDW1964]

44. Some pictures of the devastation

Ike Photos

Chambers County is across the bay from Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula and is where a great deal of the debris that was once neighborhoods washed up.

[malaise]

75. It's very sad

Sadly even Texas TV took Galveston out of the spotlight.

[uppityperson]

134. Kick for these pictures showing HUGE piles of debris being searched.

The one dog looks like one I saw in NO after Katrina, bet these are some of the same guys.

[BDW1964]

150. Not in NOLA

We were not in New Orleans...during Katrina/Rita we worked the rural areas in LA and in East Texas. The small towns and rural areas generally get forgotten by all the big guys and ends up being the volunteer SAR groups.

[uppityperson]

152. Ah, these were your picts? Thanks for SARing. I ran across this guy spring 06

thought was maybe you guys. It was lower 9th ward. Nice dog and friendly guy too.


They were searching the neighborhood near these houses:



Thanks for posting the SAR pictures. It helps give people a bit of an idea of what debris piles are like and why it takes time to find bodies. Cadaver dogs are necessary. Thank you.

[KoKo]

48. Thanks for this post...all the posts I did on Galveston and Outer Islands got little response.

I assume that "post Katrina" there's no interest in folks having devastation from floods and storms.

It's like the "Compassion Factor" has gone dead..

Maybe many feel that because it's TEXAS that REPUG/BUSH CRONIES are going to bail out these folks...and that many are Fundie Christian..that many here don't have empathy or sympathy with them.

I don't know..but I always reply to ANY post from those suffering there on the Texas Coast because as a person who grew up on the East Coast which is so prone to devastating Hurricanes...I know that "I, and my Family" could be the next ones to suffer and need help.

Please keep us posted on what's going on. There are many DU'ers who DO CARE...but we are sort of ignored ...like that Katrina was an "Isolated Incident" thingy.

But, we are all involved.

[Lisa0825]

67. I think it is "compassion fatigue."

I think people have been so worn out by all the tragedies in this country, plus those abroad, and the continual loss of life due to the wars, that people have topped out on how much they can care.

[chill_wind]

99. People right here on DU were treated vilely, ridiculed and called "ghouls"

and other epithats for even questioning and speculating in the absence hard news-- in the absence of what was a hugely obvious media blackout of the worst of the conditions in that first 7- 10 days.

Granted, some of the wilder speculation was completely over the top irresponsible-- but that was limited to a few threads. Even citing the unusual restrictions that were placed on the media access itself, a blackout that lasted at least for several days, earned people contempt and labels of tinfoil and even more hateful motives of "just wanting to see mounds of dead bodies" etc. For reasons still a bit unfathomable to me, a great deal of DU was happy to see the whole story go away. And to let the hatchet folk go at it any way they wanted, to make it happen.


Memory lane...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4046751#top

It's one of those more revealing chapters of DU I won't forget...

[Lisa0825]

113. Actually, there was a lot of over the top speculative stuff posted.

There are not bodies all over the place and never were. Are some missing? Yes. Do they find a body amongst the rubble now and then? Yes. But it was never as awful as the scenes from New Orleans. And the exaggeration and speculation was very upsetting to those of us who were actually HERE in the area.

What this post is about is real, live people who have lost their homes and livliehoods, with little to no attention paid to them since September.

[TBF]

110. Thank you for your compassion --

I am a native northerner (Wisconsin, Wash DC) who relocated to Texas due to husband's employment. Although the religious are prominent down here, Houston is a very nice city with a mix of people, and many are working class. Those on Bolivar Peninsula, hit by the eye of the storm, were not fancy beach house people. That area was inhabited by working class folks who lived in the area for proximity to their jobs in Galveston or the refineries.

By most off-the-cuff accounts down here, at least 300-500 people are "missing" and presumed washed out to sea. The military (FEMA) in conjunction with the Galveston officials (who I'm sure had little choice) cut off press to the island after Ike hit. No press coming out, plus the financial markets started becoming an issue that week (coincidence? maybe...). At any rate, without mainstream media interest died quickly.

My heart goes out to the family/friends of those killed in the Ike disaster, and I do blame my government/fellow citizens for not demanding better from our country.

[dsharp88]

49. New Orleans is only about two-thirds back as well. nt

[Name removed]

50. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[upi402]

51. republicans don't even care about their own

oh yeah, 'their own' are worth million$ or they're worth nothing at all. what was i thinking?

[Horse with no Name]

53. I had the *entire* world to spend my honeymoon

and one of my most favorite places in it is Galveston. I spent a lifetime one summer there when I was a teenager and returned to spend my honeymoon there. It was amazing.
I had talked my daughter into getting married at Dickens on the Strand during the celebration. Then Hurricane Ike.
I have several former colleagues who work at UTMB John Sealy.
They tell me that I CANNOT even imagine the devastation there at the hospital alone.
Two of my favorite cities decimated during the Bush years and nobody blinks.
Maybe it is why I have become so jaded myself and cannot find the will to believe ANYTHING anymore.:(

[Lisa0825]

54. ((((HUGS)))))

Recovery is going on, but it will be a long road.... especially with the minimal support they have gotten.

At UTMB, the Galveston National Lab withstood the hurricane beautifully. It will be dedicated 11/11. Over 200 babies have been born on the island since Ike. The ER is now functioning, as well as day surgery, and several clinics. We are coming back, but we can't do it all without help.

[defendandprotect]

55. We used to have government which was "moved" and inspired to help . . .

and I think Americans were proud of that and wanting to help as well ---

Today, we have violent people in charge of government --- people we all fear ---

and not a government at all moved by what the public wants or needs.

And, of course, that also includes a "press" which has been turned off as to helping

others or showing much interest in such compassion ---

They were simply liars and unmoved observers for the most part during Katrina --

and worse now.

[Texano78704]

57. Bolivar too

One of my co-workers lived in Crystal Beach -- he and his wife lost everything, as did most people on the Bolivar peninsula.

[Lisa0825]

60. The devastation in Bolivar was just unbelievable...

I have cried for all those who lost homes and loved ones there. It's just hard to even think about how deep the losses go.

[dysfunctional press]

59. the whole country is hurting, and very worried about their own futures...

sorry, galveston...:shrug: some of us already have more than we can handle on our own plates.

[KamaAina]

61. Over on the mainland, Texas City entered the world of public transit just last week

just as the island of Kaua'i did after Hurricane 'Iniki in 1992 (another one that got very little coverage, as the island has a year-round population of around 55,000).

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=d0a92a5987fdc703

It isn’t exactly Houston Metro, but mass transit came to Texas City on Monday. About 40 people took advantage of the city’s new fixed-route bus system aimed at giving folks a new way to get around....

The effort is also a first for Connect Transit, which is better known for providing inexpensive, on-demand bus transportation for the poor, elderly and disabled in Galveston and Brazoria counties.

On Kaua'i, which took a direct hit from 'Iniki, nearly everyone's car was destroyed or damaged. For a time, the Kaua'i Bus was the only way for many people to get around the island, many of whom live far from their jobs at the tourist resorts.

Adding decent transportation is, in my view (admittedly somewhat biased, as I do not drive :-) ), an absolute prerequisite for making Galveston and vicinity, or anywhere else for that matter, an up-to-date, 21st-century city.

[Lisa0825]

64. Yes! I live in Texas City!

Galveston has a local transit and now TC does too. Hopefully soon they will connect the island to the mainland, which has been a major problem for those in Galveston without transportation.

[Uncle Joe]

63. Thanks for the reminder, Lisa.

Kicked and recommended.

[Swamp Rat]

65. k&r

[Fire1]

66. Where's Bush?? Outta sight, outta mind, eh?

[tclambert]

101. He fiddled while New Orleans drowned

Okay, maybe it was a banjo he posed with at that photo op. But it might as well have been a fiddle. Why should we expect any different now? President Obama, can you please fix this? kthx.

[thevoiceofreason]

68. Hang in there, Lisa

Now that we in Houston are back on our feet, we'll get our focus on you, as it should be.

[Lisa0825]

70. This is not about me... I am OK.

I will probably lose my job, but I have my home and my health. I posted this because I really didn't know that most of the rest of the state and country thought everything was back to normal here, while I am counseling people everyday who are looking for work because they have no home and no job, and they are sick from breathing in mold. I don't want THEM to be forgotten.

[yellerpup]

69. If I didn't see photos on DU, I wouldn't have seen many photos at all

about the devastation of Texas wrought by Hurricane Ike. We should find a way to help and not let this pass quietly away when so many people are suffering. K&R!

[Lisa0825]

71. The State of Texas has a BUDGET SURPLUS!

Can you believe it????? Should not a surplus have been allocated already in a situation like this????

There is a community meeting tomorrow evening about this. Someone left a flyer on my windshield. UTMB may only be one employer, but it is our largest one, and when it is ill, the whole county has the flu.


SAVE UTMB!
Take a stand for the health of Galveston
and our community.

Employees, community groups,
and concerned citizens are invited to
partcipate in the fight to keep UTMB
services and jobs in Galveston.

Thursday October 30th 6pm
USW Hall 2327 Texas Ave.
Texas City

Sponsored By:
Texas State Employees Union/CWA 6186
713-661-9030 cwa-tseu.org

Have a voice - Contact:
Rep Eiland 409-763-3260
Sen Jackson 713-948-0111
UT Regents 512-499-4402
TX Faculty Association, UTMB - Galveston Blog

[yellerpup]

73. I'll forward this to my friend in Texas.

She's not on the coast but her husband works in Houston. I'll call myself if you think they'll listen to a New Yorker giving them suggestions, but I think it's going to take a Texan to fight a Texan on this. I'm so sorry that they are sitting on the truth about the damage just so they can avoid more publicity about failure. With a state budget surplus, this is really unconscionable. :hug:

[Lisa0825]

74. Thanks.... word is that nothing will be done before the election....

so as not to influence it one way or the other, but the storm hit on 9/13 and I'll be damned if more couldn't have been done by now! I also want to make sure people put pressure on the incoming legislators so they won't feel comfy enough once already elected to forget us.

[yellerpup]

78. I already copied your info and numbers about the meeting

and sent them to my friend in Navasota. You posted this in the Texas forum, didn't you? This cannot keep happening in the USA. We need CHANGE (yesterday)!

[Lisa0825]

79. Yes, I just posted it there this evening.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

[lastliberalintexas]

80. Not just Galveston, much of SE Texas

And FEMA is being FEMA...


FEMA maligns homeless post-Ike, local officials say
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/32603499.html


I don't think very many people have ever seen videos such as these, thanks to the media blackout from almost day 1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5F-5nWpPk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEi0P-EzDHw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0mqh6U82YI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cgkBr5JwcQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qYiDC3_7Zs


Not to mention the 100+ people who are still missing, even if it's only the local media who seems to care about them.

http://www.sunherald.com/editorials/story/887556.html



There is never a good time for such a storm to hit, but this wasthe absolute worst. The storm was ignored in favor of Wall Street and then the election, and people down here are fighting FEMA, TWIA and their insurers for help. Media attention would help, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Lisa0825]

82. Yes, you are correct.

I only speak of the Galveston area because that is what I know, where I work, etc. I have mourned for the losses of the whole region. I feel for everybody. I wish we would all get the support we deserve from our government, for years of productivity, manning the ports, producing jobs, providing health care, catering to tourists, etc... the whole region has contributed much to the economy, any yet the people suffer.

[lastliberalintexas]

83. I haven't seen the island, but I hear it's much like Crystal

Bridge City, West Orange, Labelle, Winnie- the list goes on and on. And not that I don't feel sorry for all impacted by Ike, but I have a special place in my heart for those who'd just recovered from Rita, only to be hit yet again. :(

I hope that the region can pull enough political clout by banding together for aid.

[Lisa0825]

85. I hope that the newly elected office holders will feel their feet being held to the fire.

:pals:

[texpatriot2004]

81. I care and I have been really frustrated because the media is

not covering the aftermath of Ike. I have friends and family in Galveston County and in Houston. I am no longer in that area. I know it can't be good and have visions of Katrina's aftermath.

I am thinking of you, sending you love and light at this difficult time.

Peace.

[KoKo]

84. kick...

[Ilsa]

87. My brother works at a hospital in the Houston area. He told me about

UTMB getting closed, possibly permanently. That's medical students and nursing students that will be missing their educations. That's lots of people without great medical care. I guess the powers that be don't give a shit. That's lots of people without jobs. The economy in Galveston will suffer tremendously.

[midnight]

88. Thank you for posting this. We all need to be reminded that

these places need the attention of our governments financial bailout, and we should all demand that this town, Katrina,and other towns devistated by disaster receive help ASAP!

[DemReadingDU]

104. There seems only to be money to bailout bankers

Always money to bailout the wealthy bankers, never money to bailout folks in New Orleans, Galveston

[rucognizant]

149. Youbetcha .........

We're too busy listenig to sary screaming,"the democrat party is going to take over the whole federal government"
I'm reduced to screaming back DAmn right sairy! The sooner the better! It's way beyond time!
I'm sorry for Galvaston...............GOTV, guard the voting machines..............Maybe we can reverse this travesty!

[quakerboy]

89. Wait... we are still a nation?

When did that happen.

K/R

[Mira]

90. Wait until the explosions settle next week. And then contact all of us again.

[JDwho]

91. Sadly, the media coverage Galveston needs is replaced by much nonsense

It looks like it's time for DU'ers to start making phone calls.
Prayers to you and everyone in Galveston.

[leftofthedial]

92. Jackson Browne is doing a benefit in CA

how can we help y'all?

[illuminaughty]

93. The silence is deafening. Thanks. All we can do is keep pushing it

I posted this a couple of nights ago. I just find it sickening and criminal what the MSM is doing in the aftermath of IKE.


"As I posted on this thread once already, what about the missing? Why can't our stupid media cover anything but one story? It just makes me sick. From Katrina, to Rita, to Gustav, to Ike. Suffering and abandonment."

[dudewheresmycountry]

95. cold as this may sound

self delete,

[FlyingSquirrel]

96. Good self-delete. I never got to read what you said

I can hardly wait till Obama's president and we have some competent people in charge to handle disasters.

[Undercurrent]

97. .

[Shardik]

98. K&R

This is another symptom of the RWs attitude.

[amyrose2712]

103. K and R

[MrsBrady]

106. k&r

[Lydia Leftcoast]

107. This is the type of thing that the National Guard is supposed to help out with

but many of them (and all of the money) are over in Iraq.

When I was volunteering in Mississippi in 2006, FEMA was not even giving people trailers (defective as they were) until they could clear their own lots of debris (or get a charitable organization or private contractor to do it for them).

I wasn't in the Midwest when Grand Forks, ND was flooded, but from what I understand, the response under the Clinton administration was fast and efficient.

[TBF]

111. FEMA officials were in Houston by Tues/Wed. before Ike - it was all over the press.

Then suddenly, when the hurricane hit Sat. morning, all press was cut off from Galveston. We know this is a cover-up and it is appalling. I don't believe this would've happened under a Clinton administration. It remains to be seen how Obama will handle such affairs, but I hope it is with more compassion. I voted early for Mr. Obama. The country can't take much more "compassionate conservatives". They are killing us, literally.

[kentauros]

141. I went through Hurricane Alicia in 1983

and even under Reagan, the National Guard was around and helping out. Things were brought back to order in a couple of weeks, power restored in a week, all over the city. I saw plenty of heavy equipment from the National Guard being used to pull large trees off houses. I saw no such help this time around (since that equipment has been shipped to Iraq, too.)

[SpiralHawk]

108. REPUBLICONS prove their incompetence & FAIL

Again and again and again...as they flush America down the crap hole of history...Why do republicons HATE America?

[NikolaC]

109. K&R

:kick:

[southernyankeebelle]

112. Good Luck

There is so much going on in the country and people are so worried that they haven't had a chance to worry about the victims of storms. Our government under this administration voted for a retard like Bush (who by the way is from TX) who hasn't learned anything from Katrina. But people that live near water should take some responsibility for where they live. On the other hand its to late for that saying but the government should help our citizens. But republicans must make up their minds do you want the governmentto help solve these problems or not. Don't blame people that are having trouble getting back on their feet. Oh by the way the government gives the churchs money to help where are the churchs? Well I know they are to busy worrying about bedroom issues to worry about the people. This is the government people voted for. All I can say is be carefull what you wish for. Some of you got what you wanted to have a beer.

[Lisa0825]

114. Actually, he was born in Connecticut and was transplanted here.

Like we should take the blame because he moved here? geeze.

[MiJaMu]

116. It's simple.

The planet is reacting to over-population. Why should we help rebuild the death-trap that is galveston? Moving-on is the best advice for those people who lived there. if you want to return, you take your own risks. Don't cry to me for help when the next hurricane comes along.

[Lisa0825]

120. Okay.....

So everyone in Florida should move up into the internal section of the country too... And the midwest should move somewhere to avoid tornadoes.... and California needs to relocate away from earthquakes, mudslides, and fires... and the northern states need to relocate from blizzards (which kill more than hurricanes do, BTW)....

and just forget having any ports for international commerce because no one should ever live on the coast.

Yeah, that'll work. :eyes:

[Lorien]

117. A direct effect of having Bush in office

Pre-Bush, it was the government's job to protect public safety. Now it's the government's job to transfer wealth from the lower and middle classes to the major corporations and wealthiest Americans. Nothing else matters to them. The EPA, the FDA, FEMA, the National Guard, the US military...all exist now to make the rich even richer, their original functions are forgotten. We MUST elect Obama on Tuesday!

[CC]

118. I still try to find out news about TX and Ike

but it takes a lot of digging. I have read that FEMA wasn't doing so good and just heard they are just getting trailers there for people to live in. It is a shame that the news isn't covering it on their own. Unfortunately every time I have seen your governor he has said everything is good for so much damage, we have it all until control. I don't know if you have congress critters or senators raising hell or not. If they are then shame on the press for suddenly ignoring TX politicians. If they aren't then shame on them for putting themselves before the people there.

One of the things I remember from Katrina was hearing Nagan and Landrieu raising hell about the feds not helping, being inept etc. They took a lot of hits from repukes for it but they did not let it shut them up. Louisiana got a lot more attention than Mississippi did during Katrina and one of the differences was which governor was willing to raise hell.

[Woodlands Democrat]

119. UTMB

UTMB is the only hospital in SE Texas that takes care of the poor. And the only source of medical treatment for people that have been injured on the job. Because of the changes to the workers compensation laws in Texas in 2003, this is one of the very few places in Texas that will treat injured workers.

[Lisa0825]

121. True, and I think that the very REASON the funding for UTMB keeps getting cut

is that the Republicans who run this state hate paying for the indigent care.

Welcome to DU! :pals:

[Romulox]

122. Why does Galveston deserve help any more than Detroit or Cleveland???

How do we decide which cities deserve our sympathies, and which deserve to rot??? :wtf:

[kentauros]

144. Why is it an "either/or" question?

Why can't we help them all? Especially if Detroit and Cleveland have gone through some major natural disaster, or did you miss that part? ;)

[NOLALady]

123. I wish Galveston all the luck in the world.

Three years later and much of New Orleans is still in ruins.

[GreenEyedLefty]

124. I've seen more news about Ike and Galveston on DU than anywhere else

Honestly, I saw almost NO coverage, at all.

[bigbrother05]

125. another k&r

Sheltered 3 friends from the island during the storm in SA. One works (worked?) at UTMB, one at the TDC Women's Unit, and one on disability, lived on the east end. They are trying to put it back together, but have had the usual FEMA runaround.

Haven't talked to them recently, we were in the process of moving when it happened, but they are making progress, just keeping our fingers crossed on UTMB's future.

[specimenfred1984]

128. It's OK, I offered redemption to all who have profited

Crimes don't matter, only my superior ability to forgive matters!

[proReality]

129. K&R n/t

[antimatter98]

130. Message is: Government and media do not treat America as a unified, important nation.

Katrina was perhaps the first indication that our government and even media stopped regarding America and its citizens as worthy of active protection, help, and a sense of caring.

This reminds me (and the Galveston diary here on DU here) of how in Third World countries, the population gets thrown into the ditch and they sit there for months and months with very little help.

When I consider that the banks and WS were just given $700bn, and are using part of that money to give bonuses, I'm convinced that our government and corporate infrastructure have utter contempt for American citizens. We're whiners in their eyes, while they cater to themselves.

I don't know if electing more Democrats to Congress and Obama to the WH is going to be a turning point, but I'm certain that if American citizens keep voting against their interests and for corporations and banks, we will get screwed even worse over the next decade than we see today.

It's astounding that America could have turned into a third world nation, but it seems to have happened.

Good Luck.

[LaMigra]

131. Of course we don't hear about it, the activists are not working

Ike/Galveston and Ivan/Pensacola were both devastated. Pensacola still has not fully recovered in 5 years. The difference is that the black activists like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton came out in force to make sure we all felt like it was our fault that the people in NO were not taken care of because we are all racists and they are black. Pensacola and Galveston were mostly white so no need to care about them.

[KamaAina]

133. With no votes, you ARE the Weakest Link. Goodbye!

A) Galveston is less than 60% white (and non-Hispanic).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston#Demographics

B) What difference does it make what race they are? They're Americans. We ought to be helping them all. New Orleans got somewhat more attention (still not nearly enough) because it is a major city, not just in America, but in the world.

[LaMigra]

137. I agree we are all Americans

The point I tried to make is that Katrina got all the attention due to the activists. No activists are screaming racism for Galveston or Pensacola so they don't get the attention. I will be glad when we drop this divisive language or Asian-American, African-American, Mexican-American, Euro-American and just say American. Until that happens it is constantly thrown in everyone's face that 'we are different and we want to be treated special'.

[Lilith Velkor]

143. Katrina got attention because the economy didn't melt down the very next day

But do go on with your 'oppressed whitey' routine, it's highly amusing.

[LaMigra]

145. Typical response: Tag, bag and dismiss

You provide nothing new to the discussion but to attempt to label and denigrate. I happen to be American Indian. I cannot stand the activists that only come out of the woodwork to push some agenda and have nothing else to do otherwise. You presume that because I stated that there were no activists coming out for Ivan or Ike that I am white. Take your racial prejudices elsewhere.

[Lilith Velkor]

151. You were the one mewling about black activists wanting 'special treatment'

and blithely ignoring the fact that other things happened that took away media attention, things that had nothing to do with race. But you just had to sign up to express your racial resentments. And now you seem to think that somehow gives you the authority to tell me where to go.



Do go on.

[LaMigra]

153. Your argument would have merit except for the fact

There was no economic meltdown after Ivan or the floods in the midwest or the fires in California to divert media attention.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

132. We got a huge city with post traumatic stress.

I stayed in my house in West Houston during Ike. It was scary as hell. I paced the floor with a flashlight, listening for thumps of branches outside, and shook all night.

My house did not groan or creak. The infrastructure is destroyed. The power outages are frequent.
I was moving out of town, but Ike just made me move faster and be more determined to get the hell out of Houston and sell my house.

[Grinchie]

135. Thisis the result of "Drowning Government in the Bathtub" repug's were crowing about

No money to rebuild, Insurance companies that decide not to pay, or use the laws to delay any payout for years, and a removal of the regulations that held these Corporations accountable.

I'm sure there are more than a few Republicans that have lost everything in Galveston who are now coming to the realization that they've been used and descarded like the rest of the base that elected these fascists to office.

[SargeUNN]

138. This is why I do my radio show

I am a Katrina Survivor and have been a voice for the people in that area as well as tried to be a voice for all that have or will face it. The Katrina Issue is still bad and why I am also carried on WQRZ-FM in Waveland Mississippi because the people want the nation to hear their stories. Thanks to Jeff Farias I am still able to broadcast to the rest of world even though I had to leave KPHX as they decided internal stuff were more important than our nation's future. I can be heard along with Jeff Farias at http://thejefffariasshow.com if you want to hear not only the Katrina, Ike news but all news that affects us from a progressive/liberal view.

[penndragon69]

139. It's a sad site.

But the pictures of Galveston look quite similar to pictures of river side communities in Indiana that were wiped out in the spring floods.
And the homes and trailers are still desolate wrecks strewn with garbage. It takes a long time to recover from such tragedies,and the govt's slow response is no help.

But here in Indiana, if you build on a flood plane and your home is destroyed by a flood, they usually don't let you rebuild on that site....but of course you still have to pay the mortgage on the property you can no longer live on also.

[RB TexLa]

142. I don't know about Galveston but no one expects Obama to treat Louisiana any different than Bush did

[pitohui]

163. they think obama will suddenly be invited to mccain's bday party during storm season?

c'mon dude, what's the matter with you? everyone knows bush fucked up and mcsame is mcsame

even that bastion of republican fuckwittery the local fishwrapper times picayune has endorsed...OBAMA

it can't be any worse, and most believe it WILL be better

while our friends drowned in katrina, THEY were eating cake

[barack the house]

146. Hopefully Texas itself can be moved email to everyone you know in Texas or hardcopy post door to >

door in TX. Remember some folks news source is only Faux and Limbaugh time for some truth out.

[barack the house]

147. Print loads of storys about Galvastone and a picture of Barack sandbagging.>

Post out all around TX. To take Texas would be the cherry on the cake. YES WE CAN.

[greyghost]

148. I sincerely hope that people are finally getting the message that

if you build on the water you are on your own. It will go a long way in averting these disasters in the future.

I wish all of those affected the best of luck.

[kentauros]

155. Well, not really.

Hurricane Ike was still a Cat.2 storm 50 miles inland! How far inland do we have to build before we aren't affected by another Ike or worse? ;)

[pitohui]

162. katrina was a cat two 200 miles inland (at jackson, ms)

this fantasy that, oh well, just build "inland" and it won't affect me is surprisingly unrealistic in a warming world...

i hate to say it, but when the midwest flooded this summer, a part of me was GLAD because it was people from the midwest who were the cruelest and most fuckwitted to me about living in new orleans
(no i do NOT live in a "bowl" and fuck no not all of new orleans is below sea level but how do you even talk to ignorant asshats who know everything because they saw it said on the color teevee?)

i have been very discouraged by the lack of attention paid to ike, even in new orleans, the coverage is terrible and we have little idea of what has happened or how many died

[greyghost]

164. Affected, but not blown away. My cousin has lived in Orange for several

years and is far enough inland to have received only minor damage.

[Spiffarino]

156. The problem is, we've given up on the Bushes

There won't be anything done until BushCo leaves office, because he simply doesn't care. All the screaming and hollering in the world doesn't help. He's in his happy bubble and can't be bothered by others' suffering.

Regardless who wins, it won't be Bush again and we can expect Galveston, NOLA and anywhere else devastated by tragedy to have a lot better chance to rebuild. At least we have that small hope.

[DesertRat]

157. k&r

[lib2DaBone]

158. My heart goes out to these people.....

in Florida... the scars from hurricane Charlie in 2004... are still are visible. The fraud, lack of coordinated federal help.... criminal insurance companies... healing takes a long time.

[Leopolds Ghost]

159. Bookmarked.