Democrats to the Rescue!

[txaslftist]

Dear, Dear Friends:

The catastrophe in New Orleans has us all heartbroken, worried, tearful and enraged. The Republicans have mismanaged the evacuation in such a terrible way that many more lives are being lost even as we sit at our computers and desperately try to figure out how we can help.

The time to cast blame will come. It has come. The president's appointment of a crony to head FEMA, his cutting funding to shore up the levies, his continued vacation during the critical hours... These things are all coming home to roost.

Our leaders seem to be stuck, and no one seems to be able to figure out what to do, when the solutions are obvious. The people of New Orleans need to be evacuated. They need food and water. And the government has proven it is incompetent to accomplish these very simple things.

There is an open road into New Orleans. When some families in the Superdome pooled their money and raised $25,000.00 to charter a bus out of the danger zone, the National Guard turned the bus back a mile short of its destination because it was "too dangerous". And yet the Great City of Houston is able to send caravans of buses into the city to retreive our fellow Americans and take them to the Astrodome.

Even here, in Lubbock, Texas, we have taken in refugees.

The time has come to act.

Let me tell you what I am going to do today, with the help of God. I am going to call the Lubbock Democratic Party and see if we can send a truckload of donated food and water and ice into New Orleans. I am going to see if we can raise the money to charter a bus.

I hope and pray we will be successful. I know it will only be one truck and one bus, but every little bit will help. If the Democratic Headquarters in every city in the United States can do something like this, even if only to send a minivan full of clean water into the city, we will save lives.

We will shame the Republicans into trying to outdo us. We cannot depend on the incompetents currently running the show.

Please call your local Democratic Headquarters and ask what you can do to help. If you have guest room in your house, please open up your doors and welcome a refugee if you can. Call the Democrats in the areas around New Orleans and ask what they need.

That is what I am going to do today. I ask you to do no less.

From Txaslftist, your friend.

[txaslftist]

1. Status Update...

...I can't find my friggin' Democratic Party Head!

Maybe they've left early for Labor Damn Day. Nevermind, though, I've got three Democrats in my office, and they all have phones and friends. We may have to do it ourselves.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Keep us posted!

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Save New Orleans, then save this country!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[txaslftist]

3. Juast talked to the Chair of the Democratic Party here...

...she's in a rush because her husband is a fireman who has just been deployed to New Orleans and is leaving on a plane today.

She gave me the number of the Vice Chair, whom I will be calling momentarily.

Sorry to be snippy before, the Democrats of Lubbock are coming out of the woodwork!

Please call your local Chair! Everyone just needs a little prompting!

[flygal]

4. God Bless ya from Germany - you're awesome!!

[txindy]

13. Understandable, you were frustrated and wanted to get started

It's fantastic to hear that everyone is working towards that goal!

[txaslftist]

5. Status Update:

I spoke to the Vice Chair of the Democratic Party. She thinks sending a bus to help evacuate New Orleans is a great idea!

We have some obstacles, though.

First of all, we have to be sure the bus we send won't be turned away. That's going to take a call to FEMA or someone. (I wish someone was in charge down there...arrrrgh!)

Secondly, we'll need a destination. For that, I'm going to call our local city council. Lubbock has, I know from the news, agreed to take in some refugees. Hopefully they will agree to take in some more.

Third, we're going to have to provision the bus with food, drink, possibly medical supplies and security. That's going to take volunteers, but hopefully this effort will get on TV or on the radio, and we'll get someone.

I don't know if we can get a bus today, but I'm very optimistic we can get one by tomorrow. If anyone knows any Democrats in or around Lubbock, now is the time to call them. Get them on this board so I can contact them, or put them in touch with our Democratic Vice Chair, Sue Barrick, at [e-mail].

I've got some calls to make!

Keep up the local efforts in your area, and if anyone is from around New Orleans and can let me know what your local needs are, please post!

Keep this post kicked!

[txaslftist]

6. Status Update:

I just spoke to another big wheel Democrat here in Lubbock, who gave me the idea to call local City Council members who would be sympathetic, and also to call Greyhound and get an idea how much chartering a bus will cost.

Hopefully other dems I've spoken to are taking the initiative to make some calls this am also.

Wish me luck, keep this post kicked!

[Spazito]

7. Thank you! Thank you!

The Mayor has just sent another heartbreaking letter that CNN just read, at least FIFTY THOUSAND victims are still there waiting for help.

[txaslftist]

8. Status Update:

I called the City Council, and they indicated that yes, Lubbock will be taking in some people, but the effort is being coordinated by the Red Cross. I tried to call them, but the line is understandably busy.

I did leave a message with the most left-leaning members of the City Council (non-partisan, you understand).

The city council is in special session right now trying to post a bond to get the GWB Presidential Library (both books) here in Lubbock. Supposedly they are also taking up this issue.

My next call is to the local media.

[txaslftist]

9. Latest:

Just called Newschannel 11 here, to see if I could find a list of places willing to take in evacuees. He gave me an 800 number, which I called, supposedly a joint effort with Texas DPS and Radio markets. Unfortunately the number has been "disconnected or is no longer in service". He also referenced the Red Cross.

I'll try them again in a minute.

[txaslftist]

10. Red Cross Line still busy.

[txaslftist]

11. Now I can't get hold of friggin' greyhound to find out the cost ...

...to charter a bus?!?!?

Can someone please find out for me how much it would cost to charter a greyhound or any other damn bus from, Baton Rouge to New Orleans??

Or give me a number I can call?

[txaslftist]

12. Update:

Well, I haven't been able to get anyone to give me a sensible answer on the cost of a bus. In addition, it appears that a lot of buses are already beginning to take evacuation seriously, although there is still a lot of work to be done.

I've been in contact with local party officials, and they've all been VERY supportive, and many have offered to contribute money, time, whatever it takes. I'm very thankful.

I think our plan is going to shift to helping to stock the food banks in Houston and in coordination of the effort to get housing for folks.

Please give what you can, time talent and treasures. These are our fellow citizens, nevermind their politics and nevermind their desperation.

They are Americans in need, and we are Americans, too. Let's give all we can!

[txindy]

14. What about your local school board? Do they have even one extra bus?

I don't know if it's feasible, but it's a thought. Surely they have backups in case some in their fleet break down. They don't strand school kids. This is Labor Day weekend, though. The buses there won't be needed for school until Tuesday, at the earliest.

[txaslftist]

15. Update:

I contacted another local party official, and it appears the mayor of Lubbock has agreed to take in as many as 1,000 refugees from Katrina. I think that is outstanding, although obviously it is nothing like the generosity of Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Our local Salvation Army will be heading up the process of taking them in, feeding them, providing clothing and shelter. Texas Tech has a medical center here, as well as several local hospitals, and we will be pressing them to tackle the medical needs.

We are reaching out to local democrats to volunteer with the Salvation Army in the areas of cooking meals, coordinating donations and lots of other things they need.

It is exciting, despite the terrible toll, to see the generosity and open-hearted way people are responding here in Lubbock, and yes, there are a lot of Republicans, and yes there are a lot churchy-type folks, but they really are great hearted when people are in need.

I met my first Lubbock Deaniac today in trying to put this together, and she's been incredibly helpful in working things out. Thanks, Howard Dean!

I've gotten e-mails from the Kerry folks, too. They're putting together a relief effort as well.

So Lubbock will be taking 1,000 evacuees in!

Get out there and try to get your town to take some in, too. I bet they will.

[SaveAmerica]

16. See about renting a u-haul to get some supplies down there,

I've read a couple threads today of people in the area north and northwest of New Orleans that are getting nothing from any relief agencies. She said they're starting to loot in the n'hood. She's the DU'er that had been out of touch but posted in the lounge that she was OK, can't do a search but maybe someone knows who I'm talking about. It seems several people have her phone number. Or the gang who were set up outside Crawford are now passing out supplies somewhere in La, does anyone have the details of where to go to help them? I love what you're doing but it's so sad our country has come to this. Good luck!!