Iraq war hampers U.S. tornado recovery

[Xipe Totec]

Source: Reuters

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (Reuters) - A shortage of trucks, helicopters and other equipment -- all sent to the war in Iraq -- has hampered recovery in a U.S. town obliterated by a tornado, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said on Monday.

"There is no doubt at all that this will slow down and hamper the recovery," Sebelius, a Democrat, told Reuters in Kansas where officials said the statewide death toll had risen to 12 on Monday.

"Not having this equipment in place all over the state is a huge handicap," Sebelius said.

The tornado that devastated Greensburg, 110 miles west of Wichita, started a weekend of violent weather in Kansas, a state in the heart of the central United States region known as "Tornado Alley."


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070507/ts_nm/tornado_kansas_dc_15

[Magleetis]

1. Iraq

is a cancer on America and * is the malignancy at the heart of it all.

[wordpix]

4. well said, Magleetis---the National Guard is now the US Guard in Iraq

[Jim Warren]

2. The signs of strain begin to show

Things gets strained then they break when stress hits. We're all on the brink of double diaster, the natural on that can hit and then the response that won't be there.

Meanwhile, boy gorge is fucking having dinner with the queen! :grr:

[Xipe Totec]

3. A Pentagon spokesman in Washington said

other states were supposed to help provide resources in an emergency.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said the administration was doing what it could and equipment would arrive if it was needed.



They're just adding salt to the wound.

[wordpix]

7. "administration was doing what it could"---that would be nothing, just like Katrina aid

:grr:

[haele]

32. What other states? Everyone else has pretty much been forced into the same boat.

If the governers start refusing to deploy their national guard, there might be some help - of course if they're really patriotic, :sarcasm: they can always go look at private companies and heavy equipment rental to augment what little resources they have left - at twice the going rate, of course.
We're all on our own, our "compassionate conservitive" overlords aren't concerned with the petty stuff of governance.

Haele

[wordpix]

5. lol, Boy "Gorge" having dinner with the Queen---your typo is pretty funny in a depressing thread

:rofl: "Boy Gorge" hahahaha :rofl:

[Jim Warren]

8. Hey......wordpox.....you laughing at me?

Who says it's a typo? Huh? Huh? :hi:

[gratuitous]

6. We can't afford disaster recovery efforts

See, we bought these two wars a few years ago, and the maintenance on them is just killer (so to speak). Besides, I don't think anyone could have anticipated that a tornado would hit Kansas in May of any given year. Gee whiz!

[Xipe Totec]

11. Tornado response deemed a Toto ClusterF***K nt

[MadLinguist]

9. Same thing happened with Katrina

Had the National Guards of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and their equipment, relief would have been there pronto. Louisiana National Guard was especially sparse, and none of their equipment was available. No cranes, no transport, nothing. Meanwhile in Houston, 200 miles away, and surrounding Texas environs , building cranes could be seen across the landscape, merrily going about their urban sprawl tasks. A big fleet of cranes sure could have helped stemming that rising flood of shit that kept pouring into New Orleans. But no, the Louisiana National Guard and equipment were busily wrecking somebody else's city.

[uppityperson]

22. I met a bunch of Illinois Ntl Guard in LA after Katrina. They were suffering the heat/humidity

The IL ntl guard guy I talked with outside Covington were quite nice, appalled at what happened/the response, and suffering from the heat/humidity. Thanks Illinois people.

[Odin2005]

10. Grrr. What a fucking disgrace.

:grr:

[rodeodance]

12. A Pentagon spokesman ... said other states were supposed to help provide resources in an e

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07358305.htm
.......OTHER STATES

A Pentagon spokesman in Washington said other states were supposed to help provide resources in an emergency. White House spokesman Tony Snow said the administration was doing what it could and equipment would arrive if it was needed.

Kansas Emergency Management spokeswoman Sharon Watson said because of the shortage of National Guard equipment, the state was rushing to hire contractors to help clear debris.

Nearly 70 Kansas National Guard troops were arriving in Greensburg on Monday to supplement about 40 troops already on the ground, and some guard Humvees were available to start clearing wreckage, Watson said.

Sebelius said the failure by Washington to replace or return state National Guard equipment deployed to Iraq was "not a very satisfying effort."

The governor said Kansas lacks about half the large equipment it could use for recovery efforts and debris removal, including dump trucks and front loaders. More than 20 percent of its Humvees and 15 of 19 helicopters were sent to Iraq, said officials with the Kansas National Guard.

[politicat]

19. Colorado? Nebraska? Iowa?

Colorado's down 20-30%, and we're going to be hurting come forest fire season. Nebraska's down some high percentage as well.

[Hardrada]

28. We don't have any Guard folks in Iowa anymore.

We had a flood in Davenport a year or so back and there were NO National Guard troops there. We are down to Boy Scouts, Methodist church choirs abd high school chess clubs.

[gratuitous]

21. Unless, of course, those other states get hit, too

But I don't think anyone in the Bush administration can foresee fires in the west, more tornados in the midwest, hurricanes along the Gulf Coast or eastern seaboard, or flash floods anywhere, so let's send everything to Kansas!

Meanwhile, Kansas is "rushing to hire contractors to help clear debris." All of whom will drop everything at the beginning of the building season to help out Kansas at reduced rates. Odd how I'm not seeing any pigs flying by my window.

[rodeodance]

13. 20 percent of its Humvees and 15 of 19 helicopters were sent to Iraq,

Sebelius said the failure by Washington to replace or return state National Guard equipment deployed to Iraq was "not a very satisfying effort."

The governor said Kansas lacks about half the large equipment it could use for recovery efforts and debris removal, including dump trucks and front loaders. More than 20 percent of its Humvees and 15 of 19 helicopters were sent to Iraq, said officials with the Kansas National Guard.

[rodeodance]

14. Tony Snow said the administration was doing what it could and equipment would arrive if it was neede

A Pentagon spokesman in Washington said other states were supposed to help provide resources in an emergency. White House spokesman Tony Snow said the administration was doing what it could and equipment would arrive if it was needed.

[rodeodance]

15. Sebelius, a Democrat, ( a woman Gov.)-does this have scents of NO??

[kestrel91316]

20. It certainly does. Bush has a penchant for ignoring the needs of

Democratic-leaning Americans.

I'd say what I think should be done to him for this, but I'd probably wind up in big troublewith the SS.

[thecrow]

24. if?

IF?!?!?!?!?!?!

[rodeodance]

16. REC.

[rodeodance]

17. here also:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x839805

[rodeodance]

18. Do you think Roberts, Pat- (R - KS) or Brownback will get those trailers faster?

[Xipe Totec]

33. If they were available? Yes

but there's none to be had.

That's the problem with this administration; It's to the point that they're screwing friend and foe alike.

[rodeodance]

23. Bush's disastrous impact on the National Guard goes far beyond Kansas

http://www.americablog.com/
Monday, May 07, 2007

Bush's disastrous impact on the National Guard goes far beyond Kansas
by John Aravosis (DC) · 5/07/2007 04:27:00 PM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (12) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link

Joe wrote earlier about how there aren't enough National Guard troops and equipment in Kansas to deal with the recent tornado disaster. It's not just Kansas: Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Oregon, New Mexico, Arksansas.

When I was a kid, my mom used to read me Aesop's fables (growing up Greek had its quirks). One of my favorites was the story of the Grasshopper and the Ant. From Bartleby:

IN a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”
“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
“IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY.”

Bush and the Republicans want to pretend that there is no cost to the war, not cost to their incompetence. Go ask Kansas.

Labels: national guard

[EFerrari]

25. K&R

:(

[FloridaJudy]

26. And Hurricane Season is Just Opening

Here in Florida and other Gulf/Atlantic states.

Another Andrew/Katrina/Wilma will be along any day now. Anyway want to lay bets that Bush and FEMA will express surprise? Jeez. Hurikans in Florida: who'da thunk it! Every generation or so, we're forced to resurrect "The Merry Minuet":

"They're rioting in Africa
They're starving in Spain
There's hurricanes in Florida
And Texas needs rain..."

I found this on the web here:http://play.rhapsody.com/thekingstontrio/liveatnewport/merrylittleminuet?didAutoplayBounce=true . This is a 1959 recording. How sad that it needs so little updating today.

But as long as GWB and toadies keep diverting all our resources to Iraq, Kansas and Darfur will go short.

[madrchsod]

27. we have to fight them over there

so we won`t have to fight them here

[treestar]

29. I can hear the freepers already

"What difference does it make if you're dead anyway?" (Because the Muslims are going to come over here and kill you if we leave Iraq.) Sort of like their argument that we don't need our freedoms either, what good are they if we are dead?

[cureautismnow]

30. They should be protecting and defending American soil.

Not foreign oil, nor Bush-boy's foil. :mad:

[Blue_Tires]

31. k+r