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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 08:10 PM
Original message
New Orleans Firefighters Forced to Ask for Aid from Charity to Rebuild Firehouse

The story of these firefighters was on the NBC Nightly News tonight, but the online version leaves something out.

On the newscast, at the end of the story of these New Orleans firefighters who've been working out of a trailer for the last year and a half because THERE IS NO FEDERAL OR STATE MONEY TO REBUILD THEIR FIREHOUSE, Brian Williams noted that the firefighters would appeal to Denis Leary's charity foundation for firefighters, to try to get some money to rebuild their firehouse. Did you HEAR that? The FIREFIGHTERS have to ask a CHARITY to rebuild their FIREHOUSE. I find that incredible.

THAT'S where the billions spent and stolen in Iraq has been taken from. NEW ORLEANS FIREFIGHTERS. This nation has been RANSACKED for Bush's War. It's just unbelievable. Sickening.




http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17013378/

NEW ORLEANS - It's after midnight in New Orleans and we're inside a firehouse, where it might as well be the day after Katrina.

This is Engine 7, a primary downtown firehouse, but nobody lives here anymore. The engine now sits outdoors. The firehouse is in a trailer.

There were nine fires in New Orleans last night, and nine times they answered the bell. The New Orleans Fire Department hasn't received that much attention, but when you get the men alone, late at night, they begin to tell their story — of perseverance and profound dedication.

Glenn Trainor, deputy fire chief: So many of these guys lost their homes and stayed and worked and just being unselfish. And just kind of like the submarine is to the Navy, they're silent service.

These truly are the few, the proud and the brave. It is a fire department badly in need. There are 150 job openings. And there is no money — city, state or federal — to rebuild this firehouse. So the men in the trailer do what comes naturally: They turn inward and toward each other.






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lies and propaganda Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 08:41 PM
Response to Original message
1. thank you for posting this
People need to understand they are doing to NOLA what they did to Bagdad.
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Jacobin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 08:47 PM
Response to Original message
2. few in washington give a rat's ass
I spend a lot of time in N.O.

This country is sick for what they have done
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Porcupine Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 09:16 PM
Response to Original message
3. A real issue in the real world. Kick. nt.
.
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 09:28 PM
Response to Original message
4. This is obscene. n/t
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waiting for hope Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 09:49 PM
Response to Reply #4
8. What tragic and obscene is that Katrina happened
and destroyed a beloved and historic American city...maybe the Army Corp of Engineers can lend a hand ...:grr:

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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 10:29 PM
Response to Reply #8
12. Yeah, since they've been so competent so far.
:grr:
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Nikki Stone1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 09:29 PM
Response to Original message
5. K & R
:kick:
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blonndee Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 09:32 PM
Response to Original message
6. SICK!
Fuck these sick-ass neocon mafia thugs. I can't even type what I'm thinking right now, but the images MIGHT be tame enough to be shown on the Sopranos. MIGHT be.
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 09:34 PM
Response to Original message
7. "....This nation has been RANSACKED for Bush's War...."
Lather. Rinse. REPEAT.
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likesmountains 52 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 09:57 PM
Response to Original message
9. kick for the late night crew.
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Cabcere Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 09:59 PM
Response to Original message
10. I have no words
for how disgraceful, how horrible, how disgusting it is that this is even happening. :grr: Just...no words. :cry: :puke:
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xultar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 10:01 PM
Response to Original message
11. Thaks Bush! Thanks JoeMentum!
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AspenRose Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 10:31 PM
Response to Original message
13. That's a damn shame.
Guess firefighters are only good for photo ops during election years. :mad:
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 12:54 AM
Response to Reply #13
17. Right? Remember when Bush went down there for a photo op -
Edited on Wed Feb-07-07 12:55 AM by Stephanie

He took photos with NYC firemen who'd gone down there to help. I don't think I saved the pictures, but the NYC firemen had this PLACARD, this giant DISPLAY, with their emblem on it, and you just knew that it had been created by the White House Imagineers (I mean YOU, Scott Sforza) as another phony photo-op backdrop. The idea that they wasted TIME and MONEY on that was so obscene.
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:19 AM
Response to Reply #17
23. Time and money turning the lights on in NOLA for the photo op
and as soon as the Chimp leaves, poof, nothing.

I swear, we'll never see anything so disgusting again in our lives because THERE IS NOTHING MORE DISGUSTING than this crew.
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:25 AM
Response to Reply #23
25. I remember too well >
the clueless asshat couldn't even dress himself >



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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:28 AM
Response to Reply #25
28. Criminal sonuvabitch. HE KNEW THE LEVEES WERE BREACHED
and they didn't warn ANYONE.

That's guilt, right there. That's what homocidal sociopaths look like.
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:34 AM
Response to Reply #28
30. I'm sure you've seen these photos, but in case you haven't >
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:42 AM
Response to Reply #30
35. Hell, I think I remember the thread. This one says everything.


That's all we need to know: we're on our own.

Greg Palast did a piece that was just devastating -- I don't know if you caught it. But he documented how the WH knew about the levees and told no one. He was arrested for that one -- ostensibly because he filmed an energy installation in the background somewhere. I don't think that bothered him much. It was just confirmation that his report was spot on.

I think it's called "Big Easy to Big Empty" but I can't load the link on this machine.
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Octafish Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-06-07 10:48 PM
Response to Original message
14. The crazy monkey sure does know how to USE firefighters...


...for posed photo ops atop the remains of 3,000 human beings,
including 343 of New York City's bravest.

Yet, I still meet people who tell me he's a good man.
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 12:36 AM
Response to Reply #14
15. There are no expletives that are bad enough to use on this one.
I live in FD Central, here in this neighborhood. The guys are probably already trying but maybe I can go talk to one of our FD friends and see what they say. This is just shameful.

The problem with Junior is that he is a firestarter. No wonder his so called "government" isn't taking care of this FD. But, what is Blanco's excuse or Nagin's?

We're watching the collapse of our country, right here. It doesn't seem melodramatic any more to put it in those terms.
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 12:57 AM
Response to Reply #14
18. 3000 people still smoldering the their grave
After he looked the other way and ignored the warnings. He ignored the Katrina warnings too, but he didn't get nearly the same mileage out of it.
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951-Riverside Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 12:41 AM
Response to Original message
16. and just what are the democratic leadership doing about it? n/t
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 12:57 AM
Response to Reply #16
19. You know, maybe we need to gather some info and do a phone in day.
I just can't get over how abandoned the Gulf Coast is. Not just NOLA, but the whole region.

Maybe we could call a laison for that FD and ask them what they'd want in the way of support before we go off half cocked. It would feel good to do SOMETHING. :nuke:
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:03 AM
Response to Reply #19
21. I know all the NYC firehouses would pitch in.
Maybe we really could organize something. SHAME on this WH.
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:09 AM
Response to Reply #21
22. Do you want to try it? I can't stand this. And the thing is
we keep having to go back to the same well while BushCo bankrupts the country.

Did you see that budget hearing in the House on Monday? I just watched a snippet and the members could barely talk about the mess we're in, it was so overwhelming.

I'm up for shot at it, Steph. SHAME is right!

But, I think we should call these guys first and ask them what they would like. I can do that. :)
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:22 AM
Response to Reply #22
24. Well I'm thinking if we did organize, it, we could direct the funds to Leary's org
And earmark them for this firehouse >

http://www.learyfirefighters.org/

What would be great is if we could get the video of the show and distribute DVD's to firehouses and rustle up funds that way. You know those guys would be all over it. How much does it cost to build a firehouse?

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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:26 AM
Response to Reply #24
26. I don't know. We could shoot for 100k. That would get them going
anyway and maybe along the way, our so called government would be shamed into moving.

Distributing the dvd is a great idea. Or, putting it up somewhere would also work -- or both. Using the Leary org as a collection point would be so easy, too.
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:31 AM
Response to Reply #26
29. I think they'd need at least $300,000
Edited on Wed Feb-07-07 01:32 AM by Stephanie
But maybe I'm too used to NY prices.

Shaming the Bush Admin would be well worth the effort. I could probably get in touch with Leary.

Yeah, getting permission from NBC to put it up on youtube would work. No reason they wouldn't agree to that. But I'm thinking if we burn it to DVD and bring it around to firehouses...

I just can't BELIEVE that they have to PASS THE HAT to get their firehouse rebuilt! It's dumbfounding.

How much is the new U.S. "Embassy" in Baghdad going to cost?
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:36 AM
Response to Reply #29
32. Why don't I just call and ask how much they need? Then we'll know.
I was trying to figure from SF prices but, asking is better.

Do you want to call NBC or should I?

And we need a name like "Build the House" or something. We can sleep on that. I prefer "Cover George's Shame" but that's not catchy.

The DVDs could also go to other places. Let's ask school kids to send a quarter. Whatever.

Okay. I can do this for two weeks. Let's see what we can come up with.

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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:41 AM
Response to Reply #32
33. Okay let's talk.
I am jam-packed the next week or so but I can call Leary's outfit and see if they're willing. I can try NBC too. I don't know how we facilitate burning and distributing the DVD's - that would be some effort. E-mail with link to youtube would be easier. But I like the DVDs in the firehouses. I'm sure some other DUers know how to simplify that distribution.
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:45 AM
Response to Reply #33
37.  In the morning. I can find someone to burn the things
and meanwhile, we can come up with distribution targets.

Good idea, Steph. Let's show these Bush bastards that there is a limit and let's show them as publicly as possible. :mad:

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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:01 AM
Response to Reply #16
20. You can't be fucking serious.
We have not even held Congress for a month yet. Save your blame for the people responsible.
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Swamp Rat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:27 AM
Response to Original message
27. k&r
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:35 AM
Response to Reply #27
31. hi honey
Do you know where these guys are located?
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Swamp Rat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:43 AM
Response to Reply #31
36. Yep. The French Quarter:
Engine 7
1441 St. Peter
New Orleans
70116
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:48 AM
Response to Reply #36
39. Thanks, Swampy. I swear, I'm so mad. It would be great if we elected
a Democrat in 08 because being so mad all the time can't be good.
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:56 AM
Response to Reply #36
40. Thanks.
Want to help us on this project? I think we should build them a firehouse.
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Swamp Rat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 03:12 AM
Response to Reply #40
43. thank you
Before I can help anyone else, I need help to fix my house.
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 09:45 AM
Response to Reply #43
44. Of course, sweetie.
God what a mess.
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sandnsea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 05:38 PM
Response to Reply #43
47. So tell me about that
I was watching some program or other and it appears to me people took their insurance and paid off mortgages?? So they have land that's paid for, but no money to rebuild?? Is that what happened? Because I think in normal situations, the insurance money goes to rebuild, not to the bank. Is that the problem you're having?
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OneBlueSky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:41 AM
Response to Original message
34. call the Gates Foundation . . . they have more money than God . . .
of course, what SHOULD happen is all that money being pissed away in Iraq (and soon in Iran) could be re-directed, at least in part, to rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast . . . but since that ain't gonna happen, might as well hit up Bill and Melinda for a donation . . . they'll make it back in interest before the check clears . . .
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:46 AM
Response to Reply #34
38. Okay. Good idea.
:)
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 01:58 AM
Response to Reply #34
41. The Gate Foundation is dedicated to specific projects.
I think the main focus is AIDS meds and vaccines for people in Africa.
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EFerrari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 02:02 AM
Response to Reply #41
42. I think that's right but since they just got a bucket full of bad press
around that, maybe they'd engineer a way around it. We could be their shiney thing, lol.

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OneBlueSky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-08-07 09:53 AM
Response to Reply #41
49. true, but they can change/expand their areas of interest . .. after all, they OWN it . . . n/t
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Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 05:23 PM
Response to Original message
45. How much does it cost to build a firehouse?
Hey Halliburton, can you spare a dime?
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sandnsea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 05:36 PM
Response to Reply #45
46. Several million
Here's bonds for several cities, from $1-25 million. The first one is $6 million for a fire station.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bond+fire+station
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Lisa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-07-07 05:59 PM
Response to Original message
48. "cashpaks" of money wasted in Iraq
Edited on Wed Feb-07-07 06:02 PM by Lisa
Re: earlier comments about money wasted in Iraq -- this describes what happened to the Iraqi oil money, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the accounting turns out to be as loose for the US taxpayers' funds.

http://www.amconmag.com/2005/2005_10_24/cover.html
"The 15-month proconsulship of the CPA disbursed nearly $20 billion, two-thirds of it in cash, most of which came from the Development Fund for Iraq that had replaced the UN Oil for Food Program and from frozen and seized Iraqi assets. Most of the money was flown into Iraq on C-130s in huge plastic shrink-wrapped pallets holding 40 “cashpaks,” each cashpak having $1.6 million in $100 bills. Twelve billion dollars moved that way between May 2003 and June 2004, drawn from accounts administered by the New York Federal Reserve Bank. The $100 bills weighed an estimated 363 tons."
"Thus the country was awash in unaccountable money. British sources report that the CPA contracts that were not handed out to cronies were sold to the highest bidder, with bribes as high as $300,000 being demanded for particularly lucrative reconstruction contracts. The contracts were especially attractive because no work or results were necessarily expected in return. It became popular to cancel contracts without penalty, claiming that security costs were making it too difficult to do the work. A $500 million power-plant contract was reportedly awarded to a bidder based on a proposal one page long. After a joint commission rejected the proposal, its members were replaced by the minister, and approval was duly obtained. But no plant has been built."



By my calculations, a cashpak of $1.6 million dollars in $100 bills, if the 363 tons estimate is correct, would weigh about 97 pounds. (12 billion dollars in hundreds would make up 7500 cashpaks.) So, a 24-lb. stack of hundreds -- 4000 of them -- the report about people playing football with shrink-wrapped "bricks" of hundreds suggests that those things had to be light enough to toss around, and a similar size to a football.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/02/13/bricks-of-money-used-as_n_15584.html

If a 500-sheet pack of copy paper is 2 inches high, a 12-lb. stack of 2000 bills would be around 8 inches high. I have never seen one of those cash "bricks", so perhaps someone who knows better can correct me on the size info ... but it seems to me that a couple of those would be just the thing for rebuilding that firehouse in New Orleans. Pity the American people can't steal it back from the corporate looters!





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