#137: Never Bring Nunchuks To A Gunfight
February 28, 2006
More rules to live by…
I love when guns help to save the day. Kudos to this gentleman in San Francisco (where they’re trying to outlaw guns) who blew away a ninja-style attacker:
An armed man wearing a black, ninja-style mask was shot to death by a Healdsburg man this morning after he attacked the man’s wife outside their home and chased her inside, police said.
The shooting happened about 7:30 a.m. at the end of Sunset Drive, a semi-rural street on the east side of town.
The woman was about to take the couple’s two Wheaton terrier dogs for a walk when the masked man jumped her outside her garage, police said. The woman struggled, broke away and ran screaming into the house, with the attacker in pursuit.
Her screams awoke her husband. The man, whom police identified only as a man in his 60s, “grabbed their handgun, probably a .357 … and fired more than one shot,” Police Chief Susan Jones said.
The attacker died at the scene.
*Sniffle*
I love a happy ending…
Iran: Russia And China Are Bought And Paid For
February 28, 2006
Let’s get back to some business at hand. As riotous as the Jyllands-Posten cartoons have been and as secretive as the UAE port deal has been and as the media mourns the good health of Harry Whittington; Iran has been ramping up their nuke production.
Strategypage points out what we’ve all missed lately:
February 28, 2006: Production of nuclear material has started, the UN knows about it, and Iran doesn’t care…Iran appears pretty confident that China and Russia will provide diplomatic support if the UN tries to stop Iranian nuclear weapons developments via sanctions.
February 27, 2006: In the southwest, where most of Iran’s oil, and Arabs, are found, two bombs went off in government offices. There were four injuries. These bombings have been going on since last Summer. The government blames foreign instigators.
February 26, 2006: Trade between Iran and Russia reached $2 billion in 2005, and may double this year.
February 25, 2006: A [German] investigation revealed that Iran was looking for a long list of forbidden technologies, including those related to ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
Russia will launch an Iranian communications satellite (called Zohre, or Venus) next year. This joint satellite development project was started last year.
The above list only contains the highlights, visit Strategypage for the full article.
Our Kids…Their Kids
February 28, 2006
Our kids take a day off from school if there’s a snow day, a hurricane, or they’re sick. Their kids take a day off from school to rally for murder and burn coffins in the streets.
About 5,000 children chanting “Hang those who insulted the prophet” rallied in Pakistan’s largest city on Tuesday in the latest protest in the Islamic nation against the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
The children, ages 8 to 12, burned a coffin draped in U.S., Israeli and Danish flags at a traffic intersection in the port city of Karachi as police in riot gear looked on.
The rally was organized by Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan’s largest Islamic group. The children, some wearing school uniforms and headbands emblazoned with “God is great,” were released from schools to take part.
Charming.
Related posts: What Is In Store For Our Children?
Dead Soldier’s Home Vandalized
February 28, 2006

SGT Rickey Jones
There are some sick people in the world. Soldiers or their bereaved families have had to endure these kinds of attacks ever since Vietnam. We all tsk tsk, shake our heads, and think that somebody, somewhere, does something about it! My response would likely earn me a stint in jail but I have to wonder if things are getting to the point where we are going to have to do something about this ourselves…
Kokomo, February 27 - For the family who lives in a modest home in Kokomo, the fatal Iraq attack came last week.
Then the attack at home followed.
Vandals defaced the home of Sgt. Rickey Jones’ family. Eggs were thrown and flags were stolen. Sgt. Jones, a Kokomo High School graduate, was one four soldier’s with the 101st killed west of Baghdad last week.
So who, one week before his burial in his hometown, would vandalize a fallen hero’s house?
Neighbor Robyn Ousley is at a loss to explain. “I have no idea, somebody pretty, pretty awful.”
Another friend, Bill Swaggerty, says there is more than vandalism for the family to deal with. “They’re calling here and saying, ‘I’m glad your son is dead’ and it’s wrong.”
The family’s neighbors have closed ranks, bringing food and flying flags at half-staff. All are signs of respect for Sgt. Jones.
Thank g-d for good neighbors in the heartland of America. But apparently, there are more sickos coming in from out of state to harass this grieving family:
The same Kansas church group that has been picketing soldier’s funerals around the U.S. and Indiana will be in Kokomo too. The group claims U.S. soldier deaths are punishment for U.S. tolerance of gays.
Kokomo Police will have extra security and are running extra patrols at the house. Swaggerty, a veteran himself, says he convinced Rickey Jones to join up. He can’t believe Sgt. Jones’ memory would be attacked in this way. “It’s wrong. He would come home on leave. His friends (were) very respectful to my wife and my family. He was a very good kid.”
Swaggerty supports a move in the legislature to keep protesters back from military funerals.
Neighbor Ousley agrees. “He just went over there for us. I think it is awful.”
Services for Sgt. Jones are set for next Monday. In the meantime Kokomo Police have increased patrols around his family’s house.
Please send a card to SGT Jones’ family. Maybe if we flood them with care, we can undo a little of the evil they are enduring.
Kokomo High School
2501 S. Berkley Road
Kokomo, Indiana 46902
UPDATE: March 4, 2006
A Soldier’s Perspective & Gribbit are organizing a letter-writing campaign.
Guard The Borders Blogburst
February 27, 2006
As a parent with two kids in Texas schools, I have a pet peeve. I really, really resent that their education is hampered by kids who can’t speak English. I’ve seen classes that move mind-bogglingly slow as teachers have to work one-on-one with children who shouldn’t be there in the first place. It’s enough to make me grind my teeth in frustration!
I am a big proponent of the immersion method of learning a language. It is my firm belief that once in America, immigrants should learn our language, and the best way is by complete and total immersion. When we lived in Mexico, we placed my son into a public school in the local village so that he could learn the language more rapidly. I continued to teach him at home what he needed to know to keep his education above American standards, and his classroom experience was for language purposes only. We asked for no special considerations, we just did what was necessary. It was not easy, but it worked.
That is only one of the reasons it is so offensive to see our tax dollars paying for immigrants, many of them here illegally, to receive special dispensations because they can’t (or won’t) learn our language! But why should they learn, when almost everything is bi-lingual anyways?
Recently in Arizona, an activist judge has ruled that it’s not enough that American citizens pay for a free education for the children of illegal aliens, and it’s not enough that the classes are dumbed-down for non-English speakers, but now the taxpayers must pay exorbitant funds to provide special classes for children who don’t speak English!
One of the most outrageous examples of out-of-control judges is the case called Flores v. Arizona, now pending in federal court in Tucson. Originally filed in 1992, plaintiff lawyers claim to represent an estimated 160,000 children of illegal immigrants attending Arizona public schools.
The case seeks to force Arizona taxpayers to pay for bringing these children, euphemistically called English Language Learners, up to grade level. The lawyers are trying to accomplish this by turning a state legislative issue into a federal judicial command.
The background for attempting to accord special “rights†to non-American, non-English speaking residents was predicated on a case in Alabama where liberals tried to add the word “language†to the Civil Rights Act, thereby making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of language. While the case was originally successful in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, it was reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Based upon that, Arizona Judge Alfredo C. Marquez, appointed by Jimmy Carter, ruled against the Arizona taxpayers, but had enough restraint to recognize that he could not substitute the court’s “educational values and theories for the educational and political decisions reserved to state or local school authorities.” Nevertheless, he tasked the legislature with performing a cost study.
Over the next few years, the Arizona legislature passed three bills for this special funding. However, none of them were as large as Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, wanted and so she vetoed all three. Governor Napolitano wanted the Arizona Legislature to appropriate nearly $1,200 per immigrant child, totaling $192 million, without accountability for how it was to be spent. Obviously, the governor, with the judge’s ruling on her side, could sit and wait until the legislature saw things her way.
Unfortunately, the next judge in succession of Marquez, upped the ante. Appointed by Bill Clinton, Judge Ramer C. Collins, decided to punitively fine the Arizona State Legislature for not funding special accommodations for non-English speaking students.
In December 2005, Collins imposed fines of $500,000 a day, escalating to $2 million a day, for every day that the legislature fails to authorize funding acceptable to the governor.
[…]
Since Jan. 25, millions of dollars in court-ordered fines have been accumulating. If this continues to the end of the legislative session, the fines will total more than $77 million.
Who knew that an activist judge could legislate taxes and state funding?
If there is any issue that should be clearly and exclusively a function of the legislature elected by the people it is the matter of raising taxes and spending the people’s money. Unfortunately, there are many supremacist judges who think they (in this case, a judge and a governor) can order the legislature to raise taxes and tell them how to spend taxpayer money.
While many Americans in other states think that these problems are confined to the four states with Hispanic majorities (TX, CA, AZ, and NM) - think again. Small towns across America are finding their educational systems utterly compromised by an influx of illegal workers and their families: Melrose, MN; Delavan, WI; Herndon, VA; Wassau, WI; Des Moines, IA; Raleigh, NC; Fort Myers, FL; Sioux Falls, SD; Grand Rapids, MI and North Platte, NE. Still think it’s not your problem?!
As one small town resident has said, “I, along with millions of other American citizens, am sick and tried of the politicians and others treating illegal aliens like honored guests! They are not honored, and they are not guests.â€
H/T: American Daughter
This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It is syndicated by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we’re going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration in our country, join the Blogburst! Send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.
A Little Creaky This Monday Mornin’
February 27, 2006
Hey. It was a long and very busy weekend. So I’m starting a little slow this morning. Plus, I am suprisingly sore from my day at the range yesterday. I haven’t fired a 12-gauge shotgun in a loooong time, and I am feelin’. it. today.
My husband has a gorgeous shotgun and he makes shooting clays look so effortless. I’d forgotten the feel of it - it’s heavy and with a lot of kick that I’m feeling today in my shoulder. Then I tried my son’s 20-gauge, which required a cocking action between shots. Damn if that kid ain’t a fine shot! If he missed his first shot at the clay, he’d cock his gun and blast it on his second shot before it hit the ground. He had me beat, for sure! He had the process down pat, while I bungled the cocking action and always missed my second shot. My son consoled me with, “That’s OK, Mom - you have to get used to it. Just be sure you hit the target the first time, and then you won’t have to worry about it.” Oh. Ok, then.
I felt a lot better about my gun skills when we moved down to the pistol range. I love handguns, and am working to prove myself worthy of a Kimber. :D I’m very proud of my daughter who’s hitting her target at 5o feet way better than I’d expect of a 7 year old! She was doing better than the fat guy next to us who kept looking askance at her! What - he hasn’t seen a pretty blonde angel with a gun in her hands before?! LOL
BTW, for anyone who may be wondering, my kids have excellent, ingrained range safety skills. As for me, all was fun and games until my husband suggested we gamble the laundry duty (which I abhor) on who shot the best. He’s pretty savvy that way. No doubt he was fairly motivated, but not nearly as much as I was. So I choked. And lost.
Still, a very fine way to spend a gorgeous and warm Sunday afternoon. Despite a little creakiness and a few extra shoulder bruises, I am in high spirits this morning.
However, I’m only into my first cup of coffee and it’s a very busy Monday morning, so I suggest any lurking trolls hold onto today’s dose of Stoopid until after I’ve finished my second cup - then I can multi-task more efficiently.
Speaking of which, have you noticed that we’ve been inundated with trollage lately? They seem to be in-season - or maybe it’s cyclical. Who knows? But they are peeving me more than usual. They slink into our house and then proceed to leave steaming piles of crap everywhere. They are not interested in a true discussion or spirited debate because they start out their very first comment to us with a slap in the face and a stack of insults. Then, if they’re cry-babies like valley of the wolves, they whine about our rudeness, completely oblivious to their own stinky hypocrisy. Or, if they’re unrequited stalkers like Thinking Meat, with way too much time on their hands, they go out and start their own I Hate Kit And Heidi And All Their Friends Website where they can rip on us to their hearts conent. (I actually don’t mind that, because it’s quite an indication of our effectiveness.)
The most irksome things about trolls is that they are COWARDS. They don’t leave an email address or their own blog URL, because then they may be accountable for the consequences of their stupidity. Thus, they ooze around under the cloak of anonymity, but bitch and moan when they’re treated less than mannerly. Doesn’t the hypocrisy make you laugh?!
This morning, I happened to read a troll smack-down by the ever-so-erudite Kender that really resonated with me. It goes like this:
BY THE WAY YOU COWARDLY ASSFUCKED SQUIRELLNUTTED FELCHER, if you are going to come on to THIS SITE and leave baited comments without so much as a link to your site expect even more abuse. It is traitorous assmunchers like you that give hope to the enemy and make me want to find you and feed you a big fat nasty mexican diaper.
Go pray to ST. FU and stay the fuck off of here unless you have the balls to state your opinions on a site where I can go shit on your pages.
Asshat!!!!
Heh. It’s nice to know there are still some folks out there with originality like that. “Big, fat nasty mexican diaper?” I don’t know what that is, but it’s grossing me out anyway!
Alright. On that note, I ‘ll just say “Happy Monday, y’all.”
Sunday Morning Coffee
February 26, 2006
Heidi and I are getting some stuff done this weekend, so I’m just going to throw a few things up for you. You may have seen some of this, but some you haven’t.
Courts in the UK are still trying to kill Baby Charlotte. This one is Terri Schiavo with a twist: The parents want her care to continue, but the doctors and courts say it’s not worth it. What kind of crap is that? Disgusting crap, that’s what. I think all parties involved need 5 minutes in a padded room with Chuck Norris.
An Islamic school in Chicago wants their girls’ basketball team to be able to play games against more than just other 3 other Islamic schools in the area. The problem is, they want the public schools to agree not to let any males over the age of puberty come to the games. Heidi thinks this is a publicity stunt, since we all know that not accomodating some group’s personal wishes always equals discrimination according to the moonbats. They also batted around the idea of making the girls dress in sweatpants, long sleeves, and a head covering while they play. I say that if they want to play a sport, then they can play by the accepted rules for everyone else. The fact that they’re even comfortable enough making the request to not have males at the game is ridiculous. These people need a full half-hour in the Chuck Norris room.
The quarterback at the Naval Academy has been charged with rape. Not many details have been released about the attack, including why a young man with the world at his feet would need to rape a girl to get laid. I realize it’s politically incorrect to ask the question, but we are. The guy could probably have any girl he wanted. Why rape one? He’s well-liked, religious, and a stellar player. Something’s fishy here. We’re going to reserve final judgment until more facts come out, but here’s our preliminary vote: He’s innocent. We sentence the idiot chick that accused him to one minute with Chuck Norris. (It’s a small punishment because of the minute chance she’s telling the truth.)
Alright then. I’m off to keep a promise to the eight year old about the zoo.
Wordmasters
February 25, 2006
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
- Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911-2004)
Cindy Sheevez Takes Her Treason To Germany
February 25, 2006
Oh that this cancerous blight on our nation would expire already! How long is 15 minutes supposed to last anyway?!
As much as I celebrate when Sheevez leaves the country, it’s downright embarressing having her insincere, butt-ugly mug show up as a representation of America’s absolute worst trash. Getting Sheevez out of our country is a lot like I imagine what passing kidney stones would be - excruciating but such a freakin’ relief (or so I’ve heard).
Here’s the Stars and Stripes article about Sheevez’s impending international bullshit visit, via Mudville Gazette:
RAMSTEIN, Germany — Cindy Sheehan, mother of a soldier killed in Iraq and the woman who protested the war last summer outside President Bush’s Texas ranch, is scheduled to bring her anti-war message to U.S. military installations in Germany next month.
“[We’ve already heard] that Cindy Sheehan is like Hanoi Jane [Fonda] coming here,†said Elsa Rassbach, an event organizer with American Voices Abroad, which is supporting Sheehan’s trip.
But, she said, “We’re here to just democratically talk about U.S. policy.â€
On March 11, protesters plan to walk from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to a parking lot just outside Ramstein Air Base, where Sheehan will be at a “camp,†paying tribute to those who have died in the Iraq war.
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“Cindy will be with us at Camp Casey Landstuhl/Ramstein to call attention to the fact that Germany is Europe’s logistical hub for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and others threatening Iran and the Middle East,†according to an event flier. “Germany has the power to stop the further use of U.S. bases in Germany for illegal wars and criminal methods of warfare — the power and the right to just say no!â€
Organizers are hoping to erect the camp — known as Camp Casey for Sheehan’s son — in a parking lot outside Ramstein Air Base’s west gate. The parking lot is under German jurisdiction, said Erin Zagursky, an Air Force spokeswoman at the base. Protest organizers are meeting with city officials in Ramstein and Landstuhl to gain permission for their event.
Sheehan’s goals are to bring the troops home and have peace on earth, she said in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes.
Her son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, 24, was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004. Sheehan said in an e-mail she was too busy for a phone interview with Stars and Stripes.
“I don’t know anything about the visit,†she wrote. “It is being arranged by some people in Germany.â€
With the Kaiserslautern military community home to more than 50,000 Americans with military ties, Sheehan could face a rough welcome. When asked for comment Wednesday on Sheehan’s upcoming visit, several soldiers in Kaiserslautern asked if they could be quoted anonymously.
One soldier, who recently returned from Iraq, did give his name but didn’t have much to say about Sheehan.
“Anything I would have to say about her, you couldn’t print,†Army Staff Sgt. Mark Genthner said.
Here are some further logistical details about Cindy’s infliction of her malignant personage onto the military wounded of Landstuhl visit:
Beginning March 9, Sheehan’s European visit will take her to Frankfurt, Aachen, Landstuhl and Ramstein in Germany. On March 13, Sheehan is scheduled to have a news conference in Paris, and the following day will address the European Union parliament in Strasbourg, France.
A protest organizer in Landstuhl said he was asked by others, including some of the 732 members of the European Union parliament, to arrange the protest involving Sheehan.
“The meeting with Cindy Sheehan is coming to us by an offer of members of the European Union in Strasbourg,†said Detlev Besier, a Protestant reverend in Landstuhl. “They asked whether it was possible or not to visit Ramstein Air Base and the hospital. It was not our idea. We were asked whether it was possible or not.â€
On March 11, protesters would like to bring gifts, such as books, flowers and homemade goods, to the wounded troops at Landstuhl to show “solidarity to the soldiers wounded in the Iraq War,†according to the event flier.
“We want to make it very clear to soldiers and staff there, we are glad that there is a good medical facility for the wounded,†Rassbach said. “We just want less wounded troops and for this to go away.â€
Officials at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center have received no requests for the group to visit the hospital or make donations, said Marie Shaw, hospital spokeswoman.
Rassbach said she did not know what response servicemembers would have to Sheehan’s appearance outside Ramstein Air Base.
“Some press and some opponents say that Cindy is coming as their enemy,†Rassbach said. “Our message is ‘support our soldiers, bring them home, take care of them.’ That’s what we’re about.â€
I only have this to say to that stupid, stupid Rassback woman who doesn’t have a clue how the servicemembers feel about Cindy Sheevez: if the American military deems you an enemy, you mosty certainly ARE an enemy. Beware.
Mudville agrees: “Until today I never heard anyone at work even discuss this woman. Today I heard a lot of unprintable comments. The area they’re hoping to use to set up Camp Lookatmeimontv is a very heavily trafficked road - cars will be virtually parked there in the heavy morning ‘rush’ inbound to the gates at Ramstein. If Cindy’s handlers get their wish they’ll learn a lot about what the troops think of them.”
Patiently Waiting, a military spouse in Germany, who first brought the news to the blogosphere’s attention, will be there:
Sadly I can’t organize a protest because of work. I can still be there and of course will post any information about meeting times if people “just show up.”
I even have a little slogan for my sign to carry “Cindy, support the troops not your ego. Love, a Blue Star Wife“
Iraq War News notes several items of interest:
Yeah. Sure. Did anyone tell this woman [Rassbach] that “Hanoi Jane” isn’t a term of endearment?? I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard a moonbat call her Hanoi Jane!
[...]
Media glut Cindy (did you notice that the whole thing is one big news conference?) just might find that she’ll have met her match and then some in Soldiers’ Angels Germany!
Soldier’s Angels Germany is planning a little welcome party.
I’ve had some informative email and telephone conversations with others in Germany since posting this. Check back for updates, and email me if you’d like to participate in the welcome party.
Finally, Blackfive points out the most horrifically insidious intent of all:
Landstuhl is usually the first stop for our wounded coming back from the war on their way to Walter Reed or Bethesda or Brooke (San Antonio).
Sheehan is trying to get Germans to not support the war by demonstrating where our wounded can see her. The goal is to get Germany to deny the use of American bases in support of the war…por ejemplo, she wants Germany to deny our use of a hospital to care for our wounded coming back from Iraq.
Evidently, Sheehan wants our troops to die instead of receiving care to stabilize enough to survive the flight back to the States. Once this horrific intent gets enough attention from us, watch her deny it or claim that she’s being used by other groups, but that’s the purpose of the protest.
South Dakota Shows Us How It’s Done
February 25, 2006
God bless the folks in my former home state. Instead of sitting around complaining about abortion, they simply stepped up and passed a law banning it.
[The bill] would make it a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless it was necessary to save the woman’s life. The measure would make no exception in cases of rape or incest.
Now this is really ballsy. They’ve actually paid attention to the fact that only slightly over 1% of all abortions in this country are because of rape or incest, according to Planned Parenthood’s own research firm, and decided not to even include it in their bill.
So what now? Abortions ‘R’ Us says it plans to sue, so chances are good that this will land smack dab in the middle of Chief Justice John Robert’s desk as a challenge to Roe. Since morally I believe abortion should be banned, and governmentally I think it should be left to the states, you can imagine how excited I am by the prospect of Roe perhaps getting overturned.
Muslim Babe - Deeyah
February 24, 2006
I’m just wondering how long before the Muslims riot and murder over this one???
Deeyah - called the Muslim Madonna (how’s that for an oxymoron?), doesn’t just talk about freeing herself - she does in the sexiest, most volatile way possible. Her video, What Will It Be? (Quicktime link), deals with Muslim women’s rights and female empowerment, and also features Muslim women who have fought for freedom of expression. I mean, even by Western standards this video is HOT!
The singer, who was born in Norway but moved to the UK after her act alienated her from the Muslim community, has been forced to cancel performances and hire a team of bodyguards after inciting anger from British Muslims as well.
“I can’t walk around without bodyguards. I would be lying if I said abuse from religious fanatics did not upset or scare me,” the 28-year-old, dubbed as the ‘Muslim Madonna’ was quoted by Contactmusic, as saying.
Asian music TV network B4U TV dropped the video after receiving complaints.
“We played the video a couple of times and then did not play it again. We had threats which we were forced to take very seriously. These things are sensitive issues,” an employee said.
Now, seriously, this babe has got to have some serious fatwahs coming her way. She’s got more courage in her pinky than ALL of Europe’s and America’s editors, with their faux “horror” over those lame cartoons, put together. They should be ashamed of themselves.
In the video, some of the lyrics are directed to religious zealots and it asks “What are you doing watching this video?” Good point. How many self-righteous Muslim men will covertly watch this thing over and over, ostensibly to curse her sin, but in reality because they can only DREAM. They’ll hate her for making them want her.
Watch Deeyah’s provacative video.
H/T: Malkin
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
February 24, 2006
Back in September, when Houston was still laboring its collective ass off to assist, accomodate, and nurture the Katrina evacuees, Ranting Right Wing Howler was bold enough to ask the obvious: how long will the Mr. Nice Guy act last? Back then, while we Houstonians were still oblivious to our impending doom due to the sweat of hard labor blurring our vision, he clearly saw the obvious: Houston was inheriting the nastiest dregs of the most crime-ridden city in America.
NOLA’s New Chocolate Recipe
February 24, 2006
Mayor Nagin, so proud of wanting to keep his city “chocolate”, is now getting a little finicky about the types of chocolate that can be used is his recipe:
New Orleans doesn’t want its poorest residents back — unless they agree to work.
That was the message from three New Orleans City Council members who said government programs have “pampered” the city’s residents for too long.
The news that some New Orleans City Council members weren’t keen on the city’s poorest returning home added another layer of discomfort in Houston, where local residents and elected officials alike have stretched to meet the needs of thousands of Louisiana residents in the months after Hurricane Katrina.
Chief among the complaints: Houston didn’t discriminate when New Orleanians — from the poorest to the richest — filled this city’s homes, hotels, motels and shelters. And Houston didn’t flinch when nearly 100,000 evacuees needed subsidized housing for up to a year. So why, asked one Houston city councilman, are only the educated, healthy and employable welcome back in New Orleans?
Having kept tabs on what the Katrina evacuees have been up to (metaphorically speaking) while on their six month long all-expenses-paid vacation in Houston, the NOLA officials are getting even more specific about the chocolate they don’t want back:
“We don’t need soap opera watchers right now,” said New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas, during a housing committee meeting. “We’re going to target the people who are going to work. It’s not that I’m fed up, but that at some point there has to be a whole new level of motivation, and people have got to stop blaming the government for something they ought to do.”
[...]
…Thomas, who is black, reiterated that his remarks were intended for African-Americans.“There’s just been a lot of pampering, and at some point you have to say, ‘No, no, no, no, no.’ … If our legs don’t hurt, you can walk somewhere,” he said. “I’m saying these things to motivate my people.”
Now, just wait a minute, says Houston:
“When this Katrina situation developed, we welcomed people with arms wide open,” [Councilman M.J. Khan, whose district has absorbed most of the city's evacuees] said.”We never scrutinized who should be coming into the city, we never turned anyone back. In the same way New Orleans cannot now say that everyone who is disabled, or cannot work, should have to stay in Houston.”
Shortly after Katrina struck New Orleans — and with Houston’s shelters and hotels full — Mayor Bill White and other local officials devised a plan to provide long-term housing for evacuees.
More than 80,000 evacuees signed up for the program, which provided one year of rent-free living in an apartment as well as free electricity and gas.
Houstonian Laurence says that Houston is the rug that New Orleans is apparently sweeping its trash under:
Houstonians, aren’t you glad that New Orleans wants to make your city the equivalent of a landfill site for New Orleans unemployable garbage? Gives me a warm feeling inside, like a hot poker jammed up the ass.



