Haley Barbour wants you to drown

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

marmar  (1000+ posts)        Fri May-13-11 05:22 PM
Original message
Haley Barbour to Mississippi's poor: Drown Dead 
 
MS Governor to Poor Residents Facing Historic Floods: Good Luck, You're Basically on Your Own


Let's say you're the governor of a state that's about to face near record-breaking floods, and those floods are expected to disproportionately affect one of the most poverty-stricken areas of the United States. What would be on your agenda? Mobilizing an evacuation plan, pehaps? Or maybe preparing to offer state assistance to flood victims?

If you were Mississippi Governor Haley "Segregation Wasn't Really So Bad" Barbour, apparently this would be your game plan instead:

As the water rose, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour moved furniture out of his lake house outside Vicksburg on family land that was inundated during the 1927 flood. A week ago, he urged residents to flee low-lying areas, saying that the state wouldn't assist the evacuations and that people should help one another secure their property and get out.

That's right, you'd make sure the furniture in your lake house was taken care of, and tell the poor residents of your state that they should figure things out themselves. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/587473/ms_... /

emphasis added

Barbour has only been warning people for a week?

THAT BASTARD!

Hey lurking DUmbasses, what do you want him to do? The National Guard can't move people's personal belongings.

And I'm pretty sure "low-lying area" isn't synonymous with "exclusively poor."

Barbour is no Ray Nagin, that's for sure.

[Randy]

Only a weeks warning? That bastard! 

[debk]

Heard about this yesterday...only it wasn't Barbour, it was Bobby Jindal telling LA people they needed to move themselves and possessions to higher ground.

He also said that HE had no control over flooding the smaller towns...it's the Army Corps of Engineers who are making the decisions as to whether or not to flood the small towns.

The river is not expected to crest in Vicksburg until the 19th.

Personally, I have a problem with whoever it is making the decisions to flood the smaller towns. The way it keeps raining, all over the place adding more and more water to many of the rivers that feed into the Mississippi, New Orleans and Baton Rouge may flood no matter what flood gates or levees are opened. 

Why should people who have worked all their lives for what they have, be sacrificed to protect NO and BR....are they not as important? If it was my property that was going to be sacrificed...I'd be seriously pissed. Who's going to pay to help those that are deliberately flooded? Is there really a way to pay for all that they lose?

The water is already highly contaminated in the Memphis area, it's only going to get worse as it continues downstream.

I had an insurance adjustor here at my house today, for the damage done over 2 weeks ago. He told me there are so many adjustors in town, he could almost didn't find a hotel room(he was sent here from Wisconsin), and he came in a week ago last Monday. He said he expects to be here for several weeks and probably months...and that insurance companies are overwhelmed with trying to get adjustors out to TN, AL, MS, because the damage is so extensive. I was his number 48.

He also said he had no clue, how long it would take to do the flood areas, because they aren't even making a dent in the tornado/hail damages from this storm (April 20). This type of widespread severe damage is unprecendented. And the "hits" just keep coming.

[BattleHymn]

A week's notice?  You are complaining about a WEEKS notice?  Seriously? 


No wonder there aren't many primitives left in Tornado Alley. 

[DLR Pyro]

You could give those DUmmies a 3 month advance notice and they would be too lazy to put the bong down to save their own possessions and would be complaining that the government is not coming in and doing all the heavy lifting for them. 

It all comes down to personal responsibility.  Conservatives have it and liberals do not.

[I_B_Perky]

Heard about this yesterday...only it wasn't Barbour, it was Bobby Jindal telling LA people they needed to move themselves and possessions to higher ground.

He also said that HE had no control over flooding the smaller towns...it's the Army Corps of Engineers who are making the decisions as to whether or not to flood the small towns.

The river is not expected to crest in Vicksburg until the 19th.

Personally, I have a problem with whoever it is making the decisions to flood the smaller towns. The way it keeps raining, all over the place adding more and more water to many of the rivers that feed into the Mississippi, New Orleans and Baton Rouge may flood no matter what flood gates or levees are opened. 

Why should people who have worked all their lives for what they have, be sacrificed to protect NO and BR....are they not as important? If it was my property that was going to be sacrificed...I'd be seriously pissed. Who's going to pay to help those that are deliberately flooded? Is there really a way to pay for all that they lose?

The water is already highly contaminated in the Memphis area, it's only going to get worse as it continues downstream.

I had an insurance adjustor here at my house today, for the damage done over 2 weeks ago. He told me there are so many adjustors in town, he could almost didn't find a hotel room(he was sent here from Wisconsin), and he came in a week ago last Monday. He said he expects to be here for several weeks and probably months...and that insurance companies are overwhelmed with trying to get adjustors out to TN, AL, MS, because the damage is so extensive. I was his number 48.

He also said he had no clue, how long it would take to do the flood areas, because they aren't even making a dent in the tornado/hail damages from this storm (April 20). This type of widespread severe damage is unprecendented. And the "hits" just keep coming.

I can understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately this plan has been in place since the last great flood... circa 1927 if I remember correctly. I think the big worry is the Mississippi creating a new channel to the Alf-whatever river. They opened the flood gates back in the early 70's if I remember correctly after they built them in the 50's.

My point is that if you live on the downside of a floodgate, you need to understand that said floodgate may be opened. I wouldn't live there.

Having said all that... my house is in 100 yards from a river and I understand that it can get flooded if you have a hundred year event. That is why I have flood insurance. Now it has never flooded here, but the water has gotten real high a couple of times in the last 20 years.

[DumbAss Tanker]

As I understand it, the spillway they opened was expected to be overtopped by the crest if they kept it closed, so the decision really doesn't have a viable alternative.  I haven't seen anything reported even half-assed knowledgeable on the engineering aspects of this, and maybe the Corps doesn't really want to talk about it, but if the structure was overtopped that would likely be 'really bad' since they aren't really designed for that and there is a chance such an event could damage it with structural breakdown, which would cause much worse results.

[diesel driver]

I can understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately this plan has been in place since the last great flood... circa 1927 if I remember correctly. I think the big worry is the Mississippi creating a new channel to the Alf-whatever river. They opened the flood gates back in the early 70's if I remember correctly after they built them in the 50's.

My point is that if you live on the downside of a floodgate, you need to understand that said floodgate may be opened. I wouldn't live there.

Having said all that... my house is in 100 yards from a river and I understand that it can get flooded if you have a hundred year event. That is why I have flood insurance. Now it has never flooded here, but the water has gotten real high a couple of times in the last 20 years.

I've seen the Kanawha River flood long stretches of US 35 past the Amos Power Plant (had to drive thru it), and the Coal River flood a lot of St. Albans. 

Thankfully, the only thing that got wet on my truck was my brakes.  I'd no sooner get them dried out than I had to cross high water again.   

[JohnnyReb]

You could give those DUmmies a 3 month advance notice and they would be too lazy to put the bong down to save their own possessions and would be complaining that the government is not coming in and doing all the heavy lifting for them. 

It all comes down to personal responsibility.  Conservatives have it and liberals do not.

They expect the government to buy them all water-wings and then come down and put them on them personally.

I'd put a cement block on each arm.

[DefiantSix]

As I understand it, the spillway they opened was expected to be overtopped by the crest if they kept it closed, so the decision really doesn't have a viable alternative.  I haven't seen anything reported even half-assed knowledgeable on the engineering aspects of this, and maybe the Corps doesn't really want to talk about it, but if the structure was overtopped that would likely be 'really bad' since they aren't really designed for that and there is a chance such an event could damage it with structural breakdown, which would cause much worse results.

I was in Mesa during the winter of '92/'93 when the Horse Mesa dam was overtopped during 17 straight days of rain that winter.  As I recall, it took APS 18 months to get the 6 feet knocked out of the top of that dam by debris replaced.

[GOBUCKS]

No one will know the significance of opening this spillway until nadin explains it.
Nadin knows hydraulics.

[BlueStateSaint]

No one will know the significance of opening this spillway until nadin explains it.
Nadin knows hydraulics.

It's in the script, don't 'cha know . . .

[I_B_Perky]

I've seen the Kanawha River flood long stretches of US 35 past the Amos Power Plant (had to drive thru it), and the Coal River flood a lot of St. Albans. 

Thankfully, the only thing that got wet on my truck was my brakes.  I'd no sooner get them dried out than I had to cross high water again.   

LOL. Been there, done that and got the tee shirt!!! Especially out Coal River Road after you get to Tornado. Fortunately down in St. Albans proper we have high banks where US 60 runs so that keeps the Kanawha at bay. I have seen it get almost to flood stage though a couple of times. I was sweating some bullets those days. 94 was the scariest. It got really high and all of the lower side of Roadside Park was underwater. Backed the streams up that run to the river and we had 6 inches of water sloshing around.

[I_B_Perky]

As I understand it, the spillway they opened was expected to be overtopped by the crest if they kept it closed, so the decision really doesn't have a viable alternative.  I haven't seen anything reported even half-assed knowledgeable on the engineering aspects of this, and maybe the Corps doesn't really want to talk about it, but if the structure was overtopped that would likely be 'really bad' since they aren't really designed for that and there is a chance such an event could damage it with structural breakdown, which would cause much worse results.

I ain't no engineer, don't play one on TV and didn't stay in a Holiday Inn last night, but I could see where if the water got over top of the structure it might undermine the integrity of it. I'm guessing it's designed to have some pressure on it. Maybe it ain't like that. Dunno.

[GOBUCKS]

Fortunately down in St. Albans proper we have high banks where US 60 runs so that keeps the Kanawha at bay.

I haven't been in St. Albans since I-64 opened. I remember the Union Carbide chemical plant odor on Rt. 60 as a kid. I can never keep St. Albans, Nitro, and Dunbar straight, but I remember playing golf at Scarlet Oaks, near there. Beautiful golf course.

[I_B_Perky]

I haven't been in St. Albans since I-64 opened. I remember the Union Carbide chemical plant odor on Rt. 60 as a kid. I can never keep St. Albans, Nitro, and Dunbar straight, but I remember playing golf at Scarlet Oaks, near there. Beautiful golf course.

Yes it is a beautiful golf course and is still there. That's down Poca way on the north side of the river down US 25.  Nitro and Dunbar are on the north side of the river. South Charleston and St. Albans are on the south side. The odor you smelled was from the Monsanto plant in Nitro. Rotten eggs smell. Stunk to high heaven. I hated going to Nitro, especially in the summer. The people there were immune to it for it some reason. 

St. Albans always got the ammonia smell from the Dupont plant at Institute. That is where the chemical that killed all those people in India, MIC I think it was, is still processed. It blew up last year.  I could see the flames from my house. I was damned glad the wind that night was north. 

[jukin]

How come Obama is not lowering the river?

Side note, Know why the rivers are all flooding?  GLOBAL WARMING brought record cold and snow that is now melting.

[DefiantSix]

How come Obama is not lowering the river?

Side note, Know why the rivers are all flooding?  GLOBAL WARMING brought record cold and snow that is now melting.

Damn you, AlGore!!

[GOBUCKS]

Damn you, AlGore!!

Don't curse Algore. If he hadn't invented the internet, you would never have heard of global warming.

[DefiantSix]

Don't curse Algore. If he hadn't invented the internet, you would never have heard of global warming.

ooooh.  You're right.  "Lord, I apologize for that there, and please be with all the starving pigmies in New Guinea.  Amen."