From: Ann Rodgers [mailto:arodgers@Post-Gazette.com]
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2005 10:43 AM
To: 'Publana'
Subject: RE: Mistake
Dear Ms. Pulana
Due to e-mails such as yours I called the Red Cross again to make sure I had not misunderstood them in our conversations about Homeland Security and FEMA. (The F stands for Federal). They said my story was not in error. I also have had a long conversation with Major George Hood, the national spokesman for the Salvation Army, who told me that the decision to to keep aid agencies out of downtown New Orleans was made jointly by the Louisiana Homeland Security department and FEMA.
After many calls to the federal Dept. of Homeland Security (of which FEMA is a division), both before I wrote the article and after it ran, their spokeswoman finally returned my call. She had no idea whether the federal dept. was a party to the decision to keep the Red Cross out. She said she would get back to me after she checked it out, and I am waiting to hear from her.
The Louisiana Department of Homeland Security and and Emergency Preparedness is currently impossible to reach because whatever phone lines are working down there are overwhelmed.
If the story is in error I will be more than happy to write a correction, but so far I have no evidence that that is the case.
Sincerely,
Ann
Ann Rodgers
Religion reporter
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
34 Blvd. of the Allies
Pittsburgh PA 15222
412-263-1416
1-800-234-6990 ext. 1416
arodgers@post-gazette.com
Fax: 412-391-8452
www.post-gazette.com
I guess she knows better than FOX and CNN
Why do they have a RELIGION REPORTER writing articles on National Catastrophies??? She appears dumber than a rock!