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New Orleans to Sell Flooded Buses on EBay
AP ^ | 03/28/06 | Ap

Posted on 03/28/2006 7:31:36 PM PST by Pikamax

Starved for cash, the New Orleans school district is taking a long shot and hoping to sell its flooded, unsalvageable school buses on eBay.

Some submerged to their roofs in the black flood waters, the yellow school buses were widely photographed in the days after Hurricane Katrina and have become an icon of the city's devastated school system.

School officials acknowledge the sale of the buses on the Internet auction site may puzzle some people used to more traditional school fundraisers like bake sales.

"There's no shame in it. Not one bit," said school board president Phyllis Landrieu. "This is a new mechanism for selling things. I think it's very upbeat what we're doing."

Only 23 of 117 Orleans Parish public schools have reopened. They face a $111 million shortfall - about a quarter of the district's $430 million annual operating budget. The district also has $264 million in outstanding debt, carried over from before Hurricane Katrina.

A total of 85 schools flooded, and wind damaged many more. It took three months for the first public school to reopen. Now, the schools that are holding classes have around 9,500 students, about 15 percent of the 60,000 enrolled before the storm.

The school district plans to put one bus up for sale on eBay this week. If it succeeds, more of the 259 ruined buses will be offered.

"It's an example of how bad the situation is that we would have to come up with this idea," said Richard White, schools spokesman.

The district plans to contract out its student transportation.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: auction; bakesale; boondoggle; buses; busing; ebay; katrina; mayornagin; neworleanflood; neworleans; pubilcschools; taxdollarsatwork; youpayforthis
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To: windcliff

ping


61 posted on 03/28/2006 8:51:27 PM PST by stylecouncilor
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To: CindyDawg

Of course I wonder how much dirt you could put on the top of one of those and not have it collapse? They are rounded? I was imagining a couple of feet of dirt.


62 posted on 03/28/2006 8:53:56 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: Delta 21
Hey I'm a Red Neck expert. They are in to function and not trim. Once it works, it's what next? :') A roll of duct tape keeps um happy for hours. Fortunately most of them marry trimmers that go behind them, making things presentable. I'm debating showing this to my husband. I will not have one showing in my back yard though!
63 posted on 03/28/2006 8:55:27 PM PST by CindyDawg
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To: DannyTN

The newer ones do. We had a tragic accident here years back and some kids drown. I'm pretty sure a law was passed. Maybe just in Texas though.


64 posted on 03/28/2006 8:58:39 PM PST by CindyDawg
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To: DannyTN

I would think you would need a frame. That would be a lot of weight Maybe a deck? I've been looking at the pre made ones which is probably the way we will go. Pricy though.


65 posted on 03/28/2006 9:00:35 PM PST by CindyDawg
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To: VeniVidiVici

The Landrieu family tree branches probably all come back together at some point.


66 posted on 03/28/2006 9:02:56 PM PST by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, DemocRATs believe every day is April 15th. - Reagan)
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To: CindyDawg

Yeah I've looked at the pre made ones too. and they are pricey. Plus I think Texas is the only ones making them.


67 posted on 03/28/2006 9:13:02 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: Pikamax
I have an incredible time trying to wrap my mind around these concepts...

A school district that presently serves less than one sixth of the students enrolled prior to the hurricane is facing a shortfall of a quarter of it's (prior to Katrina) operating budget?

Hello? Is math an optional subject here? You're serving less than 20 percent of the student population you were serving. You should be swimming in cash. FEMA is providing funds for repair of every hurricane damaged school, so it's not facilities that are torching the budget.

We're handling this completely wrong. Idiocy of this grade deserves public hangings.
68 posted on 03/28/2006 9:17:52 PM PST by kingu (Liberalism: The art of sticking your fingers in your ears and going NANANANA..)
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To: peyton randolph

Does each bus come with a chocolate bar?



Yep, and it is delivered by "brown" UPS trucks!!!


69 posted on 03/28/2006 9:20:58 PM PST by danamco
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To: peyton randolph

They create a new model of flooded school bus called the "Nagin."


70 posted on 03/28/2006 9:32:21 PM PST by appeal2
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To: Pikamax
have become an icon of the city's devastated school system.

Ha. The author of this junk should be ashamed.

71 posted on 03/28/2006 9:34:25 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
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To: danamco

You guys are priceless. Good night and sweet dreams.


72 posted on 03/28/2006 9:35:12 PM PST by lilyred
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To: DannyTN
I keep thinking about Helen Hunt's dad that gets sucked out with the door of the storm shelter in one of the movies.

That part of the movie always bothered me. Why didn't the dad had to mess with the door anyway?

73 posted on 03/28/2006 10:04:43 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (None genuine without my signature)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
"Why didn't the dad had to mess with the door anyway?"

I always assumed he was trying to hold it shut, so it wouldn't suck any of the kids up. I guess in hindsight he would have been better to drop to the floor and let the door go. He probably realized that about 40 feet in the air.

74 posted on 03/28/2006 10:16:02 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: Pikamax

There is a lot of protesters around the country that could use them for a one way trip to Mexico.


75 posted on 03/28/2006 10:18:43 PM PST by Brimack34
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To: Pikamax; Ellesu

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-Orleans-Public-School-Bus_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6728QQitemZ4626699885QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW


76 posted on 03/29/2006 8:16:40 AM PST by LA Woman3
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To: All

77 posted on 03/29/2006 8:18:00 AM PST by LA Woman3
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To: Pikamax

They could get a lot more money for these busses if Nagin would autograph them with a sharpie.


78 posted on 03/29/2006 8:23:10 AM PST by Rebelbase (Bush signed CFR. He deserves to be bitched at as much as McCain.)
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To: LA Woman3
Did you check out the rating of the Ebay seller?

Hahahaha.

Very appropriate:

Seller: thariusamnops ( 0 )
Member: since Feb-14-06 in United States

I wouldn't trust an Ebay seller with a 0 rating, just like I wouldn't trust New Orleans.

79 posted on 03/29/2006 10:19:31 AM PST by Responsibility2nd (A Moose Once Bit my Sister. Yeah. She Turned Moose-lim.)
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To: Pikamax

What is the insurance status of these vehicles?
If the insurance paid for the damaged buses, the insurance companies now own them.

In any event- it's it fraud to sell something that is that badly damaged? They have been truly contaminated by other than just "water". I think Nagin is setting himself and NOLA up for another round of stupid lawsuits.


80 posted on 03/29/2006 10:23:35 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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