>>> Here's another story on boaters being turned away (watch for wrapping!):
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/orl-caneboats0205sep02,0,4766048.story?coll=sfla-news-florida
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I have already commented on the Sun-Sentinel article in another thread. The article contained the following information your first (the Left-Wing-Kook) reference excluded:
"A FEMA representative said citizen volunteers are not being allowed into New Orleans for one big reason: It's just not safe.
"I think it's understandable, particularly given the TV footage that the entire world is seeing, for folks who have a big heart to feel a little bit frustrated and want to help," said Frances Marine, Orlando's FEMA public-affairs director. "However, it's so important to be coordinated. Those areas are dangerous right now. There are health hazards and limited ways of getting in and out. . . . Right now, private citizens trying to go into those impacted areas are more hindrance than help.""
That sounds like a reasonable explanation to me. In fact, that is exactly what I expected the reason to be. FEMA would have truly been incompetent if they had allowed private citizens into the area when it was virtually under seige by roving bands of armed thugs.
Your initial post insinuated that FEMA turned the boaters away for no particular reason. We get enough Bush-hating spin from the MSM without your spin.
That's exactly the attitude I hate. Of course it's not safe. It wasn't safe at Dunkirk either, but hundreds of amateur ordinary citizens were let through to save lives in a time of national emergency.
I say fire the FEMA yokel who made that statement, and tattoo the quote on his forehead so he will never have a position of responsibility, public or private, ever again.