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KATRINA - THE AFTERMATH BUSH'S MOTHER SPARKS ANGER WITH COMMENTS
Townsville Bulletin/Townsville Sun (Australia)
September 8, 2005 Thursday
FORMER first lady Barbara Bush has fueled anger by saying Hurricane
Katrina victims in Houston, Texas were 'underprivileged anyway'.
Mrs Bush also said life in the Astrodome sports arena is 'working
very well for them'.
The comments by the mother of President George W Bush have added
weight to claims the Bushes are out-of-touch patricians.
"Almost everyone I've talked to says 'we're going to move to Houston',"
Mrs Bush said in a radio interview after visiting evacuees at the
Astrodome with her husband, former president George Bush.
"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay
in Texas.
"Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality.
"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were
underprivileged anyway, so this -- this is working very well for them."
Her comments were aired late on Monday on Marketplace, an American
Public Radio show broadcast nationwide.
They triggered a flood of negative messages on the Huffington Post,
a popular left-leaning web page.
"Cold hearted witch," read one of the more polite comments, signed
by IowaDem. "No wonder her son remained on vacation, playing guitar
and eating cake instead of seeing that aid and rescue operations
were well-managed."
Another writer found the comments hard to believe. "Did she really
say that?" wrote 'Stephen.' "My God! What or who have we become?"
WHO GAVE WHAT... A list of international government aid offers
Afghanistan -- $US100,000 ($A131,388)
Armenia -- $US100,000 ($A131,388)
Australia -- $US7.6 million ($A9.99 million)
Azerbaijan -- $US500,000 ($A656,943)
Bahamas -- $US50,000 ($A65,694)
Bahrain -- $US5 million ($A6.57 million)
Bangladesh -- $US1 ($A1.31 million)
Belgium -- Medical/logistics teams to Red Cross
Britain -- Military food rations
Canada -- two helicopters, 32-person rescue team, Air Canada evacuation
flights, medical supplies
China -- $US5.1 million ($A6.7 million) and relief supplies
Djibouti -- $US50,000 ($A65,694.39)
Finland -- three logistics experts to help Red Cross
France -- tents, tarps, military food rations, water treatment supplies
Gabon -- $US500,000 ($A656,943)
Georgia -- $US50,000 ($A65,694)
Germany -- military rations and high speed pumps
Greece -- cruise ships to house survivors (private offer)
India -- $US5 million ($A6.57 million)
Israel -- tents, first aid kits, baby formula
Italy -- generators, water pumps/purifiers, tents, medical supplies
Japan -- $US1 million ($A1.31 million), generators, tents, blankets,
bottled
water
Kuwait -- $US400 million ($A525.56 million) in oil, $US100 million
($A131.39 million) in cash
Maldives -- $US25,000 ($A32,847.19)
Mexico -- bedding, military rations, baby care items, personal
hygiene kits
Norway -- $US1.54 million ($A2.02 million) in relief supplies
Qatar -- $US100 million ($A131.39 million) cash
Saudi Arabia -- $US5.25 million ($A6.9 million)
Singapore -- three helicopters
South Korea -- $US30 million ($A39.42 million) cash and donations
Sri Lanka -- $US25,000 ($A32,847.19) cash
Taiwan -- $US2 million ($A2.63 million) plus medical supplies
Thailand -- Large amounts of food
United Arab Emirates -- $US100 million ($A131.39 million)
Venezuela -- Up to $US1.0 million ($A1.31 million) to Red Cross
Organisations:
International Committee of the Red Cross -- web-based tracing system
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation -- coordinating European assistance
offers Organisation of American States -- $US25,000 ($A32,847)
UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs -- disaster
assessment and coordination team/logisitics support
UN World Health Organisation -- Public health officers and logistics
experts.
Townsville Bulletin/Townsville Sun (Australia)
September 8, 2005 Thursday
FORMER first lady Barbara Bush has fueled anger by saying Hurricane
Katrina victims in Houston, Texas were 'underprivileged anyway'.
Mrs Bush also said life in the Astrodome sports arena is 'working
very well for them'.
The comments by the mother of President George W Bush have added
weight to claims the Bushes are out-of-touch patricians.
"Almost everyone I've talked to says 'we're going to move to Houston',"
Mrs Bush said in a radio interview after visiting evacuees at the
Astrodome with her husband, former president George Bush.
"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay
in Texas.
"Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality.
"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were
underprivileged anyway, so this -- this is working very well for them."
Her comments were aired late on Monday on Marketplace, an American
Public Radio show broadcast nationwide.
They triggered a flood of negative messages on the Huffington Post,
a popular left-leaning web page.
"Cold hearted witch," read one of the more polite comments, signed
by IowaDem. "No wonder her son remained on vacation, playing guitar
and eating cake instead of seeing that aid and rescue operations
were well-managed."
Another writer found the comments hard to believe. "Did she really
say that?" wrote 'Stephen.' "My God! What or who have we become?"
WHO GAVE WHAT... A list of international government aid offers
Afghanistan -- $US100,000 ($A131,388)
Armenia -- $US100,000 ($A131,388)
Australia -- $US7.6 million ($A9.99 million)
Azerbaijan -- $US500,000 ($A656,943)
Bahamas -- $US50,000 ($A65,694)
Bahrain -- $US5 million ($A6.57 million)
Bangladesh -- $US1 ($A1.31 million)
Belgium -- Medical/logistics teams to Red Cross
Britain -- Military food rations
Canada -- two helicopters, 32-person rescue team, Air Canada evacuation
flights, medical supplies
China -- $US5.1 million ($A6.7 million) and relief supplies
Djibouti -- $US50,000 ($A65,694.39)
Finland -- three logistics experts to help Red Cross
France -- tents, tarps, military food rations, water treatment supplies
Gabon -- $US500,000 ($A656,943)
Georgia -- $US50,000 ($A65,694)
Germany -- military rations and high speed pumps
Greece -- cruise ships to house survivors (private offer)
India -- $US5 million ($A6.57 million)
Israel -- tents, first aid kits, baby formula
Italy -- generators, water pumps/purifiers, tents, medical supplies
Japan -- $US1 million ($A1.31 million), generators, tents, blankets,
bottled
water
Kuwait -- $US400 million ($A525.56 million) in oil, $US100 million
($A131.39 million) in cash
Maldives -- $US25,000 ($A32,847.19)
Mexico -- bedding, military rations, baby care items, personal
hygiene kits
Norway -- $US1.54 million ($A2.02 million) in relief supplies
Qatar -- $US100 million ($A131.39 million) cash
Saudi Arabia -- $US5.25 million ($A6.9 million)
Singapore -- three helicopters
South Korea -- $US30 million ($A39.42 million) cash and donations
Sri Lanka -- $US25,000 ($A32,847.19) cash
Taiwan -- $US2 million ($A2.63 million) plus medical supplies
Thailand -- Large amounts of food
United Arab Emirates -- $US100 million ($A131.39 million)
Venezuela -- Up to $US1.0 million ($A1.31 million) to Red Cross
Organisations:
International Committee of the Red Cross -- web-based tracing system
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation -- coordinating European assistance
offers Organisation of American States -- $US25,000 ($A32,847)
UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs -- disaster
assessment and coordination team/logisitics support
UN World Health Organisation -- Public health officers and logistics
experts.