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    Sounds the same; acts the same?

    March 1, 2008
    I'm in New Orleans for PittCon 2008. I was teasing a saleslady who was yawning at midday, when I learned something. She was tired from going out after work, buying as much bread and "fillins" as she could afford, making sandwiches and taking them to the 400+ homeless under the nearby underpass. She felt bad that she could only make 100 or so sandwiches, but was doing the best she could. Now, I may be going out on a limb here, but I suspect that, since they have no homes, food, or clothing, they probably have no access to medicine, either.   While PhRMA only sounds a little like FEMA, I fear they are doing about the same level of good works down here. My guess is that, in its (PhRMAs) rush to profit, there is little thought of the many homeless here. In fact, the "fabulous" mobile homes brought in by FEMA will be taken back by summer [while occupants are advised to open trailor doors and windows to allow the formaldehyde to vent, FEMA employees are warned not to even enter them!], leaving many, many more homeless. Apparently, insurance companies are shorting the people on refunds, demanding they repair their homes themselves, THEN they will reimburse them! There are a bunch of St. John's University (NY) students down here volunteering along with Harry Connick, jr. and Wynton Marsalis...but I saw no government-funded work proceeding. [The new levees I did see looked weaker than some handball courts in NY.] One of the peple on the tour commented that maybe the NO residents shouldn't rebuild under sea level. I pointed out that most of the Netherlands was farther below the (North) Sea than NO, we build on earthquake faults in California (even, I understand, a nuclear reactor on the San Andreas Fault), rebuild Florida and the Carolina barrier islands after every hurricane, and, don't forget the mudslides and fires in California. But, the poor African Americans in New Orleans shouldn't rebuild? Need I mention how most of the other cases I mentioned voted in 2004 versus how Louisiana voted? Hmmmm...coincidence? Of course, it might be easier if the Lousiana  National Guard weren't "busy" elsewhere, but that's another story... Anyway, how about medicine for the people under the bridges? No? Shame, shame, rich companies! ("Heck of a job, Brownie," to quote another "big help" down here.)
    I'm in New Orleans for PittCon 2008. I was teasing a saleslady who was yawning at midday, when I learned something. She was tired from going out after work, buying as much bread and "fillins" as she could afford, making sandwiches and taking them to the 400+ homeless under the nearby underpass. She felt bad that she could only make 100 or so sandwiches, but was doing the best she could. Now, I may be going out on a limb here, but I suspect that, since they have no homes, food, or clothing, they probably have no access to medicine, either.   While PhRMA only sounds a little like FEMA, I fear they are doing about the same level of good works down here. My guess is that, in its (PhRMAs) rush to profit, there is little thought of the many homeless here. In fact, the "fabulous" mobile homes brought in by FEMA will be taken back by summer [while occupants are advised to open trailor doors and windows to allow the formaldehyde to vent, FEMA employees are warned not to even enter them!], leaving many, many more homeless. Apparently, insurance companies are shorting the people on refunds, demanding they repair their homes themselves, THEN they will reimburse them! There are a bunch of St. John's University (NY) students down here volunteering along with Harry Connick, jr. and Wynton Marsalis...but I saw no government-funded work proceeding. [The new levees I did see looked weaker than some handball courts in NY.] One of the peple on the tour commented that maybe the NO residents shouldn't rebuild under sea level. I pointed out that most of the Netherlands was farther below the (North) Sea than NO, we build on earthquake faults in California (even, I understand, a nuclear reactor on the San Andreas Fault), rebuild Florida and the Carolina barrier islands after every hurricane, and, don't forget the mudslides and fires in California. But, the poor African Americans in New Orleans shouldn't rebuild? Need I mention how most of the other cases I mentioned voted in 2004 versus how Louisiana voted? Hmmmm...coincidence? Of course, it might be easier if the Lousiana  National Guard weren't "busy" elsewhere, but that's another story... Anyway, how about medicine for the people under the bridges? No? Shame, shame, rich companies! ("Heck of a job, Brownie," to quote another "big help" down here.)
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