Wednesday, May 9, 2007

President Bush tours tornado-ravaged Greensburg

By The Associated Press

VIDEO:

Giving out hugs to survivors, President Bush has stepped through the rubble in Greensburg.

Giving out hugs to survivors, President Bush has stepped through the rubble in Greensburg, getting a first-hand look and the damage caused by last week's deadly tornado that killed 10 people in the town of 1,398.

Today, the president stopped at a tractor dealership, where the building was gutted and the plows were mangled. In a nearby neighborhood, a spray-painted sign read: "Please pardon our mess."

The clean-up process continues, with help from the National Guard.

"When we came back in the daytime yesterday [Monday] morning, it was even much worse than we thought it was. We knew it was gone, but it was a lot worse than we even thought it ourselves," said Greensburg resident Mike Swigart.

Bush briefly grabbed a chainsaw, ripping it into action for the media that accompanied him.

The president was also given a rundown of the damage and the recovery from the City Administrator Steve Hewitt and Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

Tuesday, she and the White House had a spat, which was later settled, over whether National Guard deployments to Iraq had hampered the government's ability to respond. Read more on that issue here.

About Greensburg

Facts about Greensburg:

  • Population: 1,398 in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
  • Median age: 45.6 in 2000, compared with 35.3 for the U.S.
  • Residents 65 and older: 26.4 percent, compared with 12.4 percent for the U.S.
  • White residents: 97 percent, compared with 75.1 percent for the U.S.
  • Hispanic population: 1.6 percent, compared with 12.5 percent for the U.S.
  • Population in work force: 59.9 percent, compared with 63.9 percent for the U.S.
  • Median household income: $28,438 in 1999, compared with $41,994 for the U.S.
  • Median value, single-family, owner-occupied home: $46,500, compared with $119,600 for the U.S.

Comments

OZ (anonymous) says...

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On repeated occasions, Sebelius made clear to the White House that Kansas was dangerously low on National Guard equipment:

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Dec. 30, 2005: Sebelius writes to Rumsfeld requesting new equipment. "The Guard was critical to responding to recent blizzards and floods in Kansas, yet its ability to respond to similar situations is being diminished by a lack of equipment," wrote Sebelius. Included with her letter was a list of equipment Kansas had lost to the Iraq war. Kansas City Star, 1/21/06; Topeka Capital-Journal, 6/29/06
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Jan. 23, 2006: Sebelius personally urges Bush to increase National Guard funding. In an one-hour motorcade ride in Kansas with Bush, Sebelius expressed concern about "a reduction of National Guard troop strength in its next budget." Bush assured her he was "dealing" with the shortages. Topeka Capital-Journal, 1/24/06; Kansas City Star, 3/11/06
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June 28, 2006: Sebelius sends Army Secretary list of equipment lost in war. In a meeting with Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey, Sebelius told Harvey that the state had lost about $140 million in National Guard equipment to the Iraq war. Her office then sent him a list of the lost equipment. Topeka Capital-Journal, 6/29/06
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Sept. 2006: Sebelius lobbies for replacement of National Guard equipment sent to Iraq. "Kansas' congressional delegation, Sebelius and governors from around the country have been lobbying the Pentagon for increased funding to replace National Guard equipment that has been left in Iraq or damaged beyond repair after repeated use in war." AP, 9/5/06
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Feb. 27, 2007: Sebelius pushes White House and Congress for more funding. "Now the Guard needs Washington's help," Sebelius said in press conference on Capitol Hill. "The President and Congress need to step up to the plate and give our Guard members the support they deserve." Press Release, 2/27/07

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May 13, 2007 at 2:31 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

OZ (anonymous) says...

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Shall we "borrow" equipment and manpower?
But borrowing does not solve every problem, state officials said, and coordination can take time. The destruction from Hurricane Katrina ultimately required the help of 50,000 troops -- and they came from all 50 states.

Training is another issue. At a Washington news conference in February, Ms. Sebelius said, "The Guard cannot train on equipment they do not have." She added later: "And in a state like Kansas, where tornados, floods, blizzards and wildfires can seemingly happen all at once, we need our Guardsmen to be as prepared as possible."

Actually, the governor later issued this statement: "I have said for nearly two years, and will continue to say, that we have a looming crisis on our hands when it comes to National Guard equipment in Iraq and our needs here at home. The equipment shortage will likely slow long-term efforts to recover and rebuild in Greensburg. We can only hope that we not have another significant natural disaster in Kansas. That would put our Guard, and the people of Kansas, in a real bind.

"I appreciate the president's help, quick response and concern in dealing with the tornado damage in Greensburg. But I will not back down on the issue of replacing our National Guard equipment throughout the country."

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Meanwhile, 3,386 American Soldiers are DEAD due to the LIES of the IDIOT DUBYA.
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1,577 American Citizens on the gulf coast are DEAD due to the willful NEGLIGENCE of the IDIOT DUBYA while he was on ANOTHER 5 week VACATION

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All this for the financial cost of $8 BILLION American TAXPAYER Dollars a MONTH! Or, so far, $ 768 BILLION American TAXPAYER DOLLARS. All the while CUTTING CANCER RESEARCH by $78 MILLION and CUTTING Veteran's BENEFITS by $1 BILLION during the IDIOT DUBYA'S WAR based on LIES.
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These are the GOP Radical X-tian Extremist "family values" leaving America UNPROTECTED ! ! !
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May 13, 2007 at 2:33 p.m. ( | suggest removal )