United States Gets Help Offers...

[bnsfkline]

Its been reveresed! The following Countries have offered either Cash, Man power, Boats, Helicopters, Airplanes, and supplies to the United States to help in Katrina Cleanup.

Russia
Egypt
Romania
Ireland
Canada
Japan
China
United Kingdom
Italy
Luxumburgh
Congo
South Africa
India
Australia
Kuwait
Spain
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Brazil
Panama
Chili
Mexico
Vatican City
and Nigeria

What they could do is send all their gasoline over here!

[Anonymous]

FINAL-FRICKIN-LY! its about time they do something for[:I]

[trainfan1221]

At times like this, its more important to band together than think about differences. I am glad other nations are offering, it restores my faith somewhat.

[morseman]

Please see my two postings on "Hurricane Katrina"
re Canada's contribution.

Glad to hear it's gone from 12 countries to 24 and Mexico
has offered help/ Hope Bush accepts foreign aid
and and gets off this isolationism of other countries.

[Junctionfan]

I just heard according to CNN that in addition to those countries, others have offered help.

Hungary

Colombia

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

France

Honduras

Germany

Venezuela

South Korea

Greece

Isreal

United Arab Emirates

Also the NATO organization and I believe I head the European Union as well.

The U.S is not alone in this. I hope that the government will green light the above nations-no one country should deal with this by themselves.

[coborn35]

Oh come on Iraq, help us!
(just kidding of course)

[Modelcar]

....Finally I see it in print....This is the first mention of help from any country that I've seen....I've sure been wondering about it...We should accept that which we believe can help....

[csxengineer98]

still dont see any names of the countrys that we helped out with the sunammie...
csx engineer

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98

still dont see any names of the countrys that we helped out with the sunammie...
csx engineer

That's because they still haven't recovered from the tsunami! It isn't news anymore, that's all that's really changed!

[Anonymous]

How long until a railroad could push a train of empty gondolas into New Orleans to serve as an emergency evacuation train? Both Class-1s running west, UP and BNSF, seem close to reaching New Orleans. How much water depth above the rails would mechanically prevent a train from sloshing though? Have our governments explored the rail options? I'd sure like to see the railroads benefit from the positive press which would follow a few successful rescue trains!

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Ray.Lampman

How long until a railroad could push a train of empty gondolas into New Orleans to serve as an emergency evacuation train? Both Class-1s running west, UP and BNSF, seem close to reaching New Orleans. How much water depth above the rails would mechanically prevent a train from sloshing though? Have our governments explored the rail options? I'd sure like to see the railroads benefit from the positive press which would follow a few successful rescue trains!

water over the cap of the rail can cause the traction motors to short out causing a growned relay to trip... but the biggest issue is the power being out and debei along the right of way... a train could pu***horhg a downed tree..but a roof of someones house might be a bit more of an issue... as for the electrical power.. it cuts the communicatins and signals systems out... makes running trains safly for any reason a pain in the butt...
csx engineer

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Ray.Lampman

How long until a railroad could push a train of empty gondolas into New Orleans to serve as an emergency evacuation train? Both Class-1s running west, UP and BNSF, seem close to reaching New Orleans. How much water depth above the rails would mechanically prevent a train from sloshing though? Have our governments explored the rail options? I'd sure like to see the railroads benefit from the positive press which would follow a few successful rescue trains!

It's that "last mile" that's the killer. Unless there are usable tracks within a short walk of where the refugees are gathered, you still have to transport them a certain distance.

[eolafan]

Just read in the paper that fundementalist Islamic groups are celebrating the plight of New Orleans...guess they won't get upset when we don't offer to help them the next time they experience an earthquake or tsunami...or will they?

[ndbprr]

The UN SOB who said we didn't give enough help for the tsunami relief has been strangely quiet and has done nothing to see if we need anything. Time to move the UN to somewhere like Bangledsh and see how they like it there.

[Modelcar]

...When finally the living are all rescued and transportated someplace.....I wonder where the officials will agree to house these folks and in what.....We're talking about thousands upon tens of thousands of people....lives uprooted, with no income in many cases, elderly, sickly, and many in need of special medicine....Oh my....The list would just go on.....And the time frame is not just for a week or so.....These folks have no where to go back to....How many mobile homes can the government set up....It just seems staggering.....How will this be done.....?? I can't believe this is happening in our vast country.......Don't we have more resources available to somehow make this happen in a more orderly fashion....or at least make it happen quicker....It's just terrible..!

[conrailman]

Its Time to get Bill Gates to donate 1 to 2 Billion to to help the poor in NOL and Donald Trump should donate a few Billion, and Baseball, football Players should donate them players making 3 to 15 Million a year in money. [2c]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by conrailman

Its Time to get Bill Gates to donate 1 to 2 Billion to to help the poor in NOL and Donald Trump should donate a few Billion, and Baseball, football Players should donate them players making 3 to 15 Million a year in money. [2c]

OK, conrailman, have you donated? I'm pretty sure those people will, if they haven't already done so. Maybe they just want to do it anonymously like the rest of us. I keep bringing this up on this and other threads, to a point that I might becoming annoying, but it starts with us. If all of us gave $10 or $20 it would help a LOT. I teach in a high school, and the student council was out there at the parking lot with buckets and signs this morning getting spare change from all the other students. How much did they get? Probably not a whole lot, but if every high school in the country did something like that, it would be a sizeable amount of money. The Red Cross is just a click away.


mike

[Clutch Cargo]

A side note, on topic.
My Father recieved a call up letter today on UN Stationery from Doctors Without Borders.

Dad has been dead for two years.

Help is on the way it seems to be a logistics exercise mostly now.

Rest assured that 1/4 of all the Doctors in the world are trying to get into NOLA.

Kurt

[Anonymous]

they need to help by taking our gas away, people rely way to much on trivial things like gas, when there are many, many other ways of gettin around. the fact that you suggested them sending it over here(jokin or not) relaly shows how much people think they have to have gas.....

[ndbprr]

Most of the blame right now goes to the New Orleans Mayor and the Louisana governor who still haven't called up the National Guard in Louisana and the feds can't do. It is a state function. One source say's half the cops in new Orleans walked off and the other half wouldn't let relief workers in. talk about screwed up.

[Clutch Cargo]

:/

Kurt.

[csmith9474]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr

Most of the blame right now goes to the New Orleans Mayor and the Louisana governor who still haven't called up the National Guard in Louisana and the feds can't do. It is a state function. One source say's half the cops in new Orleans walked off and the other half wouldn't let relief workers in. talk about screwed up.

The federal government can task the Guard. Trust me on this one. And on another note, several nations have donated to the Red Cross and several other relief organizations.

[garr]

Per article in today's Wall Street Journal, the federal government can not send in federal troops for enforcement functions. It revolves around a law passed during reconstruction after the Civil War. Only the National Guard troops from the states can do enforcement work. Nothing can be done as far as other state NG or federal troop involvement until the affected state's Governor asks/requests.

IIRC, before Katrina came ashore, wasn't someone with a truck load of ice for FEMA posting on this forum while waiting at a truck stop in LA, MS, or AL? The federal government was working on its preparations, but the destruction nearly reached the worst case scenario level. It is virtually impossible to have the full recovery resources available immediately in a relatively small geographical area for this level of destruction.

I can only imagine the suffering people are enduring. In situations like this, particularly if stranded, I believe that a minute seems like an hour, an hour like a day, and a day like a week. It is not a pretty picture for our instant gratification society.

Remember, hindsight is 20/20. There's not many situations, good or bad, that each of us, including mayors, governors, and presidents, have not wished something differently had been done earlier if only we knew the outcome.

Jay

[Junctionfan]

The feds can go in if the state can't restore order. Can't they go federal if the states authorizes it?

[bnsfkline]

JF, No, not to my knowledge

[dharmon]

Law enforcement is essentially left at the state level. Active duty military,as a rule, is not permitted to conduct law enforcement action with regard to US citizens and for good reason. The MPs being mobilized are National Guard, as they in this situation fall under command of the state Governor. While active duty can be used for support, airlift, search and rescue, etc....the actual use as law enforcement is best left to the state, which includes use of National Guard. Yes the Feds can authorize it under the DHS, but if nothing else, than to maintain the precedent, it shouldn't be done.

Dan

[gabe]

Dan,

Good to see you still on here. I am kind of locked in a figuritive tower and don't get to read as much of the news as I would like, but is what you stay true when Marshall law has been declared in a city and has Marshall law been declared in New Orleans?

Gabe

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

Dan,

Good to see you still on here. I am kind of locked in a figuritive tower and don't get to read as much of the news as I would like, but is what you stay true when Marshall law has been declared in a city and has Marshall law been declared in New Orleans?

Gabe

If I understand it correctly, active duty forces can be used to maintain public control when deemed necessary...however....the precedent is that NG units should be used first, since they answer to the Govenor when used in state service, which gives greater latititude in thier use, as they work for the state normally. If anyone remembers the fallout from using the Marines during the LA riots, because Camp Pendelton's forces were closer and more rapidly available than the CA NG. It doesn't really work that well and puts them in a bad situation. Can it be done...yes, if the President authorizes it. I believe that it is a part of the DHS verbage....is it a good idea...no. The only time I could think of doing it is in a "Day After Tommorrow" scenario, where the Feds take over completly...and I don't think we really want that.

Dan

[gabe]

Dan,

Thanks for responding. I don't disagree with your principles, I was just curious about the technical legality of it all, since you appear to know.

Gabe

[Jordan6]

Just briefly read at the yard office that the BNSF will donate $1,000,000.