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More cheery news about FEMA internment camps
(Click here to read the earlier post in this journal regarding the now -- perhaps -- abandoned plan to set up the Falls Creek campground in Oklahoma as 'housing' for Katrina evacuees, at which: they would receive only two meals a day for up to five months; neither charitable foundations, the camp's owners, or other private individuals would be allowed to donate any additional food or other supplies of any kind, or even to visit evacuees; and the evacuees themselves would be afforded no real opportunity to leave aside from walking for miles through unfamiliar and barely-inhabited terrain just to get to the middle of nowhere.)
Just as if I had my own Associated Press card, I am going to credit the source for this account as a Massachusetts National Guard MP officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. If the national media can't be bothered to fact-check the dates on which well-known elected officials holding high political office made certain public statements, I see no reason to choose silence over a slightly relaxed journalistic standard. (Which is not to say, however, that I *wouldn't* verify this soldier's credentials if I had the means to track him down and travel to Massachusetts to check his ID.)
"I live in the (debatably) great state of Massachusetts. I am an NCO in a Military Police unit of the MA Army National Guard. I joined eleven years ago to serve a nation and people that I was proud of...and as of about a year ago made up my mind not to reenlist when the time comes.
"Before I digress... As some of you in New England may be aware, we were supposed to receive 2500 'guests' at Camp Edwards on Cape Cod. There was some disagreement on a state-federal level that I choose not to get into because I was very close to the argument and I am not sure what facts I can disclose without anyone being able to narrow down my identity. In the end, the state 'won', if you will, and thus far Camp Edwards has only received about 330 'guests'.
"Now this is what bothers me...before I even knew this thread existed, this past Sunday I was speaking to a friend (also an NCO in my company) who is a police officer in one of the towns that borders Camp Edwards. Since he'd be most likely to be involved in any security-related operation of the 'guests' being accommodated, he was able to tell me some interesting things. Please understand I am choosing my words VERY carefully here, folks. What he told me was that there was talk of needing lots and lots of security for the (then-anticipated) 2500 refugees. He said that the expected security requirements went far beyond even activating all of the remaining non-active Guardsmen in our entire battalion, to the point where retired DoD police and former MPs from all services would be asked to assist because they already had security clearance. I admit I did not question precisely WHY so much security would be needed, but my friend stated that furthurmore his department along with other towns bordering Camp Edwards were told to have their officers briefed and provided with detailed maps to know exactly where the perimeter for the base was (in terms of where it ran through residential neighborhoods, through woodlands, etc.) IN CASE ANYONE ESCAPES from the refugee area. That was the exact message given to the officers. I believe he was even throwing around the word "prisoners" during our conversation. Now this gentleman is a very quiet, serious, laid-back type, not prone to hyperbole at all, so I can not imagine he was exaggerating or fabricating anything. He even said that the tone of his police chief was so serious that he was fearing for the safety of his family should anyone ESCAPE from the compound, and was having his wife and children stay with neighbors when he was working the night shifts. I got the impression that the officers down there are quite frightened by the prospect of these 'guests' being on base; I don't know what was told to them exactly to create that image. None of us know if there are indeed prisoners in the custody of the judicial system being brought to the Cape; perhaps the[y] are and that is why the cry for all the security. The media however has only mentioned non-incarcerated civilians being brought there.
"It will be interesting indeed to see how this all unfolds...I will follow this thread and should have more to share after a meeting we are having this weekend."
The original text of this account can be found on this page, timestamped 9-9-2005 at 03:49 AM Post Number: 1672352 (post id: 1694245). The poster's handle, therainmaker, appears beside his comment in the far-left column. He began with "Greetings all," and introduced himself briefly before telling the story reproduced above.
If anyone in eastern Massachusetts or in the Massachusetts National Guard can confirm or refute this account, I urge you to try. The above-cited account regarding the Falls Creek camp in Oklahoma might never have become public if not for one woman's determination to investigate, through direct observation and questioning of others, the FEMA-directed and frankly terrifying plan to treat evacuees sent there as detainees; and it's possible that the public attention drawn to that site may have led to its being abandoned, at least for now, as a site for Katrina survivors to be sheltered.
Edited to add: Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
brown_betty, who pointed me to this link: A staff columnist with the Denver Post reports that over 100 evacuees are being held in dormitory buildings at the Lowry Campus of the Community College of Aurora, fenced in, heavily guarded, and visitors -- journalists, and at least some volunteers offering assistance -- are being kept out; more evacuees are expected. Note that at least one of the persons denied access to the site was offering, not boxes of redundant supplies, but jobs for evacuees to help them get back on their feet. (It seems chillingly 'coincidental' that the Lowry Campus is located at the decommissioned former Lowry Air Force Base, given the reports about plans to send evacuees to Camp Edwards and other military sites.)
The other side of the equation is that housing in other states is still needed to relieve the pressure on Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, where the majority of evacuees remain.
As his state's ability to absorb evacuees began to falter, Texas governor Rick Perry appealed directly to his counterparts in other states, and many governors agreed to help take some of the evacuee-housing pressure off of Texas -- but then FEMA took over.
"Planes carrying evacuees had been expected to leave the state Sunday night when the airlift was under the direction of state officials. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the state's refugee shelters had reached their limit. Then federal authorities took over the operation and by Monday planes still weren't taking off. At the same time, for the first time in days, there were no buses or planes in the official evacuation effort carrying evacuees into Texas, the governor's office said. It was unclear when any flights might actually leave. Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Cushman said Monday, 'We are not coordinating it as of right now.' Perry announced the airlift Sunday to ease the pressure that nearly a quarter million refugees had placed on Texas shelters."
FEMA is getting in the way again, thwarting efforts set up around the country. Here are a handful of examples.
Arizona: Through Wednesday [7 September], more than 600 people had arrived in Arizona on evacuation flights and probably at least that many people who used their own means of travel, most of the latter finding shelter with friends and families.
The state was told initially to ramp up for thousands of evacuees. ... Days later, the Phoenix and Tucson shelters are operating well below capacity.
Maine: More than 500 Maine homeowners have signed up to house refugees, [Maine Governor John] Baldacci said, and additional housing may be available at current and former military installations in Maine. But the governor said only about a dozen evacuated families have come to Maine and that number is not expected to grow dramatically. (warning; pop-up ads on site)
Minnesota: Officials want to open a state assistance center for Hurricane Katrina refugees in the Twin Cities, for those that don't go through the relocation process at Camp Ripley.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has told state officials to expect about 300 Katrina refugees at Camp Ripley next Tuesday at the earliest.
But at least 350 evacuees have already arrived in Minnesota separately of the official evacuation, and officials want to make it easier to help them establish lives in Minnesota. Note that this is contrary to other reports that FEMA is keeping evacuees in Gulf Coast states because that's allegedly what the evacuees prefer. Camp Ripley is a National Guard Training Facility. Traveling overland between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Camp Ripley means traversing five different interstates and state highways.
Nevada: Plans have been suspended for Nevada to receive Gulf Coast hurricane evacuees while federal officials reassessed how many - if any - will be sent. ...
State, charity and American Red Cross officials in Nevada had slated 100 people for government-owned housing at a state mental health facility campus in Sparks, and 200 for an Army National Guard barracks in Stead. ...
Clark County opened an assessment center Wednesday [7 September] in Las Vegas for arrivals from Gulf Coast states to obtain health screenings and register for FEMA assistance.
A county spokesman said most of the more than 175 people who showed up were staying with friends, family or at hotels and did not need immediate housing aid.
Oklahoma: Gov. Brad Henry and his counterparts in nearby states are growing more frustrated at the handling of Hurricane Katrina evacuees by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which [Wednesday 7 September] told Oklahoma officials to 'stand down' on preparations to get more evacuees. Also, Henry participated in a conference call early Wednesday between state governors, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA director Mike Brown, who faces growing criticism for his handling of the hurricane aftermath. About 18 governors asked questions, Henry said. 'Every state has had the same experience,' Henry said. 'Some of the stories I’ve heard from other states are worse.' (Both articles require subscription, which is free but annoying.)
(ellipses above indicate abridgments of quotations for length)
Conditions at locations in Texas, particularly the Astrodome, remain far short of ideal for evacuees staying there. Another post about the Astrodome will follow.
Just as if I had my own Associated Press card, I am going to credit the source for this account as a Massachusetts National Guard MP officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. If the national media can't be bothered to fact-check the dates on which well-known elected officials holding high political office made certain public statements, I see no reason to choose silence over a slightly relaxed journalistic standard. (Which is not to say, however, that I *wouldn't* verify this soldier's credentials if I had the means to track him down and travel to Massachusetts to check his ID.)
"I live in the (debatably) great state of Massachusetts. I am an NCO in a Military Police unit of the MA Army National Guard. I joined eleven years ago to serve a nation and people that I was proud of...and as of about a year ago made up my mind not to reenlist when the time comes.
"Before I digress... As some of you in New England may be aware, we were supposed to receive 2500 'guests' at Camp Edwards on Cape Cod. There was some disagreement on a state-federal level that I choose not to get into because I was very close to the argument and I am not sure what facts I can disclose without anyone being able to narrow down my identity. In the end, the state 'won', if you will, and thus far Camp Edwards has only received about 330 'guests'.
"Now this is what bothers me...before I even knew this thread existed, this past Sunday I was speaking to a friend (also an NCO in my company) who is a police officer in one of the towns that borders Camp Edwards. Since he'd be most likely to be involved in any security-related operation of the 'guests' being accommodated, he was able to tell me some interesting things. Please understand I am choosing my words VERY carefully here, folks. What he told me was that there was talk of needing lots and lots of security for the (then-anticipated) 2500 refugees. He said that the expected security requirements went far beyond even activating all of the remaining non-active Guardsmen in our entire battalion, to the point where retired DoD police and former MPs from all services would be asked to assist because they already had security clearance. I admit I did not question precisely WHY so much security would be needed, but my friend stated that furthurmore his department along with other towns bordering Camp Edwards were told to have their officers briefed and provided with detailed maps to know exactly where the perimeter for the base was (in terms of where it ran through residential neighborhoods, through woodlands, etc.) IN CASE ANYONE ESCAPES from the refugee area. That was the exact message given to the officers. I believe he was even throwing around the word "prisoners" during our conversation. Now this gentleman is a very quiet, serious, laid-back type, not prone to hyperbole at all, so I can not imagine he was exaggerating or fabricating anything. He even said that the tone of his police chief was so serious that he was fearing for the safety of his family should anyone ESCAPE from the compound, and was having his wife and children stay with neighbors when he was working the night shifts. I got the impression that the officers down there are quite frightened by the prospect of these 'guests' being on base; I don't know what was told to them exactly to create that image. None of us know if there are indeed prisoners in the custody of the judicial system being brought to the Cape; perhaps the[y] are and that is why the cry for all the security. The media however has only mentioned non-incarcerated civilians being brought there.
"It will be interesting indeed to see how this all unfolds...I will follow this thread and should have more to share after a meeting we are having this weekend."
The original text of this account can be found on this page, timestamped 9-9-2005 at 03:49 AM Post Number: 1672352 (post id: 1694245). The poster's handle, therainmaker, appears beside his comment in the far-left column. He began with "Greetings all," and introduced himself briefly before telling the story reproduced above.
If anyone in eastern Massachusetts or in the Massachusetts National Guard can confirm or refute this account, I urge you to try. The above-cited account regarding the Falls Creek camp in Oklahoma might never have become public if not for one woman's determination to investigate, through direct observation and questioning of others, the FEMA-directed and frankly terrifying plan to treat evacuees sent there as detainees; and it's possible that the public attention drawn to that site may have led to its being abandoned, at least for now, as a site for Katrina survivors to be sheltered.
Edited to add: Thanks to
brown_betty, who pointed me to this link: A staff columnist with the Denver Post reports that over 100 evacuees are being held in dormitory buildings at the Lowry Campus of the Community College of Aurora, fenced in, heavily guarded, and visitors -- journalists, and at least some volunteers offering assistance -- are being kept out; more evacuees are expected. Note that at least one of the persons denied access to the site was offering, not boxes of redundant supplies, but jobs for evacuees to help them get back on their feet. (It seems chillingly 'coincidental' that the Lowry Campus is located at the decommissioned former Lowry Air Force Base, given the reports about plans to send evacuees to Camp Edwards and other military sites.)The other side of the equation is that housing in other states is still needed to relieve the pressure on Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, where the majority of evacuees remain.
As his state's ability to absorb evacuees began to falter, Texas governor Rick Perry appealed directly to his counterparts in other states, and many governors agreed to help take some of the evacuee-housing pressure off of Texas -- but then FEMA took over.
"Planes carrying evacuees had been expected to leave the state Sunday night when the airlift was under the direction of state officials. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the state's refugee shelters had reached their limit. Then federal authorities took over the operation and by Monday planes still weren't taking off. At the same time, for the first time in days, there were no buses or planes in the official evacuation effort carrying evacuees into Texas, the governor's office said. It was unclear when any flights might actually leave. Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Cushman said Monday, 'We are not coordinating it as of right now.' Perry announced the airlift Sunday to ease the pressure that nearly a quarter million refugees had placed on Texas shelters."
FEMA is getting in the way again, thwarting efforts set up around the country. Here are a handful of examples.
Arizona: Through Wednesday [7 September], more than 600 people had arrived in Arizona on evacuation flights and probably at least that many people who used their own means of travel, most of the latter finding shelter with friends and families.
The state was told initially to ramp up for thousands of evacuees. ... Days later, the Phoenix and Tucson shelters are operating well below capacity.
Maine: More than 500 Maine homeowners have signed up to house refugees, [Maine Governor John] Baldacci said, and additional housing may be available at current and former military installations in Maine. But the governor said only about a dozen evacuated families have come to Maine and that number is not expected to grow dramatically. (warning; pop-up ads on site)
Minnesota: Officials want to open a state assistance center for Hurricane Katrina refugees in the Twin Cities, for those that don't go through the relocation process at Camp Ripley.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has told state officials to expect about 300 Katrina refugees at Camp Ripley next Tuesday at the earliest.
But at least 350 evacuees have already arrived in Minnesota separately of the official evacuation, and officials want to make it easier to help them establish lives in Minnesota. Note that this is contrary to other reports that FEMA is keeping evacuees in Gulf Coast states because that's allegedly what the evacuees prefer. Camp Ripley is a National Guard Training Facility. Traveling overland between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Camp Ripley means traversing five different interstates and state highways.
Nevada: Plans have been suspended for Nevada to receive Gulf Coast hurricane evacuees while federal officials reassessed how many - if any - will be sent. ...
State, charity and American Red Cross officials in Nevada had slated 100 people for government-owned housing at a state mental health facility campus in Sparks, and 200 for an Army National Guard barracks in Stead. ...
Clark County opened an assessment center Wednesday [7 September] in Las Vegas for arrivals from Gulf Coast states to obtain health screenings and register for FEMA assistance.
A county spokesman said most of the more than 175 people who showed up were staying with friends, family or at hotels and did not need immediate housing aid.
Oklahoma: Gov. Brad Henry and his counterparts in nearby states are growing more frustrated at the handling of Hurricane Katrina evacuees by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which [Wednesday 7 September] told Oklahoma officials to 'stand down' on preparations to get more evacuees. Also, Henry participated in a conference call early Wednesday between state governors, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA director Mike Brown, who faces growing criticism for his handling of the hurricane aftermath. About 18 governors asked questions, Henry said. 'Every state has had the same experience,' Henry said. 'Some of the stories I’ve heard from other states are worse.' (Both articles require subscription, which is free but annoying.)
(ellipses above indicate abridgments of quotations for length)
Conditions at locations in Texas, particularly the Astrodome, remain far short of ideal for evacuees staying there. Another post about the Astrodome will follow.
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I guess I have a research project for today.
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Do you have any other news about the evacuees? I haven't found anything different so far from articles like this (link goes to a private journal, but it's a repost of an article) http://www.livejournal.com/users/volare/985170.html . The call for volunteers is encouraging, but I do hope they were allowed to help.
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Besides, the first stop when they got off the plane was "registration" to check CODIS and CORI for criminal records and to issue people state IDs. The second stop included medical and mental health counselling which was screening people out.