for that F5 tornado in Kansas!
GREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) -- The rebuilding effort in tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas, likely will be hampered because some much-needed equipment is in Iraq, said that state's governor.
Governor Kathleen Sebelius said much of the National Guard equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is gone. She said not having immediate access to things like tents, trucks and semitrailers will really handicap the rebuilding effort.
The Greensburg administrator estimated that 95 percent of the town of 1500 was destroyed by Friday's tornado.
The Kansas National Guard has about 40 percent of the equipment it is allotted because much of it has been sent to Iraq.
Via AP.
I've been waiting for Roberts or Falwell to make some God connection with this, but how can they when Kansas is the bedrock of anti-Darwinism?
Posted by: lowly grunt | May 07, 2007 at 08:10 AM
Jeez, how can this be happening to the HEARTLAND?? Sure, you can understand what happened to New York City (godless East Coast latte-drinking liberals) and New Orleans (full to overflowing with those shiftless brown people), but c'mon, people, we're talking about the HEARTLAND!!
Posted by: CatStaff | May 07, 2007 at 08:22 AM
I heard the governor's quotes on the radio this morning and thought, goddamn idiots, we tried to tell you even before the 2004 election. But you would vote for Bush and the Republicans.
Did you think the brush-clearin' preznit was going to come by and help search thru your debris?
Posted by: sister of ye | May 07, 2007 at 08:27 AM
NPR on WNYC this am was good enough to leave out the bit about the equipment being in Iraq - although we all know it - wouldn't want to upset the administration!
Posted by: queek | May 07, 2007 at 08:57 AM
Now, THAT's homeland security for you. Lord, can we have our country back now?
Posted by: Iwonder | May 07, 2007 at 10:06 AM
queek ~
You must start turning to CBS radio.
They had it all.
Posted by: leslie | May 07, 2007 at 10:17 AM
Leslie, thanks for the tip, so why does CBS hate the troops?
Posted by: queek | May 07, 2007 at 11:07 AM
My hometown, Holly, CO, was destroyed by a tornado a few weeks ago. Three people have died from this and a few hundred people are out of their homes. It does not matter if they are republicans, they are devastated. I find it offensive to ridicule their losses. Maybe, these twons aren't as big as New York, but losing everyting hurts just as bad.
FEMA sent some of those trailers they had lying around in NOLA. But, they are not giving any help in hooking them up. They just moved them from a field in Louisiana to a field in Colorado.
Luckily, thousands of volunteers have shown up and helped Holly start to recover. Hopefully, Kansas has people who care, too.
Posted by: apishapa | May 07, 2007 at 11:38 AM
goddamn idiots, we tried to tell you even before the 2004 election. But you would vote for Bush and the Republicans.
I was thinking the same thing when I heard the French election results..."Hey, France!! You'll be *soooooory*....."
Posted by: captain goto | May 07, 2007 at 12:04 PM
apishapa -- I was not ridiculing the losses sustained by those unfortunates in Kansas. I was (clumsily, I admit) pointing out the difference in responses to various catastrophes suffered by Americans in different areas of the country. A minor geopolitical statement, if you will.
There are a bunch of us who completely understand that we're all supposed to be in this together.
Posted by: CatStaff | May 07, 2007 at 12:45 PM
My first thought was just what lowly-grunt said. Those comments and sentiments are not directed at those who lost everything. They are directed at the faux "christians" out there who explain tragedy like this as some sort of devine retribution... except when it occurs in someplace like Kansas.
Posted by: Lynne | May 07, 2007 at 01:38 PM
and God said 'payback's a bitch, ain't it.'
Posted by: wtlloyd | May 07, 2007 at 02:12 PM