As a constituent of Mike Jackson, I was horrified that he didn't show up at the UTMB Town Meeting during which our (I am a UTMB employee and patient) continued existence was discussed.
After Ike, Ron Paul's staffer's had helped me out with Amtrak to the tune of $700, and I was thrilled. They were invaluable at a true time of need for me. So when I emailed Mike Jackson's office, I was stunned to received this reply. Mike Jackson's campaign manager's reply is in italics, below.
Ms. Camp,
Senator Jackson and his staff were not aware of the Town Hall meeting otherwise he would have been there, just as he has been at every other Hurricane Ike Recovery meeting of which he has been contacted. Do you really believe any politician would skip the chance to be in the same place with 4000 of his constituents? Do you really think he would do nothing while 4000 of his constituents lose their jobs and one of the premier medical facilities in the country that serves much of his district just closes its doors? That would be crazy.
Nevertheless, he has already been working with his colleagues in the Legislature to make certain there is funding in our next state budget to help keep UTMB open and prevent the loss of jobs. He has been in constant contact with Dr. Callender and will continue to work closely with UTMB to make sure they have the resources they need to fully recover.
I wouldn't expect you to take me at my word though since you are a Democrat and are simply repeating Senator Jackson's opponents statements. Are you really inclined to believe lawyer a who really wants to be an elected official again? He wasn't any good when he was a City Councilman.
The following is from an email sent to me by a good friend in Nacogdoches whose buddy has been over Galveston - names have been edited out to protect the folks those who relayed the report. Also relayed from this guy and others: persons going into the restricted area are apparently being patted down and cameras are being confiscated, by Army and Coast Guard personnel.
Okay...I've got some news on this front. Take it for what it's worth, but the guy I got it from is someone I trust to raise my children... He's never once lied to me...ever. And we're close.
He's in a pretty high-up supervisory position for a refinery down on the coast.
His refinery has some equipment and lines in and around Galveston county, and before they were to bring them back on line he and his crew had to inspect the place for damage and potential hazards. So they were given permission....after a background check....to helicopter in and inspect, which meant coming in over Galveston.
I kid you not when I say that he told me they saw AT LEAST 1500 bodies in trees scattered about Galveston. They also saw a lot in various ditches and marshes, esp. on the north side of East Galv. Bay, east side of Trinity Bay, and in the marshes between I-45 and Seabrook/Clear Lake/Deer Park.
It explains why they're not letting the media anywhere close to the Island except in limited sectors nd we're not hearing anything from or about the people who survived and those who stayed behind. It's like 20,000 people never
existed....where are they? Where'd they go? What are their names? Nothing....
Same thing in Orange county.
Take it for what it's worth....I believe him, though his count may be wrong given the shock of the sight. But like I said, I'd trust him to raise my kids.
I'd be more surprised if he were wrong than if he were right.
GALVESTON - Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas on Monday ordered all city employees not to talk to news reporters. She did not say when that order would be lifted.
Thomas and City Manager Steve LeBlanc will be the only officials allowed to talk to reporters. City spokeswoman Mary Jo Naschke vehemently denied the city was trying to clamp down on coverage.
......
Reporters would be allowed on the island only if they had proper identification, Thomas said. She didn't clarify what that meant.
Reporters were also forbidden from visiting areas on the far West End, Thomas said. She did not explain why.
I'm not normally one to be alarmist and I don't want to upset people, but this has me very worried. I know some folks who stayed down there to ride it out, as does the guy who sent me the email above - he has yet to hear from one of his friends and fears the worst. His report of the damage in Nacogdoches was not pretty either, and if this storm tore apart towns that far inland it's certainly not unreasonable to think that Galveston and the Triangle have experienced unprecedented devastation.
There could be arguably sound reasons for media blackouts, and the specter of hundreds of bodies among the wreckage may be one of them. It's not always easy in situations like this to know where to draw the line between respect for the deceased and their families, and the public's right to know about what has happened.
Perhaps the best thing we can all do now is pitch in and help:
My family is now split up in 3 parts of Texas. My dad, who decided to stay and work on the house at home and do some other stuff, is lucky enough to know of an air-conditioned house in Houston to stay in. My mom and sister are at my grandparents' house in Bastrop county, and I'm the lucky one here in Austin.
Unable to speak with us directly, my father has sent us text messages.
Huge pile of large branches. 12 piles of smaller branches, and that is just the front yard
And we're the lucky ones. My mom told me that she drove through parts of Houston seeing trees through roofs; even of two-story buildings. My roommate said a tornado went down his street (and thankfully spared his house.)
Remember guys and gals, this is only Houston. An hour from Galveston, it can't even compare to the wreckage there. I hope most of you, like me, are the lucky ones.
Many parents of Houstonians at UT are up in Austin now to sleep somewhere with electricity. If you are here due to Ike, whether from before or after impact, I'd recommend looking back at Phillip's Netroots Nation Resource Page. Perhaps you'll find ways of solace in this nice town. Until your lives are back up and running, be careful and stay safe.
