Bern
09-18-2008, 12:12 PM
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.
She said emergency personnel and city employees were too busy to talk to reporters. Naschke also said the city had been accommodating news reporters by allowing them access to the island when others weren’t allowed, giving them escorted rides to damaged areas and allowing them to move about outside during a curfew.
But at a noon press conference Monday, Thomas and LeBlanc talked for less than 30 minutes and refused to answer more than five questions. Thomas said she would try to hold another conference today.
Daily News reporters who tried to speak to city employees were denied and told no one could talk except for the mayor and city manager.
“It’s the worst thing the city could do. Those who will suffer most are evacuees,” Publisher Dolph Tillotson said in a statement via text message. “The media will have to turn to other sources that might be less reliable. I can’t imagine a dumber move under these extreme circumstances.”
Before the press conference Monday, LeBlanc asked reporters whether he could go off the record. Some television crews agreed and turned their cameras off. LeBlanc then asked news crews to urge their bosses and managers to show more coverage of the island on television because evacuees didn’t care about what was happening in Houston.
Reporters staying at the city’s emergency operations center at the San Luis Hotel were asked to leave Monday. San Luis hotel owner Tilman Fertitta was housing reporters at the nearby Hilton Hotel, which he also owns.
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.
Galveston officials restrict media access (http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou080916_tnt_galveston_media.7f735fbe.html)
The following is a first-hand account of the destruction of Galveston Island by Hurricane Ike by Mark Collette, former Tyler Paper reporter, who lives there with his wife, Rhiannon Meyers, also a former Tyler Paper reporter and now a reporter for the Galveston County Daily News.
...
Much if not most of the property on the Bolivar Peninsula is now debris. Homes on the West End of Galveston Island that used to be behind the dunes are now over open water. The Seawall was covered in chunks of concrete that weigh hundreds of pounds.
Authorities are still in search-and-rescue mode. About 24,000 people didn’t heed evacuation orders. Rescuers are leaving the dead in houses and moving on to look for the living.
Unlike in New Orleans after Katrina, they are not spray painting a giant "X" on a building when they find bodies. Instead, they are putting discrete stickers on the buildings. On the one hand, government officials seem to be trying to keep the media from portraying the true extent of the disaster, but on the other hand officers are tipping off reporters about deaths and rescues.
Rhiannon said the amount of buildings reduced to rubble suggests that more bodies will be found and the magnitude of the disaster will become clearer in the coming days.
...
Former Tylerites Braved the Storm in Galveston, Houston (http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080915/NEWS01/809150284)
President Bush landed Tuesday on the storm-devastated island to receive a briefing from city, state and federal officials about death and property damage caused by Hurricane Ike.
...
Bush, who later took an aerial tour of the area, declined to issue a statement to the press or answer any questions while in Galveston.
President takes tour of storm-devastated island (http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=605029f95d2d27ca)
***
video of investigative reporter Wayne Dolcefino confronting Governor Rick Perry about media access to Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston's west end (http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=6391294) (would be hilarious if it weren't so sad)
~~~
Now for the rumors...
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 was in my wedding, and has recently beaten chronic mylogenous leukemia. He's never once lied to me...ever. And we're close.
Right now is the Head of Safety Management at one of the refineries in Port Arthur. His plant has two pipeline terminals right off Galveston island, and before they were to bring them back on line he and his crew had to inspect the place for hazards. So they were given clearance to helicopter in and inspect, which meant coming in over Galveston.
So they arrive on the tarmac at Jefferson Co. airport, and there's 1 Army guy and 1 Coast Guard guy, and a supervisor. The supervisor tells them that each of the Army/CG folks are there perform pat-down searches and have orders confiscate any and all video or camera equipment. My friend protests a bit...he needs the shots for his job....but it becomes clear very quickly that he isn't going unless he turns his shit over. So he hands his shit over and walks to the CG guy to get patted, and mumbles in small talk that he doesn't understand why.
The CG looks around and finally says "You will....just look in the trees."
Dudes, I shit you not, he said they saw AT LEAST 1500 bodies in trees scattered about Galveston. They also saw a lot in various ditches and marshes, espec. 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.
He threw up 4 times.
He isn't one to throw up.
It makes sense why they're not letting the media anywhere close to the Island except in very limited sectors under full-time escort. And 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? Why aren't they listed as missing, survived, etc.
Nothing....we hear nothing.
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.
Thanks, [edit - "3 putt"]. They still haven't located him....I'm hoping to get in there soon and help. I just can't sit around and just surf the web for info....I've gotta get in there.
For better or worse, that's where I'm from....it will always be a part of me and I will always call it "home."
post #6 (http://www.shaggybevo.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15569&start=1500)
I should have been clearer in my first post....the 1500 cited in "Galveston" was a reference to the entire county, not just the Island, and number included all those they saw on East Bay, east Trinity, the marshes, etc.
All of us who grew up down in Port Arthur would always referred to Bolivar itself as either "Crystal Beach" or "Galveston" b/c that's the county; when we referenced Galveston Island, we would say "the Island." I should have included "county" in my initial post.
My bad. I'll eat it like a man.
But I guarantee you that my bud's not shitting me in the least. I've visited with him 3 times since over our missing friend, and he's absolutely steadfast w/ what he saw.
The fucking LAST place I want to be cited is Daily Kos. Dammit all to hell I hate that place. What a fucking clusterfuck of a blog that place is. Sux along the likes of Little Green Footballs, Democratic Underground, and Free Republic.
Yes, my other friend is still missing, and it isn't looking good. I've...we...have pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that he's dead. But stranger things have happened
The stories and rumors are coming from multiple sources. From a couple of folks on one of the fishing boards:
A co-worker of my wifes is a HPD officer. Says he has reports that their are many, many corpses in certain parts of the county. Don't know whether to believe it or not. But the officials down there are real suspicious. Specially when brought up at Wednesdays noon conference. I know the mayor has alot to deal with but thats part of the job, she wasn't real friendly to the media Wednesday. There are alot of unanswered questions.
Co worker of mine said the same. A HPD officer flew over the west end and saw bodies floating
and
(1) It is a very serious situation on the coast right now. Many more issues than the media has even thought of. The government entities who are trying their best to deal with everything would prefer not have to deal with things that they don't have to : such as media hype starting a panic or giving "ideas" to unsavory elements. They want to get a handle on some things before media or mass opinions/actions make matters worse. To me, that's smart.
(2) There are almost certainly much more loss of life than is being reported. I have already heard from some LEO about bodies recovered - the count is more than what the news is reporting. In addition, there are many, many people unaccounted for - don't know what happened or where they are. They are simply "unaccounted". These numbers run over a 1000 (some say higher) for Bolivar and between 3000-5000 (again, some say higher) on Galveston. People being what they are, some will want to speculate that these may be DOA - but NO ONE knows, they may have left out of state, etc. If there IS loss of life, it may be that the bodies have not be found in the door-to-door search, or they may not be "floating", or they may have washed out to sea as the water receded. It is sad to think that many perished, but my personal OPINION is there is more than the 5 or 6 deaths "officially" reported - almost certainly since one source told me they have recovered more than that from the Texas City beaches just the other day.
(3) One military person I spoke with said there is an issue of National security that is hush-hush right now. The issue is that there is a LARGE geographical area that is not under any infrastructure police protection or patrol. A significant hole on the coast that "unsavory" elements could sneak just about anything into the US undetected - drugs, weapons, you name it. The CG and LEO have their hands full with cleanup, and keeping worried folks from poking around - not to mention looters - and really can't watch the coast for someone running drugs or something more serious. Especially at night The military is being called in and the "talk" is that Galvestion will most likely be under martial law soon. My military source told me - and take this for what it's worth - that the commander in the area is calling for around 15,000 troops and they "just ain't available" - we have too many deployed elsewhere. The fear is that this would send a signal to our enemies in the world that we are weak and vunerable right now on the Texas coast.
(4) It is AMAZING the lack of news coverage outside Texas. My company based in California knows virtually NOTHING about what is going on. They tell me there was a 3 minute spot on the news last Saturday, very few if any pictures with the various news stories. And the only thing that this is being reported now is stuff like "cleanup effort continues", and "tiger loose", and "man in bear suit on beach" - fluff pieces. I sent them some pictures and they flat don't believe it - think I am making it up and sending pictures from Indonesia or some such place. Which explains why they got so angry when I told them I was taking a day off to board up my house. (Their suggestion was I could leave last Friday after work if I really, really needed to). They are also upset that their office in Houston isn't open: Quote "I mean, the storm was last Saturday for gosh sake, we're going to have to take some diciplinary action if people don't start showing up"....
posts #20 & 48 (if I counted correctly) (http://www.shaggybevo.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15569&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=1650)
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.
She said emergency personnel and city employees were too busy to talk to reporters. Naschke also said the city had been accommodating news reporters by allowing them access to the island when others weren’t allowed, giving them escorted rides to damaged areas and allowing them to move about outside during a curfew.
But at a noon press conference Monday, Thomas and LeBlanc talked for less than 30 minutes and refused to answer more than five questions. Thomas said she would try to hold another conference today.
Daily News reporters who tried to speak to city employees were denied and told no one could talk except for the mayor and city manager.
“It’s the worst thing the city could do. Those who will suffer most are evacuees,” Publisher Dolph Tillotson said in a statement via text message. “The media will have to turn to other sources that might be less reliable. I can’t imagine a dumber move under these extreme circumstances.”
Before the press conference Monday, LeBlanc asked reporters whether he could go off the record. Some television crews agreed and turned their cameras off. LeBlanc then asked news crews to urge their bosses and managers to show more coverage of the island on television because evacuees didn’t care about what was happening in Houston.
Reporters staying at the city’s emergency operations center at the San Luis Hotel were asked to leave Monday. San Luis hotel owner Tilman Fertitta was housing reporters at the nearby Hilton Hotel, which he also owns.
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.
Galveston officials restrict media access (http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou080916_tnt_galveston_media.7f735fbe.html)
The following is a first-hand account of the destruction of Galveston Island by Hurricane Ike by Mark Collette, former Tyler Paper reporter, who lives there with his wife, Rhiannon Meyers, also a former Tyler Paper reporter and now a reporter for the Galveston County Daily News.
...
Much if not most of the property on the Bolivar Peninsula is now debris. Homes on the West End of Galveston Island that used to be behind the dunes are now over open water. The Seawall was covered in chunks of concrete that weigh hundreds of pounds.
Authorities are still in search-and-rescue mode. About 24,000 people didn’t heed evacuation orders. Rescuers are leaving the dead in houses and moving on to look for the living.
Unlike in New Orleans after Katrina, they are not spray painting a giant "X" on a building when they find bodies. Instead, they are putting discrete stickers on the buildings. On the one hand, government officials seem to be trying to keep the media from portraying the true extent of the disaster, but on the other hand officers are tipping off reporters about deaths and rescues.
Rhiannon said the amount of buildings reduced to rubble suggests that more bodies will be found and the magnitude of the disaster will become clearer in the coming days.
...
Former Tylerites Braved the Storm in Galveston, Houston (http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080915/NEWS01/809150284)
President Bush landed Tuesday on the storm-devastated island to receive a briefing from city, state and federal officials about death and property damage caused by Hurricane Ike.
...
Bush, who later took an aerial tour of the area, declined to issue a statement to the press or answer any questions while in Galveston.
President takes tour of storm-devastated island (http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=605029f95d2d27ca)
***
video of investigative reporter Wayne Dolcefino confronting Governor Rick Perry about media access to Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston's west end (http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=6391294) (would be hilarious if it weren't so sad)
~~~
Now for the rumors...
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 was in my wedding, and has recently beaten chronic mylogenous leukemia. He's never once lied to me...ever. And we're close.
Right now is the Head of Safety Management at one of the refineries in Port Arthur. His plant has two pipeline terminals right off Galveston island, and before they were to bring them back on line he and his crew had to inspect the place for hazards. So they were given clearance to helicopter in and inspect, which meant coming in over Galveston.
So they arrive on the tarmac at Jefferson Co. airport, and there's 1 Army guy and 1 Coast Guard guy, and a supervisor. The supervisor tells them that each of the Army/CG folks are there perform pat-down searches and have orders confiscate any and all video or camera equipment. My friend protests a bit...he needs the shots for his job....but it becomes clear very quickly that he isn't going unless he turns his shit over. So he hands his shit over and walks to the CG guy to get patted, and mumbles in small talk that he doesn't understand why.
The CG looks around and finally says "You will....just look in the trees."
Dudes, I shit you not, he said they saw AT LEAST 1500 bodies in trees scattered about Galveston. They also saw a lot in various ditches and marshes, espec. 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.
He threw up 4 times.
He isn't one to throw up.
It makes sense why they're not letting the media anywhere close to the Island except in very limited sectors under full-time escort. And 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? Why aren't they listed as missing, survived, etc.
Nothing....we hear nothing.
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.
Thanks, [edit - "3 putt"]. They still haven't located him....I'm hoping to get in there soon and help. I just can't sit around and just surf the web for info....I've gotta get in there.
For better or worse, that's where I'm from....it will always be a part of me and I will always call it "home."
post #6 (http://www.shaggybevo.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15569&start=1500)
I should have been clearer in my first post....the 1500 cited in "Galveston" was a reference to the entire county, not just the Island, and number included all those they saw on East Bay, east Trinity, the marshes, etc.
All of us who grew up down in Port Arthur would always referred to Bolivar itself as either "Crystal Beach" or "Galveston" b/c that's the county; when we referenced Galveston Island, we would say "the Island." I should have included "county" in my initial post.
My bad. I'll eat it like a man.
But I guarantee you that my bud's not shitting me in the least. I've visited with him 3 times since over our missing friend, and he's absolutely steadfast w/ what he saw.
The fucking LAST place I want to be cited is Daily Kos. Dammit all to hell I hate that place. What a fucking clusterfuck of a blog that place is. Sux along the likes of Little Green Footballs, Democratic Underground, and Free Republic.
Yes, my other friend is still missing, and it isn't looking good. I've...we...have pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that he's dead. But stranger things have happened
The stories and rumors are coming from multiple sources. From a couple of folks on one of the fishing boards:
A co-worker of my wifes is a HPD officer. Says he has reports that their are many, many corpses in certain parts of the county. Don't know whether to believe it or not. But the officials down there are real suspicious. Specially when brought up at Wednesdays noon conference. I know the mayor has alot to deal with but thats part of the job, she wasn't real friendly to the media Wednesday. There are alot of unanswered questions.
Co worker of mine said the same. A HPD officer flew over the west end and saw bodies floating
and
(1) It is a very serious situation on the coast right now. Many more issues than the media has even thought of. The government entities who are trying their best to deal with everything would prefer not have to deal with things that they don't have to : such as media hype starting a panic or giving "ideas" to unsavory elements. They want to get a handle on some things before media or mass opinions/actions make matters worse. To me, that's smart.
(2) There are almost certainly much more loss of life than is being reported. I have already heard from some LEO about bodies recovered - the count is more than what the news is reporting. In addition, there are many, many people unaccounted for - don't know what happened or where they are. They are simply "unaccounted". These numbers run over a 1000 (some say higher) for Bolivar and between 3000-5000 (again, some say higher) on Galveston. People being what they are, some will want to speculate that these may be DOA - but NO ONE knows, they may have left out of state, etc. If there IS loss of life, it may be that the bodies have not be found in the door-to-door search, or they may not be "floating", or they may have washed out to sea as the water receded. It is sad to think that many perished, but my personal OPINION is there is more than the 5 or 6 deaths "officially" reported - almost certainly since one source told me they have recovered more than that from the Texas City beaches just the other day.
(3) One military person I spoke with said there is an issue of National security that is hush-hush right now. The issue is that there is a LARGE geographical area that is not under any infrastructure police protection or patrol. A significant hole on the coast that "unsavory" elements could sneak just about anything into the US undetected - drugs, weapons, you name it. The CG and LEO have their hands full with cleanup, and keeping worried folks from poking around - not to mention looters - and really can't watch the coast for someone running drugs or something more serious. Especially at night The military is being called in and the "talk" is that Galvestion will most likely be under martial law soon. My military source told me - and take this for what it's worth - that the commander in the area is calling for around 15,000 troops and they "just ain't available" - we have too many deployed elsewhere. The fear is that this would send a signal to our enemies in the world that we are weak and vunerable right now on the Texas coast.
(4) It is AMAZING the lack of news coverage outside Texas. My company based in California knows virtually NOTHING about what is going on. They tell me there was a 3 minute spot on the news last Saturday, very few if any pictures with the various news stories. And the only thing that this is being reported now is stuff like "cleanup effort continues", and "tiger loose", and "man in bear suit on beach" - fluff pieces. I sent them some pictures and they flat don't believe it - think I am making it up and sending pictures from Indonesia or some such place. Which explains why they got so angry when I told them I was taking a day off to board up my house. (Their suggestion was I could leave last Friday after work if I really, really needed to). They are also upset that their office in Houston isn't open: Quote "I mean, the storm was last Saturday for gosh sake, we're going to have to take some diciplinary action if people don't start showing up"....
posts #20 & 48 (if I counted correctly) (http://www.shaggybevo.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15569&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=1650)