Is it true that Barbara Bush said something to the effect that the people of New Orleans were better off in the Astrodome than in their own homes?

Is this true?

Does anyone know where I can find what she exactly said?

Thanks,

HOOK'EM HORNS!

Here is a link to Editor and Publisher, one of many periodicals that covered her remarks:

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/ne...t_id=1001054719

Yes, she said that many people were underprivileged so this (20000 people crowded into the Astrodome) was working out very well for them.

Thanks Ms. DeBlazer....

"Lord, deliver us from evil (Bush's)"..AMEN!

Mrs. Bush is 1/2 right, only she's not the one who can say it, so she should be scorn for it.

And what "half" of that statment is anywhere in the same galaxy as "right," Philly?

Some of the very poor, can be much better off after this... very much so.

Only Barbara Bush is not the one to say it. I can though.

Well if you consider no job, no home, no money, living in a strange city..."better off"? eek!

Exactly how is that even remotely logical, Philly?

I think the opportunity exists for some people to improve their lives after this disaster. It will be like starting all over, and for a few people, this will be a chance for a better life. But let's not fool ourselves into thinking that it will be good for all of these people. There are people still living in Fema trailer parks after last year's hurricane Charlie. FEMA is giving them a deadline to get out of those trailers. Much of the housing has not been rebuilt and what was left is more expensive because the demand is greater than the supply.
Barbara's comments remind me again of the sheltered lives that family leads: Picture Daddy Bush at the grocery store running the milk carton across the scanner and being amazed......

It is all what you make of the situation, what you do with the situation, and how much you feel sorry for yourself.

So, in quite a few cases people can rise from the proverty they lived in... or they can just move to more poverty in another city.

That choice is going to be there for them...

Originally posted by PhillyFan:

...So, in quite a few cases people can rise from the proverty they lived in... or they can just move to more poverty in another city...

Unfortunately there was also lots of deaths & destruction of personal items that will never be replaced (ie family photos). So although their economic situation perhaps MAY improve, you can never replace the death of a loved one. So I would have to argue, are they really better off? I would rather be w/ my loved ones over material things or money any day!

[ September 15, 2005, 03:51 PM: Message edited by: SCTrojan ]

First off, you are giving Barbara Bush way WAY too much credit--she didn't say that this situation may lead to something better for them--she said that the current situation was "working out well" for them.

Second, you assume that moving from poverty to...I guess the lower middle class is something that can be done at the snap of a finger and the boarding of a Greyhound Bus. Let me disabuse you of that notion. For many people who live in poverty, they don't have access to education--and the conditions that led to people being in poverty and not getting out of poverty are far more complex than simply "feeling sorry for yourself." Poverty is often generational, and people who are the products of overcrowded, underfunded school systems have an uphill battle in escaping poverty.

Third, you assume that the majority of the hundreds of thousands of people dislocated will be able to assimilate smoothly in the new areas in which they live. If there were an abundance of jobs that paid a living wage in Houston, Baton Rouge, or Austin, then you might be right. However, many people who lived in poverty in NO worked jobs that didn't pay a living wage, and the cities that they've moved to probably don't have enough jobs for their current residents, much less anywhere from 10-100,000 new residents.

I have a word for you, and it’s called self determination. The people living in the poverty of New Orleans, DO have a chance to better themselves. It is all what they choose to do with the situation. Not what the gov’t hands them.

You guys look at a situation and say “what can the gov’t do to get their houses back” I look and say what tools can put before the people to help them out of a bad situation. What opportunities do they have in a new city? Which employers are willing to give them a chance because of their situation? How many of them will take education assistance and work hard (themselves) to get out of poverty?

Losing your life to this is tough, but it’s no excuse not to make your life better. A reason many fall into the trap is they wait for someone to do something for them… for many, this is a prime opportunity to do something for themselves.

In the words of Bill Maher: The moron doesn't fall far from the tree. And in the words of George Carlin..she is a "silver douche bag" Anyone looking to SPIN what this woman says is just beyond ridiculous to me. I mean I agree that some people are so inside their own world that they don't realize when they say things that are insulting to others.

As I once said to a f**kwad teacher I had in high school who cavalierly disparaged people on welfare, I say to you PhillyFan: what do you know about the life of a person who lives in poverty? You so arrogantly and blithely assume that every person who didn't have jack shit to begin with can somehow up and reinvent themselves into a Bigger and Better V-6 human being. Easy for you to say, but damned hard to do. Is it conceivable that people will "turn a sow's ear into a silk purse"? Sure--some people have that knack. Some of these folk lost the minimum wage jobs that barely kept them afloat and have lost the subsidized housing in which they lived--if they don't have the kind of education that can afford them the opportunities that you and I enjoy, then, to put it bluntly, staying in the Astrodome isn't a step up. As your boy Bush says, "we must confront the legacy" of poverty that continues to haunt this society--self determination is excellent, but when entire areas of cities are underserved, when school districts continue to have unequal funding, when elites sit behind their computer screens and keyboards tapping away foolishly about how people in poverty can somehow miraculously lift themselves out of generations of poverty and inequality (racial, gender, AND class), the legacy of poverty will persist.

But let's call a spade a spade. Barbara Bush was f**king wrong. Her comments showed an unconscionable ignorance of the situation and glib dismissal of the suffering around her.

nuttun like a bleading heart liberal to encourage people to better themselves without actual hard work.

Check out the button on her jacket - speaks volumes wink

PF,

I agree w/ kalabro & you--if this was a different circumstance. I have to say that if I had lost my husband, children, & every family member I loved to Katrina (which has been the case in some instances), I would absolutely be livid to hear Barbara Bush's comments. I think they were inappropriate & insensitive to many individuals deep pain & sorrow. Politics aside, I ask you, honestly how can my situation be better off w/out my loved ones? I'm sorry I just can't see it or agree w/ Barbara's comments being justified & defended.

[ September 16, 2005, 04:29 AM: Message edited by: SCTrojan ]

The sad part is the Bushes are SO OUT OF TOUCH they sometimes say exactly what they are thinking, not thinking that it is inappropriate.

They have no "reference" to middle class, just silver spoons falling out of their mouths. Granted, you would think with all that money their son would have a better grasp for the english language.

Remember Barbara Bush was on the "illiteracy" campaign when the first George was president. Perhaps because she had first hand experience with it raising "W"?

Barbara Bush has always been the bitch behind the Bush, er, I mean the Throne. And is anyone really surprised to hear such insensitive comments? I'm not...not from her.

There's no easy answer to this kind of tragedy. Sure, people who live in a trailer on virtually nothing will get subsidies to rebuild that may be significant in light of what they had, but there's no easing of the horrific trauma of what they went through. And while there are endless examples of those who've pulled themselves up out of mind boggling poverty with both self-determination and much assistance, there are also many who simply don't believe it's possible and therefore never really get started on the path. Believing it's possible, and believing in oneself, is always the first step...

PREACH BROTHER....PREACH!!! You aren't saying anything but the TRUTH!!!!!!!! ::CLAPS HANDS::

Philly, it seems as though whatever chances they had to get out of poverty certainly haven't improved since the hurricane. Yes, some of them had a chance before, but it's certainly not better now. Somehow, going from poverty to homeless and jobless, etc. is not going to improve the pretty bad odds you already had.

Babs is an old rich lady. Of course she's not accustomed to seeing this group of people. Many, if not most, of the politicians in Washington, Republican and Democrat, are also rich as hell, and although they may have sense enough to shut their mouths, they probably aren't much different from her. The ruling class in America aren't exactly just "one of us", are they? And even most of us, with a fraction of their wealth, still have a hard time imagining living in poverty. Just the class system in the old U.S.A. We just usually don't have to look right at it. Maybe we should.

First of all, i said Mrs. Bush was 1/2 right.. and she is.... in her position she just can't say it.

You folks just take these to extreme examples of someone who lost their whole family and blah blah blah... You can buy them 10 houses and it wont make up for it. Get real.

PhillyFan, you lost your last shred of crediblity with the posts on this thread. You are as whacked-out as the rest of them. How you and your neo-con nut jobs be so out of touch, so heartless during a time of horrific tragedy is beyond me. It has been what, three weeks since the hurricane hit and you already want them to pick themselves up by their own bootstraps? I've got a newsflash for you pal, those boots were washed away in the hurricane, along with a lot of loved ones. How soon would you be able to "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" if you just lost your husband/wife, children, parents and or cousins, along with every single worldly possession and your home? Kind of tough to pull when you are greiving. Do you know what it is like to lose multiple loved ones at the same time? Thankfully, I don't, and I sure hope you don't either. I can't imagine what kind of pain the survivors are going through, but insensative, evil comments by a former first lady certainly are not helping.

[ September 15, 2005, 11:10 PM: Message edited by: millerbeach ]

Coming from you Miller, i'm nothing but proud.

Keep on hatin' PhillyFan. That's a sure way to solve the problems of this nation. Does your God tell you to hate? Must be some God speaking through you and the president. Are you sure your God isn't Satan? It sure sounds like it to me.

Originally posted by bryan:

...And while there are endless examples of those who've pulled themselves up out of mind boggling poverty with both self-determination and much assistance, there are also many who simply don't believe it's possible and therefore never really get started on the path. Believing it's possible, and believing in oneself, is always the first step...

I know exactly what you mean bryan. I was one of those individuals that grew up here in LA in the inner city. In retrospect, I thank my lucky stars that I was born gay. The neighborhood kids shunned me so I had no other alternative but to turn inward & develop my intellectual side. But I can vouch that the peer pressure from the neighborhood is potent and lethal especially for the staright guys who grow up there. I know that the majority of the staight guys from where I grew up are still stuck where they are at.

I did pretty good considering my circumstances. And of course my mom always instilled the value of education, education, & education. I've worked w/ (& in some cases still do) the economically disadvantaged in Welfare to Work programs. And believe me I know 1st hand what it's like to try to help individuals who are in the lowest economic ladder in our country. W/out networking w/ CBOs & gov asst, Welfare to Work will fail (& has in some instances). But it took years of experience & dedication on every agencies part in order to get SOME success. 1st off these are individuals who have to deal w/ their self-esteem issues. Then there's abuse (physical, mental, and/or sexual) in some cases. And then there can be drugs & alcohol issues. Finally, there are those who need psychiatric assistance. Basically, it DOES take a village. Of course, not every welfare recipient has these problems. But most do. And if there's a mix of all or any of the above mentioned issues in an individuals life it just creates a huge pit that is quite hard to climb out of. Then of course there are those that, although, are off gov asst we who have worked w/ these persons ask, "Are they truly better off, economically, working at $8.00 an hour, for ie?...

Suffice it to say, there is still an ongoing debate about whether welfare to work paid off. Grant it some have become self-sufiicient. But some still have many non-economic issues that they will probably wrestle w/ for the rest of their lives. Sad but true.

Sorry to veer off the subject, but I had to add this side of the argument for my personal clarification.

[ September 16, 2005, 04:28 PM: Message edited by: SCTrojan ]

More compassion from the fat ass bitch:

"Why should we hear about body bags and deaths," Barbara Bush said on ABC's "Good Morning America" on March 18, 2003. "Oh, I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?"

not sure of the EXACT quote, but i think there's an element of truth behind it. many of the people in the astrodome and elsewhere have nowhere to go BUT up...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????!!!!!!

How did I miss that?

It doesn't surprise me. It further illustrates how out of touch the entire Bush family is...

Gotta LOVE Pat

He must love the Bushes - they give him so much to work with!

To Philly and any other "non-compassionate conservatives". There will ALWAYS be poor people. Our capitalist system guarantees it. By its very nature, capitalism causes a concentration of wealth. So there will always be middle class, working class, and poor, but very few will be rich. You cannot have rich without poor, the two will always co-exist. No matter how much some people educated themselves, work hard, or try to lift themselves up, there will still be poor. As long as there are millions of jobs that only pay minimum wage, those who fill those jobs will be poor. Stop treating people who fall into that category with disdain, they are no less better than anyone else because of their financial situation.

In W's own words, from New Orleans last night:

You mean like George W. Bush?
Born into wealthy and prominent family. Got into tony prep school on family connections. Got into college on family connections. Got into national guard on family connections. Got into business deals on famliy connections; deals mostly failed but he got richer and stockholders and workers lost. Got into governorship on family connections. Got into presidency on family connections.
When did he ever work 2 or 3 minimum wage jobs to keep a family in groceries, have no health insurance, then see everything he owned lost, maybe family members, companion animals, sit for 4 or 5 days among dead bodies in shit without food or water, finally get placed with 20,000 others in a stadium with bright lights, noise and confusion, sleeping on the floor with no privacy or family life, maybe not be aware of where family members were or if they are alive and be told "gosh you are so much better off here than you were in your home"?

Bar Bush's \"Houston for the Underprivileged\" (whitehouse.org)

quote:

nuttun like a bleading heart liberal to encourage people to better themselves without actual hard work

Originally posted by Ms. de Blazer

You mean like George W. Bush?...

You go Girl!

[ September 16, 2005, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: SCTrojan ]

I wonder if it will "work very well" for Barbara Bush if Rita hits her home in Houston?

Of course, they can just pack up and go to their residence in Maine...

Maybe Rita is an answer to her prayers as she's been very public that the Katrina "refugees" get displaced from Houston because, as she said, "it's scarey that they are all going to stay here"

"scarey" ???

i hadn't heard that quote. can you cite it for me?

Somehow I doubt Poppy and Bar would be waiting on their roof for 4 or 5 days to be rescued.
Of course the old bag has enough fat on 'er to hold out for a couple of months.

Babs' comments are what this thread is about. Go up to the top of the thread and there is a link to her exact comments.

"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) this is working very well for them." Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston, Sept. 5, 2005


Gimme a break, I typed that right before bed and misspelled "scary"

Babs is nothing but a bigot. She has always looked down on ethnic minorities. Why can't she just curb her tongue?

Seventeen and a half centuries before Adam Smith:

So I am suppose to be upset that we won't have Babs around forever? When do I begin cheering?