Three More For Friday

(I’ve had to shift gears like crazy today since my two main posting topics aren’t available online for some reason, so…)

Under the “Brownie’s Still A Gasser,” dept., we have the story of formaldehyde in FEMA trailers, a chemical known to cause sore throats, burning eyes and respiratory problems.

As noted here…

“They wanted to ignore the problem,” (House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry) Waxman said, referring to headquarters officials. “What we have is indifference to the suffering of people who are already suffering because of Hurricane Katrina, and this is from an agency that’s supposed to serve the public.”

Mr. Waxman said that after news reports in March 2006 about formaldehyde in the trailers, members of the field staff urged immediate action. He quoted a response in an e-mail message from a FEMA lawyer who said: “Do not initiate any testing until we give the O.K. Once you get results, the clock is running on our duty to respond to them.”

The documents include an e-mail exchange among agency staff members dated June 27, 2006, relating the news that one person had been found dead in a trailer in St. Tammany Parish, La.

Referring to the use of air-conditioning, one e-mail message said: “We do not have autopsy results yet, but he had apparently told his neighbor in the past that he was afraid to use his A.C. because he thought it would make the formaldehyde worse.”

OK, so instead of poisoning or suffocating the people living in the trailers, let FEMA broil them to death. Why not?

I predict, by the way, that Henry Waxman is going to be the busiest man in America investigating this bunch for at least the next two years.

I was not able to track down the Area Votes in Congress for the week of July 9th from philly.com for some reason. So instead, here is a brief summary of legislative activity (that was the first link – I don’t know if I can make it unless I know what Joe Pitts voted “No” to; what a burden!).

Someone named Donald Petrille, Jr. former chairman of the Bucks County Federation of Young Republicans, wrote an absolutely demented Guest Opinion in the Courier Times today attacking Patrick Murphy today (that was the second link). I’ll respond at some point in the future when I can find it online.

And as always, Impeach Bush, Impeach Bush, and Impeach Bush.