Our First Katrina Refugees

We booked our first refugees at the Inn yesterday -- an older couple who had
stayed with us on vacation in the past, and who lost everything in Katrina.

They are living day-to-day, not sure when -- or if -- they'll be able to
return home. When I asked them why they came so far North to stay, they
just shrugged their shoulders and said "Because we like it here..."

So, the Constellation Suite is their new home until further notice... (They
like old prop-driven airliners...)

Interestingly, others in New Orleans have decided that Iowa doesn't sound so
good to them:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/app...65/1001&lead=1


Here's the story, in case the link expires:
**********************************************
Iowa is ready, evacuees are not

Des Moines Register

September 7, 2005
Iowa is ready to welcome thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees - but it
was unclear Tuesday whether any of the people fleeing the Gulf Coast want to
come.

Iowans raced to be ready for hundreds of homeless people who had been
expected to arrive as soon as Tuesday afternoon.

The Iowa National Guard and American Red Cross prepared the Iowa State
Fairgrounds for up to 1,000 people who were expected to come from evacuation
points in Houston. The state has offered to assist up to 5,000 evacuees.

But they didn't come.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Iowa officials spoke with Federal Emergency
Management Agency officials who said they were having a hard time getting
people to leave the evacuation zones in Houston.

"People don't necessarily want to move," Gov. Tom Vilsack told reporters
Tuesday evening. "They are tired. They are frustrated. They want to stay
where they are. So, we're going to give them a breather, and we are going to
see where we are (today)."

Vilsack said evacuees still may come. He and other governors will
participate in a conference call with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff and learn more about the evacuation plans.

"We stand ready and prepared if the call should come," Vilsack said.

It's not just Iowa. Evacuees have rejected accommodations on cruise ships,
for example.

"The folks in Texas are having some difficulty encouraging folks to get on
airplanes and travel to other locations. It's understandable. These people
have been through a lot," Vilsack said. "This is a day-by-day, hour-by-hour
situation."

State officials waited by the phone all day. They had expected a call from
the federal government that evacuees were on their way early Tuesday, state
officials said. It never came.

Nevertheless, Iowa stands ready. The Varied Industries Building at the
fairgrounds has been turned into the main hub for evacuees, who would then
be moved into hotels and homes around the community.
**********************************************
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Glad to hear they are where they'd rather be.

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:U0DTe.315756$_o.224968@attbi_s71...
We booked our first refugees at the Inn yesterday --

Ya gotta watch more CNN, Jay.

The African-American leaders and the US government are very adamant about
NOT calling the displaced persons as "refugees", but insist on "evacuee", or
some such word.

They seem to feel that "refugee" somehow diminishes the status of these
people.

I am wondering, however, that if that is so, then why is it okay to call the
Sri Lankan, Thai (and other displacements of natural and man-made disasters)
as "refugees"?

Does that not diminish *their* status?

"Icebound" wrote in message
...

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:U0DTe.315756$_o.224968@attbi_s71...
We booked our first refugees at the Inn yesterday --

Ya gotta watch more CNN, Jay.

The African-American leaders and the US government are very adamant about
NOT calling the displaced persons as "refugees", but insist on "evacuee",
or some such word.

They seem to feel that "refugee" somehow diminishes the status of these
people.

I am wondering, however, that if that is so, then why is it okay to call
the Sri Lankan, Thai (and other displacements of natural and man-made
disasters) as "refugees"?

Does that not diminish *their* status?

Merriam-Webster: "refugee: one that flees; especially: a person who flees to
a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution". What's being
objected to is the connotation of having fled from a foreign country;
obviously, that connotation is not objectionable in situations where people
really do flee internationally.

I don't think the terminology is worth obsessing over. But still less is
anyone's obsession over it worth obsessing over.

--Gary

Perhaps they think "refugees" won't return but "evacuee" will. In fact,
I would be surprised if 10% of the "evacuee" actually returned. Most of
those that had to flee more recently didn't have much to start with and
may not have much to go back to. People like you and I who would have
something to return home to would have just left well ahead of time and
gotten a hotel. We had a local guy just get back after getting stuck
while on vaction. He said while at the Super Dome he found a whole new
level of human depravity. Many of those people had no respect for human
lives and were just trying to take as much stuff as they could. He even
saw a 10 year old girl get killed. Sounded a lot like a Raider's game.


-Robert

On Wed, 07 Sep 2005 14:44:04 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in
U0DTe.315756$_o.224968@attbi_s71::

So, the Constellation Suite is their new home until further notice...

Your generosity in providing Katrina victims with a place to live
without cost is truly commendable.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote:
Perhaps they think "refugees" won't return but "evacuee" will. In fact,
I would be surprised if 10% of the "evacuee" actually returned. Most of
those that had to flee more recently didn't have much to start with and
may not have much to go back to.

The governor of Texas has got to be wondering, about now, just what the long
term repercussions are going to be for Houston and other of his cities. Of
course, in today's no accountability world, he may just figure it's the
mayors' problem.

--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...

Merriam-Webster: "refugee: one that flees; especially: a person who flees
to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution". What's
being objected to is the connotation of having fled from a foreign
country; obviously, that connotation is not objectionable in situations
where people really do flee internationally.

World Book: A person who flees for refuge or safety in time of war,
persecution, or disaster.

(no mention of country)


I don't think the terminology is worth obsessing over. But still less is
anyone's obsession over it worth obsessing over.


....which makes it all the more peculiar that the President and the Black
leaders would obsess so... and they are *extremely* adamant about it, too.
:-? This is but one of hundreds of articles about the issue:
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7000056047

Anyway, I just didn't want Jay to get in trouble with the language police,
so, having completed the mission: end of refugee-semantics sub-thread
hopefully :-)

Jay Honeck wrote:

Interestingly, others in New Orleans have decided that Iowa doesn't sound so
good to them:

A bunch of buses went down from DC and came back mostly empty as well.
Washington and Iowa aren't on the top of people's list to relocate to.

Heck, they won't even go aboard cruise ships that are right there.

Bob Gardner

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
...
Jay Honeck wrote:

Interestingly, others in New Orleans have decided that Iowa doesn't sound
so good to them:

A bunch of buses went down from DC and came back mostly empty as well.
Washington and Iowa aren't on the top of people's list to relocate to.