To all Gulf Coast Region members...

[Lucas F. CLC #15674]

...who may have been affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Please know that we in other parts of the country are aware o the terrible devastation and misery this storm has caused. You are in our thoughts and prayers and we hope that all of you (and your cars) have survived this catastrophe and that your lives get back to normal as soon as possible.

I was going to bid on some stuff for my 63 on eBay but I think I will send the money to the Red Cross instead.

With best wishes,

Lucas F. CLC #15674
1963 Series 62 Convertible

[Dave #17592]

Very true Lucas,

     Let us pray that all of our CLC friends were out of harms way when the hurricane hit.   May you all return to find your homes (and garages) high and dry.

     Yesterday they showed an upside-down crushed 89 Lincoln towncar outside one of the Biloxi Casinos.   Makes one shudder to think that our classics can get blown away like that.  But I suppose those who live in the Tornado belt live with the same risks.    Life is more important than possesions anyways.

   
     Unfortunately after the water receeds and the insurance claims are all paid, those flood cars and trucks can end up at a used car dealer near you and I.  Ten years ago we had a nearby new car dealer suddenly end up with a load of left over cars show up.   When I questioned the new carpeting in all the cars and that freshhly washed out glovebox, I asked him if these were flood cars.   The dealer was furious that I asked!   I opened the trunk, reached in and pulled out a taillamp bulb from its twist out socket and it was filthy with silt.  I said, next time, have your buyers check first before you unload a fleet of headaches on your neighbors.

David

[Sue #5125]

Earlier this year on a roadtrip home from New Orleans (Hemmings Motor News 2nd Annual Caribbean Cruise), we experienced a problem with our Suburban.  Late on a Sunday afternoon, an engine pulley for the serpentine belt locked up somewhere in northern Mississippi.  

We made it to the next exit where we found a combination gas station/Baskins Robbins Ice Cream Store and not much else.  Upon seeing that the problem was an easy fix, we just needed to get to the nearest parts store about 30 miles north to pick up the new pulley.  

Enter the Mississippi State Patrol.  An off-duty officer in a patrol car was fueling at the gas station and he agreed to drive my husband to the parts store.  The officer then called for another MSP officer to bring my husband back to our vehicle.  That officer waited as we installed the new pulley, put the belt back in place and were on our way.  

With the assistance of the Mississippi State Patrol, we were back on the road in less than 1 1/2 hours.  Both officers were very nice and helpful.  I woke up this morning thinking of them and decided to make a donation to the Red Cross in their name.  

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

Does anyone know if some of the Imperial Palace collection cars from Las Vegas were still on display at one of the Mississippi casinos?  One of the cars was W. C. Fields 1938 9033 Sixteen.

[Sue 5125]

Just in case you are a United Mileage Plus member and you are considering a donation to help the Hurricane Katrina assistance this is a nice offer.  

United Airlines has announced: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrinas devastation, we encourage our Mileage Plus members to make a donation to the relief effort. Channeled through respected charities, the monies will go to everything necessary to help those affected rebuild their homes ...and their lives.

To thank you for your participation and help, we will deposit 500 miles* in your Mileage Plus account for donations of $50 (USD) or more now through October 31, 2005.

To donate choose:
American Red Cross
AmeriCares
Operation USA
To receive your mileage award for cash donations:
Simply fax a copy of your donation receipt and Mileage Plus® number to
United toll-free at 1-866-583-5943.

Please take a moment to make a generous donation and send a message of hope to those affected by this horrific natural disaster.

*500 Redeemable Bonus Mile Terms and Conditions (MPDD95):
1. Must be a Mileage Plus member to participate; to join go to
http://www.united.com TARGET=_blank>www.united.com .
2. Member must fax a legible receipt from an approved charitable organization showing a minimum donation of $50USD with their name
circled and Mileage Plus number clearly printed on the receipt.
3. Receipt must be dated no earlier than August 30, 2005 and faxes must be received by October 31, 2005.
5. Donors name must match the name on the Mileage Plus account
provided with the faxed receipt.
6. Please allow 6-8 weeks for mileage to post to account.
7. A maximum of 1,000,000 miles will be awarded to the first 2,000 respondents for this program and will be awarded on a
first-come-first-served basis.

[Dave #17592]

The news last night mentioned that all of the Cadillacs had been stolen at the local Cadillac Dealership.  

Why?  None of the cars can be sold without the titles?    All of the VINs are recorded so no matter where you try to register them the DMV will red flag you.    And new cars come off the delivery trucks with very little gas.  Dealers dont fill a car until the customer takes delivery.    So all those stolen Cadillacs will run out of gas before they ever get out of town.    

Youd think the way the folks down there were behaving that this was armageddon.  The end of the entire world forever with no consiquences.   It was a Hurricane and a flood.   But now it sure looks like Dantes Inferno.   Sad, very sad indeed.

[denise 20352]

    None of this makes any sense.  People are looting television sets.  With no car to carry it, no electricity, and your house full of water, what do you do with a television?  Walk half a block with it and then drop it because you cant carry it anymore.  That makes no more sense than shooting at hospitals and relief helicopters.

-denise

[Michael Stamps 19507]

While I was eatting lunch today I watched Fox.  All this talk of looting and anarchy reminded me of Hugo when it hit Charleston, SC.  I was a senior in high school and we just went 20 miles inland.  The next morning I got up to walk my dog and was surprised to find a National Guard standing at the corner with an M16.  The ball was dropped bad by someone this time.  There is no way the conditions should have gotten as bad as they are.

Stampie

[Porter 21919]

Agreed, they knew this was coming eventually.

Not as if I am one to talk about misplaced priorities.

This hurricane was pretty well telegraphed and they have very sophistaced equipment now to monitor these storms, not as if it was a big surprise what happened in New Orleans.

[Johnny]

Call me an extreme optimist, but possibly the theft of the Cadillacs was a good thing!  First of all, at least the thieves were able to get out of town, and possibly save their lives.  Also, they might have saved those Cadillacs, if when they run out of gas, they just abandoned them.  In any event those Cadillacs were going to be doomed to be ruined!

[Frank Iannacone]

Are to blame for the Gulf Coast devastation, we can invade a Country and impose our values on others yet we cannot evacuate our own citizens that are living in third world conditions.

[denise]

  How many of these citizens would you like to invite into your home?  

-denise

[Andrew 10642]

Id take the vast majority.  Karl Rove and Company started speading cr@p that they were all a bunch of looters until the cast majority of Americans saw it for what it was;  A lame excuse for the federal government, Homeland security and FEMA being completely disorganized in rescueing lives.  People starving and dying trump property rights every time, IMHO.

Racial predjidice and politics affects governemnt decisions still, and although I abhor the political opportunism on both sides of the aisle in placing blame, its unconscionable that people are blaming citizens for being too poor to escape flooding.  The media is completely manipulated to keep asking pointless questions.   My only hope is that the inhumanity is so abvious that the media wont let the feds get away with their lack of concern or ineptitude.

Is your only standard for human compassion that people must be without imperfection.

[Porter 21919]

A catastrophic tradgedy, granted. Anyone living near wetlands, or on a flood plain is always at risk.

In this case there was advance warning, when the big inevitable quake hits California there will be no advance warning.

Im really hard pressed to see that racial prejudice is an issue here.

I dont condone people that would prefer to evacute but cant afford to without being provided the means to evacuate, on the other hand some people have the means to evacute and choose not to.

There are no easy answers here. Apparently it was the governments responsibilty to forcibly evacuate all of the citizens of New Orleans.

[Michael Stamps 19507]

I will be the first to admit that I am not a fan of the current adminstration of this country.  That said I think I understand what happened.  

When the hurricane hit the gulf coast there was damage but NO was dry.  I think the goverments involved thought the worst was over.  It wasnt until the next day that NO was flooded.  At that point it was an O crap we got to do something and the first thing to do was to blame someone else.

Thats my take on the events that unfolded but with hindsight, an overkill responce without the needless loss of lives is a hundred times better than what they ended up with.

Stampie

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Well, I am going to step in here and say that from all the reports that were generated, prior to the actual event, there was enough time for EVERYONE to be evacuated, forceably, if necessary.   We even heard them in Australia.

For those people that chose to "ride it out", I have no sympathy.   And, for the looters, I have no sympathy either.   They are the lowest of the low.  

Having said that, scavanging for food to stay alive is different to stealing TV sets and the like for personal gain.   Heck, when they get their TV sets, there isnt any power to plug the jolly things into anyway.

I dont know just what to say about anyone that would fire off firearms in any sort of situation, unless it was to escape a loose crocodile, but crocadiles dont fly, and animals cant hear evacuation warnings, so they should be the only living things there, and they can ususlly fend for themselves.

Further, I have no sympathy for my fellow countrymen and women that were tourists in your lovely Country that also decided to "ride it out" in the Hotels.   There was so much advanced information to get out, and they should have heeded that information.   I know, I heeded the information in 2002 and didnt venture down there when we heard the storms were imminent.   We just changed our itinerary.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

P.S.   It is easy to cast blame after an event.

P.P.S.   Everyone should stop whinging and help their fellow human being.

P.P.P.S.   And, stop calling the Black people African Americans.   Of course they are annoyed.   Arent they AMERICANS for Christ sake.

P.P.P.P.S.   I think I have stirred the pot enough.

[Michael Stamps 19507]

The 80 year old lady to poor to own a car had no chance to get out.   The tourist who tried to leave but found no bus or taxi had no chance.  It is easy to think about ourselves and our loved ones and say yes we would have left.  That doesnt apply to everyone.  I used to live in that area and visited NO on many weekends.  Just like any large city you have those that are not able to pick up and leave even with a few days notice.  I wonder about the young Airmen just out of boot camp at Keelser AFB.  From my experience they most likely were stuck blocks from the beach just like a lot of the others.  I know when I was there I was one of out of maybe 20 that had my own car.  Just remember that some dont have the means and ways that we have.

Stampie

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Yes, I am aware that some people would have had trouble getting out, but that doesnt stop the people that took the educated decision to stay.

I know that people want to take all their belongings with them, but sometimes it is better to fill up a vehicle with people, even if they are strangers, than boxes of items that can be replaced.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[Michael Stamps 19507]

I live about three blocks from the beach.  Ive slept through hurricanes before but I would most likely leave if one hit here in Jacksonville.  Three blocks to the east of me are ten million dollar homes.   Chances are the owners wouldnt be home since its their second or third house anyway.  Not five minutes west of me is a trailer park.  These trailers are 30 years old and the renters are so poor they divide the trailer up in thirds.  Thats correct, you have a family living in a third of a single wide trailer.  They would be my first thought if a hurricane was heading to Jacksonville.

Stampie

[JIM CLC # 15000]

09-04-05
I have to agree with BRUCE R. 100percent. If they really wanted to get out of the path of the hurricane, they had two or three days warning. Unlike the crew of the "space-suttle" that NASA knew was damaged and would not make a safe return.
After hearing ABC-news on the radio today(sunday, 09-04-05)saying that the Mayor of New Orlens had a "contingency-plan" to use School Buses and any other buses that were serviceable to evacuate the people of N.O. Now, the busses are ruined. I find it damn strange that people will call-up or go to an agency and ask for food-stamps, but the same people will not ask for a ride out of town that could save their life! I for one, do not feel sorry for people that steal non-food items, and fire guns at the very people that are putting their "a** on the line" trying to rescue them. The ones I feel for are the babies and young that had to stay with their parent(s)(And suffered) Also, the elderly.
Good Luck To All that have survied, Jim