Another American Hero

[Ron G.]

KARL MALONE BULLDOZES OVER KATRINA RED TAPE: NBA star brings trucks to haul away debris despite resistance from FEMA.

*When former Utah Jazz all-star Karl Malone brought his logging company in Arkansas into Pascagoula, Miss. to clear out debris left behind by Hurricane Katrina, his team was met by a brick wall named Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)! and orange cones nicknamed the Army Corps of Engineers. Both said Malone wasn't authorized to bring his machinery into the area to clear private property.

Bob Anderson, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, said FEMA and the corps by law could only allow approved contractors to clear debris and that only government agencies could work on "public rights of way."

The Mailman wasn't trying to hear it.

"There was a lot of red tape, and I ain't got time for that," he told AP. "I found out that if you're going to do something good, just go ahead and do it. Once I get in my machine, no one is going to get me out. We just said 'the hell with it.' FEMA didn't approve, but we did it for the people."

Malone, an experienced truck driver and logger born in Bernice, La., spent 12 hours a day behind the wheel of his heavy machinery clearing 114 lots via the 18 vehicles he brought into Pascagoula, including a backhoe, three bulldozers and several RVs for him and his crew.

"We were totally self-contained with our own food and everything," said Malone. "We didn't want to take even one bottle of water away from these people. When we told them we were doing this for free, they looked at us like we were crazy or something."

Malone said landowners were told that debris had to be moved out to the street before it could be hauled away.

"How is a landowner who just lost everything going to pay $15,000 or $20,000 to have a lot cleared?" he asked. "I mean, there were two or three houses on top of one another in some places."

The one-time power-forward, who spent 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz and one with the Los Angeles Lakers, said he was moved by the indomitable spirit of the people who vowed to rebuild.

"Everything about this just felt right," the NBA vet tells AP. "My mom died two years ago, and in our last conversation, she told me that one day I would have to step up on a grand scale and help people. I knew this was it."

[J0nny Ling0]

Way ta go Kall Malone!

[Tom Strange]

I agree with you Ron... he's a HERO in my book! (I always thought he was a good guy)

[mstar1]

Bravo Karl Malone!

[topoftheworld]

Hurray for Malone, and shame on FEMA. I can understand having people show up unauthorized in those areas for security reasons, but to deny a citizen from wanting to help so that contracts can go to somebody's "cronies"-well, BS!

It's going to take the efforts of a lot of good people to make that place liveable again-the population and property was already drowned once: now they are drowning in red tape.

Anyone who willingly has the time, money and resources to help should be allowed to help. Period.

[Tom Strange]

Anyone who willingly has the time, money and resources to help should be allowed to help. Period.

It sounds like he was. It sounded like they went through the formalities with him... but didn't really try to stop him... they didn't help him either, but they didn't stop him... at least that's how I took it.

[dmiller]

*When former Utah Jazz all-star Karl Malone brought his logging company in Arkansas into Pascagoula, Miss. to clear out debris left behind by Hurricane Katrina, his team was met by a brick wall named Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)! and orange cones nicknamed the Army Corps of Engineers. Both said Malone wasn't authorized to bring his machinery into the area to clear private property.

Bob Anderson, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, said FEMA and the corps by law could only allow approved contractors to clear debris and that only government agencies could work on "public rights of way."

Dang gummermint!!! Whadda buncha Pharisees!

[coolchef1248 @adelphia.net]

another american hero lives

god bless him and his crew

and as far as fema goes well you know

Edited March 23, 2006 by coolchef1248 @adelphia.net

[Watered Garden]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, that wonderful South Carolina senator, Fritz Hollings, who I think is now retired, stood up on the Senate floor, his shock of snow white hair and tall bearing giving him great dignity, and with fire in his eyes in a deep Southern accent, he declared:

"FEMA is the biggest bunch of bureaucratic jackasses Ah have evah seen!"

Hugo was just practice for them. They are much bigger and more bureaucratic jackasses now than they were then. And bigger jackasses, too, apparently.

WG

[Belle]

Good Morning America was doing a survey of sorts to get the opinions of people to see if they think that the news covers the war accurately or if they should do more "positive" reporting such as the schools being built and other progress that's being made over there.

The public (who responded on GMA's website) overwhelmingly agreed with President Bush that the news was one-sided and seemed to have a political agenda behind it. Bush did not mention the political agenda, I don't think, but the people sure did. Even after acknowledging that this is what the people want they went into all the negative news and told of ONE story they tried to do of the comedy shows that are increasing in numbers on the tv over there but the producer was shot and killed on his way to work. It was almost as if they were saying, "See, we tried to give you good news, but there just isn't any to be had."

Funny, you can find those kinds of good news things on any soldier's blog and in so many other places like anysoldier.com, but those darn broadcasters with all their money and technology and manpower just can't seem to find anything good to report? :huh:

Besides that, it's pathetic that individuals have to railroad through to get something done in no time that takes years to do when you add all the government red tape to the process. Thank God for heros that fight back!

[George Aar]

Having just spent 11 weeks wrangling with a cadre of minor bureaucrats in a local office, just so I could do my damn job, you can guess which half of the argument I side with.

And also, having just gotten my son his learners permit at the DMV, I have to wonder - is there anything the government does that couldn't be handled better, and more efficiently, by a moderately intelligent wino?

Anyway, kudos to Malone...