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"I learned that in extreme situations when human lives and dignity are at state, neutrality is a sin. It helps the killers, not the victims." Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor who lost his family in the Holocaust - Nobel Prize Author
Socialism - Liberalism Quotation
"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name of liberalism they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program until one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened." – Norman Thomas
As the first Senator to register my opposition to her nomination to this lifetime position, I remain alarmed with her lack of judicial experience as well as her continued disdain for our nation’s military, her views on civilian trials for terrorists, and her disregard for the second amendment.
After the earthquake that devastated Haiti last January, orphans who were already involved in the adoption process were permitted inside the United States on humanitarian parole while their American families finished the adoption process in the United States courts. Due to unnecessary bureaucratic red tape that the adoptive families of this group of orphans faced, I introduced the Help Haitian Adoptees Immediately to Integrate Act of 2010 (HELP Haiti Act) with U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). With bipartisan support, this bill passed the U.S. Senate before Congress left for August recess. This legislation will provide much needed relief to these adoptive families as it authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make a one-time adjustment of status to this set of Haitian orphans.
Recently, a public internal memo was released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials which indicated that President Obama wants to grant amnesty to thousands of illegal immigrations. I find this immensely troubling, and will continue to oppose legislation that allows any form of amnesty to illegal immigrants.
The Haitian economy is in tatters, but not for the reasons you might think. Yes, there was all-time-record-breaking devastation from an earthquake in Haiti's capital of Port au Prince and surrounding areas, but the problem now is foreign food and health aid. As I type, donated food is being stashed in warehouses for a future disaster. And then, there is also a problem with the United Nations (UN) and their money, and their spending, and their excesses.
Haiti Refugees
Let's take the U.N. first. Their budget for Haiti of $732.4 million has seen two-thirds of it going for "salaries, perks and upkeep of its own personnel, not the residents of the devastated island:
The world organization plans to spend the money on an expanded force of some 12,675 soldiers and police, plus some 479 international staffers, 669 international contract personnel, and 1,300 local workers, just for the 12 months ending June 30, 2010.
As the world out-pouring of donations hits the Haitian soil, the price of food sold by the people is lowered, and the result is that people can't trade or sell their goods.
If food is free local farmers can't sell what they grow.
Desperately poor residents who aren't earthquake victims are moving into refugee camps for the free food and health care. But the government wants residents to be less dependent on foreign aid, not more.
Now, here is the story:
Even as many go without meals, relief food that's already made it to Haiti is now being sent to warehouses for future disasters. USAID calls it "prepositioning." The U.N. also says they are scaling back and "repositioning" for future needs.
Yet, the article linked above says "hundreds of thousands go hungry."
Haiti says it still needs monetary donations, but they need it for rebuilding the ravaged areas, not for food.
As of today, total donations to Haiti meet and exceed the biggest estimates of how much it will cost to rebuild -- up to $14 billion. The record-breaking Hope for haiti Telethon in January brought in more than $66 million. That's part of the $4 billion raised by non-government groups and charities. The U.S. Government has given more than $1 billion and has pledged another billion-plus. Other countries and world bodies have pledged $8.75 billion over two years. That's $14.9 billion and counting.
A suggestion: if you continue sending donations to Haiti, don't send them the U.N.
The cost of the Haiti earthquake to the U.S. and to citizens has been staggering. The U.S. Navy hospital ship, USNS Comfort, arrived in Haiti on January 16th to treat those injured in the devastating Haiti earthquake of January 12th. Using a minimum of 2 million gallons of fuel, the ship treated fewer than 1,000 people, bringing the cost of treatment per patient to a minimum of $9,184 - for fuel only. Actual treatment costs have not been determined. In the video below, you will hear that the Comfort expected to treat 500 patients per day. Instead, the ship was innundated with patients suffering from ailments unrelated to the earthquake.
USNS Comfort
Strong message to U.S. politicians. Stop sending our money to underdeveloped countries in an attempt to feed the people. Let other countries do that. Put our aid into infrastructre and agriculture. Send Americans there to build it and see it through to the end. Start using our money to actually make a difference in people's lives beyond the dinner hour. Someone will feed the people for today. We can give them the opportunity to feed themselves forever.
“You can’t expect the Comfort to bring the entire country up to the standards of the U.S. health care system, but there has to be some bailout capacity,” Pollak said.
Military physicians say privately that the Haiti relief mission was complicated by the endless need for advanced care for patients whose conditions were unrelated to the Jan. 12 disaster.
In Haiti primarily to treat fractures and crush injuries from the earthquake, the crew was inundated with patients suffering from diseases, heart trouble, infections and other ailments that owed more to the country’s lack of development than to the earthquake.
The Comfort left Haiti this week. Since January 12th, the U.S. has donated $712.7 million in aid, far more than any other country, and President Obama pledged more this week when Haiti's President, Rene Preval visited the White House.
U.S. Army Warrant Officer Chris Lust was serving in Port-au-Prince, Haiti distributing food to victims when he because ill. Lust was immediately sent to the U.S. Navy ship, Comfort, off the shores of Haiti, and then to a Tampa Veterans Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a rare disease endemic to Haiti, Leptospirosis.
Warrant Officer Chris Lust
Leptospirosis is characterized as a "rare and severe bacterial infection. It is also known as Well's disease. It is rarely found in humans, but infects dogs reptiles, mammals, birds and amphibians. The disease is believed to be transmitted by animal urine to humans through a break in the skin, the eyes and the mucous membranes.
The WHO reports infection in humans may occur when the bacteria come into contact with the skin, typically through contact with unclean water that has been infected by animals.
"It’s kind of like they’re writing a blank check when they go into these places and it might cost them their life," said Lorilei Lust, Chris' mother.
His mother says he has suffered seizure-like symptoms, painful headaches, fevers spiking as high as 105 degrees, and extreme body aches. He was in the hospital's I.C.U. until Saturday, February 20th. As soon as he is physically able to be transferred, he will be moved to San Antonio for follow-up care.
The U.S. Military is not commenting on Lust, or the possibility of other soldiers stricken with Lpetospirosis.
Dr. Richard Bruno, a professor at Lynn University, has been recovered from the rubble of Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Dr. Richard Bruno (bottom-middle)
Dr. Bruno was 59 years old when the earthquake hit, collapsing the hotel where he and others from Lynn were staying while on a mission trip. He had been on staff at Lynn for 4 years.
In the last two days, the bodies of three other students and another professor have been recovered. Students Christine Gianacaci and Stephanie Crispinelli, and Dr. Patrick Hartwick were located yesterday, and Courtney Hayes was located two days ago.
Still remaining on the missing list is Britney Gengel.
The bodies of Lynn University student Stephanie Crispinelli and Professor Patrick Hartwick have been recovered from the rubble of the Hotel Montana in Port au Prince, Haiti.
Stephanie Crispinelli (top-middle) and Dr. Patrick Hartwick (bottom-right)
Courtney Hayes (top-left) and Christine Gianacaci (bottom-left)
Ms. Crispinelli was 19-years-old and Professor Hartwick, 53 when the earthquake struck on January 12th and the Hotel Montana, where the mission group from Lynn University was staying, collapsed. Eight students were not in the hotel at the time and made it safely back to the U.S.
I'm adding another photo of Stephanie Crispinelli, because the photo above is so small, and perhaps does not do justice to this beautiful young woman who lost her life so tragically, much too early
Earlier today, the body of another student, Christine Gianacaci, 22, was recovered. Yesterday, the body of Courtney Hayes, 23, was recovered.
Still missing, or not yet identified, are Britney Gengel, 19, and Professor Richard Bruno, 59.
The family of Christine Gianacaci has been notified that the body of their daughter has been recovered from the Hotel Montana rubble.
Christiane Gianacaci (bottom row, left)
Ms. Gianacaci is the second student found in two days. Courtney Hayes' family announced their daughter was recovered yesterday (pictured top row - left). Two other Lynn University students are still missing along with two of their professors. This from Christine's family:
We’re saddened, but we're also blessed that she’s coming home. But
we’re not going to be happy until all remaining Americans in that hotel
are brought home," said John Gianacaci, Christine's father.
The Gianacaci family were first told that their daughter was "safe and rescued" right after the Haiti earthquake, but the information turned out to be tragically incorrect. Eight members of the Journey of Hope mission from Lynn University returned home unhurt.
There is news today that the body of Lynn University student, Courtney Hayes has been found in the rubble of Haiti's Hotel Montana. More as details are available.
Courtney Hayes (top left)
The 23-year-old Hayes had not been heard from since the earthquake leveled the hotel. Her parents were notified on Wednesday, February 10th. Ms. Hayes was in Haiti for mission work. Eight other members of the group were evacuated. Still missing are three students and two professors.
Evans Muncie, a 28 year old man, was found alive today under the rubble of the Haiti earthquake. See a video below.
Evans Muncie
Buried for 27-28 days, reports say that the severely emaciated Muncie will recover. He was taken to the American field hospital where he was treated for dehydration, malnutrition and festering wounds on both of his feet. He was found in the rubble of the Croix Bossal market where he worked in Port-au-Prince, and had not been seen since the 7.0 quake hit. Doctors said he was disoriented and at times, thought he was still buried. God bless this young man and those caring for him.
Evans Muncie found alive after 27-28 days in Haiti rubble (video)
I orginally wrote this story on January 27th, but did not publish it. I put it in draft and decided I would come back to it after more confirming information becomes available. But there seems to be no more information. Could 4,000 to 5,000 Americans be missing in Haiti after the earthquake? If so, why are we not hearing about it.
I've seen differing estimates of the number of Americans unaccounted for in the Haiti earthquake devastation. All of them range from 4,000 to 5,000. The parents of the 4 missing Lynne University students gave a statement to the press today (Jan. 27th) and cited 4,500 missing. It is possible their information comes from the US State Department, as they are in close contact with that agency. Two professors from Lynn are also missing. As January 21st, 35 Americans are confirmed dead.
Nearly three weeks after Haiti's devastating earthquake, the U.S.
State Department is still looking for 4,000 American citizens. Many of
them might have died, some perhaps still missing, others may have been
already found. During past natural disasters such as the Indonesian
tsunami, relatives of missing Americans contacted the State Department
to report their missing loved ones. Once the missing were found,
however, some relatives did not call back to update the State
Department of their status. That may be the case for some of the
missing American citizens in Haiti. But only some.
Laura Tischler, a State Department spokesperson, would not speculate on the status of the 4,000 missing Americans.
I have looked for State Department estimates, but found nothing. Isn't this strange? I would think we would hear about this everyday - or at least have it trumpted a couple of times, and then maybe reticence would set in, but...
The ten Baptist missionaries from Idaho, who tried to take 33 children out of Haiti and into the Dominican Republic, may be prosecuted for kidnapping. Video link below. See an update below.
Coq [Haitian lawyer for Americans] said that under Haiti's legal system, there
won't be an open trial, but a judge will consider the evidence and
could render a verdict in about three months....
Each kidnapping count carries a possible sentence
of five to 15 years in prison. Each criminal association count has a
potential sentence of three to nine years.
However, there are rumblings that only one person from the New Life Children's Refuge may be held responsible, and the group's Dominican lawyer said just minutes after the following statement that he is arranging a charter flight to send 9 of the Americans home today.
Coq said that nine of the 10 knew nothing about the alleged scheme, or that paperwork for the children was not in order.
"I'm
going to do everything I can to get the nine out," Coq said. That would
still leave mission leader Laura Silsby facing charges.
Just minutes after Coq's above comments, the group's Dominican lawyer said he already has a chartered flight-out for 9 Americans as soon as approval is given:
Only minutes earlier, the Americans' Dominican
lawyer, Jorge Puello, had said he expected at least nine of the 10 to
be released Thursday, and said he was arranging a charter flight for
them from Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital.
"I'm at the airport [in Santo Domingo] and we're
getting the plane ready. We're just waiting for the green light,"
Puello said. "I spoke to a source inside the jail — a government
official — who said nine would be released but one would be held for
further investigation."
View an AP video with a young man who served as the contact between the Americans and some family of the children or orphanage personnel. It appears these children were willingly sent with the missionaries.
Update 1-4-10:
Apparently, no one left Haiti today and all ten missionaries were charged.
The parents of missing Lynn University students, assumed to be in the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, Haiti when the massive earthquake hit, have received word that "the government no longer expects to find any more survivors." Updates as available.
Update 1-24-10: As we know, several people were pulled from the devastation in Haiti, so although government sources have said they expect no more survivors, miracles do happen. At this time, there seems to be nothing new to report about the Lynn University students and faculty.
Update 1-24-10: As we know,
several people were pulled from the devastation in Haiti, so although
government sources have said they expect no more survivors, miracles do
happen. At this time, there seems to be nothing new to report about the
Lynn University students and faculty. Update 1-24-10: Some family members of the Lynn University missing traveled to Haiti yesterday. Source: Sphere
I
was there yesterday with the other families," Len Gengel, whose
19-year-old daughter, Britney, is among the missing. I saw the
devastation. I smelled the devastation." We got to walk around and see the actual rubble, see the hotel," Gengel
said in a statement upon arriving home at Logan International Airport
in Boston. "We were hoping to bring closure, and for some of the
families, that did."
Update
1-25-10: There are reports that some of the Lynn University students
and faculty have been identified at Hotel Montana. The University says
they CANNOT confirm those reports at this time and I see no statement
from the State Department.
The missing are Courtney Hayes, Stephanie Crispinelli, Britney Gengel, Christine Giancaci, and Professors Dr. Richard Bruno and Dr. Patrick Hartwick.
The parents of the Lynn University women were told their children "were safe and rescued," after arriving in Florida, expecting a joyous reunion with their girls.
Four Lynn University students and two professors remain missing in the rubble of the 7.0 magnitude Haiti earthquake. Eight students from Lynn traveled to Haiti. Four returned to the U.S. after the quake. See a video below. Update 1-22-10: Just heard Geraldo Rivera on FOX News reporting from the Hotel Montana. He says rescuers have reached the lobby area of the hotel. No other details at this time. Update 1-23-10: according to WPBF.com, the families have received the sad news that "the government no longer expects to find any more survivors. See update below.
Update 1-24-10: As we know,
several people were pulled from the devastation in Haiti, so although
government sources have said they expect no more survivors, miracles do
happen. At this time, there seems to be nothing new to report about the
Lynn University students and faculty. Update 1-24-10: Some family members of the Lynn University missing traveled to Haiti yesterday. Source: Sphere
I was there yesterday with the other families," Len Gengel, whose 19-year-old daughter, Britney, is among the missing. I saw the devastation. I smelled the devastation."
We got to walk around and see the actual rubble, see the hotel," Gengel
said in a statement upon arriving home at Logan International Airport
in Boston. "We were hoping to bring closure, and for some of the
families, that did."
Update 1-25-10: There are reports that some of the Lynn University students and faculty have been identified at Hotel Montana. The University says they CANNOT confirm those reports at this time and I see no statement from the State Department.
Lynn University Students and Professors Missing in Haiti
Reports that the U.S. has done little to recover the missing Americans have stirred emotions. Questions abound about the truth of the story. According to this article, the United Nations has blocked the road to Hotel Montana, making entry to the site unaccessible to a private search-and-rescue team hired by the University.
Hope filled the university in the days after the Jan. 12 earthquake when the
school, through an insurance policy, hired two separate search-and-rescue
teams to helicopter into Haiti and find the group, which went there on a
humanitarian mission to feed the poor a day before the 7.0-magnitude
earthquake struck.
But for at least the last two days, the United Nations, which is coordinating
rescues at the site of the Montana, has focused on letting only government
crews work the area. As many as seven crews were working the site of the
Montana since the day after it crumbled, including an elite international
search-and-rescue team from Fairfax, Va.
FOX News' Brian Wilson reported from some distance away from Hotel Montana today. He said he had been able to go to Hotel Montana to enable reports on the area, but said the hotel floors have pancaked onto each other, and the situation is very difficult. It is believed there is still some hope that the hotel lobby area may be conducive to survival. Hotel Montana was the place of the rescue of Methodist ministers, Sam Dixon, Clinton Rabb and James Gulley. Dixon and Rabb died of their injuries. Gulley is safely back at his home in Colorado.
Len Gengel, the father of missing Britney Gengel [pictured above, I think, bottom-row left, said this to O'Reilly:
It's not just the six students and faculty from Lynn. ... There are
military, American Marines in that hotel that were there for security,"
Len Gengel told Bill O'Reilly. His daughter, Britney, is among the missing
and would've turned 20 today. "I mean, this is an outrage."
Several of the missing students, including Ms. Gengel were reported to be rescued and alive, some 48 hours after the earthquake, only to find that the information was incorrect.
Here is a statement from the State Department:
[Yesterday] Rescue efforts at the hotel took a step back when a massive 6.1-magnitude
aftershock sent rescue workers rushing from buildings. Several sections of
the Montana have become too unsafe to search, said Duguid of the state
department.
We are still finding people under the rubble, and we will continue to
look if we believe there is a chance someone is there," he said.
Also missing is Courtney Hayes, in the above picture, believed to be top row, right, and Stephanie Crispinelli, believed to pictured top row, left above. My apologies if these identifications are incorrect. Faculty advisors missing are Dr. Patrick Hartwick pictured above bottom row, middle, and Dr. Richard Bruno, bottom row, right.
The following video is Jean Gianacaci, a parent of a Lynn University student, posted on January 19th. She talks about the lack of heavy machinery in the area of Hotel Montana to aid in the rescue of her daughter. In the report linked above, that heavy machinery is now in the area. I believe the woman pictured above, top row middle, is Christine Gianacaci.
Update 1-23-10:
A report from ABC's WPBF.com says Mr. Gengel, Britany Gengel's father, said they were notified at 4 p.m. yesterday that the State Department will announce they are moving "toward recovery" at the Hotel Montana and no longer expect to find survivors. God bless these students and the two professors who working in Haiti on an aid mission.
There were joyous reports that UMCOR exec, Rev. Sam Dixon, was rescued and survived the Haiti earthquake but today we learn that he was found dead in the rubble of the Hotel Montana. It is also confirmed by UMCOR that Rev. Clinton Rabb also died of injures. See a link below.
So it came as a shock Jan. 16 when, after four days when hopes dimmed
and were raised again with reports of his survival, church workers
learned that Dixon died of injuries received after being buried in the
rubble of a collapsed hotel following the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
Reports about Rev. Clinton Rabb are mixed. A reader told me this morning that he has also died. This report from January 15th says he is in critical but stable condition in a Florida hospital.
The State Department official has confirmed one unnamed American is found dead in the rubble of the Haiti earthquake. Updates as available. See a video of American Kristy Wolley speaking of her missing husband, and others. Update: see link to missing Americans below. Update 1-15-10 9:00 p.m. Just heard on the news that 6 Americans are confirmed dead, but another 15 are suspected dead. No names at this time.
State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley said in a briefing Thursday
that Coast Guard C-130 planes have airlifted 42 American officials and
their families and another 72 private citizens to safety.
He
said that another 370 Americans were awaiting flights out today. There
were some 45,000 Americans living in Haiti at the time of the
earthquake, and officials said few had contacted American authorities
in the hours immediately after the quake.
This video tells the stories so some America families still awaiting news of their loved ones.
This video shows the devastating 7.0 Haiti earthquake, as it hit. Unbelievable - the rising and falling of the camera, and watch the huge building in the background as it collapses.
The massive earthquake in Haiti has taken the life of Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot. The Archbishop was 63 years old. He was pulled from the rubble of his offices in in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. See video below. Update 1-17-10: It is confirmed today that Hedi Annabi has been found dead in the rubble of the UN building collapse.
Haiti Presidential Palace Collapsed
FOXNews is reporting that "everyone in the U.N. building, including mission chief Hedi Annabi, appeared to be dead. U.N. officials would say only that Annabi is unaccounted for."
The National Palace also collapsed but Haitian president, Rene Preval and his wife, survived.
The quake is said to be worst in Haiti in 200 years. The death toll is expected to number in the thousands. Port-au-Prince is home to 2 million people.
Tens of thousands of people lost their homes as buildings that were
flimsy and dangerous even under normal conditions collapsed in the
shaking. Nobody offered an estimate of the dead, but the numbers were
clearly enormous.
It is believed tens of thousands have perished, more are without a place to live.
According to President Preval says the Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Shoocls have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed. "There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them," said the president.
The four-story Caribbean market building was completely demolished.
According to the British Geological Survey, there were major earthquakes in Haiti in 1860, 1770, 1761, 1751, 1684, 1673 and 1618. There are "around 50 earthquakes of this size somewhere in the world each year."
Breaking: a magnitude 7 earthquake has hit Haiti. FOXNews reports there is a Tsunami watch for some islands in the Caribbean. Reported a hospital has collapsed and people are screaming for help. Terrible news. I'll stay on it. Updates as available.
It was centered 10 km below ground-- that's just a little greater than 6 miles-- USGS reports indicate.
The earthquake happened about 14 miles (22 kilometers) west of the Caribbean nation's capital, Port-au-Prince.
Since
the initial 7.0 magnitude quake hit, two strong aftershocks have also
struck, according to the USGS. A 5.9 magnitude quake hit at 2 p.m PST,
followed by a 5.5 magnitude quake at 2:12 p.m PST.
The quake was originally reported at a 7.3 by the USGS, but was later downgraded to a 7.0.
The fallen hospital is located in Port-au_Prince. A U.S. government official saw housed that had "tumbled into a ravine." From CBS News:
"The Earth started shaking. It was very quick - five seconds," said
Jean Jacob Charles from the International Red Cross, who is in
Port-au-Prince.
Charles tells CBS News that he saw one of his neighbors die from a wall falling on him.
An analyst at the USGS in Golden, Colorado said such a strong quake can produce widespread damage. The spokesman, Don Blakeman, said "many aftershocks" have already hit, with the largest being 5.9 magnitude. He said the quake was shallow, which will bring more aftershocks.
The quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, which shares a border
with Haiti on the island of Hispaniola. Some panicked residents in the
capital of Santo Domingo fled from their shaking homes.
Another USGS analyst, Dale Grant, said this was "the largest quake
recorded in this area." He said the last strong quake was a
magnitude-6.7 temblor in 1984.
"Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said
Henry Bahn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture visiting Haiti. "The sky
is just gray with dust."
About possible Tsunamis:
The earthquake prompted a tsunami watch for parts of the Caribbean, Reuters reported.
"A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on
historical earthquake and tsunami data," the Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center said. "However, there is the possibility of a local tsunami that
could affect coasts located usually no more than a 100 km from the
earthquake epicenter."
Many problems with communications in the area.
Update 6:02 p.m. CDT: Shep Smith is on now interviewing a missionary in the Port-au-Prince area. He said "every other building is down." There are few hospitals. Complete chaos in the city. No electricity except for people who have generators. No communications without computers on generators. No 911 emergency service and if there was, no one could contact them because there are no phones. The missionary says they will need lots and lots of medical aid.
Shep says some 2 million people have been affected.
Buildings are made of cement, so injuries are certain.
FOXNews' Wendell Goler is on the Dominican Republic side of the island. He said it was immediately apparent that he was experiencing this first earthquake.
FOXNews' Steve Harris reports that President Obama has offered immediate help. Harris is saying that the upside is that Haiti has no skyscrapers to collapse, but the downside is there is little infrastructure. No 911, no firetrucks and no real roads.
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