Katrina: Alabama state rep slows aid process
Joel Connelly's Seattle-PI column "Aid worker sees storm as 'reality check'":
Workers were confronted by a grandstanding Alabama state legislator as they sought to get forms filled out and begin processing victims' requests for financial assistance.
"State Rep. Yvonne Kennedy then filed a lawsuit. It accused the Red Cross of 'discrimination and preferential treatment,'" Taber-Hamilton related. "This suit forced us to go to an appointment-only system for processing people to receive aid."
"Consequently, on Tuesday, we processed 1,362 people. After making the change per the suit on Wednesday, we were only able to process 300 to 400 people a day. So much for the concern of state government for the civil servants and the people."
Rep. Kennedy, a black Democrat woman (per the link) speaks up and slows the aid process down. So, of course, one should blame the white Republican male...