maybe the world is not so bad after all...

[pete f]

New Orleans is a favorite city to me, I was close to moving there at once. At times people think the US throws money at every disaster around the Globe and wonder why. check out the list, we have made many friends along the way. I saw a wasco mat when I was in New Orleans about 4 months ago, I like scouting even when on vacation. I am sure they are up a creek, but with a paddle. I say thinks to the world for the response. This post has little to do with l'mats, other than knowing many of our fellow owners got trashed, and I am glad the world is stepping up to the plate. ( maybe my new tag line?)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050913/ap_on_re_eu/katrina_world_offers_glance

[Monarch]

I have been in contact with some of our customers and distributors in the area. So far, all have physically survived. One rode the storm out with relatives in Baton Rouge, others were on the edges of the worst of the damage. All agree, it will be awhile before things are functional again. One fellow in Metiarie has four stores, only one functional right now. He as been into the city itself and says the full impact cannot be realized without actually being there. The TV images cannot give you the full impact. It is devastation every where you look. Not just damage, but destruction beyond imagination. He and the others I have talked to thank whatever powers that be that the toll on life has not been worse, and wonders why it wasn't when seeing the wreckage. We are supporting them as best we can, but not much we can do. The service/distributors are certain the machines submerged will be garbage, and of course, mold is everywhere, so dry wall, carpets, wooden surfaces are all going to have to be replaced. It will be along haul folks, so I do hope that people who have kicked into Red Cross, Salvation Army, or whatever don't think once is going to do it all, this will be an ongoing effort to support the recovery. Let's hope we did learn a lot from the experience.

Norman

[Anonymous]

Pete-I am glad you can see the positive in the world.....I wish I could some times.....maybe I need to borrow your sunglasses. I saw on the news that the #####, hiding in their bombed out huts, got on the news with their masks on of course, and said that this was #### revenge against the US. What a bunch of sugar tushes. Then the current leadership of Iraq criticized the middle east leaders who were offering help to the US. They felt that the middle east should have been offering them assistance and aid after all of those people were trampled on the bridge over there.

I have said it before and will say it again.....these people usually have one hand out looking for cash and assistance from the US while they have the other hand behind their back holding out their middle finger!

What really drives me nuts is the fact that no one in the middle east did a damn thing when Iraq invaded Kuwait in the first place......they did nothing......my 2 cents.

[Buddy_Amoroso]

Pete,
Thanks for the encouraging words about New Orleans. I talked to my distributor who has a lot of customers in the New Orleans area almost all of his customers did not have flood insurance. My distributor told me about one man who had two stores: one is four feet under water the other one was looted. He plans to rebuild.

My business is great because of the storm, I have never done as much wd&f as I am doing now.

In many ways when I see the human suffering I feel humbled and even guilty. If Katerina would have turned a few degrees to the west I could have lost everything I own.

I do feel that I am providing a needful service and I am helping people.

New Orleans needs your prayers and your support.

Buddy Amoroso
Baton Rouge, LA

See Ya at Clean Show in New Orleans!

PS
This Monday I am going down to New Orleans to pick up a large load of laundry - I will report my thoughts and impression of what I see.

[dzender]

I would not feel guilty. You are providing a value added service.

Go one better and contact FEMA .... FEMA dollars are available and ripe for the taking, so to speak. Lots of laundry to be done and only so many laundries to go around.

Be an aggressive owner and go for it! If you don't, someone else will!

To give an example.... I am awaiting delivery of a big specialized machine. Since the hurricane, it has been sitting on a shipping dock in Denver.

The shipping company has abanonded its responsibility to deliver it to me because its resources have been diverted because of the storm .... why? Because FEMA dollars are involved!

Apparently with the federal disaster zone, they can do this. Personally I find it rape without vaseline, but what do you do?