Home > Journalist Jim Pinkerton of Newsday Thinks that Katrina Victims are "Whiners"

Journalist Jim Pinkerton of Newsday Thinks that Katrina Victims are "Whiners"

by Open-Publishing - Saturday 24 September 2005
3 comments

Catastrophes USA Mary MacElveen

by Mary MacElveen

Dear Folks,

So, Jim Pinkerton thinks that Katrina victims are whiners? If you wish to send him an email, here are his email addresses, jim@jamesPPinkerton.com or pinkerto@ix.netcom You may also wish to remind him that aid from other countries such as Venezuela and Cuba were offered at no expense to tax payers, but this federal government said, “Thanks but no thanks”

My letter to Jim Pinkerton:

Dear Jim,

We have corresponded on a cordial level in the past, but I must say that I object this following statement "whining all the time on TV to get more federal money" directed at Katrina victims. I think that they have every right to object or as you state whine. That is because this government will approve a $60 billion reconstruction bill where according to President Clinton that money has to be borrowed while we have since paid out $300 billion for the Iraq War. Also many of those funds according to Pres. Clinton had to be borrowed as well. So here we are perceived as the world’s wealthiest nation and we have to borrow from other countries to rebuild our country and kill innocent Iraqis? I find that shameless and disgusting.

Meanwhile this shameless and disgusting federal government rejected aid coming from countries such as Venezuela and Cuba where these “whiners” would have gratefully thanked these two countries for their humanitarian aid packages.

Let me state what each country was willing to send us out of the goodness of their hearts.

Venezuela was ready to send us two hospital ships, food, water, oil and rescue divers to help recover bodies and the federal government said no.

Cuba was ready to send us 1,500 doctors that are trained in disaster relief and were used in the tsunami in Sri Lanka. Those in the Superdome could have used those doctors as well as that hospital were patients were found dead. I also want to remind you that Cuba suffered a category five hurricane last year, where they have evacuation plans where doctors accompany the citizens to these shelters and know what medicines they are on. They even have plans where veterinarians go to these shelters to take care of people’s pets. The end result was that there was not one single loss of life. But, because of politics this aid was not accepted. We let an entrenched embargo with this country stand in the way of helping our citizens.

Compared to how Pres. Chavez handled the Vargas tragedy and Pres. Castro handled their hurricane, Pres. Bush can learn a thing or two or three from these presidents.

To the victims of Katrina, I say that they have every right to object or as you say, "Whine".

Sincerely,

Mary!

Newsday’s Pinkerton: Katrina victims "whining all the time on TV to get more federal money"

http://mediamatters.org/items/200509190006

On the September 17 edition of Fox News Watch, Fox News political analyst and Newsday columnist Jim Pinkerton accused the victims of Hurricane Katrina of "whining all the time on TV to get more federal money." Pinkerton also accused the media of directing too much blame for the botched response to Hurricane Katrina at the federal government while "absolv[ing] ... the local populace."

From a panel discussion that also included Fox News contributors Cal Thomas, a syndicated columnist, and Neil Gabler, a media writer, on the September 17 edition of Fox News’ Fox News Watch:

THOMAS: I don’t think there’s a problem with the criticism at all. I think that the administration on this issue had a tin ear. He — politically, they made some very bad decisions. But there’s also, as Neal is fond of saying — and I think he’s absolutely right on this — there is a template in this coverage. And one of the templates — and there are many on this particular issue — is that only big government is good. And so if big government has failed, as it clearly did at some level in this, then the media jump right on — what we really need is more money, and more big government. I find that to be inconsistent.

PINKERTON: Right. The further paradox is it’s — the big government is good, but of course the federal government under Bush is terrible. So we have to — we have to replace the current proprietor of the federal government, Bush, with somebody better. That’s what they’re really trying to get at.

And absolved in that are state and local governments to a substantial measure. And, of course, the local populace, which continues to get it — to find itself whining all the time on TV to get more federal money.

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