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CNN Live At Daybreak

Coming Home; Back to Normal?; Pets & Prisoners; How to Compensate?

Aired September 29, 2005 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Thank you for waking up with us. Welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK.
Coming up in the next 30 minutes, life behind bars can be lonely. But these prisoners have lots of four-legged friends to keep them company.

Another team is one step closer to the World Series. What a great playoff season this has been. We'll explain further.

But first, "Now in the News."

Wildfires in southern California are threatening entire neighborhoods this morning. At least four fires are burning in areas around Los Angeles. As many as 70,000 chickens were literally cooked when fires destroyed a farm in Riverside County.

There are no serious injuries as a result of an Amtrak train derailment in eastern Missouri. Ninety passengers and crew were traveling between Chicago and San Antonio aboard the Texas Eagle. The engineer says a rockslide knocked the locomotive off the tracks.

Could have a new chief justice today. The Senate is expected to easily confirm Judge John Roberts as the next chief justice of the United States. Republican leaders say at least 70 of the 100 senators are set to give a yes vote.

To the Forecast Center and, Chad, good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is trying his zip code reopening plan again. You know that was the one where residents and business owners were being allowed back in zip code by zip code. That is, until Rita came along. Well he wants residents in eight zip code areas to begin returning again tomorrow.

Ted Rowlands looked at how residents are eager to get back on track.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Degas House is a historic building near the French Quarter. Now a bed and breakfast, it will reopen for guests as early as next week. There will be some inconveniences, however, no electricity, the water is unsafe to drink and debris is scattered everywhere.

David Villarrubia owns Degas House.

DAVID VILLARRUBIA, OWNER, DEGAS HOUSE: Hospital services. There are no pharmacies. There's no way to even restock water. And, I mean, that's a basic element. You can bring in food and water for a day, exit at night. I think that works.

ROWLANDS: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin told members of the Louisiana state legislature that, except for the hard-hit Ninth Ward, he plans to have the entire city open by next week. The mayor says he's pleased with the way people are returning to New Orleans, but he's upset with how the state has reacted. Specifically, he was unhappy with a state health warning that termed New Orleans -- quote -- "extremely dangerous."

MAYOR RAY NAGIN (D), NEW ORLEANS: We're doing it as quickly as we can, and we're trying to make sure it's as safe as we can. But we're continuing to send mixed messages out to everyone as it relates to the -- I have fought with the federal government on this issue earlier. Now I'm fighting with state government on this issue. And unless you guys start to make a whole bunch of noise, this is not going to change.

ROWLANDS: In the central business district, where stores and hotels are slowly getting ready to open, Nagin's plan is getting a lot of support.

CHARLOTTE SULLIVAN, MANAGER, CHILDREN'S PLACE: The longer people stay away, they're going to actually stay away and not come back. So I think it's a good plan to have everyone come back into the city as quickly as possible.

ROWLANDS: One major problem for restaurants and hotels is getting employees to come back. For example, many of those who work at the J.W. Marriott lived in the Ninth Ward and now have nowhere to call home.

DAVE HARDY, J.W. MARRIOTT: Yes, obviously we're affected by large scales, because they lived in the parish that got destroyed. So, but we're prepared to supplement them as long as we need to, to get our business and our hotel back open and protect their jobs and get them back in here.

ROWLANDS: What remains to be seen is how many people will actually come back and how this crippled city will be able to support them. David Villarrubia is hoping to rent his bed and breakfast to FEMA at a reduced price. He thinks no matter how fast people are allowed back, it's still going to be a very long time before this city will be anything close to normal. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And getting back to normal is going to require a lot of heart and a lot of cash. It will indeed be expensive. That's what Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco was telling anyone who will listen, especially Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO (D), LOUISIANA: Three hundred and seventy- five thousand Louisiana citizens are out of work and fearful of an uncertain future. Thousands of Louisiana businesses have been destroyed or displaced, creating a potential tsunami of unemployment and suffering. We do suggest that grants to businesses would be important, because this is the very vehicle that was used in the aftermath of 9/11 to help New York businesses get back in to sustain them over a period of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It's going to be tough to get back to normal.

Let's talk more about that. Ed McCarthy of CNN Radio is in the city.

Good morning -- Ed.

ED MCCARTHY, CNN RADIO: Good morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know I just don't understand how you can go back to the city when you can't drink the water?

MCCARTHY: You know that is a very big problem. I surveyed areas yesterday where even the power was going on, you still had the stench of garbage in the streets. And despite the mayor's plea that some of these reports are overblown, I don't think that the heath factor is anything to fool around with. And I really think that people are going to find out, when they come in here, that if more garbage is added to the garbage that's already on the streets, they're going to have a problem.

Business owners told me quite frankly yesterday that it would be certainly six months or more before the city is anything near normal. They're glad to get their businesses going and glad to get electricity. But they've got a lot of work ahead of them, even though some businesses are now starting to open.

COSTELLO: You know I'm just trying to figure out why it's taking so long for them to fix the water. I know the sewage system was compromised, but do you know why it's taking so long to get the water situation straightened out?

MCCARTHY: I think Rita played a role in that, you know, when we had delays with the second hurricane coming through here. And obviously the timetable didn't work out to what they had expected it might be. So that is a large possibility here. But it can be done. There are hotels in the downtown area, the French Quarter specifically, that are using chlorination for the water. So the water is relatively safe, although you can't trust it completely. Nevertheless, it can be done.

COSTELLO: Ed, I just want to make one comment, because we were staying in this Sonesta, which is in the French Quarter, and they had a chlorination system attached to the water. It's like taking a shower in pool water, which can't be good for you either. I mean I broke out into a rash after taking two showers in that. So that's not very pleasant either.

MCCARTHY: Well now you're warning me, because I'm staying in the same place. And that is something you're being constantly warned about, don't get it in your eyes, specifically. So you know people are going to have to be careful.

As we heard in the package that just ran that you know businesses are going to open and they won't have all the amenities that people expect when they come in. So you know you just wonder how much of a blow that's going to be for tourism? How many people are going to really rush in when they know they're not going to get all the things that they're used to as far as amenities go?

COSTELLO: And even if they do, when they find out how difficult it is just to live normally there, they'll leave in a couple days. I mean as sad as that is...

MCCARTHY: I would suspect that would be the case.

COSTELLO: And I understand why Mayor Nagin wants business owners to come back and people to come back who live there, because he's afraid no one will come back if they stay away too long.

MCCARTHY: Well that's very true. And you know this morning, as I was leaving to head to the CNN bureau here in New Orleans, there was activity on Bourbon Street. Businesses were open, the bars were open and people were frequenting those establishments.

You know it's something that is a nice sign and very nice to see as we see traffic lights going on, but still many areas in New Orleans still without power. We're starting to see some progress. But as these business owners told me yesterday, there's just no doubt in their minds that it's going to be a long, long time before this city is back up and running the way it should be.

MYERS: Hey, Ed.

COSTELLO: There's Chad.

MCCARTHY: Yes.

MYERS: It's Chad Myers up in the Weather Office. You know we've done enough hurricanes to know after all of this rain and you get all these pools of water, the mosquito population goes crazy. For a while there was all that talk about, you know, mosquito-borne illnesses being a problem. Is this water just so toxic that the mosquitoes aren't being a problem?

MCCARTHY: Well, you know it's really funny, Chad, as you mention, that always is a problem. I haven't seen a large mosquito problem. I've seen more of a problem with those black flies, those little biting flies that will get you.

MYERS: Yes.

MCCARTHY: And the fleas that they have in the city. You're always concerned when you go by an area where garbage is piled and there are a lot of flies. You want to get past that intersection quickly, because you are afraid of getting bitten by a fly. But the mosquitoes, as you mention, I don't know why, it's ironic, they really don't seem to be that rampant here.

COSTELLO: Ed McCarthy joining us live from New Orleans.

And another note about insects -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: In the most damaged neighborhoods, there simply weren't any.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It was the strangest thing, no flies, no mosquitoes, no ants, nothing.

MYERS: That water could be so toxic that they just can't breed.

COSTELLO: Well it's that mud that's covering on everything.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And it's cracking now and,...

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: ... I don't know, it's just the strangest thing. Anyway, thank you, Chad.

Thanks to Ed, too.

MYERS: Yes, thanks, Ed.

COSTELLO: Let's talk now about what's going on in Mississippi. In one sign of real progress, the State Department of Health has lifted its boil water advisory. It had been in place for Biloxi residents since Hurricane Katrina hit. Mississippi's governor is asking the federal government for economic and tax incentives to bring back investments and jobs. Haley Barbour made his case via teleconference hookup to a Senate committee.

Barbour told our Anderson Cooper that the people of his state are ready to do their part. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. HALEY BARBOUR (R), MISSISSIPPI: We don't need the federal government to take over and run Mississippi, or run our disaster relief, we're able to do that. We can't do it without their help, but we don't need them to take it over and, you know, we don't need a czar or a dictator or anybody from the federal government. Mississippians can, with the help of our neighbors who have been wonderful, and the federal government, we can take care of ourselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Governor Barbour also called for the elimination of capital gains taxes for business investments in President Bush's proposed Gulf Opportunity Zone.

Life behind bars isn't so bad for these guys. How some Hurricane Katrina survivors landed in prison, not the guy, the dog.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: People all over the country have pitched in to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. They've opened up their homes and their wallets to help people in need. Even in one corner of Louisiana, some prison inmates are helping the only way they can.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has their story from Jackson, Louisiana.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are strange sounds coming from this old prison dairy farm tucked away in the backwoods of southeast Louisiana. That makes warden Jimmy LeBlanc smile.

JIMMY LEBLANC, WARDEN, DIXON CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE: Of course we have 160 dogs. We have four-legged and two-legged. And then we have our chickens, in this part here, which they all seem to be getting along real well, at the moment. And then the geese. And the geese are doing well, too.

LAVANDERA: The Dixon Correctional Institute is a full-time prison and now a part-time animal shelter. The Humane Society started bringing animals rescued from New Orleans to this prison after area shelters filled up.

RICHARD PALMER, INMATE: There, boy, you want to run everywhere?

LAVANDERA: Inmate Richard Palmer couldn't be happier. It's not often a prisoner gets to feel like a warden.

PALMER: I often reward them when they do good. So I give them like dog treats when they do good. If they be bad, I won't give them a dog treat until later on that evening. Tell him you aren't turning down that.

LAVANDERA: Palmer is 1 of 13 inmates assigned to help care for this stable of orphaned animals. He's just weeks away from finishing a 13-year prison sentence for armed robbery and says this experience is preparing him for life on the outside.

PALMER: And then the Lord was just telling me, say, well look, you know what, this is where you're going to learn your patience at, with these dogs. He said because I can't get you to learn patience nowhere else, but I'm going to get you to learn patience right here, because you've got to be gentle with them. You've got to take up a lot of time with them.

Show some love.

LAVANDERA: Palmer feeds the dogs.

PALMER: You just said you don't want none. You just turned down my cookie. Now you want it now?

LAVANDERA: He walks them.

PALMER: What you want to do, girl?

LAVANDERA: And usually does a whole lot of talking.

PALMER: We haven't given them names. We haven't given them. We just call them out of love. I just give them names as I walk by them. I just call them little love, little feisty, little trouble. I give them a hug.

LAVANDERA: Warden LeBlanc says caring for these animals makes the inmates feel they're helping people recover from the hurricanes.

LEBLANC: There's no way that they can help out, you know, from prison. So this kind of brings it to them a little bit and they're able to contribute back something from the natural disaster, from Katrina down there.

LAVANDERA: All the inmates working in the shelter volunteered for this job. But when the workday ends, some of them can't shake off the sounds of the farm.

JOHN LOYD, INMATE: I hear dogs barking in my sleep. I, really, I do.

PALMER: You going to turn over on your stomach, boy?

LAVANDERA: Richard Palmer can't get enough, though. He plans to volunteer to take care of these animals even after he's released from prison.

PALMER: A lot of guys, you know, they find -- they don't find love nowhere else. You know we have people that's been in prison all their life and they don't know nothing, they don't know nobody, you know. So they find a place of stability when they come around these dogs, you know. It's like they have a friend now.

LAVANDERA: There's a special bond here between these men and these animals. Some say they love and understand each other. Maybe that's because right now they all live behind bars.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Jackson, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:48 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

It's practically a done deal. The Senate is expected to confirm Judge John Roberts as the nation's next chief justice today. At least 76 senators, including 21 Democrats, say they will vote to confirm Roberts.

Wildfires are scorching parts of the Chatsworth section of Los Angeles. This fire is the worst of several that are burning across four southern California counties. Some homeowners have evacuated.

In money news, ever hear of a Versa (ph)? Well you have now. The Nissan Motor Company is adding the Versa to its lineup. It's a subcompact. Starting price $12,000. It'll get 38 miles to the gallon.

In pop culture, one of Scott Peterson's former lawyers is writing a book about the murder case. Before he left Peterson's defense team, lawyer Matt Dalton suggested a human sacrifice theory in the 2002 killing of Laci Peterson and her unborn baby.

In sports, the San Diego Padres clinch the National League West with a 9-to-1 win over the Giants. It's the Padres first time back in the post season since they lost to the New York Yankees in the 1998 World Series.

But the American League race is so much more exciting -- Chad.

MYERS: And the Padres are only 500, you know. You've got to think about some of these other teams that are 84 and 65 and they're not getting in, but anyway.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: The latest headlines for you.

It's hard to believe but Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. If you don't have your airline tickets booked by now, you might be too late. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, all you need to know about traveling over the holidays this year. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We've been waiting for this to happen this morning. We weren't sure that it would, but it did.

CNN's Jennifer Eccleston is embedded with the U.S. Marine operation. They're rooting out insurgents in western Iraq. And she has managed to dial in to us. So Jennifer joins us live now.

Tell us what's happening in west Al Anbar.

Well, as you can see, we're experiencing some technical difficulties. When Jennifer dials in again, we'll get back to her.

Tens of thousands of people lost family members and homes and some lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. That's a simple, but harsh, fact. What isn't so easy is trying to figure out how to compensate for those losses and who should pay and how much. Should the federal government set up a special relief fund the way they did after 9/11?

Here's CNN's John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BRIDGES, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Time to get the baby up. Come on. Come on.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A father stirring his tired son. Joe Bridges playfully nudging Jordan into another school day. It seems so routine, which is what makes it so remarkable.

J. BRIDGES: See what your brothers are doing. He owes me five minutes of violin time.

KING: The Bridges family of Falls Church, Virginia, was just a few weeks ago the Bridges family of New Orleans, Louisiana. Yes, still stunned by the destruction of their home and disruption of their lives, yet numbed, as well, by the overwhelming generosity that has allowed them to carry on.

J. BRIDGES: I mean, we were driving here, there were people, they'd look at the license plate, and they were opening up their wallets. And they were, you need some money for food? Do you need money?

KING: Joe Bridges was a partner in a small contracting business. Stephanie worked while also attending law school. They have modest savings and consider themselves among the lucky as they sort through what their home and business insurance will and won't pay for.

STEPHANIE BRIDGES, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: But there are a lot of those people who are not in our situation, and they don't have insurance, and, for whatever reason. And so I don't think that, you know, I think they need support and they need help. KING: The National Urban League is among those suggesting that help should come in the form of a government fund, modeled after the program created to compensate families who lost loved ones in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The 9/11 Fund distributed more than $7 billion to some 5,600 people, relatives of those killed in the attacks or individuals injured in the attacks and aftermath.

About 1,100 deaths have been attributed to Katrina, and an estimated one million people displaced.

There is little support for a special Katrina fund at the White House or in Congress. And the man who administered the 9/11 Fund says direct payments to Katrina victims would set a dangerous precedent.

KENNETH FEINBERG, 9/11 COMPENSATION FUND: Congress wisely is somewhat dubious about expanding the notion of individual compensation to natural disasters or other misfortunes, however justified the victims' perception.

KING: Rita, hitting on the heels of Katrina, raises a question Feinberg dealt with frequently, why treat one tragedy differently than others?

FEINBERG: Questions arose all the time. Well, my son died in Oklahoma City, where's my check?

KING: Rosemary Dillard collected from the 9/11 Fund. Her husband was on American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon. She believes a special Katrina fund should be established.

ROSEMARY DILLARD, 9/11 FAMILY MEMBER: We didn't lose our homes. They've lost everything. We have our memories and our pictures. They don't have that.

KING: What the Bridges want most is to come home. Joe Bridges built this house himself. And as they wait for schools and other services to reopen, they are somewhat divided on whether government help to Katrina victims should include a lump sum payment.

S. BRIDGES: For me, you know, yes, a fund is needed.

J. BRIDGES: I'm kind of at a crossroads with that. Personally, I don't think money solves everything.

KING: As this debate plays out, the Bridges are adapting to a new city, a temporary home and schools, trying to deal with such extraordinary change by making the things they can control seem routine.

John King, CNN, Falls Church, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: The next hour of DAYBREAK two minutes away. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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