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Katrina Job Fair; Red Cross Red Tape; Should FEMA Reimburse Faith-Based Groups?

Aired September 27, 2005 - 13:31   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This video just coming in to us now from the -- this is actually what the president saw not long ago as he took a tour over Beaumont, Texas, all the way to Lake Charles, Louisiana, just getting a feel for the devastated region, since Hurricane Rita and of course Katrina. We'll be following his moves from the air to the ground.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Katrina victims looking for work have as many as 8,000 jobs to choose from. This all happening at a job fair today here in Atlanta, Georgia. Some jobs will be filled on the spot, we're told. CNN's Tony Harris has scouted some things out for us.

Tony, any good stories yet to report?

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, Kyra. Good to talk to you.

You know, one of the things that we're learning from all of the evacuees, the folks who survived Hurricane Katrina, is that you have to put together this sort of massive things-to-do list and you have check it off as you get things done here, and accomplish, for example, immediate needs of food and shelter, clothing, transportation. You need a check. Wherever you get that check, FEMA, the American Red Cross, family, you need that check to keep yourselves sustained. The next thing on that list is finding a job.

And I got to tell you, I am at a huge job fair just behind me here at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. And, Kyra, when I say huge, I mean huge. Try 300 exhibitors, 10,000 jobs, 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, a great idea. But, you know the saying, all good things go punished -- or no good deeds go unpunished? That is sort of the case today -- 10, 000 jobs, 15,000 job seekers. OK, the doors had to be closed at noon today. There was some frustration about that. Nothing too heated, no pushing and shoving, no bumping and grinding. But there was some frustration obviously. All these folks looking for jobs to keep their lives going and reconnect to the infrastructure of their lives.

One the people that we talked to, evacuee from New Orleans, in Atlanta, voiced his frustration this way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLIS KNIGHT, JOB SEEKER: I don't want FEMA money, just sit back and collect a FEMA check. I want to go down there and work for it. They've got people right now. As we speak, like I said, I know people right now. My brother's down there. I got three brothers in New Orleans right now. And he says there's guys down there making $32 an hour. Now New Orleans ain't never paid $32 an hour before the storm. So now is the time for the people to go back and make some of that money so they can build their own houses back, so they can be part of that rebuilding group.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK, Mark D'Vorak joins us now from the United Way.

And, Mark, all credit for pulling this together in really short notice. How short?

MARK D'VORAK, UNITED WAY: We started planning this about two weeks ago. We knew that right after the hurricane hit that we were going to have a lot of folks in our community for weeks and month to come, and we wanted to help them.

HARRIS: You have to -- all credit for pulling this together. But you have to be a bit frustrated with the fact you haven't been able to help more people, that you had to close the doors at noon.

D'VORAK: It just tell us we need another job fair, and we're actually working on that right now to see how soon we can put something together.

HARRIS: And, Kyra, I want to show you this. This is a form that folks are been given if they haven't been able to get in the doors and take part in a job fair today. And, Mark, this is a job-fair registration card. What is this about? And does this get to you the head of the line at the next job fair?

D'VORAK: Certainly. We're going to be reaching out to folks we weren't able to serve today and find a way to make sure they get back here and get in the job fair and get served next time.

HARRIS: Kyra asked the question. Let me follow up with you -- real jobs today?

D'VORAK: Absolutely. We had more than 10,000 real jobs that these 330 employers were ready to hire people. And we fully expect that a lot of folks will walk out of here today with job offers.

HARRIS: OK, and, Kyra, that's the story here, 10,000 job, 15,000 job seekers. The doors had to close at noon today, but Mark is telling us that there are some real jobs here today, and this is not just a survey. The doors close at 4:00 p.m. Eastern this afternoon -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That's great news, Tony. We'll continue to check in with you, find out what kind of jobs indeed they're scoring today.

Tony, thank you so much.

Well, should the federal government help religious groups that helped hurricane victims? We're going to talk about that. Actually we're going to debate that, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the Red Cross has been a lifeline for thousands of Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims. And for others, it's become a source of frustration and disappointment. A case in point, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, one of the areas hardest hit by the hurricanes. Residents say that their request for help are going unanswered.

Norman Robinson from CNN affiliate WDSU experienced it himself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MORGAN ROBINSON, WDSU REPORTER (voice-over): This is the Red Cross center in Bootine (ph), just down the bayou south of New Orleans, where the line is long and tempers are short.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, it's --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They need to work together. We have to work together!

ROBINSON: Previously, Red Cross officials have said they're spending money on hurricane victims just as fast as they can get it. But some of the people here complain they're being given the royal runaround.

HENRIETTA MILLER, JEFFERSON PARISH NEIGHBOR: Police came out and told us that they were not taking anyone else for Red Cross today. They had stopped it right back here behind you at the bingo sign, and from there on to go home and call the 1-800 number. I have stayed up for three days and three nights calling the number and getting no results.

Also, I'm not just here for myself, I'm here for the entire Jefferson Parish people. We have seen a flash go across the screen, stating that Red Cross has not debit cards or financial services for Jefferson Parrish at this time. I'm just one person from Jefferson Parish. I have some other people with me. But we want to know why, why Jefferson Parish is being shunned. Do we have the plague?

ROBINSON: The story is the same for the young and the elderly who wait and wait and wait in the humid blistering heat of southeastern Louisiana.

MELINDA NETTLE, HURRICANE VICTIM: What's the matter with these people? Jefferson Parish needs help. I mean, I'm a senior citizen and it's very, very hard on me to stand out in the heat for four and five and six hours and then be turned away, saying we can't help no more people today. I mean, this is -- us older people might collapse.

ROBINSON: We, too, were given the royal two-step when we attempted to find out why people are being turned away here. We were told we couldn't take pictures inside and no one would talk to us on the record. And, like those in line here, we were put on terminal hold when we called the area Red Cross hotline. The president has called for reducing the red tape. It would appear that one agency, at least in this case, has yet to get the message.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Once again, that was Norman Robinson from WDSU.

Well, it turns out many of the first responders in these disasters have been churches and other religious organizations providing desperately needed food and shelter to hurricane victims. Now "The Washington Post" reports that FEMA plans to reimburse these faith-based groups. It would be the first time the federal government has made such large payments to religious groups for helping in a disaster. Now, civil libertarians don't like the sound of it and neither do some religious leaders. One said accepting such repayment would be, quote, "a crime against heaven."

Well, we're going to talk about it with syndicated columnist Joel Mowbray and the Democratic strategist Morris Reid, both joining us from our New York bureau. Gentleman, good to see you.

And here's what the article reads. Basically, FEMA going to use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that have opened their doors to provide help to shelter, food and supplies to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Is it inappropriate? Morris?

MORRIS REID, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, it sounds suspicious. We know the president does have a disposition that he want to do more with faith-based institutions. But if these organizations haven't stepped forward to ask for reimbursement, the question is, have we volunteered to reimburse them?

As you guys know, this is really the mission of the church and other religious institutions. They are generally the first people in the community to step forward. This is what they do. So it does raise a red flag, given fact that the president does want to give more faith-based organizations involved. Have others been reimbursed, is the question.

PHILLIPS: Joel, it is sort of strange. I mean, usually, when it comes to the church, it's all about giving, not receiving.

JOEL MOWBRAY, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Well, I guess I probably look at this in a similar fashion as Morris does, which is to say that if you have non-religious organizations that are going out and getting reimbursements, I don't necessarily see the problem with religious organizations, which are not providing religious services here, they're providing charitable services. This is the whole idea behind his faith-based initiatives program, is that faith-based organizations can stand side by side with secular, non-sectarian organizations in providing charitable services. Now...

REID: Yes, but one thing I think that's important to point out is that if other people have been reimbursed -- I think that you and I agree -- because the president has a disposition towards faith-based organization, it's important we really understand if this was a voluntary thing or if other people have been reimbursed. I didn't mean to cut you off, but I think it's important that we talk about that.

PHILLIPS: And I don't think that's been established. Right, Joel?

MOWBRAY: Well, right. That's the reason why Morris and I are both speaking in hypotheticals. I think because we don't know just yet the full facts here. But if you have non-faith-based organizations that are getting reimbursed, I don't see a problem with the faith-based organizations getting reimbursed. And there's a long line of Supreme Court cases that have preceded Bush and his faith- based initiatives program. The Supreme Court held as long as you don't discriminate against those organizations that have a religious viewpoint, in terms of receiving funds, then you can give money to faith-based organizations.

PHILLIPS: Well, Joel, civil liberty groups are saying that FEMA is -- could be playing to religious conservatives here, trying to restore a battered reputation?

MOWBRAY: Well, I -- you know, look, civil libertarians oftentimes do a lot that I admire. And in many cases, I find myself, you know, sympathizing with the ACLU. This is not one of them. I think there's kind of the knee-jerk reaction whenever religion's involved. One of the things that hurts people on the left, just as far as their image with the general public, is they really do have a distaste for religion, and they get very suspicious anytime religious groups are involved, unnecessarily so. I think it's right to view any human being with at least a dose of suspicion, but the way they view religious oftentimes is with hostility and contempt.

PHILLIPS: So Morris...

REID: But also, we need to understand that churches are community-based organizations at their very best. So it's not fair to just paint all these guys with a wide brush. Whether they're playing to their right-wing base or not, these guys play a vital role. And a lot of these organizations where the people in the places that the people in New Orleans and Mississippi ran to first because they knew they would be there as a last resort.

PHILLIPS: And that's why you tithe, right, Morris? I mean, that's why you give money. You don't expect anything in return. That's why you give money to help people in situations like this. And what if the government does start paying these faith-based groups? I mean, it's possible that tithing might go down. People won't want to donate. They'll think, oh, they're getting government funds.

REID: Well, I don't think that. I mean, I think maybe it might be a situation where it might increase because you have ministers who might want to step forward to say, if the government's going to reimburse us, we should do a dollar for dollar match or double it up. I think that this is a good thing, as long as the non-religious organizations are being reimbursed and have the same opportunity to get reimbursed like the religious organizations.

PHILLIPS: Joel, I want to get you guys on to another subject real quickly. And that is, of course, Michael Brown, former director of FEMA, testifying before Congress today. I'm going to get to that in just a second.

I just want to point out new videotape that we're getting in from the president of the United States, side by side, as you can see, with the major players in the effort, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. You'll see Admiral Thad Allen, of course U.S. Coast Guard, the man in charge, alongside with General Russel Honore. The general and the admiral, as you know, the ones in full force, working operations on the ground. Both obviously going to brief the president today. You can also see a Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco there.

As you know, Bush has been going from Texas to Louisiana. He was in Beaumont, Texas, earlier, now in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He's going to see firsthand what has happened to these areas. General Honore talking a lot about the cattle and the efforts to save the cattle and the livestock in those areas. Tremendous farmland there in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and other areas on the outskirts. It's been a tremendous concern for Admiral Allen and General Honore. So the president, going to get a firsthand look.

And, of course, you know, the president, being -- having his ranch in Texas, a lot of his home state getting battered by Rita. And now in Louisiana. Listening to the concerns there from the admiral and the general and leaders in the area.

OK, let's get back to our discussion, Joel and Morris. Moving into Michael Brown. The former head of FEMA, testifying before Congress today. A lot of people surprised, because he's been hired back as a consultant. And, of course, he is the individual being -- a lot of people pointing the finger at him, to just not having an organized system when it came to FEMA and its response. He came forward, admitted to a couple of his mistakes. Let's listen to it and then I want to get you two to respond.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BROWN, FMR. FEMA DIRECTOR: First, I failed initially to set up a series of regular briefings to the media about what FEMA was doing throughout the Gulf Coast region. Second, I very strongly personally regret that I was unable to persuade Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences and work together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right, looks like a blame game here. First, the media, not saying he went before the -- he didn't go before the media enough, and then blaming the governor and the mayor, not able to get them to cooperate. Still not really saying that he did anything wrong. First of all, what did you think about the two mistakes that he says he's admitting to, Morris?

REID: First of all, it just doesn't smell good that the fact this guy's still on payroll. This is really one of the Achilles heels that the Bush administration has. They can never admit wrong completely or fully. Secondly, the fact that he's blaming the media and blaming the fact that the mayor and the governor don't get along -- geez, we know that. The mayor didn't endorse the governor when she ran for government, for the office. So it's just -- it's suspect at best. The guy got fired, the guy was sent home. It is really unconscionable that he is in a consultant role when he couldn't deliver as the leader of the organization.

PHILLIPS: Joel.

MOWBRAY: Let me just say that it's common for people who step down from heads of organizations to go back as consultants after the fact. And I think in the end result, Michael Brown won't come out looking as bad as we see him now, when we have a little bit of distance and perspective...

PHILLIPS: That's common, Joel?

MOWBRAY: That said...

PHILLIPS: It's common?

MOWBRAY: Actually, it is. It is.

PHILLIPS: When's the last time that happened?

MOWBRAY: Actually, I can think of it -- heads of agencies within the State Department, within Department of Energy, within Department of Transportation. It actually -- it does happen fairly often inside D.C. But that said, Kyra, let me just say that it's very stupid for him, for the Bush administration, to continue any kind of ongoing relationship. This is a man who needs to slink away out of the public eye, needs to let us forget about him so we can stop hating him. And the fact that he has decided to keep himself in the public eye is just not smart.

PHILLIPS: I want to know what he's getting paid.

REID: Joel -- but Joel, listen. Joel. Joel, listen. The guy didn't step down. He was fired. He was...

MOWBRAY: No, no, I agree with you.

REID: He was dismissed.

MOWBRAY: I agree with you...

PHILLIPS: I thought he resigned? He resigned, guys.

REID: This guy, he fumbled the ball on the one yard line going over the goal. The guy shouldn't be in the game. And the fact of the matter is, he shouldn't be allowed to volunteer for his position at this point.

PHILLIPS: Morris Reid, Joel Mowbray, thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

MOWBRAY: Thank you. REID: Thanks, Joel.

PHILLIPS: A lot to cover today. Thank you to both.

We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Taking a look at medical news now. The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor to help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in type-two diabetics. Also, drugmaker Pfizer says that the approval is for people who have no signs of heart disease, but have multiple risk factors for the condition.

We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, covering Katrina. What it's like to walk water-logged streets and witness the devastation firsthand. CNN's Jeff Koinange joins me with his unique perspective on the hurricane. He'll be joining us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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