Can you believe W's offering 50K for relief!?!?!

Bush Administration’s Hurricane Relief Offer to Cuba is an Embarrassment
by Lucius Walker


President Bush has sunk to a new low with his offer to Cuba of $50,000 for hurricane relief. The $50,000 offer is another sign of animosity and disregard. It was intended and received as an insult. And it is also a great embarrassment to all U.S. citizens who care about the rest of the world.

Mr. Bush, the Cuban people don’t need $50,000. What they need is for us to step out of the way. If remittances by Cuban Americans were flowing without any restrictions, the $400 million needed for home repairs would be raised in no time. If Cuban Americans were allowed to visit their families any time they wanted to, as do all other immigrants in this country, then they could help rebuild those homes with their own hands. If the rest of us, US citizens were allowed unrestricted travel to Cuba, many of us would be there now standing by the Cuban people.

It is immoral to make it illegal for family members in the States to support and be with their loved ones in times of crisis. It is hard enough for family members to be separated, but it is indefensible to criminalize reunification. Under the current travel restrictions Cuban Americans are only allowed to visit immediate family members once every three years --with no humanitarian exceptions! That means that children cannot see their dying parents; spouses have an imposed separation; and Cuban immigrants fighting in Iraq cannot even see their families during their leave.

It is a great insult to spend $60 million US tax dollars, as allocated by the Bush administration this year alone, to undermine the Cuban government and then turn around and throw $50,000 towards the Cuban people now. Hurricane Dennis hit 9 out of 14 provinces in Cuba and left 1.4 billion dollars in agricultural and housing damages. Offering only $50,000 is a disgrace.

The attitudes and actions of our current administration towards the international community leaves much to be desired in terms of diplomacy or generosity to say the least. We need to stop acting like the arrogant giant with the big guns. The best way to support the Cuban people now is to end the blockade against Cuba and allow Cuba to stand on its own.

The Bush Administration is obsessed with “bringing democracy to Cuba” at any cost, including the imposition of misery and further suffering on the same Cubans we aim to “set free.” Freedom begins by allowing people the right to determine their own future. It begins by defending true family values and allowing the Cuban family to unify in this time of crisis. It begins by allowing the human family to show compassion for one another.

Mr. Bush if you are really concerned with the well being of Cubans then lift the blockade.

Lucius Walker is the Executive Director for Pastors for Peace

Mr. Bush if you are really concerned with the well being of Cubans then lift the blockade.

Why would he be? They're probably on his by now long list of enemies.

that reminds me of the little scandal regarding the initial pledge for tsunami victims by the Bush administration. I think it was something like $400,000, then quickly upped to $15 million... that was kinda embarassing.

Too bad that this probably isn't going to affect the fact that Cuban voters tend to vote republican anyway.

:wall:

:nigel: N/C.

I personally think everything done by this administration is a total embarrassment.

Yes, but they don't embarrass easily themselves, and yes it is like the initial embarrassingly low pledge of funds towards the tsunami effort. I really believe that there's been a hell of alot of money just pouring into the pockets of the well connected, at the tax payers expense, too bad these people seem immune to the kind of audit we'd receive for tiny indiscretions on our tax returns.

I personally think everything done by this administration is a total embarrassment.

:wayne:

are you serious?

the small 50k offer is because Castro has a policy of not accepting aid while the trade embargo is in place, he is using the lives of cubans as a hostage to acheive political aims, we were hoping a small enough offer would get in under the radar, he doesn't want our money.

remittances are 3% of their economy so i think private contributions from people in the states will find their way to cuba

Mr. Bush if you are really concerned with the well being of Cubans then lift the blockade.nice, bait and switch

we were hoping a small enough offer would get in under the radar...

:think:

How would a $50,000 pledge from the US government get in under the radar?

And if the embargo was lifted it wouldn't be an issue anyway, true?

And if the embargo was lifted it wouldn't be an issue anyway, true?the embargo didn't cause the hurricane

http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/fs/2005/49782.htm
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Washington, DC
July 19, 2005

U.S. Government Response to Hurricane Dennis in Cuba

On July 10, the U.S. Interests Section informed the Cuban Government that the U.S. we were prepared to provide immediate humanitarian assistance of emergency supplies, including blankets, water bottles, first aid kits, plastic sheeting, etc. to those Cubans affected by the hurricane. The Castro government rejected this offer.

We also offered to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to independently help determine what relief supplies were most needed. A DART is a rapid response management team composed of disaster relief specialists who conduct assessments, identify and prioritize needs, manage onsite relief activities, recommend response actions, and coordinate with affected country and other response organizations. The teams are typically deployed after devastating disasters of significant magnitude. The Castro government also rejected this offer.

Cuban refusal to permit a DART assessment impedes the ability not only of the U.S. Government, but also of private donors and the international community, to determine the most pressing needs of the Cuban people and to deliver appropriate assistance.

Despite the Cuban Government’s refusal to accept U.S. aid, USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) has authorized double the amount usually provided for immediate relief, up to $100,000 in grants to non-governmental organizations to help meet the needs of the victims of Hurricane Dennis.

The U.S. Government is taking steps to provide these disaster relief funds to appropriate NGOs, which will seek to deliver relief provisions as quickly as possible directly to the Cuban people.

One such NGO has already sent nearly 3,000 pounds of disaster relief aid, including food and medicine, water purification tablets, flashlights, and other basic supplies.

On July 13, we again approached the Cuban Government to offer assistance to the Cuban people, urging it to allow the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian supplies to the island to the U.S. Interests Section for distribution directly to the Cuban people. The Castro government has categorically rejected this offer.

Castro on Rejection U.S. and EU assistance:
“Cuba will not accept humanitarian aid from the United States, which imposes a criminal blockade, or from any of the European governments which took aid away on the pretext of human rights violations.” Granma, July 12

“We won’t accept aid from Europe or assistance from any government of the European Community, because in the end they withdrew the token support they call “aid” that they were giving Cuba.” Castro speech, July 11.

“We would never accept. If they offered $1 billion, we would say no… We do not want assistance from the Europeans or the United States.” Castro speech, July 11.
he willing to let his people suffer for political gains

the embargo didn't cause the hurricane


he willing to let his people suffer for political gains

Ya... well what else is new about politicians?

If I live in the U.S. and want to send hurricane relief money to Cuba how would I do it? Could I give it to a charity organization outside the U.S. and specify I wan't it used for Cuban relief?

Castro is a tyrant, id be suprised if any money or relief support actually got to the people that needed it.

If I live in the U.S. and want to send hurricane relief money to Cuba how would I do it? Could I give it to a charity organization outside the U.S. and specify I wan't it used for Cuban relief?

Frost;
I don't want to get in a fight with you so lets just say that I'm willing to take that risk with my money. I'd like to know of ways to get around U.S. laws prohibiting relief contributions to Cuba. Has anyone here done it? I know that Pastors for Peace does from time to time bring aid to Cuba. They travel through another country because there's no commercial planes/boats from the U.S. to Cuba. When they cross the boarder (usually the Mexican boarder) they don't hide the fact that they are going to Cuba even though it's illegal. Although some things are confiscated by the U.S. authorities at the border a lot of things are allowed to pass through. Crossing the boarder in both directions the authorities give the participants a hard time.

If I live in the U.S. and want to send hurricane relief money to Cuba how would I do it? Could I give it to a charity organization outside the U.S. and specify I wan't it used for Cuban relief?thats wonderful, as far as I know your best best for a ngo is Caritas Cubana
the US government even mentions them as one of the few independent cuban NGOs (recommends?), they are a catholic organization though
http://www.usaid.gov/policy/budget/cbj2005/lac/cu.html
Other Donors: The Roman Catholic Church provides assistance to CARITAS Cubana, one of the few independent Cuban nongovernmental organizations. In 2000, Canada, China, Russia, the European Union, Japan, and the United Nations Development Program delivered more than $90 million in economic and humanitarian aid through Cuban government organizations.

This is the equivelent of leaving a penny as a tip for a wait person.

It's intentionally rude.

I am no longer embarrassed by anything the bush administration does. Any opinions expressed by the Bush administration do not necessarily represent the views of this broadcasting network.

Or something like that. However, it is hard to give aid for disaster when we've spent the last two years blowing stuff up (I mean rebuilding the infrastructure) in iraq. I was in NJ last week and heard about the flooding that took place along the Delaware TWICE this past spring. It caused widespread damage and the state was actually refused disaster funding, even though from what I heard from a friend, it was a pretty big disaster.

B

Ototmik; thanks for telling me about Caritas Cubana. I haven't been following this issue lately but I've done some research this morning and yes U.S. citizens are now allowed to give aid to Cuba but in order to do that you'd have to give it through an organization with special license from the U.S. government. The aid must only be used for medicine or food and it must be distributed by Caritas Cubana or another approved organization in Cuba. The Cuban Red Cross and Caritas Cubana both operate in Cuba. I tried calling the local Red Cross and Catholic Social Services and asked how I could donate money for hurricane relief in Cuba. Neither were of any help.