Bush lifts import fuel limits, Ike price-gouging reported

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - US President George W. Bush announced on Saturday restrictions on imported gasoline had been suspended in response to Hurricane Ike, which disrupted operations at Gulf Coast oil refineries and prompted gas price-gouging in southeastern states.

“Last night we suspended EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) waivers on certain reformulated gasoline, which will make it easier for imports from abroad to make it into our markets,” Bush told reporters outside the White House as the powerful hurricane caused massive flooding in Texas and Louisiana.

“In the meantime, the Department of Energy, the Federal Trade Commission and I know state authorities will be monitoring the gasoline prices to make sure consumers are not being gouged, to make sure consumers are being treated fairly,” Bush said.

Several officials have stressed that there are sufficient supplies of fuel, and lashed out at some price-gouging at gasoline pumps, with the governor of Florida decrying the practice as “unconscionable.”

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Bush lifts import fuel limits, Ike price-gouging reported

There is absolutely NO reason for gas prices to take massive jumps my friends. If you see it happening, take a picture of the company sign, the pump, the station itself, document this CRIME, and report it. Many people will pitch in and help in any way they can after a disaster like IKE, but many will become predators, and will prey on their fellow man.

The initial response to Hurricane IKE is in the hands of the states affected, there’s not too much the feds can do in the 1st few hours other than have FEMA ready to respond, and that HAS been done. And to the Bush administration I have to say, KUDOS, you have learned your lessons well and are to be commended.

While the feds may not have a tremendous involvement at this moment, they can, and apparently WILL be going after those that would make ridiculous profits from the suffering of others, and to that I say, KUDOS again!

And to those that are in the affected areas, if you read this, beware of *fly by night* home repairs and remodeling services. There will be many that will come in looking quite reputable, they’ll do estimates on official looking paperwork and then hit you up for *X* number of dollars so they can go to Home Depot or Lowes and get the needed supplies to repair your damage. NEVER give ANY of them cash in advance, you are taking a very high risk of being scammed!

God Speed to all in the storm areas, take care and we are watching and waiting to see what is needed and the response will be overwhelming!

A few thoughts on Hurricane Ike *VICTIMS*

It was flooding in Texas after Hurricane IKE!

As the flood waters were rising, a man was on the stoop of his house and another man in a row boat came by. The man in the row boat told the man on the stoop to get in and he’d save him. The man on the stoop said, no, he had faith in God and would wait for God to save him.

The flood waters kept rising and the man had to go to the second floor of his house. A man in a motor boat came by and told the man in the house to get in because he had come to rescue him. The man in the house said no thank you. He had perfect faith in God and would wait for God to save him.

The flood waters kept rising. Pretty soon they were up to the man’s roof and he got out on the roof.

A helicopter then came by, lowered a rope and the pilot shouted down in the man in the house to climb up the rope because the helicopter had come to rescue him. The man in the house wouldn’t get in. He told the pilot that he had faith in God and would wait for God to rescue him.

The flood waters kept rising and the man in the house drowned.

When he got to heaven, he asked God where he went wrong. He told God that he had perfect faith in God, but God had let him drown.

“What more do you want from me?” asked God. “I sent you two boats and a helicopter.”

This is OLD, and told as a joke, but it illustrates the seriousness of matters in south Louisiana and S.E. Texas right now…

The inspiration for this post was the almost incessant reports from the news services regarding all the folks in need of rescue right now. As yet the winds are too high in many places to get the helicopters up, the 1st responders are NOT going to unnecessarily risk their own lives to save those that didn’t, or wouldn’t take measures to protect themselves.

I am sure that we’ll hear the wailing and cries and assorted lamentations as many complain that the government didn’t do enough to save them. To those folks I say this, I have no sympathy for you, NONE!

You were warned, several days in advance, the MSM, NOAA, the National Hurricane Center, all news sources, even bloggers like me, we have been telling you for several days, get out of the way, this is going to be bad. Yet there have been thousands that ignored the calls to leave. And now they endanger not only themselves, but those that are entrusted with the mission of saving them.

My Son is a 1st responder, I am very close to his situation, I get a lot of 1st hand information. Yesterday my Son nearly lost his life responding to a call of a vehicle upside down in the water. He is OK, thanks be to God for that, but he was doing what ALL 1st responders do, he was trying to SAVE lives, even at risk of his own.

I had NO sympathy for the people that failed to evacuate New Orleans ahead of Katrina, I have NO sympathy for those that failed to evacuate ahead of IKE either. My hopes and prayers are with the 1st responders, please stay safe, and my sympathy goes to all that DID use common sense, and left the stricken areas, Texas will be there for you, we WILL help you and support you!

From the National Hurricane Center

AT 200 PM EDT…1800Z…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.2 NORTH…LONGITUDE 85.8 WEST OR ABOUT 255 MILES… 410 KM…WEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA AND ABOUT 395 MILES… 640 KM…SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH…13 KM/HR. A TURN BACK TO THE WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY…AND A MOSTLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION THROUGH THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NOW NEAR 100 MPH…155 KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. IKE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

IKE IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES…130 KM…FROM THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES…335 KM.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 958 MB…28.29 INCHES> 

For up to the minute reports visit http://www.weather.com/

The Daily Ike: 09-10-08