National FEMA Trailer Tour

To confront the Gulf Coast’s surprising and alarming absence from the presidential debates so far, the KRV Express rolled into Austin just hours before CNN’s Thursday evening debate at the University of Texas. With clutch assistance from UT Law students active in the Student Hurricane Network (who scored ample parking the night before), we snaked our way through the UT campus and downtown Austin for several hours before parking our sound truck and trailer for a scheduled “Open House” on the northeast corner of the tightly secured campus.

A racially diverse busload of Katrina and Rita survivors from coastal Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana had driven nearly ten hours to join us – a powerful reinforcement made possible by the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation’s Equity and Inclusion Campaign. The riders, including some very spirited high schoolers from Thibodaux LA, definitely made their presence felt outside the debate hall with creative and deafening chants about the Gulf Coast’s unmet needs. With the media (including dozens of satellite trucks) and the crowd outside (thousands) predictably focused on the Clinton-Obama showdown – our group did succeed in being hard to miss.

Upon relocating downtown to view the debate and eat, the KRV Express and entourage moved into position near the Hyatt Regency hotel, where we knew that Texas Democratic Party bosses were awaiting post-debate visits from both candidates. As each motorcade turned into the hotel driveway, lamps illuminating a decked-out FEMA trailer and chants of “Gulf Coast, Needs You!” sprang up within 30 feet of their left-side passenger windows.

After an apparent discussion across the street, the fleet of motorcycle officers controlling traffic around the hotel did not (surprisingly) ask us to move. Now that’s respect, we mused. Evidenced also by Senator Clinton’s long look and wave upon exiting the Hyatt – the KRV Express raised a few eyebrows in Austin. Hopefully, meaningful commentary and action from the candidates, media and others will eventually follow.

UPDATE: The KRV Express got some nice coverage from the Texas Observer.