Was the Red Cross refused entry to New Orleans or did it refuse to provide support?

See this comment from the same diary whose link is provided in my last post:

"You need to have a look at this

I believe there exists a contract between FEMA and Southern Baptist Convention's American Red Cross granting Red Cross the sole right to administer disaster relief EXCLUSIVE of all others. That would make sense for the Red Cross in its quest for power and donations, and for FEMA in its attempt to simplify disaster coordination. And I think this monopolization goal is the basis upon which other agencies and private individuals were denied access. The problem is that the American Red Cross is answerable to no one.

Here is a link to a research diary by Addison last night which fell off the list too fast. Note the bold text. Today, Red Cross is claiming that FEMA won't or wouldn't let them in to New Orleans. But last year before Ivan, It's here documented that Red Cross refused to set up in New Orleans. Note that ARC's upper echelon is Republican, white and baptist and NO is black and Catholic and Democratic.

So Red Cross's claim of being denied access by FEMA is not quite true. They have a no enter policy when it comes to NO and I believe they used their clout and perhaps an exclusivity contract to keep others out.    I believe, that there is some kind of connection between the Red Cross's refusal to enter New Orleans and FEMA's refusal to allow other aid groups to enter New Orleans, and refusal to cooperate with other aid agencies in Houston, which was diaried in the last couple of days by a woman who wen to Houston to help and was refused, went to other agencies to help and was told they had been shut out.

by NorCalJim on Mon Sep 5th, 2005