Strong Criticism of FEMA Response to Hurricane Katrina

Strong criticism of the response to hurricane Katrina is leading to suggestions by some lawmakers that the primary U.S. government agency responsible for handling emergencies should be separated from the large Department of Homeland Security created after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

When the huge Department of Homeland Security was created in the wake of the unprecedented 2001 terrorist attacks, what had been the autonomous Federal Emergency Management Agency was included in the massive reorganization.

FEMA was not without its problems, but the hope was that America's ability to respond to emergencies would be improved. In addition, most of the attention was focused on how to deal with potential new terrorist attacks.

Few imagined that the first major test for FEMA would come from what could be the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history and the devastation of a major U.S. city.

Now, lawmakers signal they will be taking a close look at the problems that caused a delay in a strong response to the crisis along the Gulf coast.

House Republican majority leader Tom DeLay says Congress will examine how the relief effort was handled and, in his words, what kind of reorganization might be needed so that decisions are made more quickly.

Republican Congressman Michael Burgess of Texas, where thousands of evacuees from New Orleans are ending up, points to bureaucracy he says hampered a more effective response. "Trying to get assets and food and supplies to where they are needed has been too laborious, it has taken too many steps, and we need to eliminate those barriers now and get those assets where they are needed," he said.

Republican Congressman Roy Blunt underscores the importance of learning lessons from the situation in New Orleans. "Hard lessons have been learned, tragic lessons have been learned I hope, but I hope lessons have been learned that we have to respond more quickly, we have to respond in the right ways and be sure our priorities are right," he said.

President Bush's acknowledgement that relief and rescue operations were not acceptable unleashed a wave of new criticism and calls for FEMA to be removed from the Department of Homeland Security.

Republican [Florida] Congressman Mark Foley urges a top-to-bottom review of FEMA operations, saying the agency is stuck in what he calls a top-heavy bureaucracy. He will introduce legislation to remove FEMA from the homeland security department.

New Jersey Democrat Bill Pascrell says there are no excuses for what he calls [incompetent] relief operations. He describes FEMA as dysfunctional, asserting that it can't carry out its responsibilities effectively within a larger Department of Homeland Security focused on terrorism rather than natural disasters.

But Republican Congressman Christopher Shays, who chairs a committee that oversees emergency preparedness, says now is not the time to point fingers of blame. "The time to look at what could have been done better or what we should have done is not today, it's not tomorrow, it's not the next day. It has got to be totally to concentrate on how we help these folks in Louisiana, Mississippi and surrounding areas, how we can help them and then we can look later," he said.

In the face of tough criticism from the media and others this past week, FEMA Director Michael Brown had this defense of his agency. "This is an ongoing disaster. This disaster did not end the day [hurricane] Katrina made landfall. We had pre-positioned men, equipment, supplies, truckloads, caravans, search and rescue teams, all of those, to move in as soon as it was safe to do so," he said.

Mr. Brown declined, during an ABC Television interview this week, to respond directly to a statement by the local head of emergency operations in New Orleans who described FEMA's coordination efforts as a national disgrace.

As politics plays more and more of a role in the debate, one lawmaker (Democratic Congresswoman Diane Watson, has already called for a congressional inquiry into the government's response to the hurricane emergency.

Once Congress reconvenes next week, the heads of various congressional committees are expected to lose no time in arranging hearings

I sent this to the President, both my senators, my congressmand and to the minority and majority leaders in the house and senate (Pelosi's site wouldn't acceptit - only constituents can e-mail her):

"The response to the disaster on the Gulf Coast has taught me - and millions like me - a lesson: government at every level is not to be trusted.

For 4 years govenment at every level has been assuring us that it is preparing and planning to respond to attacks. We have spent billions and billions of dollars supposedly beefing up security and providing for assistance and aid to handle a disaster brought about by terrorist activity. Yet, when a hurricane hits the Gulf Coast we see government response at every level falter and fail. This was a disaster that we ALL knew was likely. It was an event predicted and for which we were "prepared" for decades. We had days of advance warning and we could track its path and predict where it would hit hardest. And the result was confusion, chaos and failure of government at every level with the resulting loss of Lord knows how many lives as a consequence.

Terrorists aren't likely to telegraph their attack. And theirs will be aimed precisely to do most damage and spread most confusion and chaos. And the handling of the Gulf Coast disaster demonstrates clearly that we will fail in our response to any such attack(s).

I have watched over the past 4 years as enormous amounts of money are poured into farm bills and transportation bills and homeland security bills. My congress has been spending money at an unprecedented rate an vast quantities. And what do I get for this? I get a demonstration of incompetence and stupidity that is undeniable.

This is NOT a partisan issue though, given the level of stupidity now so clearly shown by this mess, I expect that it will degenerate into just another political sideshow. You people, elected to high office and charged with the task of protecting and defending this nation, have ALL failed. Why should I or anyone believe you can do the job you promise to do? Why should I or anyone believe that come a disaster in my area that I should count on you to act quickly and competently to save lives and relieve suffering?

I am prepared in my home. I have emergency food and water stored to last for weeks if need be. I am armed and prepared to defend myself if need be. I am ready to act entirely on my own if need be.

It is a standing joke that politicians are mainly blowhards and liars who line their own pockets and work hardest to protect their own interests ahead of all else. I had always assumed that while a politician will act in his own interest he will, at heart, have the interests and welfare of his constituents as a high priority and act in their behalf when necessary. I now see that this is not the case. Through indifference, neglect, incompetence, stupidity or venality I see that politicians will only act for the good of their people if forced to do so or as an afterthought. Staying in office is forever number one in the heart of the politician. Scoring political points and staying in front of the cameras is what is important for the politician.

If you think that just because you have an R or a D after your name you will get votes after this mess down south you are more than stupid and venal: you are a fool. You people had better get your acts together and ACT to secure this nation. Talk will not do. If you are going to tax us for trillions of dollars and then look and act like fools when confronted with a challenge to security and the welfare of the people then I think you are very likely going to be looking for a new line of work after the next election.

I am no longer a Republican or a Democrat. I am looking to vote for people who will do the job they say they will and not treat their office as nothing more than an appendage to a giant shake down racket wherewith they line their pockets and the pockets of their friends while spouting meaningless rhetoric about the great nation and people they "serve".

Get off your ass and get to work.

Don't you dare send me a response filled with meaningless reassurances and platitudes. Reply by getting this government in order. Reply by actually doing your job."

Sean Cory

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