Posted on 09/04/2005 8:38:30 AM PDT by wildwood
MEMO TO BUSH: FIRE MICHAEL BROWN
By Michelle Malkin · September 04, 2005 08:17 AM During his visit to Mobile, Ala., on Friday, President Bush singled out Michael D. Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for praise:
"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."
Really? "Brownie's" job is to direct the federal response to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Let's review his public statements during the past week:
- He admitted that he didn't act more aggressively because as late as last Sunday he expected Katrina to be a "standard hurricane" even though the National Weather Service in New Orleans was already predicting "human suffering incredible by modern standards."
- He proved himself utterly clueless about the disaster unfolding in New Orleans. He claimed that the federal relief effort was "going relatively well" and that the security situation in New Orleans was "pretty darn good."
- He blamed the flood victims in New Orleans for failing to evacuate on time, even though local authorities failed to make municipal vehicles available to residents who could not drive or did not own their own cars.
READ MORE!!
(Excerpt) Read more at michellemalkin.com ...
Wow, are you usually this quick, or did you just have an extra cup of coffee this morning?
Tuesday:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1476563/posts
Fed. Govt sent emergency supplies to Louisiana as early as Tuesday [From AP]
That plan would have to include others outside of Nagin, most notably Governor Blanco. Seeing that the Superdome/Convention Center refugees are laregly headed out of state, the failure to implement such a plan would fall more on Blanco's head.
That last sentence is ludicrous on its face. How is help going to get there if the people delivering the help don't have the foggiest clue as to where it needs to go?
of course. i have pointed that out numerous times today. here the point is not blanco or niger, but the competency of an individual in a job at the federal level.
Follow the money...and apparently the political connections. I'd seen this article, and am not happy to see the henhouse turned over to the foxes and wolves.
Sure. Dozens of news reporters, with satellite links, reporting real time for days....it's a resource, use it. I heard for days from FEMA that communication was almost impossible, yet 5000 people on an overpass, no water or food...reported live...how about a food and water drop?....to the reporters location, you could call him on the phone and ASK for directions. But no. Should I keep going or is one example enough?
Sorry, I am wrong, it was declared a national disaster area, but Blanco has refused to allow FEMA to take over the relief efforts. Blanco is still the responsible party, not Browne.
Michelle needs to back off on this one.
If you think that part of the job of FEMA is to preserve public confidence in times of crisis, the comments she cites are certainly not helpful.
PR does count for an agency head, and people have been fired before for making bonehead statements.
Are you changing the subject now?
Or you now admitting that you, too, believe that the federal government is responsible for everybody? Michael Brown cannot MAKE anybody leave; that was the job of the LA authorities.
You're looking to hang this on him and he's been great during this.
I"m sick to death of people WHINING about what COULD have been done.
It was an ACT OF GOD.......live with it.
I guess I need a few more cups of coffee to come up to your brilliant standard of "Fire now, ask questions later".
People have lived by levees SAFELY for hundreds of years in that area. Our relatives, in fact, lived just a few feet from one. The breaks didn't occur near them, and they've been back to check the house and say they only got about two inches of water (from looking at the water line) in the house. So your assumption is like the old saying about ass-u-me ing.
Nevertheless, FEMA can't move in and take over without permission from the locals. It's in the Constitution. Remember that?
Regarding James Witt - Nothing like reinforcing failure.
And that big palette goes thud on a 1 year old, then shepherd smith and whorealdo go nuts, again and again.
He did just fine last year with 4 hurricanes.
The generals on Fox told John Gibson (and others) that what slowed down the response was having to wait for Blanco to give the go-ahead. Did she hold off for political reasons, or just because she's a dunderhead? Or could it be both?
And why is it that you cannot seem to grasp these words: FEMA cannot do ANYTHING until the LA authorities ASK them to; and they didn't.
BTW, read the plan NO agreed to; it clearly states that THEY are responsible for their OWN people for the first 3 to 5 days.
Let me take a shot at your question(s). The man was/is under a great deal of stress. In far reaches of your mind(?) consider this outlandish possiblity: could it be he may not be saying exactly what he means??? Judge the man by what he gets done. If he can't get it done, then lower the boom. Don't be a liberal type and base your opinions solely on what has been said. That's more like style over substance is it not?
FGS
Did people just go and forget that even in times of disaster that rules still apply? I've seen a lot of people decry the looters and general lawlessness, then turn right around and decry the federal government for not stepping in immediately, overstepping their bounds and authority with regards to the state. Federal assets are just people from other states. It takes time to move them in, and they have to be moved in at the request of the governor. A natural disaster doesn't automatically confer upon the federal government authority.
You make the number one point too, that first responders are called first for a reason. When the first and second team of responders are not prepared or outright refuse to do their job, people are going to suffer until the third can get on site.
Are we talking about yellowcake again? ;)
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