[holyscroller]

This explains it all. One incompetent bureaucrat hires an old buddy to be another incompetent bureaucrat, who doesn't have a clue of how to do the job he's hired for. After reading this, I guess the people of the Gulf Coast are lucky it only took FEMA 5 days to realize there was a problem. This practice (patronage) of rewarding party faithful (fund raisers) with government jobs in which they have no knowledge or experience was bound to blow up eventually, and it sure did this time.

[MizSterious]

WHO is the "old college friend" in this story? Would it be James Lee Witt?

[MizSterious]

Never mind, I see it was Allbaugh. Still, I see Witt is heavily involved in this mess, too--created the "plan" that didn't seem to work so well...

[Travis McGee]

I hope that sooner or later the MSM discovers that New Orleans did have a written emergency plan to cover the evacuation of the poor, but that the idiot mayor of New Orleans ignored it, and allowed the evacuation buses to be ruined by the flood, forgotten.

The city leaders had at least two full days to use these hundreds of buses to evac the poor, exactly as their own emergency management plan called for.

Here's the southeast Louisiana evac plan supplement, most recently revised in 2000. Go to page 13, read paragraph 5. It states:

5. The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating.

[faithincowboys]

Fema hasn't failed. Fema is always the follow on organization. It is ALWAYS the locals who are the first responders in a crisis-- why do you think Giuliani is so praised. It's ALWAYS the locals. Too many people who should know better are blaming the feds for local and state failures. It's really disgraceful.

[Doogle]

...consider the source

Doogle

[Clara Lou]

he suggested FEMA was unaware of the misery and desperation of refugees stranded at the New Orleans convention center
I don't think he "suggested" this at all. I heard him on TV. According to my recollection he said something like, "FEMA was not aware that there were refugees at the Convention Center." There's difference between the two statements. His statement implies that The city of NO people did not communicate the information to FEMA. Does anyone know about this for a certainty? [I'm off to do a search.]

[shadowman99]

Are you serious? The head of our national emergency response was an idiot horse show judge in his previous career? How the f--- did Bush pick this winner?

[mtbopfuyn]

Bush had to tell the governor to evacuate. A teen had to confiscate a bus over the mayor's inaction. Now the head of FEMA is claiming he didn't know there were people suffering at the dome. Idiots all.

[BenLurkin]

Not all.

State and local officials have the primary responsibility for disaster preparedness. The mayor and governor were both incompetent bunglers themselves in this instance

[holyscroller]

There's a great Michelle Malkin article several posts ahead of this that ties in with this one. In any event, Brown was definately NOT the man for the job. Really important jobs should not be given out as Patronage positions. Brown is walking proof of that. This is going to backfire on Bush big time.

[Texas_Jarhead]

No one gets the job without supervisory approval.

[Calpernia]

>>>The federal official in charge of the bungled New Orleans rescue was fired from his last private-sector job overseeing horse shows.

Saddle thread follow horse shows? Any background on this?

[bobwoodard]

Here's another article: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/politics/12554958.htm

From 1991 until 2000, Brown earned about $100,000 a year as the chief rules enforcer of the Arabian horse association.

He was known as "The Czar" for the breadth of his power and the enthusiasm with which he wielded it, said Mary Anne Grimmell, a former association president.

The suspensions Brown delivered to those suspected of cheating resulted in several lawsuits. Although the association won the suits, they were expensive to defend, and Brown became a controversial figure.

"It was positive controversy," Connelly said. "It got word out that we were serious about enforcing our rules."

[Dane]

Huh there was no criticism of FEMA in 2004 during 4 Flroida hurricanes, of course in that circumstance Brown was dealing with competant and professional state and local govts.

Yes let's just throw him to the wind becuase of the incompetatncy of the NO and LA govts.

[Redcloak]

Re: Brown's departure from his previous position...

Can anyone really be expected to organize "Airheads" and their owners?

[tutstar]

ping

[scouse]

From another posting on FR.

Habitat for Horses/Lone Start Equine Rescue is organizing a massive relief and rescue effort to help the equines of southern Louisiana after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina forced millions to evacuate. A large number of horses, mules and donkeys are now in danger of starvation, injury and death if relief efforts are not immediately taken. FEMA and the USDA are now in control of the areas most devastated by the hurricane. As quickly as they allow, our emergency relief efforts will start.

[JustAnotherOkie]

Yea he screwed up. But nothing as bad as the Governeret. She intentionally kept the Feds out of the loop. This person is certifiable.

[giotto]

My primary criticism of both Bush and his father is that they rely too heavily on old cronies for their appointments. Then their loyalty to these old chums prevents them from firing the incompetent ones. Cronyism will be our downfall.

[tang-soo]

This isn't without precedent. Clinton appointed Raymond "Buddy" Young as a regional FEMA director. Young was previously an Ark. state trooper. Prior to that (in the words of Dave Berry - I am not making this up) he was a rodeo clown. Those familiar with the story of Mena, Ark., Terry Reed et al will recognize the role played by this man in the cover up.