Witt Says La. Crisis 'Our Worst Nightmare'

AP ^ | 9/1/5

[SmithL]

Baton Rouge, La. -- James Lee Witt, the former Federal Emergency Management Agency director hired to advise Louisiana's governor, described the crisis Sunday in the hurricane-ravaged state as "our worst nightmare."

He couldn't estimate how long the recovery would take.

In New Orleans alone, the levees will have to be fixed and the water pumped out. After that, crews will have to get in to assess the damage and determine which structures are too unstable to remain. Utilities are down in several areas. There's also historic preservation to think about, he said Sunday on MSNBC.

"This was our worst nightmare," Witt said. "You could point the finger at anybody and everybody. ... I don't think they turned a blind eye. I don't think the state did. I don't think the mayor did. I think they worked as fast as they could do whatever they could."

[Congressman Billybob]

Careful here. The 2000 Report/Plan is the one that has Paragraph 5 on page 13 about using public buses. We don't have copies of the 2004 Plan in which Witt participated. However, since he's a sleazy bureaucrat, it's a fair assumption that he cribbed other people's earlier work in "earning" his 2004 pay.

John / Billybob

[Cboldt]

The last thing the democrats and the media want is for the relief efforts to start flowing smoothly - they want things to remain chaotic and disorganized so they can continue to milk the "Bush is incompetent" and "Bush hates blacks" stories for everything they're worth.

It's a good thing the only real tool they have -is- the media. The best they can create is a false impression of chaos. So, while maddening, and while they want to tie the workers up in hearings, they won't get much traction until the relief is well complete.

[longtermmemmory]

Of course this is a DEMOCRAT's worse nightmare!!!

contrast when the LA Gove and Mayor Nagin were in charge with the results after the feds REPLACED the LA governments.

This shows that Democrats are NOT COMPETENT in an emergency.

Democrats are exposed, THAT is the worst nightmare!

[Major_Risktaker]

I really thought Mayor Nagin stayed over night during the hurricane at the SuperDome with the poor, sick and elderly to reassure the population that they were safe.

Days later find out Nagin tucked tail and ran up to Baton Rouge La to wait out the hurricane.

Nagin - Coward of the year!

[Orange1998]

"You're talking about the potential loss of a major metropolitan area."

Sad

[SmithL]

Thank you

[kublia khan]

Isn't this the Rocket scientist that advised the Gov not to sign the transfer pf powers document?

[cgbg]

I only worked for one natural leader in my lifetime.

His people would follow him anywhere anytime.

I watched everything he did and tried to learn from him.

A couple of things that really got my attention:

(1) He paid a lot of attention to what the peons actually dealt with in the real world. He kept his mouth shut and his eyes and ears open.

(2) The payoff--when he spoke he really knew what he was talking about.

(3) He never stabbed anyone in the back--employees, peers, superiors.

(4) He treated everyone with equal respect--employees, peers, superiors.

(5) He always stayed calm and organized no matter how bizarre the crisis.

(6) He always took responsibility--often when it was others who had made the mistake.

(7) When he had to let someone know they had erred he did so privately, quietly, gently.

[uncitizen]

Cronies have got the recovery job. Oh God help us!

[Howlin]

How about that! He's going to get to do the recovery for the plan he wrote last year!

[zerosix]

"He couldn't estimate how long it would take. . ."

I'll say that idiot couldn't "estimate", as he is not in charge of the cleanup nor the rescue, he just plays the part on TV!

[leadpenny]

Those are wonderful attributes. Any aspiring leader would do well if they just followed the seven you listed. Thanks.

[Fresh Wind]

I don't think they turned a blind eye. I don't think the state did. I don't think the mayor did.

You stopped to soon, Wittless. Shouldn't you have added "I don't think the President did"?

[mewzilla]

James Lee Witt, the former Federal Emergency Management Agency director hired to advise Louisiana's governor, described the crisis Sunday in the hurricane-ravaged state as "our worst nightmare."

Louisianans haven't seen Blanco's and your idea of what passes for a recovery yet, have they, Witt? It'll get worse.

[hershey]

Hired to advise Blanco, Witt told her not to declare a state of emergency, no mandatory evacuation. In other words, up yours, GW. Thousands dead. Thank you, Witt.

[Wristpin]

"Hired to advise Blanco, Witt told her not to declare a state of emergency, no mandatory evacuation. In other words, up yours, GW. Thousands dead. Thank you, Witt."


Was this an open bid contracting process? Certainly other outfits were capable of performing this work.

[LucyJo]

I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head.

[motogrrl]

Apparently Witt had nothing to do with that project:

In May of 2004, IEM included James Lee Witt Associates, LLC in their proposal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for developing a FEMA Catastrophic Plan for Southeast Louisiana and the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

After the proposal was submitted to FEMA, James Lee Witt Associates was not approached again by IEM, nor did JLWA have any involvement whatsoever in the project. (cite)

[gpapa]

I am not sure what you are referring to. My post directed readers to another post which shows things that happened while James Lee Witt was FEMA Director in the Clinton Administration from 1993-2000.

[finnman69]

I really find it pathetic that Blanco is so ineffective she had to bring in Witt. I find it outrageous that Witt is not being used to help in the rescue of the city, but he has been conducting photo op interviews to bash the current response and bash FEMA during recivery operations. What an ass.