Posted on 09/27/2005 7:05:46 AM PDT by SE Mom
Hearings beginning now on C-Span- Michael Brown will be grilled.
Have at it, folks:)
WOW- now that's a bit of news.
Brown making a strong case for local control of disasters..coordinating WITH FEMA.
He's teaching the basics to those who set up the system.
But, since the paradigm of the inquest is to find Fed shortcoming, most of his tutorial is out of scope.
I think NO figured out a way to get the money without hiring the manpower.
Brown is doing just what I hoped. I'm thrilled to see him lecturing on federalism.
Should I have put this in Breaking News, too?
He is telling these idiots that FEMA is not a first responder, emergency response is primarily a local matter and to federalize all disasters would violate our idea of federalism. He's making a good statement.
FEMA is a co-ordinating aggency, not a law enforcement agency. Many people are surprised to learn that. Every level of government has a role to play, including individuals who must be responsible for themselves. (foreign concept to democrats).
Locals are first responders. Got that?
(I wonder if anyone has their house catch fire, and instead of calling the local fire department, they call FEMA, and then blame President Bush because FEMA didn't show up.)
Brown is doing a GREAT job!
FEMA has fewer than 3,000 employees.
The dems aren't listening to a word. They're reading thier prepared speeches. This isn't about problem solving.... this is about grandstanding.
Also- making the VERY important point that FEMA is NOT huge..very small organization in comparison to other fed agencies..
Buying votes with promises. "Hi. I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."
"Democrats have largely boycotted the congressional investigation. Though the inquiry chaired by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., was meant to be bipartisan, Democrats say Republican lawmakers cannot fairly investigate the GOP White House, and are calling for an independent commission."
"We ACTIVATED and DEPLOYED"...numerous emergency groups.
"FEMA was prepared to respond AS A PARTNER" .. KEY word..partner.
When locals call FEMA to ask for help, a unified command structure is formed. It is only through such a unified command structure, recognized for decades, that we can work together.
when Katrina was still a tropical depression, FEMA pre-positioned support equipment, a week before it hit. FEMA people were in the National Weather Agency to get first hand information. FEMA personnnel prepositioned weren't inside New Orleans for a reason, so they wouldn't be destroyed in the hurricane. "State Emergency Staging Areas" all over the region is where they were stationed. Red Cross, our partner, was also pre-positioned. Pre-positioned and prepared.
Ping.
Let the beatings begin.
Not first responders or last for that matter. Some intern at FEMA should have been watching tv to see the people dyin' at the Convention Center and at the hospitals. Too much bureaucracy and lack of coordination at every level imo. Nagin and Blanco failed on an astronomical level pre-Katrina and FEMA simply wasn't prepared for that eventuality.
FEMA IS NOT, REPEAT, NOT A FIRST RESPONDER....I get so SICK of hearing moonbats bitching about the "late" response to Katrina and blaming it at all on the feds and Bush. If the local and state authorities are incompetent, as they clearly were, then FEMA can't do its job.
BTTT
So true.
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