[Ramius]

Well... so? They shoulda' just let it melt?

Emergencies require making lots of decisions in short order... making preparations, some of which end up being unneeded.

Yeesh. I'm no fan of government agencies, but FEMA can't buy a break from the press.

[Cboldt]

Well... so? They shoulda' just let it melt?

We Mainiacs like when folks come in, drop cash, and leave.
The saying goes, "Welcome to Maine, now go home."

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

You're absolutely right.

The MSM, and other critics demand instant responses -- then hyperventilate when it appears some errors were made.

FEMA should have said what every project manager would tell his boss: "speed; quality; and economy -- pick two".

With the histrionics of CNN and other MSM immediately following Katrina -- the response had to be speedy. It was -- but even that wasn't good enough. With the likes of Mayor Nagin demanding Greyhounds; quality was a must. It should come as no surprise that some things weren't as economical as they could have been.

[AmishDude]

Oh, don't worry. After a Democrat gets elected, FEMA will run smoothly, the NSA won't spy on anyone and the IRS will give you a small piece of candy with every audit.