Posted on 09/08/2005 12:22:12 AM PDT by Crackingham
The three top jobs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Bush went to political cronies with no apparent experience coping with catastrophes, the Daily News has learned. Even if Bush were to fire embattled and suddenly invisible FEMA Director Michael Brown over his handling of Hurricane Katrina, the bureaucrat immediately below him is no disaster professional, either.
While Brown ran horse shows in his last private-sector job, FEMA's No. 2 man, deputy director and chief of staff Patrick Rhode, was an advance man for the Bush-Cheney campaign and White House. He also did short stints at the Commerce Department and Small Business Administration.
Rhode's biography posted on FEMA's Web site doesn't indicate he has any real experience in emergency response.
In addition, the agency's former third-ranking official, deputy chief of staff Scott Morris, was a PR expert who worked for Maverick Media, the Texas outfit that produced TV and radio spots for the Bush-Cheney campaign. In June, Morris moved to Florida to become FEMA's long-term recovery director.
"The Bush administration has apparently transformed FEMA from a professional, world-class emergency responder into a dumping ground for former campaign staff and political hacks," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan).
FEMA also is hampered by several midlevel and regional director's jobs currently held by acting directors.
"Just like our military, FEMA should be immune to this kind of political staffing. It should be run by career emergency response professionals," Maloney added.
Traditionally, the Commerce and Labor departments have long been Washington's dumping ground for presidential pals and campaign operatives - not the disaster relief agency.
Government sources blame Bush's first FEMA director, Joe Allbaugh, with turning FEMA into a patronage shop.
He was chief of staff when Bush was Texas' governor and later headed the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign.
The only reason there was this huge push from the beginning to blame the President was to turn focus away from La. The reason for this disaster of the disaster aftermath in La is the corruption that runs up and down that state, which perpetuates an attitude of never doing anything but getting your graft.
Look what they did after the disaster drill last year, wrote a report and went on as if nothing mattered. Why? Well, if they actually FIXED anything that would mean having to take less graft, having to actually use Federal funds for their intended purpose rather than buying casinos, marinas, condos and so on, from which projects they also would have gotten their kick-backs.
It's corrupt, it seems it will always be corrupt.
Cronnie-ism in any form is an injustice and insult to us taxpayers who expect the best from our government - I don't care if it was Clinton or Bush involved in doing it, it is wrong and we deserve better - I will not jump on this bandwagon for the sake of the party (GOP) - this Brown guy is a baffoon and an embarassment to his 'friend' W. Now Bush (and we) are stuck with him. Also, I once thought Bush calling his buddies (and others) by the little nicknames he has for them cute - calling his pal "Brownie" by that name more than once recently on the tube during this week of disaster was a little too cozy for me....especially when it was obvious Brown is an incompetant and was (is) way in over his head - I don't have any advice for Bush except to say that in the end you are who you surround yourself with.
James Lee Witt. He had been head of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services from 1988 to 1992. So in spite of his other failings Clinton at least managed to appoint a FEMA head with some experience in the area.
Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005 10:18 p.m. EDT
Louisiana Officials in Flood-Money Scam
Nine months before the Hurricane Katrina disaster, three Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness officials were indicted for obstructing an audit into flood prevention expenditures.
In a November 2004 press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced:
Story Continues Below
"A federal grand jury has returned two separate indictments charging three members of the State Military Department with offenses related to the obstruction of an audit of the use of federal funds for flood mitigation activities throughout Louisiana.
"The two emergency management officials were senior employees of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Both were charged with conspiracy to obstruct a federal audit."
Gov. Kathleen Blanco told Louisiana's News-Star at the time that she was disturbed by the indictments. She said the National Guard is cooperating with the investigation "as I expect them to do."
Reports of rampant corruption among Louisiana's state and local agencies have been cited in recent days to explain why officials were so ill-prepared to deal with the Katrina disaster.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/9/6/222032.shtml
FoxNews.com Mayor, Governor at Odds Over Evacuation Wednesday, September 07, 2005 NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (search) seemed at odds with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (search ) Wednesday, hours after the mayor ordered the mandatory evacuation of the crippled Crescent City by force if necessary. As floodwaters caused by Hurricane Katrina (search) began to slowly recede with the ruined city's first pumps returning to operation, Nagin late Tuesday authorized law enforcement officers to force the evacuation of the estimated 10,000 residents who refuse to heed orders to leave.
This article seems to be truthful. Cronyism sucks but when it's exposed as thousands die it's lethal. I say that GWBush's administration treated FEMA as a joke and appointed clowns and jokers to run it.
If Bill Clinton did it too then it never got exposed due to smaller disasters and more competent hacks being appointed
Jane Bullock was chief of staff for the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the Clinton administration under the leadership of Director James Lee Witt. In an interview with CBS News correspondent Thalia Assuras, Bullock placed the blame for the slow, stumbling federal response squarely on the shoulders of the Bush administration.
The department has been marginalized," said Jane Bullock, a former FEMA chief of staff who left in 2000.
Jane Bullock, professor of risk management at George Washington University
http://www.wcdm.org/bullock.jpg
Jane Bullock is serving as a Research Scientist and an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Crises, Disaster and Risk Management at George Washington University. She is also a Principal in the Washington-based disaster management consulting firm of Bullock & Haddow LLC.
She is the former Chief of Staff to James Lee Witt, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
During her 22 year career at FEMA, Ms. Bullock worked in nearly all of FEMA’s principal disaster programs and served as an Agency spokesperson representing FEMA on all the major networks.
With George Haddow, she is the co-author of two textbooks, "Introduction to Emergency Management" and "Introduction to Homeland Security".
******
The following are Senior FEMA Officials during the Clinton Administration.
* James Lee Witt, FEMA Director; April 1993 - January 2001
* Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Director of Mitigation
* Carrye Burley Brown, US Fire Administration Administrator
* Jo Ann Howard, Administrator, Federal Insurance Administration
* John Copenhaver, Region IV Director, Atlanta, GA
* Martha Braddock, Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
* Jane Bullock, Chief of Staff
* Michell Burkett, Director of Policy and Regional Operations
* Rita Calvan, Region III Director
* Lynn Canton, Region II Director
* David L deCourcy, Region X Director
* Gary Johnson, Chief Financial Officer
* Pauline Campbell, Director of Office of Equal Rights
* Buddy Young, Region VI Director
Link to photos below...
http://tinyurl.com/9334j
******
Buddy Young, the former chief of Governor Clinton's security detail and now the regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the south-central United States.
http://www.nando.net/nt/images/okcity/ntp1c.jpeg
First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Buddy Young of FEMA
look at photographs of rescue efforts from the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City
on Sunday, April 23, 1995.
******
Raymond Lloyd (Buddy) Young
Regional Director, Region VI
1993 - January 2001
Raymond Lloyd "Buddy" Young was appointed Director, Region VI by President Clinton in 1993. As Regional Director, he coordinated FEMA mitigation, preparedness and disaster response and recovery activities in: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. In 1997, he served as Acting Deputy Director for the agency.
Mr. Young is a veteran of 26 years of service for the Arkansas State Police. He joined FEMA after serving as director of security for then-Governor Bill Clinton, a post he had held since 1983. During the 1992 presidential campaign, Mr. Young coordinated state security matters for the governor's office, working with federal law officers responsible for protecting presidential candidates. As Director of Security for the Office of the Governor, Mr. Young formed a close professional relationship with President Clinton and FEMA Director James Lee Witt, serving as a vital link to the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services and the state's emergency management community.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Young served in the Highway Patrol and Criminal Investigation Division of the Arkansas State Police, where he was Commander of the Organized Crime Unit.
A native of Dardanelle, Arkansas, Mr. Young holds a Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Arkansas and has trained in police work at various federal and state law enforcement academies. He is a graduate of the National FBI Academy, Quantico, VA, and a graduate of the Keeler Polygraph Institute, Chicago, IL. He is active in local civic work and has served on the advisory board of the Capital City Business College Security and Law Enforcement School. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the School of Public Administration and Emergency Management at the University of North Texas. From 1965 to 1971, he served as a member of the Arkansas National Guard.
******
There are a steady stream of threats during the Clinton years, such as those allegedly relayed to two state troopers by a Democratic official in 1993 that they would be "destroyed" if they spoke to the press, and the phone call from Clinton's ex-security chief Buddy Young warning them not to reveal anything.
Buddy Young -
during Paula Jones vs. Clinton testified to procuring women for Governor Clinton
Buddy Young was chief of Clinton's security detail (in Arkansas) and known as a fixer. He would later become famous for expressing "concern" about the health of other Troopers who considered talking to the press after Clinton became President. Young is now regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Raymond "Buddy" Young, the ex rodeo clown who is regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency during Clinton Administration.
"I don't have any advice for Bush except to say that in the end you are who you surround yourself with."
I think that is pretty good advice.
Bush surrounds himself with Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice.
Clinton surrounds himself with Hillary, Berger, the Thomases.
I think Bush has done a fine job surrounding himself with his "cronies".
And, is this "Brown guy" really a "Baffoon", and just what is a "Baffoon"? Is that the impression you get based on information from the Washington Post or NYT?
Just curious.
It's sad when their hacks are more competent than our hacks.
The "real disaster" was the LA state and local governments abdicating their responsibilities to be the first responders, then griping about it publicly. You two have apparently bought the line that FEMA is a first responder.
Unfortunately, the first responders in N.O. disappeared either before or just after responding. That put FEMA in the uncomfortable and untenable position of doing its own job as well as doing someone elses - for which the agency is not trained nor equipped.
IIRC, wasn't Buddy Young, long rumored to be Clinton's #1 zotzer, either the #2 guy at FEMA or Southeast Regional Director?
Very refreshing, ginger22...thanks for an intelligent reply from a freeper - not one full of defensive rhetoric from GOP diehards who believe that Republicans can do no wrong - I voted for W. twice (I was at both of his inaugurations and both Freeper Balls) - but I am willing to honestly admit that George Bush is not the Reagan for our generation we were hoping for (in fact, he's not even close) - Thank God he does have some in his administration with some smarts - because I have come to believe that he is somewhat weak and unfocused like his father. He has both the Senate and the House in his favor and still has not moved on many of the most critical issues that we face (governmental and cultural) - Reagan would have been all over this advantage....look what he accomplished with a democrat Congress against him all the way. Sorry Freepers....W. is a disappointment.
Very refreshing, ginger22...thanks for an intelligent reply from a freeper - not one full of defensive rhetoric from GOP diehards who believe that Republicans can do no wrong - I voted for W. twice (I was at both of his inaugurations and both Freeper Balls) - but I am willing to honestly admit that George Bush is not the Reagan for our generation we were hoping for (in fact, he's not even close) - Thank God he does have some in his administration with some smarts - because I have come to believe that he is somewhat weak and unfocused like his father. He has both the Senate and the House in his favor and still has not moved on many of the most critical issues that we face (governmental and cultural) - Reagan would have been all over this advantage....look what he accomplished with a democrat Congress against him all the way. Sorry Freepers....W. is a disappointment.
FEMA should be abolished. I have only seen them get in the way and cost lives in New Orleans. Leave relief efforts to private agencies.
mmmmwwwwwhhahaha
LOL
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