Governors Watch, Worry Over Katrina Fiasco (both sides of the aisle)

[sabra]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5262374,00.html

Governors Watch, Worry Over Katrina Fiasco

WASHINGTON (AP) - No strangers to bureaucratic bungling and turf wars, the nation's governors watched in horror as government agencies handled Hurricane Katrina with glaring incompetence - and now worry that the next disaster could deal their states the same ugly fate.

The fear is bipartisan. Republican and Democratic governors agree that the response to Katrina was deplorable, and many ordered reviews of their own state emergency strategies to root out problems they're witnessing in the Gulf Coast.

Their top priority: Avoid the bureaucratic red tape that tripped up state, local and federal authorities at every step of the Gulf Coast crisis. Thousands of lives may be at stake after the next natural disaster or terrorist strike.

``Every one of those government levels could have done better,'' said Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, a Republican. ``The great thing about this country is we usually learn from these tragedies. There is some accountability. Some heads will roll.''

[FormerRepublican]

1. Evidently Bill Owens has never met George Bush, Mr. Unaccountable.

[Hawkeye-X]

10. Blowens should zip his fat mouth up. PERIOD.

He's a big fat joke for a governor. Thankfully he's term limited and will be booted out in '06.

[Barrett808]

2. "There is some accountability. Some heads will roll." -- In Bizarro World

Here in Bush's America, colossal failure results in promotions and Medals of Honor.

[kevinmc]

3. "....Some heads will roll.'' A Janitor in DC is getting Fired n/t

[abbeyco]

4. Great....I'm in Colorado

and trust me, Bill Owens can't manage hhis way out of a paper bag! I don't know if anyone remembers the inflamatory: "Today, all of Colorado is burning" speech a couple of years back...

I have little to no faith about what would happen in Colorado if we ever had a major disaster. Actually, I'm afraid for this country.

[Joebert]

6. I'm up in Loveland.

The only real disaster that could affect us on a big level would be a nuclear hit in Colorado Springs.

Blizzards thaw.
Tornados generally hit out east, missing most population centers.

But if something dramatic happened out here, people would be shooting each other to get one car length further ahead.

[senaca]

11. what about an epidemic?

Could something like the avian flu mixing with whatever is perculating as a result of a large amount of people in unsanitary conditions, cause an epidemic? In this worst case scenerio, is Colorado and other states prepared to be proactive rather than distainfully reactive?

[Joebert]

12. Oh, we're totally unprepared for everything.

We'd see people running each other over, shooting each other for Tamiflu, etc.

Colorado would not be pretty.

[Joebert]

5. Mr. Bill "Let's use state resources to call somebody evil" Owens

There will be no accountability. Not from him, at least.

[Garbo 2004]

7. Bet you the red tape is greater under this control freak administration

than it was under Clinton. Certainly FEMA under Clinton had the standing and authority to get things done. Now FEMA is tucked away in DHS and probably needs to get advance written permission to fart from several layers of bureacracy.

[xray s]

8. dupe

[xray s]

9. some heads will roll

yes. they will find some low level scapegoat and make a public spectacle of dishing out punishment.

the guilty will go on about there schedule of cocktail parties and golf.