FEMA Director was forced to resign from his last job for incompetence!

[iconoclastic cat]

From dKos:

FEMA Dir. Mike Brown fired from prior job at Horse Assoc.

by Goldy at HorsesAss
Fri Sep 2nd, 2005 at 03:46:22 EDT

Revised title

"An unmitigated, total fucking disaster." That's not a quote from Mike Brown, but rather, a quote describing him. And most disturbingly, it's not even a reference to his dismal performance as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This blunt critique was emailed to me from a regular reader who was apparently attracted to HorsesAss.org by her passion for politics and her love of Arabian horses.

I think I've told you that I'm into Arab horses. Well, for 3 years Michael Brown was hired and then fired by our IAHA, the International Arabian Horse Assoc. He was an unmitigated, total fucking disaster. I was shocked as hell when captain clueless put him in charge of FEMA a couple of years ago.

He or the WH lied on the WH presser announcing him to FEMA. IAHA was never connected to the Olympic Comm, only the half Arab registry then and the governing body to the state and local Arabian horse clubs. He ruined IAHA financially so badly that we had to change the name and combine it with the Purebred registry.

I am telling you this after watching the fucking shipwreck in the Gulf. His incompetence is KILLING people.

Yes, that's right... the man responsible for directing federal relief operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, sharpened his emergency management skills as the "Judges and Stewards Commissioner" for the International Arabian Horses Association... a position from which he was forced to resign in the face of mounting litigation and financial disarray.

And what of that misleading White House press release?

rom 1991 to 2001, Brown was the Commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association, an international subsidiary of the national governing organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

I can't even begin to fact check the dates or IAHA's alleged relationship to the US Olympic Committee, because of course, the IAHA doesn't exist anymore, so there's nothing to Google. But it begs the question... how the hell did his prior job experience prepare Brown to head FEMA?

Well, judging by his agency's performance over the past few days... it didn't.

Bushco: Spreading Criminal Incompetence Nationwide.

[etherealtruth]

1. No surprise! n/t

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. *sigh* I wish I were surprised.

[cthrumatrix]

3. Bushee appointees are "yes men".... he is saying yes to the people above

[tanyev]

4. And in Bushworld, he gets a promotion.

Start polishing that medal of freedom! :sarcasm:

[Ripley]

5. And wasn't his other job - estate planning lawyer?

Wow, great qualifications for his current position huh?

[Crankie Avalon]

6. I see a "Presidential Medal of Freedom" in his future. eom

[Walt Starr]

7. "FEMA Fred" will receive the Medal of Freedom

Mark my words...

[iconoclastic cat]

10. Maybe he was offered the job after helping * milk stallions.

[Richard D]

17. It's great . . .

. . . to get a good laugh on days like this.

[kenny blankenship]

8. A little donation to the Republican Party and -poof- he's employable again

Old style corruption and patronage.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Pass this on to Keith O, Anderson Cooper, and Michael Moore.

-----------------------------------------------------
Save New Orleans, then save this country!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[iconoclastic cat]

14. Links, GPV?

I'm posting on Moore's site now

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. here you go

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4570927

[iconoclastic cat]

26. GPV, I'm sorry to keep bugging you, but I don't see links in that thread

[GreenPartyVoter]

31. The only link I can find is to DKos about blackwater showing up

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/1/222637/6400

[chicagiana]

34. FEMA privatization ...

... and as everyone knows by now, "privatization" means wholesale theft and mass incompetence by government chronies.

Yes, it looks like they're trying to lock the media out of New Orleans to stop all those disturbing images coming out.

[davepc]

11. Was he was put in charge of FEMA on purpose so he would break it?

Knowing his inability to manage a paper bag? Or was the Bush administration just giving a hand-out to a supporter, qualifications be damned?

Either way...criminal negligence.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. The other question is, how much money did he funnel into the shrubs

campaign chest? It sounds like his was given this job as if it were an ambassadorship.

[Burried News]

13. A calculated LIHOP appointment?

Was the goal a strong FEMA? We'll have to ask Rove - smells like blossom advice.

[LunaSea]

15. he needs to be stopped.

[MetaTrope]

16. And remember his predecessor, Bush's "strong-arm man" Joe Allbaugh

Looks where he's at now.

[chicagiana]

36. Allbaugh was ...

Allbaugh was Bush's chief of staff before being appointed to head FEMA. More patronage appointments to unqualified candidates.

[elehhhhna]

18. Bush must surround himself with people who are obviously dumber than

he is, for ego purposes. He is, after all, the MBA President.

[symbolman]

19. That son of a bitch ain't going to be able to walk down a street

in the future. ALL Of these people have families, relatives and eventually THEY will figure out who killed their brother, mother, sister, dad..

and in every family there are unsavory characters or someone that knows one.

The world is a small place, and if you kill 50K people, that's a lot of relatives that could be looking for a piece of your ass.. your busboy, the guy that mows your lawn, the maid..

He's gonna need to live in a steel ball like a hamster if he doesn't get his ass in gear, these people are PISSED - it's a good thing none of those people are MY family, because my vengeance would be swift and assured.

No threats here Mr Gonzales, postulation and fantasy, pure and simple.

Oh yeah, and KARMA.

FRAUDS, ALL OF THEM.

[riverwalker]

20. Indictments

thats what we need. If someone posed as a brain surgeon and operated on your aunt and she died, that would be illegal and murder. If someone posed as qualified to head FEMA, and thousands died, it is also murder. This guy needs to hang.

[Ron Mexico]

21. I don't know why this surprises me. It shouldn't, but it does.

Note that the "liberal" press doesn't report this at all.

[RedEarth]

22. PLEASE SEND the information about Mike Brown to all THE MEDIA

maybe then the public will finally understand the fucking incompetence of the republican party's political appointees....it's the same in every fucking department.

As a comparison....look at Witt's bio

James Lee Witt is currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of James Lee Witt Associates, LLC providing disaster recovery and mitigation management services to state and local governments, educational institutions, the international community and corporations.



In 2003, Mr. Witt became the Chief Executive Officer of the International Code Council (ICC), a 50,000-member association dedicated to building safety, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Through its founders, the ICC has more than 190 years of collective experience developing building safety codes that save lives. The majority of U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose building and fire safety codes developed by the ICC.



James Lee Witt has over 25 years of disaster management experience, culminating in his appointment as the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he served from 1993-2001. In this capacity, he is credited with turning FEMA from an unsuccessful bureaucratic agency to an internationally lauded all-hazards disaster management agency. His leadership abilities have been praised by nationally recognized organizations, including the Council for Excellence in Government, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, and the National Association of Broadcasters.



Mr. Witt was appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in April 1993. In February 1996, President Clinton elevated Mr. Witt to cabinet status - a first for a FEMA Director. As FEMA Director, Mr. Witt coordinated federal disaster relief on behalf of President Clinton, including the response and recovery activities of 28 federal agencies and departments, the American Red Cross and other voluntary agencies. He also oversaw the National Flood Insurance Program, the U.S. Fire Administration and other pro-active mitigation activities that reduce loss of life and property from all types of hazards. Mr. Witt directed 2,500 employees located in Washington, DC and 10 regional offices.



From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Witt oversaw more than 350 disasters. More importantly, he was responsible for response and recovery operations for six of the ten most devastating disasters of all time, including the most costly flood disaster in the nation's history, the most costly earthquake, and a dozen damaging hurricanes.



As Director of FEMA, Mr. Witt was the visionary and architect of national government programs related to emergency preparedness and mitigation, response, recovery. In addition to his experience in emergency management on the State and local level, Mr. Witt has expertise integrating community-based disaster management with national emergency management strategy. He initiated Project Impact, the first federally funded program dealing with emergency preparedness and mitigation at the local level.



Mr. Witt integrated flood mitigation, control and protection into FEMA's policy. After the devastating Midwest floods of 1993, Mr. Witt pursued an aggressive flood prone property acquisition and relocation program. By purchasing properties that were repeatedly flooded, he saved taxpayers millions of dollars when floods again ravaged the same Midwest area again in 1995.



Mr. Witt's professional career includes the formation of Witt Construction, a commercial and residential construction company. After 12 years as a successful businessman and community leader, he was elected County Judge for Yell County, serving as the chief elected official for the county, with judicial responsibilities for county and juvenile court. At age 34, he was the youngest elected official in Arkansas, and was later honored for his accomplishments by the National Association of Counties. After being re-elected six times to the position, Mr. Witt was tapped by then-Governor Bill Clinton to assume leadership of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services (OES). He served as the Director of the Arkansas OES for four years.

[iconoclastic cat]

29. Yeah, we need to get on this. People? Fire up your media blasters.

[Hubert Flottz]

23. Well...he does work for a horse's ass!

Birds of a feather!

[Imagevision]

24. This is what we get when Bush again delegates the wrong person for the job

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[roseBudd]

27. Someone send this to Bill Maher, he's on tonight n/t

[iconoclastic cat]

30. Links?

[roseBudd]

32. I think you can reach him through HBO.com, I'm at work & can't

[GOPisEvil]

28. When *I* and the head of FEMA have the same experience in handling

emergencies, then there's a huge fucking problem, because I have none.

[chicagiana]

33. The only way to get promoted in the Bush administration ...

... the only way to get promoted is to have a colossal fuckup. This is how they enforce loyalty. They make sure they have the dirt on everyone in their administration. If they blow the whistle, the White House can destroy them.

No doubt there is criminal wrongdoing in Mike Brown's IAHA tenure. And no doubt the White House has the goods. This is to enforce loyalty, the only other quality required of Bush's servants besides cruelty.

We have a Cheacheskiu presidency.

[nonconformist]

35. Isn't that almost a REQUIREMENT to receive a Bush appointment?

Unfuckingreal.

[Javaman]

37. One more to my list of "real names"...

mike, I have to actaually work?, brown

porta, damn this is alot of work, goss

condi, I haven't ever had an original thought ever, rice

don, you fight a war with the president you got, rumsfeld

dick, I can squish your nuts, chaney

paul, mmmm, good comb, wolfiwitz

and lastly,

george, you gonna drink that?, bush*

[northerdar]

38. Monkey Man and Horse's Ass brown just on the MSM

Where is DIck Cheney?

[MADem]

39. But, but, but.....!!!!!!!!!

He raised a shitload of money for the BUSH campaign!!! He was in the golden circle, a top donor and fundraiser!!!! That's all the qualifications he needs!!!

Come on, you don't expect a GOP political appointee to be COMPETENT, do you? That would be far too sensible in Chimpworld!

[Eloriel]

40. Not to mention that the IAHA is hardly appropriate prior

executive/management experience prior to FEMA. That alone shows incredible incompetence by the people who appointed him. I was concerned enough about Allbaugh, but this is ludicrous. It's about like a Burger King manager getting a job as head of marketing at MicroSoft.

[SpiralHawk]

41. BULLETIN TO THE MEDIA: US citizens have a right to know this info

Now.

It is important. Please verify, and if correct publish to paper, video, net, whatever. Just tell the truth without malice or prejudice.

That's what it's all about.

[TNOE]

42. KICK

Figures.