Fmr FEMA Dir. James Witt in Charge of LA Katrina Recovery Effort

[Dread Pirate KR Read]

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So, guess who's an at this firm?

General Wesley Clark :)

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What We Do

Founded in 2001, James Lee Witt Associates (JLWA) is a crisis and emergency management consulting firm based in Washington, DC with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, and Sacramento. JLWA has unrivaled experience and <b>hands-on knowledge of public safety, disaster mitigation, continuity of operations, and emergency management issues</b>. JLWA bridges government agencies and non-profits with industry and constituents, advises educational institutions, and assists state and local governments, as well as international bodies to prepare for and recover from disasters and crises. ..."

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Interesting reference article only:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/02/levee.criticism.reut/index.html]">Experts: Models predicted New Orleans disaster

Several experts also believe the decision to make FEMA a part of the Department of Homeland Security, created after the September 11, 2001 attacks, was a major mistake. ...

Former FEMA director James Lee Witt testified to Congress in March 2004: "I am extremely concerned that the ability of our nation to prepare for and respond to disasters has been sharply eroded.

"I hear from emergency managers, local and state leaders, and first responders nearly every day that the FEMA they knew and worked well with has now disappeared. In fact one state emergency manager told me, 'It is like a stake has been driven into the heart of emergency management,'" he said.



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Depend on Leadership!

[krkaufman]

1. Just heard on MSNBC.. that LA Gov. Blanco has hired Witt...

... as her liason with FEMA.

[Skidmore]

3. That's called leadership....taking the bull by the horns,..

thinking out of the box...

Good for her. It demonstrates she is trying to do right by her people.

[krkaufman]

4. Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that Gov. Blanco has exactly led...

... during this crisis. She's seemed pretty damn inept from my point-of-view.

But then we have no way of knowing how much a part FEMA was supposed to play in the coordination of pre- and post-disaster actions.

[jackster]

8. According to the letter Blanco sent to FEMA last Sunday

she was already preparing for the worst. Her frustration is so evident in ever interview - I don't know that she could have done much else - cities, counties(parishes), and states DO NOT have the capabilities to respond to a disaster of this magnitude. Witt's testimony to Congress in 2004 is damning. Everyone that could be has been begging for special attention to NO's levees - governor, senators, reps, mayor for years. The work apparently began (right?) but was left incompleted as the funds dried up.

This disaster - the part that could have been prevented - lies soley on the doorstep of the Bush Administration and every POS citizen that supports them blindly!

[krkaufman]

10. I'd like to get my eyes on that letter.

And the slashed funding didn't just kill physical infrastructure projects. You can bet your bottom dollar that all sorts of disaster preparedness projects were killed, from planning, to simulation, to supply inventories. Chertoff was going on and on this morning that plans *were* in existence, but that they just weren't complete. Well, stepping into neverland and pretending that he's not lying to us, maybe those plans WOULD be complete if FEMA's funding hadn't been slashed, and FEMA hadn't been demoted and broken-up.

Chertoff also blathered about the fact that this "ultra-catastrophe" was an unbelieveable, unexpected confluence of two disasters, like an atomic bomb going off in the city after a hurricane strike. Of course, a hurricane storm surge breaking the levees is a direct cause-and-effect, long-predicted. An alien invasion from Mars, immediately following a hurricane, would be an unrelated, unexpected event.

[jackster]

13. can't find the links now, but I've seen it here

and at DailyKos....

[jsamuel]

14. this thread deals with this issue:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4613196

[Generic Other]

2. And since Bush is so all fired in favor of privatization

why doesn't he PAY to put them in charge of everything NOW??

The stupidity is too haevy to wade through this morning!!!

[FrenchieCat]

5. Well Blanco realizes as we do....at this point, that the Feds

are hopeless. She's just doing what she can to salvage the situation. This is the only way that a real expert (James Witt) can actually tell FEMA what the next steps should be....cause they, the FEDs obviously don't know shit!

[Adelante]

6. Oh, man, this is the best news

Maybe I can start breathing normally.

GO DEMS!!

[TahitiNut]

7. Well, it shows the difference between a Witt and a half-wit.

:evilgrin: FEMA is Wittless ... headed by a bunch of GOP Brown-nosers.

(rimshot) Ok, you can take it from there, Jon - The Daily Show rulez!

[Karenina]

9. Why do I think that "sucking up" former prez

may have had something to do with this? :tinfoilhat::silly::tinfoilhat:

[Gloria]

11. Clark spoke at a Homeland Security meeting April 2005 for Witt Assoc.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050614/145713.html?.v=1


Press Release Source: Nextel Communications Inc.
General Wesley Clark, Former NATO Commander of U.S. Allied Forces, Discusses Emergency Preparedness Communication
Tuesday June 14, 9:12 am ET

Critical Texas Homeland Security Communications Needs Addressed by National, State and Local Public Safety Officials

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 2005--Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL - News) today hosted a conference in Houston devoted to improving interoperable communications and emergency preparedness. The conference highlighted the vital role of communication in overall public safety and homeland security in Texas and focused on the day-to-day and emergency communications needs facing police, fire, emergency management and other public safety and health officials. More than 200 Texas homeland security, public safety, education and public health officials attended.

The conference addressed interoperability - the idea that public safety officials must have the ability to easily manage and directly connect with one another through reliable and secure communications regardless of agency, jurisdiction or department. Speakers included General Wesley Clark, Partner, James Lee Witt Associates and Former NATO Commander of U.S. Allied Forces; Bill Pessemier, executive communications systems advisor, International Association of Fire Chiefs and former incident commander, Columbine, Colo., Fire Department.

Today, General Wesley Clark underscored the immediate need to address these issues, "It's imperative to expand the dialogue about interoperable communications among public safety officials. It's at the very core of emergency preparedness."

Local participants included: John Melcher, executive director, Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network; Matt Dick, director, Emergency Management Seton Healthcare Network; and Bill Jackson, executive director, Harris County E-Business. Each contributed first-hand examples about public safety concerns and issues.

Nextel is hosting a series of emergency preparedness communications conferences around the country designed to educate government, public safety and education officials.

[FrenchieCat]

12. Here's the article on today's news of Blanco taking control back from Bush

La. gov. hires former FEMA director Witt for Katrina recovery
9/3/2005, 3:05 p.m. CT
The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency joined the Louisiana government Saturday to help direct the recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

James Lee Witt, who ran FEMA from 1993 to 2001, said he will stay as long as he as needed.

"He will sit at the table for me, and he will be my voice at the table," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.

Louisiana officials are getting stretched too thin and need help, she said. "I like to hire the smartest people in the country," she added.

Witt has more than 25 years of disaster management experience. He was appointed to head FEMA in 1993, after President Clinton took office. FEMA had been strongly criticized in 1992 for its slow response to Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo; after Witt took over, it won praise for its vigorous reaction to Midwest floods and the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles.
More....
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1125778441267231.xml&storylist=louisiana