President of FEMA Headquarters Employees Union speaks out

[reprehensor]

FEMA Was Unprepared for Katrina Relief Effort, Insiders Say

"All of us were just shaking our heads and saying, 'This isn't going to be enough, and the director has to know this isn't going to be enough.' But nothing more seemed to be happening," said Leo Bosner, president of the FEMA Headquarters Employees Union.

Bosner has been with FEMA since it began 26 years ago. He says the agency has been systematically dismantled since it became part of the massive Department of Homeland Security.

"One of the big differences I see," said Bosner, "besides taking away our staff and our budget and our training, is that Homeland Security now, in my view, slows down the process."

The union warned Congress in a detailed letter about FEMA's decline a year ago. State emergency managers also warned Capitol Hill and Homeland Security just weeks ago that DHS was too focused on one thing — terrorism.

more@link

'Catapulting' Katrina
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4659810

[Liberty Belle]

1. Kick! A FEMA whistleblower -- it's about time.

Nominating. This is important.

[rodeodance]

16. and we all know that jr. hates unions.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. kicked and nominated

[GeorgeGist]

4. ditto

[no name no slogan]

3. Nominated!!!

I think we're on the greatest page now!

[mshasta]

5. kick!!!!!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[rodeodance]

8. good, the union wants to make sure this mess is not blamed on some

"lower level' employees!! they know how how smears happen. good for them.

[krkaufman]

6. Saw this on tonight's ABC World News Tonight (Thurs) n/t

[moodforaday]

7. Nominated, kicked, THANK YOU!

Very interesting!

[mshasta]

9. very good thank you!

[rodeodance]

12. interesting-the Union warned Congress also!

The union warned Congress in a detailed letter about FEMA's decline a year ago. State emergency managers also warned Capitol Hill and Homeland Security just weeks ago that DHS was too focused on one thing — terrorism.

[Rainscents]

10. Kick!!!

:kick:

[SuniSurf]

11. Nominated!!!! Document - Document - Document!!!!

We need to document all of these for submittal of DERELICTION and PROOF OF BLAME!!

[rodeodance]

13. send this to all you know plus to the media.

[rodeodance]

15. also send to your Senators and congresspersons.

[Melissa G]

14. kick

[rodeodance]

17. email ABC a thank you-so they keep up with this kink of story. (below)

[e-mail]


ABC News' Lisa Stark filed this report for "World New Tonight."

[rodeodance]

18. kick

[FredStembottom]

19. Take apart that damn agency!

Created just to obfuscate and cover-up both the incompetency and the Un-American policies of the Bush regime. Bust up the "Homeland Security" agency in 2006!

[texpatriot2004]

20. Thank you ABC for this show. n/t

[donheld]

21. I hope they continue to spill the beans

Let it out.

[Spazito]

22. Kick for the morning crowd!

[mshasta]

23. kick

:kick: :kick:

[Stuckinthebush]

24. Wait one damned minute!

It says in this article that the President listened in on a FEMA conference call before the hurricane hit. During that call it was made clear that there could be a 20 foot storm surge and the levees could be compromised.

Didn't that asshole of a fake president say the other day in a news conference that no one anticipated the levees being compromised?

Son of a bitch...I hate that man.

[justiceischeap]

25. He was obviously counting dollars in his head

When all of the warnings about the levee's breaking were brought up. Kinda like all the warnings about planes slamming into buildings, he was thinking about his vacations.

[demo dutch]

26. Nobody ever listens!

[ClintonTyree]

27. I've been saying this since FEMA started to get blasted........

we can't blame the rank and file FEMA employees for their boss's inaction (well except those few caught LOOTING!), they're not part of the problem. It's their BOSSES that have screwed the pooch here, from bush to brownie to chertoff...THEY ARE TO BLAME!

[Just Me]

28. Republican-controlled executive and legislative branches KNEW!!!

They had plenty of goshdamned notice about how FEMA was being systematically weakened and ineffective.

They obviously do NOT give a damn about securing the lives of Americans.

How can I NOT hate these bastards? :cry: I don't hate people! But, I swear, these bastards are so heartless about their exploitation of our nation and our people,....I just cannot control my ill will towards them. I want justice. These bastards should be in prison for their crimes against America!!! :grr:

[SlowDownFast]

29. kick.

[janetle]

30. Another former FEMA person in my paper...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/239940_ltrs9.html

"A decade ago, FEMA would've been prepared

As a public affairs officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the '90s, I was part of a federal-state-local team charged with writing a response plan for a major gulf hurricane striking southern Louisiana and Mississippi. ......

.....When Bush removed disaster response from FEMA, burying that responsibility somewhere deep in Homeland Security, I, along with many of my former FEMA colleagues, was stunned. The unit of government most experienced in disaster response was dissolved and replaced by something that is little more than an empty theory.

The fact that the government had a plan to deal with what just happened in the Gulf region and simply did not implement it makes the death count from this disaster a crime -- an unspeakable and immoral dereliction of duty."

Le Roi Brashears

[DinahMoeHum]

31. The GOP - The party that says government doesn't work. . .

and then they get elected and prove it.


:kick:

[Ioo]

32. He is a friend of mine, I posted he was on ABC last night...

Leo is a good guy, if you have any quwstions for him, I could get you the answer.

[nookiemonster]

33. Nominated. Kick!

n/t