USA-Today: Bush Responsible For FEMA's Disastrous Failure

[Carla in Ca]

snip...

But a deeper review of the agency's history, the records of its top managers and internal memoranda reveal far deeper problems than a momentary burst of poor decisions. Over the past four years, the Bush administration has replaced competent leaders with people long on political connections but short on disaster management expertise. At the same time, the war on terrorism has drained the agency's resources and reduced its effectiveness.

Katrina would have been devastating regardless, but those actions turned FEMA into something akin to New Orleans' famous levees ? a structure sure to fail when a big disaster struck.

Since Katrina, blame for FEMA's blundering has zeroed in on the agency's director, Michael Brown. His failure should not have been a surprise. He had almost no experience in disaster work before he was appointed in 2003 by President Bush, and confirmed by the Senate, to lead the agency. Before joining FEMA as its counsel in 2001, Brown, a friend of the FEMA director who hired him, worked for nine years as a commissioner at an Arabian horse association.

But that's only the tip of FEMA's management problems. Brown's top deputy, Patrick Rhode, is equally inexperienced, according to his r鳵m鮠Rhode worked for Bush's 2000 campaign and for the White House doing advance operations. Another senior FEMA manager, Daniel Craig, had been a lobbyist for electric cooperatives

continued...
<http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050908/edit08.art.htm>

[Helga Scow Stern]

1. USA Today no less. Good article.

[Carla in Ca]

2. I was a little surprised, but then

I guess we just need to be grateful when they decide to come out of the dark, if only for a little while.
Here is another bit of info, courtesy of Hoffmania:

The Death of a Buzzword

Times Scott McClellan said "blame game" or "blame-gaming" yesterday: 10
Times Scott McClellan said "blame game" or "blame-gaming" today: 0

Times Scott McClellan said "finger-point" or "finger-pointing" yesterday: 8
Times Scott McClellan said "finger-point" or "finger-pointing" today: 0

So Bush goes to the well and declares a day of prayer - the true sign they've run out of ideas.

[autorank]

3. Carla, you are truly from CA...and consider the source! USA Today

They're in my 'hood, No. Virginia. They're probably getting a little ancy realizing that if this is how he does storms, how bad is he really with national security (something we have occasion to think about in the national capitol area every now and then). Good for them and great post. Recommended!!!

[Brusselscov]

4. Should FEMA be held responsible?

What should concern all Americans is that this is the crew that is purportedly responsible for protecting us all from dirty bombs, chemical attacks, gunmen.....So how sensible is it to put non-professionals in these positions when the entire country depends on them?

[Barad Simith]

5. Welcome to DU, Brusselscov

You're absolutely right, it makes no sense ... Bush and cohorts took their chances that they'd never have to actually respond to a national emergency, and they lost.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi Brusselscov!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[newyawker99]

8. Hi Brusselscov!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[bvar22]

6. Time for the Republican Party to FACE the LIES!

Republican GREED has now KILLED more Americans than Al Qaeda!

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[crispini]

9. kickin for USA today

not exactly a left-wing rag.

[flamin lib]

10. Marking for research

[Spazito]

11. Excellent article! Thanks for posting, a must read.