Exposed by Katrina, FEMA's flaws were years in making

[Jon8503]

When Hurricane Katrina submerged a city, ravaged three states and disrupted hundreds of thousands of lives, it also laid bare huge gaps in the nation's ability to respond to disasters. None is more jaw-dropping than the ineptitude shown by the federal agency created to respond to natural disasters.

Many failures of FEMA - the Federal Emergency Management Agency - have been reported in recent days: People stranded for days on New Orleans' rooftops without food or water. Patients dying for lack of medical supplies. The agency couldn't even get supplies to thousands marooned at the Morial Convention Center - though reporters and even singer When Hurricane Katrina submerged a city, ravaged three states and disrupted hundreds of thousands of lives, it also laid bare huge gaps in the nation's ability to respond to disasters. None is more jaw-dropping than the ineptitude shown by the federal agency created to respond to natural disasters.

Many failures of FEMA - the Federal Emergency Management Agency - have been reported in recent days: People stranded for days on New Orleans' rooftops without food or water. Patients dying for lack of medical supplies. The agency couldn't even get supplies to thousands marooned at the Morial Convention Center - though reporters and even singer Harry Connick Jr. managed to reach the scene.

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.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20050908/cm_usatoday/exposedbykatrinafemasflawswereyearsinmaking;_ylt=As6juCylsOEuxG_k2d6XJLas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3YWFzYnA2BHNlYwM3NDI-

[ClintonTyree]

1. I was about to say..........

that "those years in the making" started with the installation of bush in 2001. The GOP, hating ALL things Clinton, decided to dismantle Clinton's FEMA, a well oiled and efficient organization and make it a bush buddie ATM, supplying cushy, do nothing jobs for his cronies.
They've got that pretty well covered in the article though. bush fucked up, again.

[malaise]

2. That simple

When critical social agencies like FEMA are undermined with the appointment of political cronies (and not just in the top position) this is the result. You cannot deplete such an agency of its qualified personnel unless disaster emergency planning is not your intention. See the Time Magazine article.

[WildClarySage]

3. reporters and even singer Harry Connick Jr. managed to reach the scene

Hell, college students in a Hyundai got there with no trouble.