Rep Davis & Waxman Letter to Chertoff -- something you all must read.

[understandinglife]

September 9, 2005

The Honorable Michael Chertoff
Secretary of Homeland Security
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

The House Committee on Government Reform has obtained from the Department of Homeland Security a document describing the “Scope of Work” of a contract issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the development of a “Southeastern Louisiana Catastrophic Hurricane Plan.” We are writing to request any plans and other documents that were developed under this contract.

FEMA’s Scope of Work contemplated that a private contractor, Innovative Emergency Management, Inc. (IEM), would complete the work under the contract in three stages. “Stage One” called for a simulation exercise involving FEMA and the state of Louisiana that would “feature a catastrophic hurricane striking southeastern Louisiana.” “Stage Two” called for “development of the full catastrophic hurricane disaster plan.” And “Stage Three” involved unrelated earthquake planning.

A task order issued under the contract called for IEM to execute “Stage One” between May 19 and September 30, 2004, at a cost of $518,284. On June 3, 2004, IEM issued a press release announcing that it would “lead the development of a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans under a more than half a million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).” A second task order issued on September 23, 2004, required IEM to “complete the development of the SE Louisiana Catastrophic Hurricane plan.” The cost of this task order was $199,969.

The “Background” section of the Scope of Work stated that “the emergency management community has long feared the occurrence of a catastrophic disaster,” which the document describes as “an event having unprecedented levels of damage, casualties, dislocation, and disruption that would have nationwide consequences and jeopardize national security.” According to the background discussion, the emergency management community was concerned that “existing plans, policies, procedures and resources” would not be adequate to address such a “mega-disaster.”

According to the Scope of Work, the contact “will assist FEMA, State, and local government to enhance response planning activities and operations by focusing on specific catastrophic disasters: those disasters that by definition will immediately overwhelm the existing disaster response capabilities of local, State, and Federal Governments.” With respect to southeastern Louisiana, the specific “catastrophic disaster” to be addressed was “a slow-moving Category 3, 4, or 5 hurricane that … crosses New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.” The Scope of Work explained:

Various hurricane studies suggest that a slow-moving Category 3 or almost any Category 4 or 5 hurricane approaching Southeast Louisiana from the south could severely damage the heavily populated Southeast portion of the state creating a catastrophe with which the State would not be able to cope without massive help from neighboring states and the Federal Government.

The Scope of Work further stated: “The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness (LOEP) believe that the gravity of the situation calls for an extraordinary level of advance planning to improve government readiness to respond effectively to such an event.”

The specific disaster scenario contemplated under the contract is strikingly similar to the actual disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina. The contract envisioned that “a catastrophic hurricane could result in significant numbers of deaths and injuries, trap hundreds of thousands of people in flooded areas, and leave up to one million people homeless.” The Scope of Work expressly directed the contractor to plan for the following specific conditions:

• “Over one million people would evacuate from New Orleans. Evacuees would crowd shelters throughout Louisiana and adjacent states.”

• “Hurricane surge would block highways and trap 300,000 to 350,000 persons in flooded areas. Storm surge of over 18 feet would overflow flood-protection levees on the Lake Pontchartrain side of New Orleans. Storm surge combined with heavy rain could leave much of New Orleans under 14 to 17 feet of water. More than 200 square miles of urban areas would be flooded.”

• “It could take weeks to ‘de-water’ (drain) New Orleans: Inundated pumping stations and damaged pump motors would be inoperable. Flood-protection levees would prevent drainage of floodwater. Breaching the levees would be a complicated and politically sensitive problem: The Corps of Engineers may have to use barges or helicopters to haul earthmoving equipment to open several hundred feet of levee.”

• “Rescue operations would be difficult because much of the area would be reachable only by helicopters and boats.”

• “Hospitals would be overcrowded with special-needs patients. Backup generators would run out of fuel or fail before patients could be moved elsewhere.”

• “The New Orleans area would be without electric power, food, potable water, medicine, or transportation for an extended time period.”

• “Damaged chemical plants and industries could spill hazardous materials.”

• “Standing water and disease could threaten public health.”

• “There would be severe economic repercussions for the state and region.”

• “Outside responders and resources, including the Federal response personnel and materials, would have difficulty entering and working in the affected area.”

It appears that IEM completed the task order for “Stage One,” the hurricane simulation. An exercise know as “Hurricane Pam,” was conducted by FEMA and IEM in July 2004, bringing together emergency officials from 50 parish, state, federal, and volunteer organizations to simulate the conditions described above and plan an emergency response. As a result of the exercise, officials reportedly developed proposals for handling debris removal, sheltering, search and rescue, medical care, and schools.

It is not clear, however, what plans or draft plans, if any, IEM prepared to complete “Stage Two,” the development of the final catastrophic hurricane disaster plan. The task order for “Stage Two” provided that the “period of performance” was September 23, 2004, to September 30, 2005.

The basis for the award of the planning work to IEM is also not indicated in the documents we received. The task orders were issued to IEM by FEMA under an “Indefinite Delivery Vehicle” (IDV) contract between IEM and the General Services Administration. According to the Federal Procurement Data System, FEMA received only one bid (from IEM) for the task orders.

The documents from the Department raise multiple questions about the contract with IEM and the planning for a catastrophic hurricane in southeastern Louisiana. To help us understand these issues, we request that the Department provide the following documents and information:

(1) Any documents relating to the “Stage One” simulation exercise, including documents prepared for exercise planners and participants, transcripts or minutes of exercise proceedings, participant evaluations, and after action reports;

(2) Any final or draft plans for a catastrophic hurricane in southeastern Louisiana prepared under “Stage Two” of the contract, including any final or draft Catastrophic Hurricane Disaster Plan, Basic Plan Framework, Emergency Support Function Annex, or Support Annex; and

(3) An explanation of the procurement procedures used in selecting IEM for the contract and task orders, as well as a description of IEM’s qualifications and the justification for selecting IEM.

We recognize that Department officials are engaged in ongoing relief efforts, and we do not want to impair those efforts in any way. For this reason, we have tailored our request to the discrete set of documents and information set forth above. To expedite your response to this request, we have enclosed copies of the Scope of Work, task orders, and other documents cited in this letter.

Sincerely,



Rep. Tom Davis Rep. Henry A. Waxman
Chairman Ranking Minority Member

Enclosure

Link:

http://democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20050909123505-34183.doc

They have no where to hide; no where to run.

Bush and Cheney must resign.


Peace.

[Zenlitened]

1. Shredders gonna be hummin' in DC this weekend. - n/t

[Nikki Stone 1]

60. Literally, I think. These folks are all about hiding and restricting info

nt

[Spazito]

2. Excellent! A Must Read for sure!

[never_get_over_it]

3. Tom Davis use to be my rep

and he is a hypocritical repunk pig voted to impeach Clinton - while rumors were rampant about his own sexual indiscretions - I am VERY surprised that he would sign on to any thing with Waxman. hmmmm what's up with this Davis I think is also in charge of the repunk congressional election group - not sure what its name is....

[oasis]

4. Davis is a respected Republican.

[Imagevision]

77. More documented evidence against Bushco claims - no-one could

have known the levee's would break???


http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[lyonn]

79. Seems we have heard the "no one could have known"

routine, like 9-12-01, that Condi dearest spoke of.

[Ms. Clio]

5. thanks for posting this, recommending n/t

[triguy46]

6. Time to dust off the old "executive privilege" arguments..

Haven't used them since the great "Energy Plan" days of El Presidente for Life's early days. But you can bet on "wouldn't want to compromise the free exchange of ideas," and "the private sector will not tolerate their being examined by Congress," and "we need the candor that can only come from privacy and secrecy."

[bleever]

41. You left out that keyword: "unvarnished".

Really, what does that mean?

Not "biased"?

Not filtered through the fear of how it will fit with the agenda?

Not sufficiently "polished"?

WTF is that really supposed to mean?

I think "unvarnished" means "stuff that you say behind closed doors".

[Just Me]

7. "Who knew?" my ASS!!! Thank you UL!!!

:hug:

I must say how impressed and grateful I am for Waxman's consistent courage to confront the BushCO/neoCONster regime. In spite of the fact that the "executive" rarely EVER responds to his requests, he just keeps on (and is creating a VERY important paper trail).

[Just Me]

8. Oh, and NOMINATED!

[mirandapriestly]

70. Yes, Waxman is Top Notch! nt

[Walt Starr]

9. Sounds to me like the game is up

They've got these idiots dead to rights and this request is nothing more than letting them know, "we've got you so you'd better just come along quietly."

[understandinglife]

17. Walt, I agree with your assessment. We don't need whistle-blowers, ...

... or leaked confidential memos, or .... . We've got more than adequate documentation already in the public domain that paints these guys into the most comprehensive picture of criminal negligence imaginable.

I think that is why Rep Davis signed it. He knows "Executive Privilege" and all the other games are non-starters because so much is known about the "Hurricane Pam" simulations and related studies (some of the simulations are readily seen online).

By Wed., August 26, 2005, with North com having tracked Katrina as it crossed Florida and began to strengthen in the Gulf, NO should have been being evacuated. But, long, long before that, the known necessary work on the levees should have not just been started, but it should have been completed.

Bush and his gang sat and watched one of the most important geopolitical sites anywhere get crushed and, way, way, way worse, they sat and watched those least able to care for themselves drown. They ate cake, bought expensive shoes, watched baseball games and whatever while those most in need of their urgent action were left to die.


Peace.

[understandinglife]

19. New Orleans: A Geopolitical Prize

September 01, 2005 22 30 GMT -- The American political system was founded in Philadelphia, but the American nation was built on the vast farmlands that stretch from the Alleghenies to the Rockies. That farmland produced the wealth that funded American industrialization: It permitted the formation of a class of small landholders who, amazingly, could produce more than they could consume. They could sell their excess crops in the east and in Europe and save that money, which eventually became the founding capital of American industry.

But it was not the extraordinary land nor the farmers and ranchers who alone set the process in motion. Rather, it was geography -- the extraordinary system of rivers that flowed through the Midwest and allowed them to ship their surplus to the rest of the world. All of the rivers flowed into one -- the Mississippi -- and the Mississippi flowed to the ports in and around one city: New Orleans. It was in New Orleans that the barges from upstream were unloaded and their cargos stored, sold and reloaded on ocean-going vessels. Until last Sunday, New Orleans was, in many ways, the pivot of the American economy.

For that reason, the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815 was a key moment in American history. Even though the battle occurred after the War of 1812 was over, had the British taken New Orleans, we suspect they wouldn't have given it back. Without New Orleans, the entire Louisiana Purchase would have been valueless to the United States. Or, to state it more precisely, the British would control the region because, at the end of the day, the value of the Purchase was the land and the rivers - which all converged on the Mississippi and the ultimate port of New Orleans. The hero of the battle was Andrew Jackson, and when he became president, his obsession with Texas had much to do with keeping the Mexicans away from New Orleans.

<clip>

New Orleans is not optional for the United States' commercial infrastructure. ... But in the end, the city will return because it has to.

Geopolitics is the stuff of permanent geographical realities and the way they interact with political life. Geopolitics created New Orleans. Geopolitics caused American presidents to obsess over its safety. And geopolitics will force the city's resurrection, even if it is in the worst imaginable place.

From New Orleans: A Geopolitical Prize by George Friedman on September 1, 2005

Much more at the link;

http://www.stratfor.com/news/archive/050903-geopolitics_katrina.php

With that as context, then for those of you who did not read this yesterday, either at Raw Story or WSJ, I urge you to read it now:

WSJ: White rich elude Orleans chaos, don't want poor blacks back

by John Byrne

September 8, 2005

The Wall Street Journal front-page headline reads, "Old-Line Families / Escape Worst of Flood / And Plot the Future / Mr. O'Dwyer, at His Mansion, / Enjoys Highball With Ice; / Meeting With the Mayor."

That is, however, just the beginning. According to the (paid-restricted) Journal, New Orleans' wealthy white neighborhoods emerged very much intact, while black neighborhoods are swimming in toxic sludge. The Journal piece, by Christopher Cooper, reads as something torn from the pages of Fitzgerald's iconic portrait of the roaring twenties--The Great Gatsby.

"The green expanse of Audubon Park, in the city's Uptown area, has doubled in recent days as a heliport for the city's rich -- and a terminus for the small armies of private security guards who have been dispatched to keep the homes there safe and habitable. Mr. O'Dwyer has cellphone service and ice cubes to cool off his highballs in the evening. By yesterday, the city water service even sprang to life, making the daily trips to his neighbor's pool unnecessary. A pair of oil-company engineers, dispatched by his son-in-law, delivered four cases of water, a box of delicacies including herring with mustard sauce and 15 gallons of generator gasoline."

How do they want the city rebuilt?

"The power elite of New Orleans -- whether they are still in the city or have moved temporarily to enclaves such as Destin, Fla., and Vail, Colo. -- insist the remade city won't simply restore the old order. New Orleans before the flood was burdened by a teeming underclass, substandard schools and a high crime rate. The city has few corporate headquarters.

"The new city must be something very different, Mr. Reiss says, with better services and fewer poor people. "Those who want to see this city rebuilt want to see it done in a completely different way: demographically, geographically and politically," he says. "I'm not just speaking for myself here. The way we've been living is not going to happen again, or we're out."

More at the link:

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/WSJ_White_rich_escape_New_Orleans_chaos_dont_want_blacks_poor__0908.html

Anyone surprised that Bush played golf, ate cake, strummed a guitar?

Anyone surprised that Condi enjoyed the NYC night life and shopped for expensive shoes?

Anyone surprised that Rummy watched a baseball game?

Anyone surprised that Cheney was shopping for a mansion on the Eastern Shore of MD?

Anyone surprised that NORTHCOM was halted, firefighters were restrained until photo-op time, ...... and an idiot was appointed to direct FEMA?

If so, go back to the top of this post and read it again.


Peace.

[1democracy]

30. Your post makes the Katrina disaster

sound like a geopolitical attack on a favored piece of land that has something someone powerful wants. It sounds just like Iraq. What's so horrifying is that *ush/neoconservatives don't mind sacrificing the lives of innocent Americans to get what they want. The killing of civilians, even if it is by withholding of supplies and help in an emergency, is how terrorism is defined. Therefore, *ush's handling of NO after Katrina is DOMESTIC TERRORISM!

[leesa]

56. Yes. And they had no problem doing it on 9-11 either...or in Iraq...or in

Afghanistan.

[FreedomAngel82]

76. What is also very telling

and in my opinion should be looked at is why Halliburton just a few days later got the contract to "clean up" New Orleans. Was anybody else able to contest it? Why Halliburton?

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. *big grin* and if fitzy has something going on.. rumor is Judy Miller is

gonna sing like a canary.. Oh MAN!

------------------------------------------------------
Ditch Bu$h and save the Gulf: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=22507&mesg_id=22507

Then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[loudsue]

43. Judy's gonna sing??? I missed that thread! Got a link???

I hope she does sing. It may be the most interesting tune we've heard in a while, and, unlike many other tunes these days, hers would surely get VERY WIDE COVERAGE in the news! :)

We need all the nails we can get to put in the neocon/republican coffins.

:kick:

[GreenPartyVoter]

53. Here's one

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0909-32.htm

------------------------------------------------------
Ditch Bu$h and save the Gulf: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=22507&mesg_id=22507

Then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[loudsue]

58. Thanks, GPV!!

:hi: I appreciate the links.....

[BamaBecky]

67. Can't wait to hear THAT SONG!..n/t

[crispini]

10. NOW THAT'S THE STUFF!

it's called ACCOUNTABILITY!

[marions ghost]

11. hmmmmm........

Here's the website for Innovative Emergency Management, Inc:

http://www.ieminc.com/

I see where Waxman's going with this...
So was the "full catastrophic hurricane disaster plan" devised by IEM actually in place? What happened in Stage Two of the implimentation?

[Catrina]

12. They licked their lips

sat back, and waited for the disaster to happen, it looks like. Then, in accordance with their 'creative destruction' ideology, all they had to do was hope for anarchy (which didn't happen, according to the police) and then go in, take over, and reconstruct, all contracts going to the war contractors.

The only problem was, they had to wait longer than anticipated for the proper scenario they had hoped for, which would convince the American people that it was necessary to impose Martial Law. The people did not riot, they just died in large numbers.

I am now convinced they allowed the press in hoping they would report on the expected anarchy. So, Bush played the guitar, Condy shopped, Cheney fished, and it dragged on and on, until in the end, they had to act.

That's what it's beginning to look like ~ no one, not even the most inexperienced, inept human being, could have failed so miserably, to react to such a disaster, with the media screaming for help every night, unless it was by design, imo.

[marions ghost]

18. what you say is plausible

it is almost impossible to explain the response otherwise.

Not supplying the Superdome with food and water and getting those people out as fast as possible was absolutely incomprehensible. I will never forget watching and waiting to see some semblance of an appropriate response, and realizing instead that we were seeing criminal negligence in the wake of a predicted catastrophe. The laissez-faire attitudes of everyone at the top of the government was shocking, and revealing. It does appear they had imagined a different scenario. They must answer to this.

[understandinglife]

20. See comment # 19; and here is a list of Larry Johnson links.

I agree with your assessment. It's staring straight at us.

All the response systems that were held in check - from NORTHCOM to aid from multiple States and other nations tragically informs us of the extraordinary scale of their coordinated negligence.

In previous posts, I assembled several of Larry Johnson's commentaries on the situation -- he is an expert and I watched as he posted on Sept 2, 3, 4, ... his almost incredulity at what he was observing. Here are the links, they are worthy of careful reading (wouldn't surprise me if Congressman Waxman hasn't read everyone of these):

SORTING OUT OPINION FROM FACTS ON KATRINA
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/09/some_in_the_med.html

INTRO TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/09/intro_to_the_na.html

BUSH vs. BLANCO: BUSH DROPPED THE BALL
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/09/by_larry_c_john.html

CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE AND KATRINA?
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/09/criminal_neglig.html

KATRINA: HOTWASH VS. WHITEWASH
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/09/katrina_hotwash.html

KATRINA AS A TERRORIST RESPONSE
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/09/katrina_as_a_te.html

They must be held accountable, that is obvious. The first order of business is forcing Bush and Cheney to resign.

We need to make it impossible for the Republican Party not to take the same action that Senator Goldwater led in August of 1974. And, part of what I have been doing is calling numerous Republican Senators and explaining to their fate to them if they do not force Bush and Cheney to resign.


Peace.

[kma3346]

32. Another thing they didn't count on

They also didn't count on the outpouring of support, outrage, and pleas from the rest of America, including the about face of many in the mainstream media.

[understandinglife]

48. Welcome to DU and you are correct, they underestimated our fellow ...

... citizens and that plus their expansive arrogance will enable us to bring them to justice.


Peace.

[rosesaylavee]

13. SOBs

I hope this nails them to the wall. Thanks for posting and NOMINATED!

[me b zola]

14. We must press this like we did the DSMs

Outstanding, UL! :applause:




nominated :patriot:

[jackstraw45]

15. More info on this - LINKED

http://leninology.blogspot.com/2005/09/politics-of-weather-3-shyness-of.html

[mzmolly]

16. Waxman is brilliant.

I don't agree with him on everything - but I think he's brilliant.

[understandinglife]

21. Pertinent FEMA documents

FEMA Predicted a “Catastrophic Hurricane” Could Strike New Orleans and Cause a “Mega-Disaster”

Friday, September 09, 2005 -- A letter to Secretary Chertoff from Ranking Member Waxman and Chairman Davis describes documents from the Department of Homeland Security that show that FEMA was aware in 2004 that a “catastrophic hurricane” could hit New Orleans and “trap hundreds of thousands of people in flooded areas and leave up to one million people homeless." FEMA officials wrote: “the gravity of the situation calls for an extraordinary level of advance planning."

FEMA Scope of Work
http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20050909130029-67700.pdf

FEMA Task Orders
http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20050909130000-32709.pdf

http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/story.asp?ID=922

Peace.

[understandinglife]

22. Relevant DU post: "I refuse to call it INCOMPETENCE"

Excellent compilation of threads:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4709228&mesg_id=4709228


Peace.

[oasis]

23. kick

[kma3346]

24. Unbelievable

How can these people live with themselves? And they cloak themselves in Christianity and spout about "the culture of life." What total and utter hypocrites, and what utterly heartless creatures they are.

[Wordie]

26. Kicked and nominated. Now play clip of * saying, "We didn't know...."

[MamaBear]

27. Great Work

Bookmarking, forwarding, and recommending. :yourock:

[Mein Bush]

28. Nominated. Excellent post.

[kma3346]

29. How do you nominate a post?

I'm kind of a newby and have never done this before.

[chknltl]

33. welcome to DU kma3346, nominated..... bookmarked and....

....see the fine print at bottom of OP? Click where it says reccomend... follow the instructions from there, enough recs gets this thread shipped over to "Greatest", exactly where this one belongs.

[kma3346]

35. Done!

Recommended! And thanks for the welcome!

[understandinglife]

47. Welcome to DU. Looking forward to your comments.

Peace.

[Independent_Liberal]

31. Kick!

[Tatiana]

34. Waxman is going to expose this. The question is, will anyone report it?

And the fact that he got Davis, a Republican, to sign alongside him shows the Republicans know the ship has sprung a leak (in more ways than one).

The superficial sacrificing of lambs will not work this time. It's going straight to the top.

[mod mom]

36. Let's get it out to sympathetic members of the press. I have been amazed

at the number of posts I have forwarded to CNN that have been covered a day or so later. Maybe it is toally unrelated, but we need to bombard them with info such as this! Doesn't hurt.

Thank you, UL!

[Tatiana]

40. Good point! We should be proactive on this as well. n/t

[sendero]

51. I think..

.... the protection the press has given Bush**, partially based on corporate control and partially based on giving a president extra leeway during a crisis (9-11) is OVER.

Sure, FOX will still tout the WH line. But I think, to varying degrees, the rest of the media finally realizes what we realized years ago - this president simply does not deserve the benefit of a doubt.

[texpatriot2004]

37. Thank you Rep Waxman and Rep Davis. Thank you. n/t

[flyarm]

38. take this and add what was on npr today..and what cynthia mckinney said

on cspan last night saying the impeachment subject would be brought up by someone soon..and i see clear skys ahead...


but nothing will clear the skys for all who have lost soooo much because of the liar and murderer in our white house!

my heart is with them all and broken..that we could not have prevailed and gotten these bastards out before they ruined so many lives and took so many lives..so needlessly!!

thank you UL..i will get this out all over the country !!

fly

[banana republican]

39. I smell an audit!!!!!

any idea of what kind of contract this was?? Time & Material; Level of Effort;
Cost Plus; Firm fixed price(i don't think so).

Does any know if home land insecurity out sources it's Inspector General requirements to Arthur Anderson(A.A. not Alcoholics Anonymous but maybe I'm wrong)??? or the Defense Contract Audit Agency(DCAA)???

After 20+ year of working at Boeing Defense and Space Groupen it would be delightful to see the audit report and the working papers of the audit team. Think of what the monthly status reports would show; imagine what the cost & schedule reports would show(ahead of schedule/ behind schedule on deliverables; over run or under run to budget; and estimates to complete).

I can only dream of auditing their overhead claim. Think of it, all of their contracts open and subject to audit in order to determine the the allocation of overhead charges to this one government contract. Envision reviewing all of the overhead costs for unallowables such as alcohol and hookers(and yes someone did try to do it at a company I worked for but they got caught had to pay for the hooker themselves and ended up in divorce court)

Oh!!! The fun Auditors can have. 

Unfortunately; the audit reports are usually "proprietary" in nature and only released to direct participants (e.g. in this case homeland security and the contractor). It would be very unusual to have an audit report "leaked" to the general public; but G_D help the company that was audited if one ever was leaked....

Can you spell *jail*.....

[bleever]

42. Privatize. Collude with sole contractor to ensure failure. Control

investigation of failure to hide fact of collusion. Call for further privatization.

Plow up the commons, collecting all topsoil and stone to be sold at a profit, while driving the unpropertied and untitled peoples from the land. Hire them back at starvation wages to carry the stones.

Blame them for slow delivery.

[Nothing Without Hope]

45. I think you've got it, Bleever. It's all deliberate. SEE THIS THREAD:

More on Bush blackmailing Blanco to grab civil power:

I hope people are closer to admitting that the delays and blocks of aid might have been deliberate to push this - this is vitally important. Basically, Bush told Blanco he'd send troops to help if she surrendered all authority to him. Martial law/dictatorship, and you can be sure it would spread as the monsters continued to do everything they could to incite racial/class "civil disturbances" - one of the legal "justifications" for martial law. I've posted several times in this thread with additional comments and links. The opening post has no mention of the extremely important Wash Post report on this, for example.

The thread is here. I've posted more in the replies to it.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4715924#4716246
Thread title: NPR Reports: GW to Blanco"I'll send in the troops if you answer to the WH"

[Wordie]

44. kick

[understandinglife]

46. Many important details and insights have been added to this thread ...

... and I am grateful.

It makes it much easier for all of us to send a set of URLs to all the folk who need to focus on what is a remorseless, coercive and, increasingly obvious, coordinated effort to do to New Orleans what Bush and the neoconsters have failed to achieve in Baghdad and southern Iraq.

These folk are the real evil deal, for certain.


Peace.

[Senator]

49. So what exactly is IEM anyway? Funny you should ask

New Republic Online

[mod mom]

50. Thanks senator! More neocon cronyism, business as usual.

[understandinglife]

52. "Follow the money" -- in_deed! Thank you for the ref!

And, we have so many reasons to do, just that:

Michael Stravato for The New York Times --'But I Just Want to Know, Where's My Baby?' -- In Houston, Lakerisha Boyd with a photograph of her missing 16-month-old son, Torry Lee.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/10/national/nationalspecial/10children.html?pagewanted=print

Peace.

[leesa]

54. They are asking for exactly the right things.

They probably won't get them, of course, but the asking is terrific!

[mod mom]

55. Congressman tom Davis is under intense pressure by Delay not to pursue

this inquiry. I think it would be wise for us to show support to the Republicans who are willing to ask the hard questions and pursue the truth. Rep Davis (R-VA) has an email site which only allows constituents to comment but can be contacted at:


Washington D.C. Office:

U.S. House of Representatives
2348 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4611
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Constituent Service Offices:

Annandale District Office
4115 Annandale Road, Suite 103
Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Prince William District Office
13546 Minnieville Road
Woodbridge, VA 22192
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[understandinglife]

61. Thank you for this information. I will be calling his office first thing .

... Monday morning to express gratitude for his efforts on behalf of all Americans.


Peace.

[crispini]

57. .

:kick:

[kma3346]

59. Kick

:kick:

[GeorgeGist]

62. And the 'plot' thickens?

IEM Team to Develop Catastrophic Hurricane Disaster Plan for New Orleans & Southeast Louisiana

June 3, 2004

IEM, Inc., the Baton Rouge-based emergency management and homeland security consultant, will lead the development of a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans under a more than half a million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In making the announcement today on behalf of teaming partners Dewberry, URS Corporation and James Lee Witt Associates*, ... <snip>


*James Lee Witt Associates was a member of the original team, but did not participate in the project.

http://www.ieminc.com/Whats_New/Press_Releases/pressrelease060304_Catastrophic.htm

[suffragette]

63. UL, thanks for posting this important letter

Glad to know Waxman is on it.

[oasis]

64. kick

[Stinky Bushes]

65. LOTS of Smoking Guns

have surfaced lately. Hopefully the MSM and Congress will pay attention!

Do we have a place at DU where all of these new smoking gun type revelations are compiled? If not, I suggest it...I would like to provide the link to Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, et al.

[understandinglife]

68. Welcome to DU.

Several DUers post compilation threads on various topics, and, if you look in the groups and political forums you will find specific topics being addressed by various DUers.

If you make even a small donation to DU you will be enabled to use the advanced search function and that can lead you to a substantial amount of information.


Peace.

[BamaBecky]

66. Well, Well, Well.........that lil exercise must have given birth

to some neocon agenda ideas.......very interesting.......
Bama

[RallyInDC]

69. This is what I'm wondering, how much evidence would it take to prove....

He was criminally neglectful and also funded the Iraq war for oil while ignoring america.

[Usrename]

71. There are international reports that during his first tour of

the impact zone, first responders were tasked with setting up fake aid stations for his photo ops.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4693707&mesg_id=4706700

This may not be as cut and dried as appoint Larry, Moe, and Curley to head FEMA, but it is a powerful, clear, and spinproof message.

"THE WORLD IS WATCHING"

International aid in ousting this Administration can be expected.

[mirandapriestly]

73. I hope so nt

[FreedomAngel82]

72. Oh wow

This is big. Could this be what gets Bush and his whole group? Not war crimes. Not stealing elections. This goes along with what Bush told Nancy Pelosi: "what didn't go right?"!!!

[mod mom]

75. You are right, this is BIG, but the war crimes and stolen elections will

eventually come out as well!

[anarchy1999]

74. Tell me why again was Clinton impeached? A BJ in the Oval Room?

How much more is it going to take? I guess we just all need to devote ourselves fulltime to calling our reps and screaming at them.

"I want all of you to stand up, get up out of your chairs, I want you to go over to your window. I want you to open it and stick your head out of the window and yell, at the top of your voice, I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."

Howard Beale of UBN, played by Peter Finch in Network.

[understandinglife]

78. "I want all of you to stand up, get up out of your chairs ..." IN_DEED.

Yes, and thank you. That is what we are all going to need to be incessant in doing every day, all day long, phones and fax machines in every MoC office flooded with the demands:

1. Bush and Cheney must resign;

2. Full accounting of all whom are complicit or worse;

3. Charges filed;

4. Prosecute.

And, oh by the way, let's start bringing all the dedicated experts, in all the categories required, to negotiate at the UN and in Iraq to exit Iraq; to plan and begin a major public works program to rebuild New Orleans and restore America; to bring Halliburton, Blackwater, all the petroleum companies under rigorous scrutiny, due diligence and accountability -- just for starters.


Peace.

[Mr_Spock]

80. This is a must read for sure...

I tried to vote for it but it's been here for a while - I guess there were so many hot topics this week...

[TahitiNut]

81. Innovative Emergency Management, Inc. (IEM) -- GOP Bushbots

Madhu Beriwal President & CEO

Founder, President, and CEO of IEM, Madhu Beriwal is an emergency management expert with over 17 years of experience managing high-technology research activities. For more than a decade, her strong leadership has shaped the IEM traditions of quality, process maturity, multifunctional teamwork, and creative use of technology to serve client goals.

Ms. Beriwal is the primary architect of IEM’s unique process-based approach to emergency management and its science-based public outreach model. She has also been a driving force behind the use of quantitative performance measures as a way to objectively assess and improve emergency preparedness. Her demonstrated expertise in these areas led the State of Oregon to request in 1999 that Ms. Beriwal personally lead an assessment of Oregon’s readiness to respond to a chemical emergency.

With a background in Urban Planning and Transportation Engineering, Ms. Beriwal is also a recognized expert in evacuation modeling. She received a Special Merit Award from the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association for "her outstanding contribution to the civil defense agencies of southeast Louisiana in the development of the Hurricane Survival Plan."

Under Ms. Beriwal’s skilled management, IEM’s revenues have grown over 700% in the last 5 years, and its workforce has nearly tripled. The company’s accomplishments were publicly rewarded in 1999, when the Small Business Administration in New Orleans, Louisiana, presented Ms. Beriwal with its annual Soaring Eagle Award, which recognized IEM as a high-growth company that has built strong capabilities for future growth. A gifted public speaker who has written numerous articles, Ms. Beriwal was also named a regional finalist for the national 1999 Working Woman Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards, jointly sponsored by Bank One and Working Woman magazine.

http://www.ieminc.com/About/MadhuBeriwal.htm

Ms. Beriwal is also a big campaign donor to the GOP, ponying up about $13,000 in the most recent 3 campaign cycles (2002-2006). (See http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/index.asp)

Yep. We have the following information from The New Republic ...

FOLLOW THE MONEY: If you've been following the stories about the federal government's natural disaster preparations (or lack thereof), then you may recall FEMA's decision last year to hire a Baton Rouge consulting firm, Innovative Emergency Management (IEM), to draft a plan for dealing with a catastrophic hurricane in New Orleans. It was IEM that conducted the "Pam" exercise last year, simulating a hurricane strike in New Orleans for a group of local and federal officials.

So what exactly is IEM anyway? Funny you should ask.

IEM's president is a woman named Madhu Beriwal. If you plug in her name (along with a misspelled version, Madhu Berwal) to opensecrets.org, the online campaign finance site run by the Center for Responsive Politics, you'll discover she's been a very good friend to the Republican Party and some of its members in Louisiana.

In 2002, Beriwal gave $2,500 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. In the last two election cycles, she has also given $2,000 each to Richard Baker (a Republican congressman who represents the Baton Rouge area), Suzanne Terrell (the Republican who challenged Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu in 2002), and then-Senate candidate David Vitter (the Republican who won the seat John Breaux vacated in 2004). After the November election, which Vitter won, Beriwal gave him another $1,500.

In all, based on the records, it looks like she's given $12,500 to Republicans and conservative political action committees since 2000.

<snip>
http://www.tnr.com/etc.mhtml/