Four years hence and we are no better protected

[Stinky The Clown]

To be fair, 'protecting' the country from all manner of disaster is a very tall order, even for the most competent of governments.

But what we've seen from our current government is not a competent but less than successful effort. It is a pure failure.

And it is past time for the Democrats - or at least leading/hopeful Democrats - to propose rational solutions and reorganizations.

Let's look at a few concepts here:

Homeland Security:

In large measure, those words (Orwellian though they are) suggest prevention. Homeland security should be about preventing disasters. Airport screeners(1), as an example, properly fall under this umbrella. So do efforts to screen incoming cargo, to interdict undesirables entering the country, to put biohazard air sniffers around the country, and other such preventative measures. I would also suggest that rebuilding the water control systems on the Gulf Coast, placing and monitoring earthquake and volcano detection equipment, and monitoring hurricanes also could fall under homeland security.

Again, the operative word here is prevention.

Disaster Response:

This is a separate task requiring separate skills. FEMA, for example, was conceived as a *responsive* organization. Response to natural disasters. Response to man-made disasters, such as terrorism or a large scale industrial accident (think Bhopal and Three Mile Island). In that each disaster calls for different responses, it also makes sense that FEMA be an administrative and leadership group, not a massive organization. By this I mean, for example, that FEMA would have the authority to use whatever resources it needs and to take those resources from other agencies. In the case of a nuclear plant accident, for example, they might need personnel from the Department of Energy to address the situation on the site, but they would also need, perhaps, National Guard to control traffic or evacuate residents. The response to a terror attack might be quite different. In that case, we'd need people to address the circumstances at the site of the attack. We might also need crowd control. But the added layer of needing to find the perpetrators would go back to Homeland Security or the local police.

The Coast Guard is a sort of special case. We know they've been under a number of departments over their life. They've been part of the Treasury. They've been moved to DoD. Now they're under Homeland Security. I suggest they should be part of FEMA. As has been shown in the aftermath of Katrina, they are the perfect first responder at the federal level. They have at their direct disposal a measure of resources and they have the skills to manage more. Their life saving duties are a natural to be under FEMA. Their enforcement activities (drugs, smuggling, etc.), however are a gray area. I am sure the proper authority and coordination for this activity can be worked out.

Again, the operative word here is response.

Going Forward:

These are but a few of the issues, and an admittedly simplistic view. I believe them to be reasonable. But more importantly, this is exactly the kind of thing the Democrats should be proffering and running on. These issues, in a very real way, affect national security. These issues, in a very real way - and made very clear over the past few weeks - affect every one of us.

Am I hoping for too much to see a Democrat start talking about this in a reasoned, rational, clear, and passionate way?

Random Thoughts:

If the military is needed by FEMA, we can establish beforehand how that would happen. The military would be 'state-ized', which is to say they would fall under state control with coordination by FEMA. DoD's role would only be to support the military, not to direct it. If they need to do some law enforcement work, they would be placed *under* the National Guard and in complete control of the state.

The civilian aviation fleet should be subject to FEMA control in the event of an emergency. For example, in NOLA, the civilian fleet could well have been used to evacuate people by using every available airport in the region. Corporate and commuter sized airplanes could even be used to land on grass fields. Reimbursement to the airplane owners would follow the disaster response.

Similarly, other civilian and private assets should be subject to temporary federalization. AMTRAK, bus companies, ambulances, trucks, petroleum, etc. should all be subject to use by FEMA. Obviously the private assets would bear compensation - but perhaps we could also pre-contract for these services in some way that is known to the public. No 'Halliburtonizations'.

The UN is a good model for FEMA. It holds virtually no assets on its own. It uses assets held by others and only for specific tasks.

Footnote:

(1) In my personal view, the whole TSA screener program should be scrapped. it serves no purpose. It is intrusive and demeaning. It seems to me the sole purpose is to intimidate the public, keep us in a state of fear, and get us used to being tightly controlled. I find it as personal affront.

Mini Rant:

I am so sick of blue gloves and ID badges. They strike a very bad note with me. I see them in the same way I see the screeners (see footnote, above). I am a person, not plague bearer. I have a name. If you want to know it, ask me. I am where I am for a reason. If I act suspicious, challenge me. But take off those fucking gloves.