Duct tape/plastic sheeting guy to head FEMA

[Rose Siding]

April 6, 2006, 7:13PM
Bush Nominates Paulison to Be FEMA Chief

WASHINGTON — With hurricane season two months away, President Bush on Thursday nominated the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be permanent head of the disaster response agency.

R. David Paulison, a 30-year firefighter, took over at FEMA in September when Bush named him to replace the beleaguered Michael Brown. Brown quit in the face of unrelenting criticism over the agency's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/3777245.html

from an '05 report-
snip>
In a small briefing with reporters in 2003, it was Paulison who urged Americans to stock up on those hardware store staples so they could seal windows and doors in a biological or chemical weapons attack. The advice became a staple of late-night comics, who usually misattributed the comment to Tom Ridge, then secretary of Homeland Security.

The Bush administration hasn't put Paulison in front of reporters much since then.
...
Paulison, a Democrat, was flying back from the Gulf Coast on Monday and was unavailable for comment on his new appointment.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-09-12-paulison-side_x.htm

[TomInTib]

1. Why didn't they just hire the CEO of Home Depot? Not only does

he have a HUGE supply of duct tape and plastic sheeting, he can probably deliver it to wherever it is needed when it is needed - they already have a handle on that for hurricanes...unlike the peripatetic truck full of ice that wandered the country for weeks on end under Brownies watch.

He also knows how to build amazing things very well - check out the new aquarium in Atlanta.

[monarch]

2. I went looking for a press background--

the pedophile Homeland Security executive-- and what I found was a Bush (Jeb) connection. My guess is that Jeb vouched for his loyalty before he got the job.

[Coastie for Truth]

4. I think you are 100% right

In today's major urban Departments - most Fire Captains are sharp guys and gals with degrees in "Fire Science" or "Medical/Paramedic Science" and MPA degrees in "Disaster Management - and can handle a Battalion Chief and Department Chief job.

The difference between a well qualified Captain and a Chief is "networking" (i.e., Politics).

[Coastie for Truth]

3. As our local Deputy Fire Chief said

1. "They could do a hell of a lot worse then Chief Paulison - and they probably couldn't get anybody better - because nobody better wanted the job" (The title "Chief" stays with a Fire Chief - even after he or she retires, it's like Judge, Senator, Doctor, General, or Admiral)

2. "Any Station Captain (that's an assistant Battalion Chief) or Company Captain in THIS Department could do a better job then Michael Brown."


PS - Coastie's comment - I know two people who were approached to just apply -- and turned it down.