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FEMA in action


Piglet

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Chertoff: All I'm tryin' to find out is what's the guy's name in charge of food and water.

Brown: Oh, no, wait a minute, don't switch 'em around. What is in charge of evacuation.

Chertoff: I'm not askin' you who's in charge of evacuation.

Brown: Who is on food and water.

Chertoff: I don't know!

Brown: He's in charge of media spin...now we're not talkin' 'bout him.

Chertoff: Now, how did I get on media spin?

Brown: You mentioned his name!

Chertoff: If I mentioned the media spin guy's name, who did I say is in charge of media spin?

Brown: No...Who's in charge of food and water.

Chertoff: Never mind food and water, I wanna know what's the guy's name in charge of media spin.

Brown: No, What's in charge of evacuation.

Chertoff: I'm not askin' you who's in charge of evacuation!

Brown: Who's in charge of food and water.

Chertoff: I don't know!

Brown: He's in charge of media spin.

Chertoff: Aaah! Would you please stay on media spin and don't go off it?

Brown: What was it you wanted?

Chertoff: Now who's in charge of media spin?

Brown: Now why do you insist on putting Who in charge of media spin?

Chertoff: Why? Who am I putting over there?

Brown: Yes. But we don't want him there.

Chertoff: What's the guy's name in charge of media spin?

Brown: What is in charge of evacuation.

Chertoff: I'm not askin' you who's in charge of evacuation.

Brown: Who's in charge of food and water.

Chertoff: I don't know.

Brown & Chertoff: MEDIA SPIN!!

Chertoff: You got someone in charge of fixing the levees?

Brown: Oh yes!

Chertoff: The guy's name?

Brown: Why.

Chertoff: I don't know, I just thought I'd ask you.

Brown: Well, I just thought I'd tell you...

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Do you hate FEMA during democratic presidencies? :huh: :moon:

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From a CNN interview between anchor Miles o'Brien and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (via Little Green Footballs):

S. O'BRIEN: You're telling me the president [bush] told you the governor [blanco] said she needed 24 hours to make a decision?

NAGIN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Regarding what? Bringing troops in?

NAGIN: Whatever they had discussed. As far as what the -- I was abdicating a clear chain of command, so that we could get resources flowing in the right places.

S. O'BRIEN: And the governor said no.

NAGIN: She said that she needed 24 hours to make a decision. It would have been great if we could of left Air Force One, walked outside, and told the world that we had this all worked out. It didn't happen, and more people died. [Emphasis added]

From The Washington Post: Many Evacuated, but Thousands Still Waiting.

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

A senior administration official said that Bush has clear legal authority to federalize National Guard units to quell civil disturbances under the Insurrection Act and will continue to try to unify the chains of command that are split among the president, the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor.

Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Craig Martelle: FEMA is not a first responder.

As one who has received training by FEMA in emergency management and also training by the Department of Defense in consequence management, I believe that the federal response in New Orleans needs clarification.

The key to emergency management starts at the local level and expands to the state level. Emergency planning generally does not include any federal guarantees, as there can only be limited ones from the federal level for any local plan. FEMA provides free training, education, assistance and respond in case of an emergency, but the local and state officials run their own emergency management program.

Prior development of an emergency plan, addressing all foreseeable contingencies, is the absolute requirement of the local government --and then they share that plan with the state emergency managers to ensure that the state authorities can provide necessary assets not available at the local level. Additionally, good planning will include applicable elements of the federal government (those located in the local area). These processes are well established, but are contingent upon the personal drive of both hired and elected officials at the local level. ...

It seems that the mayor of New Orleans is leading the effort in not taking responsibility for his actions. The emergency managers for the state of Louisiana do not have much to say either. The failure in the first 48 hours to provide direction for survivors is theirs to live with. When FEMA was able to take over, it started out behind and had to develop its plan on the fly. Now the federal government has established priorities -- rescue the stranded, evacuate the city, flow in resources and fix the levee. It appears that now there is a plan and it is being systematically executed.

From The Telegraph: The Big Easy rocked, but didn't roll by Mark Steyn:

Readers may recall my words from a week ago on the approaching Katrina: "We relish the opportunity to rise to the occasion. And on the whole we do. Oh, to be sure, there are always folks who panic or loot. But most people don't, and many are capable of extraordinary acts of hastily improvised heroism."

What the hell was I thinking? I should be fired for that. Well, someone should be fired. I say that in the spirit of the Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, the Anti-Giuliani, a Mayor Culpa who always knows where to point the finger.

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On the other hand...

My father called me Monday in a total lather. it seems that 5000 - that's FIVE THOUSAND - volunteers turned out at Fort McClellan Army Base on Monday to clean the barracks and mess halls and other buildings that had been closed, so that refugees could move in. FEMA was supposed to be in charge of the operation. Instead, they TURNED AWAY THESE FIVE THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS because they found some MOLD in one of the ceilings, and the FEMA manager said that they had to call in a federal contractor who specializes in MOLD REMOVAL and REMEDIATION before any volunteers could get in to CLEAN - for liability reasons...

Bureucracy at its WORST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry:

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On the other hand...

My father called me Monday in a total lather.  it seems that 5000 - that's FIVE THOUSAND - volunteers turned out at Fort McClellan Army Base on Monday to clean the barracks and mess halls and other buildings that had been closed, so that refugees could move in.  FEMA was supposed to be in charge of the operation.  Instead, they TURNED AWAY THESE FIVE THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS because they found some MOLD in one of the ceilings, and the FEMA manager said that they had to call in a federal contractor who specializes in MOLD REMOVAL and REMEDIATION before any volunteers could get in to CLEAN - for liability reasons...

Bureucracy at its WORST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :angry:

179193[/snapback]

Absolutely disgusting! I have thought for years that it is mandatory before being hired into the Federal or State bureaucracy that all logical thought be purged from ones brain.

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Guest Tigrinum Major
On the other hand...

My father called me Monday in a total lather.  it seems that 5000 - that's FIVE THOUSAND - volunteers turned out at Fort McClellan Army Base on Monday to clean the barracks and mess halls and other buildings that had been closed, so that refugees could move in.  FEMA was supposed to be in charge of the operation.  Instead, they TURNED AWAY THESE FIVE THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS because they found some MOLD in one of the ceilings, and the FEMA manager said that they had to call in a federal contractor who specializes in MOLD REMOVAL and REMEDIATION before any volunteers could get in to CLEAN - for liability reasons...

Bureucracy at its WORST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :angry:

179193[/snapback]

Absolutely disgusting! I have thought for years that it is mandatory before being hired into the Federal or State bureaucracy that all logical thought be purged from ones brain.

179198[/snapback]

It isn't mandatory, just strongly encouraged.

On another note, those 5,000 volunteers did clean up outside the buildings and were not completely just turned away. But, I agree that the bureucracy keeps the process slow. I deal with it every day. It isn't just in times of crisis.

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Blame the laywers on this one. The mold lawsuits are coming out of the woodwork. Maybe they should have had everyone sign a release stating that any injury would not be covered. Mold is now considered a legitimate issue. Although in this case one guy with a mask on could have went in there and sprayed it with some clorox. But our liberal society, where someone else is always to blame, has crippled any kind of free help. Still a shame.

Boy, had to clean up all those typos. Or else youmight have thought I had a math degree.

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On the other hand...

My father called me Monday in a total lather.  it seems that 5000 - that's FIVE THOUSAND - volunteers turned out at Fort McClellan Army Base on Monday to clean the barracks and mess halls and other buildings that had been closed, so that refugees could move in.  FEMA was supposed to be in charge of the operation.  Instead, they TURNED AWAY THESE FIVE THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS because they found some MOLD in one of the ceilings, and the FEMA manager said that they had to call in a federal contractor who specializes in MOLD REMOVAL and REMEDIATION before any volunteers could get in to CLEAN - for liability reasons...

Bureucracy at its WORST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :angry:

179193[/snapback]

Mold? EWWWWW! Icky ick ick ick!!

:rolleyes:

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