agitation and confessional deficit (Page 2)

Thomas, it's only been a week. By the way, I like your new quote. Reminds me of something I recently received. "That was so sweet. And dirty. I love the contradiction."

I received this timely email from our CERT coordinator. CERT - Community Emergency Response Team (yep, I'm a card carrying member, dweeb that I am.) which was formerly under the FEMA umbrella until FEMA divested itself of CERT.

Subject: [CERT] Bio Attack PBS

From Department of Justice:

The Fred Friendly Seminars program IN THE BALANCE: BIOATTACK will be airing on PBS in most parts of the country on MONDAY NIGHT, September 12. BioAttack vividly dramatizes how a biological weapons attack could affect you. A panel of distinguished experts confronts tough questions and impossible choices that cut to the heart of America's vulnerability, as well as its strengths. ABC News Chief Legal Correspondent Cynthia McFadden moderates.

This is a rare opportunity for the public to see the decision making process as it unfolds and to understand that citizens have a role to play in crisis situations.  Especially in the wake of Katrina and the reemphasis on preparedness, this program is a great way to start a conversation with the public now, before the next event takes place. The PBS website also has a viewer discussion guide to help you facilitate that conversation. 

Visit  <http://www.pbs.org/inthebalance/terrorism>
www.pbs.org/inthebalance/terrorism

You're being quite clear. Maybe I wasn't being clear that I was ignoring the question?

The answer to your question will supposedly be answered in a series of Congressional investigations and/or whitewashing exercises. Emergency Management and Red Cross Disaster Management officials always perform a post-disaster Lessons Learned analysis - I'm sure we'll get better answers there, too.

It would be folly to try to answer what could have been done before an investigation into what wasn't done and what might be done better. I have considerable mental powers but I lament that omniscience is not one of them.

Ok I promised myself I wouldn't get into another political discussion on this topic, but I can't just sit by and listen to this liberal rhetoric being passed off as fact. Yes Brown was not the ideal candidate for the job however the FEMA response or lackof it can be attributed to the fact that the local and state officials were slow in asking for Federal help instead adopting a wait and see approach. Mayor Nagin (now there is a prime example of incompetence) along with the Governor of LA instead chose to wait until it was too late and then wring their hands and cry racisim and negligence on the Federal level.

Again lets look at the fact that the levee system should have been upgraded in the 70's and 80's, by the time GWB was elected it was already too late. As usual though those of you on the left have to seize on anything to try and make the President look bad.

Rocket Man,

Do you think the POTUS makes himself look good when he appoints someone with zero emergency management experience to the top emergency management position in the country?

I think you are confused about the definition of rhetoric. Stating that Mr. Brown had no emergency management experience is not rhetoric; it's fact. Stating that Mr. Brown was unqualified for the position is opinion, an opinion well supported by the fact that he has no previous emergency management experience.

You wouldn't hire a plumber to fix your roof, would you? Why hire a horse judges overseer to run our emergency management agency? I don't understand why you aren't outraged that someone without job competency was hired for a very complex, critical position, someone whose actions affect the lives of millions. It's not like we're talking about the White House gardener position here - we're talking EMERGENCY management. The guy in charge when everyone runs around like their hair is on fire and may, in fact, be on fire. That guy. Would YOU have hired him for that position? Surely, not.

And welcome to the fray.

Nice straw man you positioned there.

My reasoning for my opinion have been clearly stated ad nauseum: He had NO emergency management experience. He was unqualified for the job. It's a travesty to appoint someone with no experience to this critical job.

Geez, how hard is that to get? Does clarity and consistency throw you?

Renee,

I get the fact that Brown has no experience, but since there had never been an emergency on this scale before who does? If you want to look at political appointments for people that have no practical experience in their jobs you can look no further than the Clinton Department of Defense.....full of non military draft dodgers like old Slick Willie himself, so before we have anymore Bush bashing lets look at our own house.

Brett, I'm one of those PollyAnna people who think that some positions merit SERIOUS appointments. I don't care who the White House chef is; I don't care who gets the top job of agitating the Pentagon people. I do care that a competent person is managing emergency management. I'm not so jaded that I think it's no big deal for this position.

With my limited exposure our local emergency responders as a result of my CERT training and involvement, I have come to genuinely appreciate that these people who put their lives on the line everyday deserve to have the best qualified person in that job. It's really that simple and uncomplicated an issue. Some people want to make it about politics; for me, it's about competency. The guy had no business being in that position. Why anyone would think differently is, to me, all about their politics.

See, you want to make this about political dogma. It ain't about dogma. FYI, I never voted for Slick Willie. However, Willie did appoint a very capable FEMA Director who Bush, of course, dismissed.

The guy who held the position - and was hired by LA Governor Blanco - had oodles and oodles and oodles of experience. He seems like a much better candidate than Mr. Igotnoexperience. The guy who did my training for my CERT class - Fire Captain Iforgethisname - he has oodles and oodles of experience. Fire Captain Gonzales (also known as Fire Captain Hesahoney) who lectures on bioterrorism has oodles of experience.  The guy who manages our Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center - he has oodles and oodles and oodles of experience.

There are hundreds of people in this country who have made a career of Emergency Management. Very dedicated, knowledgeable and capable people. Maybe we could start by fishing in that pool first, before fishing from the "my college buddies" pool.

Going back to the OTHER part of your original post--I vote for no-brainer fun, you go get that uhhh, friend!  Several months back, I was working out in CA and had a layover in the midwest, so I called an 'old friend' and suggested that we spend my layover, well, laying (lying) over.  Wheeee!

#1 - If "Bush" removed the funds from the budget, so it doesn't really matter, does it.  It would have taken years to rebuild the levee's (25 years according to previous posts).  Not to mention, Congress is really in charge of spending, so they could have easily added the funds into appropriations bills at any time, right?

#2 - If we're looking to blame someone, then we'll have to use reason.  We'll have to go back and find out who originally built the levee's, and under who's administration they were built.  Then, we'll also have to look at the Congressional Leaders who were in power at the time, that voted upon the appropriations.  Then we'll need to blame every presidential administration and Congress that has been in power ever since the levee's construction.  I'd place additional blame upon the Louisiana delegation, who should have been more vocal about the threat.  That pretty much takes a lot of the heat off of the present administration (for those of you would be political bomb throwers).

I'm no constitutional scholar (duh) but the consensus seems to be that he is very qualified for the position, Don. That everyone seems to agree on this suggests that POTUS got that very right. I'm thankful for that because SCOTUS appointments are my number 1 voting issue. And my numbers 2 and 3 voting issues.

Side note: I've been deliberating about which appointment is more important. Normally, I would have said SCOTUS but seeing how many people are suffering from this disaster, I need to rethink that.  Both positions affect the lives of millions and their decisions can affect those lives for decades.

Renee,

First off let me apologize for accusing you of being a Clinton minion. I work for the Federal Government and I was in the Army for 5 years. During my military time I was in a unit that was tasked for Hurricane Evacuation in the SE US. Let me say from personal experience supplies don't just "show up" they have to be marshaled and then the logistics of where to be delievered and distributed have to take shape. Needless to say this doesn't happen overnight, and takes even longer when an inept and incompetent local and state government drag thier feet on requesting Federal Aid. 

I agree with your point of Brown being unqualified, however the sole blame for the NOLA distaster does not lay with him alone. Stronger leadership across the board and just a little preplanning could have saved many lives.

Ok that is my last post on this topic.

Renee,

You might be happy about the new FEMA Director, R. David Paulison

. David Paulison, head of FEMA's emergency preparedness force, will lead the beleaguered agency, according to three administration sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

Paulison is a career firefighter from Miami who was among emergency workers responding to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades in 1996, according to a biography posted on FEMA's Web site. He also has led the U.S. Fire Administration since December 2001, according to the site

This guy has a curious sense of humor.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Representative Richard Baker of Baton Rouge was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."