Time to abolish FEMA?

[Norman Bernstein]

According to Susan Collins (moderate republican) and Joe Lieberman (conservative democrat?), it is:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/26/katrina.congress.ap/index.html

So, I wonder... is this a good thing? (They propose to make the new emergency management agency reportable directly to the President)... or a bad thing? (yet another big bureauocracy...)

[RichKrough]

FEMA Director was a cabinet post till the President decided that FEMA wasn't that important to him so he cut the budget and folded it into Homeland Security. I don't beat up on the President very often but this one is a shining example of what poor leadership brings about.

[Tristan]

How about no fed. emergency management agency? When disaster strikes use existing resources, local people, charities (ex. Salvation Army, which reportedly did major good job on the Gulf Coast), appropriate federal funds for specific jobs. Would save a great deal of money otherwise wasted on bureaucratic (sp.?) crap like salaries for "Good job Brownie" and his ilk

[Rick Starr]

FEMA Director was a cabinet post till the President decided that FEMA wasn't that important to him so he cut the budget and folded it into Homeland Security. I don't beat up on the President very often but this one is a shining example of what poor leadership brings about.

Plus One. (new software won't let me say +1 anymore)

[High C]

Tristan, you're on a roll!

This has to be managed closer to home, closer to where the need is. The further you get from a disaster, the less capable top brass is of making sound choices.

In fact, that principle applies to a lot of things.

Edited to correct unimportant spelling and construction errors. ;)

[sv Lorelei]

My own opinion is that we'd be better served by disbanding HSA. Most of the pre-existing branches of the HSA functioned to varying levels of efficiency on their own. Some reacted better than others. Having them under a single administration has (1) just expanded the bureaucracy that much more and (2) insured that no agency will show up another by reacting quicker to an emergency; in fact no agency will react at all....

[Tristan]

Tristan, you're on a roll!

This has to be managed closer to home, closer to where the need is. The further you get from a disaster, the less capable top brass is to make sound choices.

In fact, that principal applies to a lot of things.

Geezus, thanks High-C. I appreciate your words. At least you're one who ain't considering me a racist, mammyjamming, far-right, pussy liberal tree hugging fatherhumping evil, poor spelling, toad. I'm beginning to think, however, that maybe I ought to increase my medication.

[uncas]

It looks like just a name change. Different title, same problems on the horizon.

[LeeG]

sure, can it,,and the whole "Homeland" paranoia

fund and equip first responders, use national guard for national emergencies.

and put the fear of the voter into Congress for 2006,,,

[Gary E]

sure, can it,,and the whole "Homeland" paranoia

fund and equip first responders, use national guard for national emergencies.

and put the fear of the voter into Congress for 2006,,,

They allready did that...

Remember the stories of towns of 3000 buying $400,000 pc of equipment just because they could?.. with no resonable reason to ever use them?

FEMA used to work fine... then Bush appointed incompetent people. Get a compentent manager who can restore the agency to one with some power and let him use it.

The national Guard? that's a joke.. they seem to be the ones where the guys who dont want to be in the real army go so as to fill in time and play army on the weekends, it didn't used to be that way...If you want to provide them with the equipment and give the State Gov power to actually use them fine, but as is is now, there's not much hope of the NG actually helping the situation much. They have their own families to tend to so who can blame them. Sorry if you NG guys are ticked off... but that's the way the public see's you.

[High C]

...Sorry if you NG guys are ticked off... but that's the way the public see's you.

Horse crap! :mad: :rolleyes:

[LeeG]

GaryE,,they're good enough for Rummy,GW and Cheney so folks won't have to draft kids.

[Osborne Russell]

Who cares? The problem is to prevent the emergency, not manage it. Entirely a federal problem. Since the day the Louisana Purchase was signed, today, forever.

[ccmanuals]

Get rid of all the political appointees in postions that affect the health, welfare and safety of the American people and replace them with real professionals.

[Ross M]

... The national Guard? that's a joke.. they seem to be the ones where the guys who dont want to be in the real army go so as to fill in time and play army on the weekends... Sorry if you NG guys are ticked off... but that's the way the public see's you.

Can you find a shred of published material to support this contention?

Ross

[Nicholas Carey]

I love it. We'll dismantle FEMA because it's run incompetently by people who's mission it was to destroy the agency (that right having been opposed to FEMA from the get-go).

Then we'll re-creates as NPRA (National Preparedness and Response Authority), probably with the same management.

Somehow, a change in acronym and letterhead will somehow improve things. :rolleyes: Probably sharper, snazzier uniforms, too (that's always worked well for the Italians :D). Maybe with knee-high, shiny black leather boots :D

I'm dubious.

It might be better just to clean house at FEMA, starting from the top (GWB) and working down 'til you get to about GS-13 or so. That should clear out the deadwood and political appointees.

[Vince Brennan]

Geez... I can't believe youse is all whompin' on that poor Doofus we didn't elect again! Anyone should know that the whole thing is the result of Tom Ridge turning a deaf ear to the thoughts of his underwear.... I mean underlings!

Seriously, FEMA was for years a respected and quite useful agency. They didn;t always get it right, but they usually had a pretty good idea on what to do and how to do it, and managed to do some good for stricken folks and communities - until they got stuck into HSA. My uncle, who worked for FEMA since the early '70's, has some most interesting comments on the present management... I'd include a few here but your monitors would melt.

(Hey, Tristan! You forgot "Pinko Faggot"... always one of my favourites when being addressed by some beer-belly in a hardhat with halitosis.)

Gary: I don't think NOBODY in the last ten years (in their right mind) has considered the NG as "a way to avoid the real Army"... they pretty much know that in the event of something larger than a hangnail, they're gonna be there either as support companies (and a REMF in a war-zone is STILL in a war-zone!) or as combat engineers/ Hog-jockeys/ Medics or something else that gets high-velocity messaging/ has to deall with the results thereof.

The LNG had a really tough row... patrolling somewhere when you know your home is in the same shape is just a bit more than most NG (or anyone) may be able to cope with... I know I sure wouldn't do so good under those conditions.

But I's a "long-haired hippy pinko commie fag"....

Gee. We is met the emeny and he be's us.

[Alan D. Hyde]

Along with the Depts. of Education, of Commerce, & of Energy.

For a start...

Alan

[Tristan]

(Hey, Tristan! You forgot "Pinko Faggot"... always one of my favourites when being addressed by some beer-belly in a hardhat with halitosis.)


Damn, Ah knowd I'd done forgot sumthin, yeah, "Pinko Faggot Commie Bastid Racist Ignorant White Trash Muva," Thas me! Hey, thanks Vince Good Buddy.

[Meerkat]

I love it. We'll dismantle FEMA because it's run incompetently by people who's mission it was to destroy the agency (that right having been opposed to FEMA from the get-go).

Then we'll re-creates as NPRA (National Preparedness and Response Authority), probably with the same management.

Somehow, a change in acronym and letterhead will somehow improve things. :rolleyes: Probably sharper, snazzier uniforms, too (that's always worked well for the Italians :D). Maybe with knee-high, shiny black leather boots :D

I'm dubious.

It might be better just to clean house at FEMA, starting from the top (GWB) and working down 'til you get to about GS-13 or so. That should clear out the deadwood and political appointees.
My sentiments exactly. Besides, if they disband FEMA, they'd have to change all those secret laws that give FEMA dictitorial powers in the event of national emergency!

[Vince Brennan]

Damn, Ah knowd I'd done forgot sumthin, yeah, "Pinko Faggot Commie Bastid Racist Ignorant White Trash Muva," Thas me! Hey, thanks Vince Good Buddy.
No problem, ya Lef-leanin', Fellow-travelin', Union-organizin', Mao-kissin' P.O.S.!

(Sings off-key as he exits, stage left: "... As the last fight we shall face....")

[huisjen]

To get even further off topic, I once saw a personal ad in the Cornell Daily Sun: "Two long-haired degenerate hippy freaks, into flowers, kittens, and chocolate chip cookies. We can find bed-mates of our own without the personals. Please do not call 234-5678." Later I met them. They'd gotten several calls.

Dan