What Can (Michael) Brown Do For You? NOTHING
In my opinion, Michael Brown, head of FEMA, should be immediately fired. The NYP ( via Wonkette ) reports that in a memo Brown urged firefighters and emergency crews outside of the gulf states not to send help until requested. Ummmm yeah NOLA AND SURROUNDING AREAS HAD NO PHONE LINES OR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS. I know it's hard to be 100% prepared for a disaster but something is wrong in America if FEMA and rescue crews can't get to the stranded and helpless, but Harry Connick Jr. can stroll down to NOLA and save lives while reporting on the atrocities.
Even President Bush acknowledged that the initial emergency response to the gulf states was "unacceptable" and is calling for an investigation into FEMA procedures. Here's an idea - stop the fucking press conferences and debriefings, fire Brown, and hire Connick, Jr. as the director of FEMA. Then at least we would have live jazz entertainment at the unnecessary press conferences.
Even President Bush acknowledged that the initial emergency response to the gulf states was "unacceptable" and is calling for an investigation into FEMA procedures. Here's an idea - stop the fucking press conferences and debriefings, fire Brown, and hire Connick, Jr. as the director of FEMA. Then at least we would have live jazz entertainment at the unnecessary press conferences.
posted by VP of Dior at 11:55 AM
Don't state and local officials need to bear a lot of responsibility for their failures as well? What about school buses that weren't used? The Governor and the Mayor need to realize that they dropped the ball too.
Don't get me wrong, FEMA also screwed the pooch.
you make a very good point that state officials dropped the ball. the governor should have had more mobilization and resources dispatched. but local officials such as the new orleans PD and jefferson parish emergency response were at such a disadvantage because some of their crews had evacuated or were missing. and once again, no real way of communicating quickly. the mayor was holed up in a hyatt with blown out windows and no electricity. so he left for baton rouge for awhile where there were ways of communicating. what was he supposed to do? stay in NO and send out smoke signals to FEMA?
FEMA is such a larger organization with more money. someone from FEMA should have been down there assessing as soon as the levees broke, not waiting for a distress call.
because this is a disaster and many stages of this were unpredictable, it required swift action. i don't care what your political affiliation is, everyone should take a step back and realize that there is a need for change within the procedures of FEMA.
and i have to bring up race because it's totally tied to the socio-economic make-up of the whole area. was FEMA slow to respond because they saw images of thousands of black people helpless? in my heart i don't think so but it's hard to get the image of crying black babies and fathers begging for help out of my head.
the whole thing definitely makes me think of what would happen if D.C. were to have some awful flood? would FEMA reach my neighborhood first because i live in a more affluent section, while leaving the less fortunate black people in anacostia? or would they be slow to respond and leave my black ass sitting on a roof top?? i don't quite know...
VP
Let's be civilized here. Please don't bring race in to this. It has nothing to do with what is going on. I see the pictures and video too. Yes, it's part of the socio-economic makeup of the city, but I don't see how that plays into anything. The mayor still ordered people to the Super Dome instead of using buses to get the helpless out. And the mayor is black. Did the mayor make a terrible decision because he knew blacks would be hurt? I don't think so. The images break my heart too.
Are the feds to blame? Yes. They dropped the ball. Are state and local officials to blame? Yes, they too messed up. There were DAYS of warning before that bitch Katrina hit NO, why wasn't more done before the storm? Why wasn't aid sent/asked for after Bush declared an emergency before the storm hit? Hind sight is a bitch, but for now we need to concentrate on fixing the situation. Then after everyone who can be saved, has been saved, and we have returned to some kind of normalcy, we put some heads on the chopping block.
Good Talk by the way. Good talk.
ok, i think i'm being totally civilized and just voicing my fears - which aren't as far-fetched as you might think. i'm not saying you aren't empathethic, but it's a whole different ball game for some black people and how they are treated. America has come a good ways since integration, but that doesn't change the fact i still get discriminated against. whether you choose to believe it's an issue is up to you, but i am reminded of this each time i walk into a store and get followed or someone looks surprised when i tell them i attended college.
there is a certain level of pain associated with race relations that i can't quite explain. just look at my current situation with malibu ken.
but i agree, good conversation. i am all for open dialogue.i am an open-minded person and i simply try to be a good-natured human being.
I just took my shit and used your photograph to wipe my ass. It was very nice. When you work on your lame comeback let me know so I can wipe my ass with that as well.
VP,
You are being civilized. I just thought it a little much. But that's what good talks are for, emotion.
Anon,
Go fornicate yourself. How's that for a comeback?