Katrina Report Lambastes White House (1 Viewer)

[scottyz]

The nation's beleaguered disaster response agency should be abolished and rebuilt from scratch to avoid a repeat of multiple government failures exposed by Hurricane Katrina, a Senate inquiry has concluded.

Crippled by years of poor leadership and inadequate funding, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency cannot be fixed, a bipartisan investigation says in recommendations to be released Thursday.

Taken together, the 86 proposed reforms charge the United States is still woefully unprepared for a disaster such as Katrina with the start of the hurricane season a little more than month away.

"The United States was, and is, ill-prepared to respond to a catastrophic event of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina," the recommendations warn. "Catastrophic events are, by their nature, difficult to imagine and to adequately plan for, and the existing plans and training proved inadequate in Katrina."

The recommendations, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, are the product of a seven-month investigation detailed in a Senate report to be released next week. It follows similar inquiries by the House and White House and comes in an election year in which Democrats have seized on Katrina to attack the Bush administration.

President Bush will visit Louisiana and Mississippi — which bore the brunt of Katrina's wrath — on Thursday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060427/ap_on_go_co/katrina_congress

I do believe that FEMA has major problems, but is this trying to rebuild it from the ground up going to make things any better? The transition would probably create even more miscommunication.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060427/ap_on_go_co/katrina_congress

I do believe that FEMA has major problems, but is this trying to rebuild it from the ground up going to make things any better? The transition would probably create even more miscommunication.

No, the best thing to do would be to kill the thing, drive an old-growth redwood forest stake through it's heart, fill it's mouth with salt and sew it up tight, and cast it's body in its wild rose filled coffin to the bottom of a running river, tying to it all politicians thinking of resurrecting it.

Then we can tell the property owners to buy their own damn insurance, it's not the job of the taxpayers to bail their cheap asses out evertime a perfectly predictable natural event tips over their outhouse.

 

[Thorgasm]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

No, the best thing to do would be to kill the thing, drive an old-growth redwood forest stake through it's heart, fill it's mouth with salt and sew it up tight, and cast it's body in its wild rose filled coffin to the bottom of a running river, tying to it all politicians thinking of resurrecting it.

Then we can tell the property owners to buy their own damn insurance, it's not the job of the taxpayers to bail their cheap asses out evertime a perfectly predictable natural event tips over their outhouse.

Yes, if that were the only problem. Insurance might pay for a house. What about jobs? What about infrastructure? What about security and safety?

 

[alphamale]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

I agree - it burns me when I hear about zillions of dollars to "rebuild new orleans" - what does that mean? Give people free houses from the taxpayers? Also that clown mayor - he get's to distibute funds through political patronage? Why should I have to pay to "rebuild" a place where nobody should be living, and if the ecoloons are to be believed, will end up under water again? Where I live the main threat is earthquakes - I got earthquake insurance. Duhhhhhhh .... I be smart! :doh

 

[PeteEU]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Dont worry alphamale so far very few of your tax dollars have been put into rebuilding New Orleans and those tax dollars that have been put in, have mostly gone to Bush/GOP friendly companies who have most likely overcharged the goverment.

And sure get rid of FEMA... might as well be totaly unprepared for such events or are you in the belief that it will not happen again?

And they are still finding bodies in New Orleans.

 

[alphamale]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Dont worry alphamale so far very few of your tax dollars have been put into rebuilding New Orleans and those tax dollars that have been put in

I'll stop worrying when NONE of them go in.

 

[tecoyah]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

In my opinion, FEMA worked far better as its own entity, rather than a piece of the Dept. of Homeland Security. It would seem on the surface that much of the failure found in this worthy agency was created by its incorporation into the blanket of DHS, and the poor choice of a director.
The past performance of FEMA has been, in my view, pretty damn good, and only began its downward spiral after it was castrated by HMS. Disband it?...probably not. But it likely needs to be freed of the red tape binding it now.

 

[tecoyah]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

I'll stop worrying when NONE of them go in.

I dont suppose you remember the aftermath of Loma Prieta Alpha.....FEMA did a pretty damn good Job in Cali after that.


And living where you do...it may be needed again.

http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=2046

 

[taxedout]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

those tax dollars that have been put in, have mostly gone to Bush/GOP friendly companies who have most likely overcharged the goverment.

Don't be naive, you can insert any president or party name and the results would be the same. This is the nature of beaurocracy. One more reason to save our tax money and give it back to us.

 

[imprtnrd]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Something needs to be done to straighten out FEMAs mess for sure. But can anyone tell me where all the millions of dollars that was donated by the people of this country went????? Ya, they use some for clean up but it is taken way to long to get the job done and the next hurricane season is fast approching.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

In my opinion, FEMA worked far better as its own entity, rather than a piece of the Dept. of Homeland Security. It would seem on the surface that much of the failure found in this worthy agency was created by its incorporation into the blanket of DHS, and the poor choice of a director.
The past performance of FEMA has been, in my view, pretty damn good, and only began its downward spiral after it was castrated by HMS. Disband it?...probably not. But it likely needs to be freed of the red tape binding it now.

My thoughts exactly. All I heared during Katrina was that there was too much beauracracy in Fema since it joined HLS. The system was broken and they're starting from scratch. How is this a bad idea?

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Yes, if that were the only problem. Insurance might pay for a house. What about jobs? What about infrastructure? What about security and safety?

Yeah, what about jobs? FEMA doesn't provide jobs, right now there are thousands of welfare mommas sitting in temporary camps collecting their checks and watching Jerry Springer, just like always, while other people rebuild from Katrina.

Infrastructure? Sounds like a state problem. For some reason, I can't figure out why Californians should be taxed to pay for the damage caused by six hurricanes a year, dozens of tornados, blizzards, ice storms, and floods elsewhere that happen every year when we rarely have any problems at all here. It would make economic sense for each state t o plan for their own disasters and not rely on the money stolen from other states to cover their irresponsibility.

What about security and safety? It's the government's function to provide policing. Abolishing the parasite that is FEMA won't change that, but what the hell, even the New Orleans cops were in on the looting, so why should anyone rely on the government anyway?

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

I dont suppose you remember the aftermath of Loma Prieta Alpha.....FEMA did a pretty damn good Job in Cali after that.


And living where you do...it may be needed again.

http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=2046

It'd be hard to get the figures, but I'm pretty sure that Californians pay out more, averaged annually, for other people's disasters than those people pay to cover the occasional earthquake here. We get one major earthquake every five years or so somewhere in the state, Floriduh, Alabama, Loseranna, Texas, and all those other states face the risk of hurrycanes coming ashore EVERY YEAR. It always snows in New York, and there's always tornados in the mid-West, and there's always idiots building on floodplains who expect my tax dollars to bail them out of their stupidity.

The federal government wasn't necessary for either the Loma Prieta quake nor the Northridge quake, nor any of the others. If the crutch wasn't there, the states would have to be prepared themselves, assuming the voters weren't total idiots (they are) and the politicians weren't total crooks (they are).

At the very most, the only thing the Fed should do in a disaster is provide loans to states (STATES, not people) to buffer the expense of rebuilding, and those loans must be repaid at market-determined rate of interest.

Period. Local damage control is just that, a local problem.

 

[Pen]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Infrastructure? Sounds like a state problem. For some reason, I can't figure out why Californians should be taxed to pay for the damage caused by six hurricanes a year, dozens of tornados, blizzards, ice storms, and floods elsewhere that happen every year when we rarely have any problems at all here. It would make economic sense for each state t o plan for their own disasters and not rely on the money stolen from other states to cover their irresponsibility.

The Gulf oil platforms, refineries and distribution mechanisms are very much a national issue and affect every state.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

The Gulf oil platforms, refineries and distribution mechanisms are very much a national issue and affect every state.

Oh, really? Last time I checked, they were private property owned and operated by private industry for private profit. When did we nationalize the oil industry?

 

[jonathanC.]

Katrina Report

The Katrina report came out today and of course Mr. Brown was charged with insubordination and a major cause for the problems with the after math chaos of the storm, along with the president and homeland security.
Although I may agree that Mr. brown may of had some resentment for being placed under another boss and losing his direct link to the President, He did still notify the white house of the impending doom. I do feel it was our biggest challenge as a nation that reached from Louisiana to Alabama.

The first line of defense and the first line of preparedness for survival and evacuation of the homeless, poor and the sick is the local and state governments. Now, talking mainly of the New Orleans area because it was hit with a flood. The Mayor of that City and the City officials were unprepared in equipment, which were there responsibility, manpower, training and a good well trained plan. I would expect my local government to have a plan and a means to help me not the federal Government. But, it is to easy to blame and to point the finger at someone else. The Governor of that State is just as well to blame as she was so worried about loosing her position of authority in talks with the White House during the storm when it could have helped the people she wanted to retain what she thought she would loose. As much blame is to go around many people have suffered and we are no closer to prepared for another.
One thing it was not that I get so sick and tired of hearing that the whole way it was handled was racism. That is totally off the wall and has nothing to do with anything. This is usually brought up by those who scream this when ever anything happens to a person that is black. This horse has been rode to death.

 

[Ivan The Terrible]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Scarecrow Akhbar,

While I agree with your statement I don't see why you have such hatered for the south.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Scarecrow Akhbar,

While I agree with your statement I don't see why you have such hatered for the south.

Expecting adults living in a particular region to take the precautions that region's environment dictates must be taken equals "hatred for the south"?

Wow. Someone has a major collision with reality coming soon.

 

[KCConservative]

Re: Katrina Report

Never fear. Mayor Nagin promises to return New Orleans to the the way God had intended....a chocolate New Orleans.

 

[Ivan The Terrible]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Scarecrow Akhbar,

You said:

Floriduh, , Loseranna

I do not know why you had to spell these states this way. Maybe you just made a misstake? Some kind of joke? Not very funny. Dude. Bold added by Your Master.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

Scarecrow Akhbar,

You said:



I do not know why you had to spell these states this way. Maybe you just made a misstake? Some kind of joke? Not very funny. Dude. Bold added by Your Master.

FLORRRRIDUH! A state so stupid it calls itself stupid when some of the people in it can't rig the election their way.

LOOOOSERANNA - A state with a major city below sea level that can't figure out that it's gonna flood once in a while and then goes crying when it does, as if anyone else is going to miss it.

I don't hate the south, slave, I just think it's a wonderful place for jokes.

 

[Stinger]

Re: Katrina Report

I live on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. Been going through hurricanes for over 50 years. The Federal Government is NOT the first line of rescue and recovery as you rightly noted. The come in days later for the major problems that the locals tell them need primary attention. Rescue and aid are the responsibilty of our local officials. They know the people here, they know the resources, they know the needs, they have practiced and praciticed and praciticed drill after drill after drill. The idea that the Federal Government can just swoop in and take over for everyone else and tell everyone what to do is insanity. And when I hear these idiot reports reporting it as if that is how it is done and the Federal Government FAILED I want to throw my shoe at the TV.

Nagin and Blanco are the two who failed to respond properly in the first place and everything that happened after that was a result.

 

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

Re: Katrina Report

I have about as much confidence in the Katrina Report as I do in the 9/11 Commission Report or the Warren Commission Report.

 

[alphamale]

Re: Abolish FEMA?

I dont suppose you remember the aftermath of Loma Prieta Alpha.....FEMA did a pretty damn good Job in Cali after that.


And living where you do...it may be needed again.

http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=2046

I have earthquake insurance - I neither need nor want the federal government to "rebuild" in case of any earthquake.