NationStates Jolt Archive

The federal official in charge of the bungled New Orleans rescue was fired from his last private-sector job overseeing horse shows.

And before joining the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a deputy director in 2001, GOP activist Mike Brown had no significant experience that would have qualified him for the position.
The Oklahoman got the job through an old college friend who at the time was heading up FEMA.
The agency, run by Brown since 2003, is now at the center of a growing fury over the handling of the New Orleans disaster.

``I look at FEMA and I shake my head,'' said a furious Gov. Mitt Romney yesterday, calling the response ``an embarrassment.''
President Bush, after touring the Big Easy, said he was ``not satisfied'' with the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina's devastation.
And U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch predicted there would be hearings on Capitol Hill over the mishandled operation.

Brown - formerly an estates and family lawyer - this week has has made several shocking public admissions, including interviews where he suggested FEMA was unaware of the misery and desperation of refugees stranded at the New Orleans convention center.

Before joining the Bush administration in 2001, Brown spent 11 years as the commissioner of judges and stewards for the International Arabian Horse Association, a breeders' and horse-show organization based in Colorado.
``We do disciplinary actions, certification of (show trial) judges. We hold classes to train people to become judges and stewards. And we keep records,'' explained a spokeswoman for the IAHA commissioner's office. ``This was his full-time job . . . for 11 years,'' she added.
Brown was forced out of the position after a spate of lawsuits over alleged supervision failures.
``He was asked to resign,'' Bill Pennington, president of the IAHA at the time, confirmed last night.
Soon after, Brown was invited to join the administration by his old Oklahoma college roommate Joseph Allbaugh, the previous head of FEMA until he quit in 2003 to work for the president's re-election campaign.

The White House last night defended Brown's appointment.

Call them on it. Every one of them. Republican, Democrat, whatever. If the guy wants to point a finger, twist the finger till they scream.one of my fingers is pointing to Mike brown, one to The Governor, and I have several of them pointing to the white house.

I dont "want" to point a Finger...I am already pointing some fingers...for a couple of days now...

What are you going to do about it?

Political cronyism? No way!

But seriously, welcome to the world of politics.

Political cronyism? No way!

But seriously, welcome to the world of politics.

:rolleyes: Yeah, but even politics as usual isn't THIS bad.

:rolleyes: Yeah, but even politics as usual isn't THIS bad.

Read about 19th century American politics. Some of the things you'll read will make you glad you live in the 21st century.

This is honestly pathetic from a developed western nation that professes to be a superpower. The United States of America must begin an investigation immediately; even while the disaster relief is on going. Obviously the current officials in charge of relief operation are useless twits.

The local authorities are blameless. The mayor of New Orleans followed protocol to the letter, and was thereafter powerless once it went out of his hands.

The Hurricane was going to hit, that was a definite, so the authorities should have prepared for the worst eventuality.

A Category five hurricane heading towards a major city with only category three flood defences should light up warning lights all over Washington. Sadly the natural disaster was inevitable, but the humanitarian disaster is inexcusable.

Now I believe several questions need to be asked, after all someone has to be held accountable for this mess, this incompetence which could easily be viewed as manslaughter.

Why was the relief operation not prepared for sooner?

Some people might say that the federal agencies require local authorisation before intervening, however this is not an excuse. A simple look at the city and the hurricane would have told any and all officials that this disaster was going to happen, and that the scale would have been far and above anything that the local authorities could handle. Even building on a simple estimate from a few experts would have given federal agencies an idea, though hardly exact on which to meet the disaster with, after all they should always be preparing for a worst case scenario.

Then we must ask what were the major agencies doing in those three days before Katrina struck?

The main answer to that is nothing, they waited and watched just like the world.

What should they have been doing?

There should have been levee defences contracted, concrete blocks and the necessary pulleys to hold them manufactured. Water, food, and medical supplies prepared to ship out. Troops and national guard called back from leave and onto active duty in preparation for the clean up event.

All of this could have been done before Katrina struck instead of during the five days afterward.

The blame game is just not politics, the blame game is justice. People must not accept positions of responsibility unless they are prepared to live with the consequences of failure.

High profile positions such as those in disaster management are literally people lives on paper, if you screw up, you sentence thousands to death. Those officials who failed to do their jobs, who failed to do what they’re being paid to do must be brought before a court and tried for negligence.

It is expected, in any position of power and high rank that the individuals in question go above the call of duty, not to, and to become complacent costs lives.

I keep calling for "regime change", yet no one listens. They say, "what's the point? Bush is gone in '09 anyway."

Well...at this point I think it's obvious that we couldn't have elected anyone worse to run a country.

I'm not willing to wait 4 more years.

I've tried to be as moderate and "calm" as possible when addressing George Bush and his policies. But I have HAD IT at this point. Say what you want about me, but this is the last straw.

I want to see Bush IMPEACHED for his negligence!

EDIT: Nay! The entire administration!

I really hope he isn't treating the New Orlean population like those horses ...

This is honestly pathetic from a developed western nation that professes to be a superpower. The United States of America must begin an investigation immediately; even while the disaster relief is on going. Obviously the current officials in charge of relief operation are useless twits.

The local authorities are blameless. The mayor of New Orleans followed protocol to the letter, and was thereafter powerless once it went out of his hands.

The Hurricane was going to hit, that was a definite, so the authorities should have prepared for the worst eventuality.

A Category five hurricane heading towards a major city with only category three flood defences should light up warning lights all over Washington. Sadly the natural disaster was inevitable, but the humanitarian disaster is inexcusable.

Now I believe several questions need to be asked, after all someone has to be held accountable for this mess, this incompetence which could easily be viewed as manslaughter.

Why was the relief operation not prepared for sooner?

Some people might say that the federal agencies require local authorisation before intervening, however this is not an excuse. A simple look at the city and the hurricane would have told any and all officials that this disaster was going to happen, and that the scale would have been far and above anything that the local authorities could handle. Even building on a simple estimate from a few experts would have given federal agencies an idea, though hardly exact on which to meet the disaster with, after all they should always be preparing for a worst case scenario.

Then we must ask what were the major agencies doing in those three days before Katrina struck?

The main answer to that is nothing, they waited and watched just like the world.

What should they have been doing?

There should have been levee defences contracted, concrete blocks and the necessary pulleys to hold them manufactured. Water, food, and medical supplies prepared to ship out. Troops and national guard called back from leave and onto active duty in preparation for the clean up event.

All of this could have been done before Katrina struck instead of during the five days afterward.

The blame game is just not politics, the blame game is justice. People must not accept positions of responsibility unless they are prepared to live with the consequences of failure.

High profile positions such as those in disaster management are literally people lives on paper, if you screw up, you sentence thousands to death. Those officials who failed to do their jobs, who failed to do what they’re being paid to do must be brought before a court and tried for negligence.

It is expected, in any position of power and high rank that the individuals in question go above the call of duty, not to, and to become complacent costs lives.

Thankyou very much, pertinent and relevent.

I keep calling for "regime change", yet no one listens. They say, "what's the point? Bush is gone in '09 anyway."

Well...at this point I think it's obvious that we couldn't have elected anyone worse to run a country.

I'm not willing to wait 4 more years.

I've tried to be as moderate and "calm" as possible when addressing George Bush and his policies. But I have HAD IT at this point. Say what you want about me, but this is the last straw.

I want to see Bush IMPEACHED for his negligence!

EDIT: Nay! The entire administration!
Is gross incompetence grounds for impeachment?

Is gross incompetence grounds for impeachment?

Andrew Johnson from beyond the grave: NO!

I really hope he isn't treating the New Orlean population like those horses ...they NO people at CNN "we were treated like animals"

Is gross incompetence grounds for impeachment?

If you want to impeach the entire government in Washington, I would say so. Everyone failed, and everyone deserves to be punished. I wouldn't mind flushing out the sewer on the Potomac myself.

Is gross incompetence grounds for impeachment?Bush gross incompetence has caused thousands of deaths...

it should be

I really hope he isn't treating the New Orlean population like those horses ...

He isn't. Do you know how much horses cost?