FEMA won't release hurricane survey data

[DoYouEverWonder]

The survey assesses how good a job people think FEMA did in responding to the 2004 hurricane season.

November 28, 2005

FORT MYERS - Federal emergency officials say they won't release information from a survey of people who had home inspections after last year's hurricanes.

The News-Press of Fort Myers had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the data from the survey, which was seeking information on how well the hurricane victims thought FEMA performed its job, under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

The newspaper asked for data from a FEMA survey of about 3,000 people whose homes were inspected by FEMA to assess damage after Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jeanne and Ivan hit the state in 2004.

The newspaper sought summaries of the answers, as well as comments from surveyed homeowners, as part of an effort to determine whether Floridians thought FEMA did a good job responding.

But FEMA acting director of recovery David Garratt said in a letter to the newspaper that the information was confidential. The newspaper reported Sunday that Garratt wasn't available for further comment.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/11/28/State/FEMA_won_t_release_hu.shtml

Confidential my ass. I can't imagine why the wouldn't want to release the results of this survey. :sarcasm:

[BOSSHOG]

1. "FEMA" could screw up a one car funeral prosession"

So sayeth my congressman - Gene Taylor (D) Mississippi.

The information is confidential, no further comment. Could be the motto for the gop.

[mbperrin]

2. Secret, secret, secret!!!! Cheneyize everything until nothing is left.

Then maybe the fuckers will change their citizenship to Swiss and get the fuck out of OUR country!

love to say more...Officer Mike, how's the wife and kids???

[Swamp Rat]

3. Confidential?

Yet, they want us to sign over our right to privacy to THEM? Fuck off

FEMA just doesn't want Americans to know how bad they fucked up nor do they want us to know how many died due to their negligence.

Why isn't Michael Brown in a jail cell right now?

[hootinholler]

7. They've had a problem with FOIA from the get-go:

President Gerald R. Ford wanted to sign the Freedom of Information Act strengthening amendments passed by Congress 30 years ago, but concern about leaks (shared by his chief of staff Donald Rumsfeld and deputy Richard Cheney) and legal arguments that the bill was unconstitutional (marshaled by government lawyer Antonin Scalia, among others) persuaded Ford to veto the bill, according to declassified documents posted today by the National Security Archive to mark the 30th anniversary of the veto override.

The documents include President Ford's handwritten notation on his first legislative briefing document after succeeding President Nixon in August 1974, that "a veto presents problems. How serious are our objections?" White House aide Ken Cole wrote Ford on September 25, 1974, "There is little question that the legislation is bad on the merits, the real question is whether opposing it is important enough to face the political consequences. Obviously, there is a significant political disadvantage to vetoing a Freedom of Information bill, especially just before an election, when your Administration's theme is one of openness and candor."

On November 20, 1974, the House of Representatives voted to override Ford's veto by a margin of 371 to 31; on November 21, the Senate followed suit by a 65 to 27 vote, giving the United States the core Freedom of Information Act still in effect today with judicial review of executive secrecy claims

From here. Funny, how Rumsfeld and Cheney keep poping up on the curtailment of rights and disclosure side of the coin. You thought * was behind all the secrecy?

-Hoot

[Canuckistanian]

12. Sorry, any survey data taken by the govt. should be public

It's not "sensitive" security information and it's certainly not proprietary.

Someone should file a FOIA request.

[Swamp Rat]

13. Sorry?

Huh?

I'm bitching because FEMA won't give me more aid unless I give them complete authority over every aspect of my life, including childhood medical records. They told me that they want complete access to EVERYTHING about my private life - no more help for Katrina victims unless they sign a piece of paper giving FEMA full access to, and sovereignty over every written record in one's entire life. In other words, they want victims of a natural disaster to give up their constitutional rights or else die for lack of aid.

[flordehinojos]

16. i wouldn't and won't give FEMA a single iota's right to peer into my

private life, though i am sure that through their big brother operation they already know about me much more than they should ever know.

years ago caroline kennedy and another lawyer wrote a book dealing with the intrusion of government into the rights of privacy of ordinary citizens.

i don't remember the name of the book and it may have not been a big hit back then when America didn't even think that their rights to privacy were being intruded upon.

and this here FEMA saying they'll not release any information on people who have applied for help in, Ft. Myers (was it?), all i can say is these bushiites know how to turn an argument and squeal like pigs going to the slaughterhouse when it is convenient for them to do so.

[Canuckistanian]

18. Well, that's another point

Not the one I was referring to.

And I agree with you. Giving out personal information to this government is inviting privacy violations.

You know your name is going into a giant database somewhere. And it ain't for helping you.

[ninkasi]

19. Swamp Rat...

How can FEMA justify needing things like childhood medical records? Or the other information they say they need? Those things have nothing to do with helping you rebuild.

It's a shame you and a bunch of other hurricane victims can't call a press conference, have the t.v. news cameras film the destruction of your homes, then tell the public what FEMA is demanding before they help you. I know, you and I are peasants, and can't call press conferences, but still...WHY do they claim they need this stuff?

It's beyond depressing, thinking of you and the others, your whole lives swept away by a storm, then denied help by the government who is supposed to be there for you. I know it's no consolation to you, but I do pray for you and the others, and a lot of my conversations with friends are concerning the plight of victims of Katrina.

I think some of my family members are tired of hearing me talk about it, but as I point out, natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more devastating, and the same thing could happen to any of us. What happens to you today can happen to me tomorrow, so it seems only natural that I want you helped, if I expect help when my time comes.

[Swamp Rat]

20. thanks

:hug:

[Dover]

4. Bad or contradictory news is always 'confidential' . That covers just

about EVERYTHING coming out of this mis-administration.

[UpInArms]

5. "confidential"??????

This is so much crap!

This is funded by taxpayer dollars - what is done with our dollars and in our name is NOT CONFIDENTIAL - it is PUBLIC INFORMATION.

These corrupt cretins should be in prison.

[Ganja Ninja]

6. Sssshhh! FEMA's fucked up but don't tell anyone. It's a secret.

Mum's the word. :eyes:

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. FEMA who?

I went through 3 hurricanes last year and never saw anyone or anything from FEMA.

The NG showed up and gave out ice, but the supermarkets were already open again and for $1 you didn't have to wait in line.

One fact Americans need to wake up to, when disaster strikes, you are on your own.

[Ganja Ninja]

10. I spent my Thanksgiving holiday moving a friend out of the

Florida Keys because of Wilma. He lost a couple of used cars and some stuff he had stored at ground level but most of his belongings were OK. I had to borrow a company truck from my boss and pay $250.00 in fuel cost out of pocket. I think he can get money from FEMA to pay for it but I told him not to bother. The less contact with this government the better. They're libel to take the money out of his tax return.

[waiting for hope]

9. We got a first hand

response the night before last on how fucked up FEMA is - my brother in law stayed during Katrine in NOLA and after wards, was in a boat helping others as well as the local fire departments and the National Guard. He said the minute FEMA showed up, every thing was tanked and they only made the situation worse by their own confusion and incompetence....just what in the hell are our tax dollars paying for anyway?

[Mira]

11. It's on my bumper:

"There's nothing wrong with the White House that FEMA can't fix"

I just got back from the Florida Keys.
It's a mess. And it's always the poor that are hurt the most.

[yellowcanine]

14. Who paid for the damn survey? If it is aggregate data and we paid for it,

don't we have the right to see what our money bought? There is no way that aggregate data from a survey of thousands of people violates any confidentiality rules.

[formercia]

15. My work is so secret

even I don't know what i'm doing.

[kestrel91316]

17. Okay, what's the lame excuse this time?

National security??

Executive privilege??

[OregonBlue]

21. So is the News-Press prepared to sue. This is information

collected with taxpayer dollars. No state secrets involved. Contact Louisiana congress people and the black caucus. Make a big stink!!