Senate Panel Recommends Abolishing FEMA

[tocqueville]

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer
28 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Hurricane Katrina's latest fatality should be FEMA, the nation's disaster response agency, a Senate inquiry concluded in calling for a government overhaul to avoid future failures like those the devastating storm exposed.

Eighty-six recommendations by the bipartisan panel indicate the United States is still woefully unprepared for a storm of Katrina's scope with the start of the hurricane season little more than a month away.

Though the proposed changes do not place blame on any official or government agency, Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., will offer "additional views" to the panel's findings in a statement accusing President Bush of failing "to provide critical leadership when it was most needed."

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

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&u=/ap/20060427/ap_on_go_co/katrina_congress_15

[dorktv]

1. Except for that last statement, the agency has not been all that great

in its 20+ years of existance. It only was because of Clinton putting someone who knew what they were doing and willing to do it that it became the success in the 90s.

[annabanana]

2. The question is, Could it be brought back to 90's condition?

If it were taken out of DHS, funded properly and staffed by experienced, competent people.. would that not work?

[Squeech]

3. In enlightened societies

such an organization wouldn't be a political football. It'd be a coordinating agency among first responders (police, fire, health, etc) with access to bigger tools (e.g. bulldozers) that your local police might not have on hand.

Of course that wasn't what the Bushies did with it. During the 2004 hurricane season, they just told Brownie to scurry around Florida handing out money. But then, the Bushies pretty much define bureaucratic incompetence and sleaze.

They expect this year's hurricane season, which starts in a month, to be on par with last year's, so whatever organization gets tasked with disaster recovery will get plenty of practice.

[dorktv]

9. Of course it could, but that is not going to happen anytime soon.

There needs to be a dual agency to respond to the two types of disasters: natural massive ones like hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, and one to respond to localized ones such as terrorist attacks.

[treestar]

4. This kind of thing is bull. Like the INS being dismantled. Just

bureaucratic shuffling. During the shuffling, nothing at all gets done. God forbid there should be a disaster during the shuffling. Purely stupid to "punish" the bureaucracy. We're just punishing ourselves.

[marmar]

5. This new department they propose would remain under Homeland Security...

Meaning it wouldn't be anymore effective than FEMA is. They just don't get it.

:argh:

[meegbear]

6. Typical repug response ...

when they fuck up, blame someone, or something, else.

Hopefully this will be another nail in Lieberman's re-election coffin.

[BRLIB]

7. Underfund, render agencies incompetent by hiring

Brownies and then use incompetence as an excuse for elimination! Have we seen this before?

By that token we should abolish the Military as they have not succeeded in Iraq.
Or how about the Executive Branch?

Actually DHS should be eliminated, not FEMA and FEMA put back to Cabinet level.

Of course only agencies that actually help or provide for our own people can be subject to elimination. EPA, HUD, etc. may be next.

[annabanana]

8. Clearly Norquist is still splashing around in that tub....

along with all the others stupid enough to buy the plan

or rich enough not to NEED America.