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September 07, 2005
FEMA Bureaucracy (Hillary Could Be Correct)
Paul, a reader of this blog, gave the following feedback to the Dodo's last post:
The question in NO isn't who is to blame; it is why, after so many years of preparation, did it take so many days for the federal bureaucracy to spring into action? Why didn't everybody immediately start delivering the goods they had? Disorganization is bad, but inaction in this instance was worse. Especially when there are people on the ground stating FEMA turned away supplies like water and diesel fuel from the city. WHY?
The Dodo believes that Paul answered his own questions when he used the expression "federal bureaucracy". All too often the word bureaucracy is the opposite of the word speed.
In an interview with Bill O'Reilly, former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich made the following statement about bureaucratic trouble:
I think that the entire system of homeland security failed. And I want to draw a distinction . . . This is not about the brand new secretary of homeland security. It's not about any individual person. The process by which we try to solve these problems is so bureaucratic, so slow, and so cumbersome, you just had this amazing quote that you showed there, where a very, very smart man, and the secretary's a very smart man, is explaining that he's listening to all these meetings and having all of these conference calls while the television on his desk is telling him about a reality that is totally different.
So what is causing FEMA's bureaucratic trouble?
Senator Hillary Clinton has claimed that FEMA performed better when the agency wasn't under the Department of Homeland Security.
Senator Clinton could be correct. There is a layer of bureaucracy between FEMA and the President that didn't exist until the current presidential administration. Perhaps the additional layer of bureaucracy is slowing FEMA's responses to emergencies.
Could the problem be with Michael Brown, the current director of FEMA?
Michelle Malkin wants President Bush to fire Brown. If Brown is the problem, then Brown should go. The fact that he is a Bush appointee isn't an excuse for giving Brown an automatic pass.
The Dodo still believes that local and state officials are mostly responsible for disaster recovery in their areas. Yet, FEMA exists in order to do things that state and local governments cannot do for themselves during disasters. Whether we are liberals or conservatives, Democrats or Republicans, we all pay taxes to the federal government, and some of those taxes fund FEMA. Regardless of our political orientation, we all expect federal agencies to do what they are paid to do, including FEMA.
If FEMA's director is incompetent, then he should become the ex-director.
If FEMA cannot function properly under the Department of Homeland Security, then restore FEMA's independence. We shouldn't let partisan politics keep us from admitting that Senator Clinton may have put her finger on the problem.
Posted by Dodo David at September 7, 2005 09:45 PM
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Comments
Wow - a non-partisan post. I am, frankly, amazed.
You certainly don't care if I praise your efforts, but this is definitely very positive.
Thank you for the honesty.
Posted by: tj at September 7, 2005 10:01 PM
Just a point of order... according to info at Hugh Hewitt, it was the STATE FEMA, not the federal guys, who were turning away help, particularly for the people at the dome and convention centers. Apparently the Red Cross was coming from day 1 (prior to levee breach even) with food, water, and grooming supplies and were turned away by the state FEMA people. The thinking was understandable, if misguided... terribly misguided. At the time, it appears they were thinking they'd get everyone out and they didn't want supplies brought in that encouraged people to stay. Bad decision! I have no idea what the communication is between the state FEMA people and the federal FEMA people, but I think it is the Gov. who's in control of the state FEMA. It is starting to seem like the governor kept hoping things would happen one way, and the broke the other way every time. I think, in the end, she's not going to come out looking too good. Which isn't to say the feds will either, because I'm sure there were miscalculations made at every level. Some of hers are starting to show up as having caused significant suffering and delays, though.
Posted by: irishlad317 at September 8, 2005 12:41 AM
Correction: It wasn't the state FEMA, it was the state of LA's department of homeland security that directed the Red Cross not to bring food, water, and hygeine products to the dome and convention center. They didn't want the food and water to become a magnet for more people coming to those places. BAD DECISION!!!
Posted by: irishlad317 at September 8, 2005 02:10 PM
They did not want to starve the people at the SuperDome and the Convention Center and other sites in New Orleans. They just didn't want to set up shelters. The purpose of a shelter is to allow people to stay where they are. They didn't and don't want people to stay in New Orleans.
It was the Federal Government, FEMA's job to feed the people until they evacuated them. FEMA didn't do that.
They DID want the SuperDome to become a gathering place, so they could evacuate people from that location. But they did not want people to think that the Red Cross setting up a shelter meant that they could stay in New Orleans.
It was NOT that they didn't want food and water at the SuperDome. They did not want a shelter set up there. There's a big difference between not wanted a shelter set up and not wanting people to have food to eat or water to drink.
That is why they did not set up the SuperDome with food and water ahead of time. It was not a "shelter". It was a "shelter of last resort", and as such simply a place to shelter from the storm and not a place to expect to find long term food and water. In fact, the citizens of New Orleans were told by Nagin to bring their own food, water, bedding, etc to the shelter. They provided buses to get people there. But they did not want to encourage anyone to stay in New Orleans, so they did not set the SuperDome or anyplace else up as a "shelter".
Posted by: monkey at September 9, 2005 01:14 AM