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09/10/2005: Spoke WAY TOO Soon....
Okay, loath as I am to speak for my co-blogger, Len, (but I know he'll forgive me *wink*) I’m gonna go out on a limb here as I point out that we BOTH "Spoke TOO SOON" and were wrong.
Me – yesterday - on thinking there had been an actual “Accountability Moment” in this administration decision to remove Michael “Brownie” Brown from continuing to oversee the FEMA response to Hurricane Katrina.
Now we can also revisit this post from Len, and realize he spoke too soon about commending the $2,000 debit cards for Katrina survivors. As Noted in his Yahoo e-mail alert, the original $000 dollars for help for Katrina Victims is now the CORRECT number -- as this article (Daily Herald) explains:”The Bush administration dumped FEMA Director Michael Brown as commander of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts Friday, then abruptly scrapped plans to give $2,000 debit cards to displaced storm victims as it struggled to get a grip on the recovery operation.
…
Still, there was fresh evidence of raggedness in the effort when FEMA announced late in the day that it would discontinue a two-day-old program to issue debit cards worth up to $2,000 to displaced families. Evacuees relocated to Texas, many of whom began receiving cards on Friday, will continue getting them, officials said.
Hurricane victims at other locations will have to apply for expedited aid through the agency’s traditional route — filling out information on FEMA’s Web site to receive direct bank deposits, FEMA spokeswoman Natalie Rule said.
Brown introduced the program on Wednesday, calling it “a great way to ... empower these hurricane survivors to really start rebuilding their lives.”
At the White House, spokesman Scott McClellan said the decision to reassign Brown had been made by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and that Bush supported it….”
So, we ARE back to “Compassionate Conservatism” as the *watch words* for this bAdmin and NO actual Accountability as they continue to bungle their way through the Worst Disaster in National Memory.
We have *debates* with wing-nuts who want to continue to *believe* in Ole Dumbya (and on *what* basis I still am mystified) and merely heap their considerable contempt on the State and Locals in NOLA (who were indisputably overwhelmed and underprepared) as if that absolves any responsibility for the Federal response and FEMA for what is/was a NATIONAL disaster.
But every time I try to find something to commend this bAdmin for - it turns out to be a worthless mistake of accountability or too premature.
Also --as one teensie-tiny distinction here…the failures for the State and Locals in LA (for which I admit my personal knowledge of the issues of the local politics is ‘nil) were ELECTED and therefore accountable as to those that chose them and the failings which resulted.
Conversely, according to this WaPo article; the failures at FEMA is the DIRECT result of the APPOINTMENT of incompetent people at various positions and levels within FEMA by the Pres. This is HIS failure to behave like the CEO he touts himself to be. Pretending to be finding the “Best People for the JOB” and his expressed “Supreme confidence in their Abilities” cause he KNOWS they is such great Folks deep-down inside.
So, that I see a distinct difference in the Blame for failures in each of these categories…State and Local governments (elected by the people) versus Feds and FEMA with Political Appointees (by the Pres.) with NO Experience for the JOB qualifications Necessary is more than a minor quibble over “responsibility” and WHO bears the Blame for the poor results.
Karen on 09.10.05 @ 08:43 AM CST
