[Rhodes22-list] Rummies observation

Tue Sep 6 11:21:33 EDT 2005

Brad,

> investigated and will be.  What did the head of FEMA
> do before that job?  I forget, I think he was some
> political hack, kinda like Truman.

The answer:
 "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"
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=100857

Have fun at MCPP - lots of problems for you guys to solve.

Ron

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "brad haslett" <flybrad at yahoo.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 9:42 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Rummies observation

> Ron,
>
> I haven't absolved anybody of anything.  Iraq and
> Katrina are two separate issues, however, the same
> people who complain about ursurping the power of the
> dictator in Iraq are now complaining that the POTUS
> didn't ursurp power from the mayor of NO and the
> Governor of LA.  Maybe W learned his "Pottery Barn"
> lesson in Iraq and didn't want to make the same
> mistake twice.  What some people seem to be saying is
> that the President should have immediately flown to
> NO, stood on the dike with shovel in hand, had his
> Cabinet take over the state and local governments, and
> personally command the evacuation of the city.  He DID
> call the Governor and "twist her arm" to do just that,
> and she acknowledged that in the evacuation press
> conference with the mayor at her side.  Did FEMA
> underperform?  Probably, no matter how well some
> person or institution performs, they can always do
> better.  Was FEMA a complete failure?  They did a
> pretty good job in Florida last year, perhaps less
> than adequate this year.  This all deserves to be
> investigated and will be.  What did the head of FEMA
> do before that job?  I forget, I think he was some
> political hack, kinda like Truman.
>
> Speaking of performing, I have to jump in the
> simulator for training for my new job.  Afterwords I'm
> going to the Memphis Center for Peace and Prosperity
> for some scotch, I mean meetings.  They always have an
> answer.  I'll let you know this evening.
>
> Brad
>
> --- Ronald Lipton <rlipton at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> Brad,
>>
>>    I can't believe thast you are willing to absolve
>> FEMA and
>> the Federal government for this disaster.  It was
>> clearing beyond
>> the scope of any local abilities.  There was more
>> than adequate
>> warning of the hurricane, and the were multiple
>> statments about
>> resources being prepositioned to be available
>> immediatlely after
>> landfall.  The chaos was obvious. Statements by
>> Chertoff and
>> Brown were immediately contradicted by facts on the
>> ground.
>> Part of this may be the belief in the the government
>> that spin
>> is everything - if you spin right it doesn't matter
>> what you do.
>>
>> It seems to me that there is plenty of blame to go
>> around, local,
>> state, and national.  But I am hoping that people
>> start thinking
>> about real priorities - do we want to continue
>> spending ~100 billion\
>> to create the most fertile breeding ground for
>> terrorists in the
>> world in Iraq.  Is the environment important? Is is
>> worth ~20 billion
>> to restore the protective wetlands?  Global warming
>> is real. Do we have
>> a policy?  What are the effects? Are we happy with
>> the loss of
>> manufacting in the US?  What does it really mean to
>> the economy and
>> the workforce?
>>
>> Whoops - I am getting off subject.  But a final quiz
>> question - what
>> was the head of FEMA's previous job?
>>
>> Ron
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "brad haslett" <flybrad at yahoo.com>
>> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
>> <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 7:44 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Rummies observation
>>
>>
>> > Wally,
>> >
>> > It will be years before NO recovers from this, the
>> > nation as well, and there will be lots of failing
>> > grades passed around when all the investigations
>> are
>> > over.  In the meantime, a lot of people are still
>> > suffering and still need our help, and money, or
>> both.
>> >
>> > The last revision of a bad plan from the city of
>> NO
>> > was to make and distribute DVD's before this years
>> > hurricane season, educating the citizens that in
>> the
>> > event of a major hurricane, "you are on your own".
>>
>> > The city plan also included using the city and
>> school
>> > system bus fleet for evacuation but even that
>> wasn't
>> > implemented.
>> >
>> > As we speak, the National Guard is still under
>> command
>> > of the LA governor.  If regular military units
>> > step-in, they can engage in relief efforts only,
>> not
>> > law enforcement under the Posse Comitatus Act.
>> Every
>> > FEMA engagement plan assumes that the local
>> > authorities will control the first 72 hours.  It
>> is
>> > painfully clear that NO either could not or would
>> not
>> > do that.  "Cowboy" Bush could have stepped up to
>> the
>> > plate and taken over the whole operation early-on
>> > through his emergency powers, something no
>> President
>> > has done since Reconstruction.
>> >
>> > Unless we are willing to re-write the constitution
>> > dividing the separations of local/state/federal
>> power,
>> > we have to assume that each level of government
>> will
>> > do their part at the appropriate time.  If they
>> can't
>> > or won't, these are the results we get.
>> Tragically
>> > for the citizens of NO, a lot of elected officials
>> > failed to do their part.
>> >
>> > The lesson that should be burning in all our
>> 'noggins'
>> > as we discuss these issues is this:  Take
>> > responsibility for you and your family's welfare.
>> Be
>> > a Boy Scout - be prepared.
>> >
>> > Brad
>> >
>> > --- Wally Buck <tnrhodey at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> As always it is hard to figure out the truth. One
>> >> thing for sure I have
>> >> never seen anything like this. It does seems that
>> >> many mistakes were made by
>> >> local, State and Federal officials. You can also
>> >> second guess anyone who had
>> >> the means to leave but stayed. I can't see murder
>> >> charges for officials but
>> >> it does seem that Home Land Security running FEMA
>> is
>> >> a cluster f**k.
>> >>
>> >> Did FEMA really send water back? Was the Guard
>> >> authorization form just
>> >> haning out of a fax machine waiting a signature
>> or
>> >> what? I am not a big Bush
>> >> fan but it is hard for me to believe that the
>> whole
>> >> delay was because Bush
>> >> was chopping wood. Local officials let the people
>> >> down years ago by not
>> >> developing a solid plan. It cost dearly,
>> hopefully
>> >> other areas learn from
>> >> this.
>> >>
>> >> A nice three days sailing! What a weekend.
>> >>
>> >> Wally
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> >From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>> >> >Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
>> >> <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> >> >To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
>> >> <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> >> >Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Rummies observation
>> >> >Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2005 12:28:38 -0400
>> >> >
>> >> >Nice try, Ed, but it won't wash.
>> >> >
>> >> >1/2 the Louisiana National Guard was in
>> Iraq--along
>> >> with all of their meals
>> >> >ready to eat, and most of their equipment.  (We
>> >> have now asked your friends
>> >> >in France to send us food and water trucks.)
>> >> Walmart immediately sent
>> >> >water, but FEMA sent it back saying New Orleans
>> >> didn't need it.
>> >> >
>> >> >The Director of Homeland Security and the Head
>> of
>> >> FEMA both said they
>> >> >didn't even know there were 15,000 people
>> totally
>> >> at the mercy of roving
>> >> >gangs within the New Orleans Convention Center
>> at a
>> >> time when news
>> >> >organizations were reporting about it on
>> national
>> >> television from the site.
>> >> >
>> >> >The Governor and Mayor immediately called other
>> >> states for help, and the
>> >> >other Governors were ready to send, but W. was
>> >> clearing brush in Texas,
>> >> >Condi was shopping in NYC, -- (August is a
>> vacation
>> >> month) -- and there was
>> >> >no one in DC to authorize the transfer of
>> National
>> >> Guard troops.  (You see,
>> >> >the states can't just send their armed militias
>> >> into other states, they've
>> >> >got to get authorization from the Federal
>> >> Government--which didn't happen.
>> >> >And why should it?  "I don't think anyone
>> >> anticipated the breach of the
>> >> >levees" -- George W. Bush, Good Morning America,
>> >> September 1, 2005.
>> >> >
>>
> === message truncated ===
>
>
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