[Rhodes22-list] Katrina Update

[Brad Haslett]

Dave,

You are so full of shit.  Coordinate it with my schedule and I will get you
here. I'm flying home tomorrow. I'll be happy to fly you here  next week to
do some work.  You speak of theories but you have no idea of reality.  I'll
show you reality.  Get off your ass and come down here to to the scene of
the destruction.  Until then, you are all mouth and no action.  Put up or
shut up!  Spend one weekend pounding nails and then you will have some
credibility.  Until then, sell your  ideas in China.  Don't try it with the
Chinese I know, you'll get one meal and an ear full of how full of shit you
are.  I'm being redundant, forgive me. Let me state this clearly, you don't
know Jack Shit about what the whole Gulf situation is about, but if you are
the least bit curious, I'll arrange your education (minus the  heavy
equipment operators) .

Brad


On 2/3/07, DCLewis1 at aol.com <DCLewis1 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> Brad wrote (again a quote):Bush and the Congress had their heart in the
> right place over Katrina, but the inefficiencies and limits of government
> have
> reared it's predictable head. You could double the amount of money
> appropriated
> and it wouldn't speed things 10%.
>
>
> Dave writes: IMO, the notion that the Katrina money can't be obligated and
> spent because of the government bureaucracy is pure egregious BS, plan and
> simple.   It's a cop out by the political Administration - blame
> the  civilian
> bureaucracy.  It's not the civilian bureaucracy.  I worked  with federal
> government contracts for years, I know whereof I speak.
>
> I personally have staffed a contract from receipt of a new proposal, still
> in it's envelope,  to executed contract in 1 business day.  Commonly  it
> would
> take 30 to 90 days to staff, negotiate, and start the efforts I was
> associated with - in 17 years I can't recall any effort taking more than
> 100  days.  In
> urgent matters authorization to start work and incur costs can  be, and
> is,
> given long before the full contract was executed.  I know of  many
> contracting
> efforts that have taken more than 100 days to execute, but  those that I
> am
> familiar with were staffed by people who were just doing their  job, there
> was
> no sense of urgency.  The federal contracting system is  ponderous, but it
> can
> be dealt with by competent, dedicated motivated  people.  The problem is,
> nobody is motivating those people - it's business  as usual.  The long
> delay in
> getting Katrina money to contractors in the  gulf is
> inexcusable.  The  problem
> is, Bush, Sec Def, no one really  cares - it's not a priority.  The
> political
> Administration could focus  and motivate the contracting effort for the
> gulf
> coast in a heart beat, but  instead they are in a CYA mode and really
> doing
> nothing about Katrina.  It  appears to me that there is a lot more
> discussion,
> and acceptance, about  rebuilding Baghdad than there is about rebuilding
> New
> Orleans.
>
> Brad, it's interesting that you passively accept and endorse
> the  governments
> delay in rebuilding the gulf region, while appealing for volunteers  to
> help
> rebuild the region.  I understand it appeals to your ideology, but  it
> sure
> seems counter productive.  You want help, tell Jr to get off the  dime and
> do
> something.  Seems to me that dedicated professional help and  equipment,
> and a
> lot of it, will do much more to rebuild the gulf coast quickly  than will
> a
> gaggle of semi-competent volunteers.  Tell your Tenn and SC  Senators and
> Congresspeople to have that money directed to the TVA for  contracting -
> as I recall
> they had a reputation as a can-do outfit.  In  fact the TVA might be a
> very
> good agency to lead the rebuild.  I'd bet you  a doughnut they'd be
> thrilled to
> take on the task - really.  There's no  reason that money should be lying
> idle.
>
> Trust me, 100 church volunteers showing up in the gulf region for a weeks
> work will accomplish something, but if you got 100 million dollars out of
> the
> government to buy and operate a fleet of earthmovers and heavy equipment
> you'd
> get a whole lot more done a lot faster.  It can be done, but Jr or
> a  member
> of his cabinet has to want to do it.  There's no good reason it  should
> take
> this long to move that money, except that the political  leadership don't
> care
> or don't want to.
>
> Dave
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