AP - Michael Brown being removed from managing Katrina Relief
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Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
followed by ...
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
A good first step.
I hope they will follow up by restoring FEMA to a seperate agency apart from Homeland Security and put in place higher ups who have real emergency management experience.
I hope they will follow up by restoring FEMA to a seperate agency apart from Homeland Security and put in place higher ups who have real emergency management experience.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
kellyahern said:
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
edit: MrsSpringsteen is sharing my brain 
MaxFisher
War Child
kellyahern said:
Michael Brown oversaw 160+ disaster relief efforts during his tenure and was commended on several occasions by numerous publications for his effective leadership during those crises.
Unfortunately, he dropped the ball on this one and therefore his record is tarnished.
Did anyone else see this?
Someone was questioning last night (CNN or CNBC) on how someone (Michael Brown) could have been so effective last year in managing the Florida hurricane situation but such a failure this year...the response was Jeb Bush. They said that he actually ran the response effort last year and made Michael Brown look competent.
Anyone in Florida that experienced this?
Someone was questioning last night (CNN or CNBC) on how someone (Michael Brown) could have been so effective last year in managing the Florida hurricane situation but such a failure this year...the response was Jeb Bush. They said that he actually ran the response effort last year and made Michael Brown look competent.
Anyone in Florida that experienced this?
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
MaxFisher said:
He was also heavily criticized by several Florida officials (of both political parties) for the way FEMA handled the hurricanes down here in 2004. We had this discussion in a previous thread.
This is not just Brown's fault. It's an organizational problem too.
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
Westport said:
I think that I read that part of the success was due to Florida having a very strong state emergency management director (who I assume was appointed by Jeb Bush).
The problems with FEMA occured later, in the relief money that they allocated to different counties and problems with fraud.
Jimmy Carter? 
Former Indiana Democrat congressman and 9/11 commissioner Tim Roemer called on President Bush to name former President Jimmy Carter to the head of efforts to rebuild New Orleans.
Roemer "The second thing we should do is put somebody like former President Jimmy Carter in charge of rebuilding New Orleans."
I don't think that Jimmy is the answer. But who?
Former Indiana Democrat congressman and 9/11 commissioner Tim Roemer called on President Bush to name former President Jimmy Carter to the head of efforts to rebuild New Orleans.
Roemer "The second thing we should do is put somebody like former President Jimmy Carter in charge of rebuilding New Orleans."
I don't think that Jimmy is the answer. But who?
Former Indiana Democrat congressman and 9/11 commissioner Tim Roemer called on President Bush to name former President Jimmy Carter to the head of efforts to rebuild New Orleans.
Roemer "The second thing we should do is put somebody like former President Jimmy Carter in charge of rebuilding New Orleans."
I don't think that Jimmy is the answer. But who?
Roemer "The second thing we should do is put somebody like former President Jimmy Carter in charge of rebuilding New Orleans."
I don't think that Jimmy is the answer. But who?
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
Technically, he's still the head of FEMA. He's just being removed from Katrina duties.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9266986/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9266986/
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
anitram said:I thought he was doing a heckuva job???
he is, but he is needed to start rebuilding Trent Lott's house
maybe they had to take action somehow to counteract the criticism, so maybe this is part of that
I'm so confused and frustrated I don't know what to think anymore
Lila64
Blue Crack Distributor
"Brown will be replaced by Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen, who earlier this week was named his deputy to oversee relief and rescue efforts." I saw that on the news briefly when I awoke. Brown is headed back to Washington. Allen will be in charge on the ground...
Scarletwine
New Yorker
Now it's truly a militarized zone
At least he's got to be better than Brown, he still should be fired.
At least he's got to be better than Brown, he still should be fired.
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
Oh, Brown's not being removed because he did a bad job. He's being removed so he can prepare "for other hurricanes" that might occur.
“Other challenges and threats remain around the world,” and Brown is needed to prepare for those, Chertoff said at a news conference in Baton Rouge.
Chertoff said the Brown "did all that he could do" for Katrina relief efforts.
Yeah, except turn on the tv to find out that there was no water at the Superdome. But other than that, he did just great 
.
“Other challenges and threats remain around the world,” and Brown is needed to prepare for those, Chertoff said at a news conference in Baton Rouge.
Chertoff said the Brown "did all that he could do" for Katrina relief efforts.
Yeah, except turn on the tv to find out that there was no water at the Superdome. But other than that, he did just great
.
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kellyahern said:Oh, Brown's not being removed because he did a bad job. He's being removed so he can prepare "for other hurricanes" that might occur.
Chertoff said the Brown "did all that he could do" for Katrina relief efforts.
Yeah, except turn on the tv to find out that there was no water at the Superdome. But other than that, he did just great
to be fair, the lack of preparations at the Superdome is not the fault of FEMA, rather the mayor of new orleans and the governor of louisiana.
that said, their job in response to the tragedy has been unacceptible and brown should lose his job.
Iskra
War Child
MaxFisher said:
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
Headache in a Suitcase said:
True.
It just angers me that the administration still publicly backs him (although I think things might be different in private). Not for a second do I actually believe that he's being removed so he can focus on other things.
Iskra
War Child
Oops,I was trying to quote.
I screwed up. Which means W should appoint me as head of some computer dept. or literature agency at the least.
Anyway, my intial point was that yes he was commended on several occasions.
He was commended two days ago by George. He called him Brownie and gave him a thumbs up.
I guess it wasn't really sincere huh?
Do you believe everything you read?
If so, I've got a resume for you.
I know this guy who is out of work....likes horses.
I screwed up. Which means W should appoint me as head of some computer dept. or literature agency at the least.
Anyway, my intial point was that yes he was commended on several occasions.
He was commended two days ago by George. He called him Brownie and gave him a thumbs up.
I guess it wasn't really sincere huh?
Do you believe everything you read?
If so, I've got a resume for you.
I know this guy who is out of work....likes horses.
phanan
Blue Crack Addict
Westport said:
verte76
Blue Crack Addict
Thank goodness they're taking him out. He's screwed up big time.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
MaxFisher said:
TIME thinks he padded his resume:
When President Bush nominated Michael Brown to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2003, Brown's boss at the time, Joe Allbaugh, declared, "the President couldn't have chosen a better man to help...prepare and protect the nation." But how well was he prepared for the job? Since Hurricane Katrina, the FEMA director has come under heavy criticism for his performance and scrutiny of his background, and Friday was relieved of his duties handling the disaster response. Now, an investigation by TIME has found discrepancies in his online legal profile and official bio, including a description of Brown released by the White House at the time of his nomination in 2001 to the job as deputy chief of FEMA. (Brown became Director of FEMA, succeeding Allbaugh, in 2003.)
Before joining FEMA, his only previous stint in emergency management, according to his bio posted on FEMA's website, was "serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight." The White House press release from 2001 stated that Brown worked for the city of Edmond, Okla., from 1975 to 1978 "overseeing the emergency services division." In fact, according to Claudia Deakins, head of public relations for the city of Edmond, Brown was an "assistant to the city manager" from 1977 to 1980, not a manager himself, and had no authority over other employees. "The assistant is more like an intern," she told TIME. "Department heads did not report to him." Brown did do a good job at his humble position, however, according to his boss. "Yes. Mike Brown worked for me. He was my administrative assistant. He was a student at Central State University," recalls former city manager Bill Dashner. "Mike used to handle a lot of details. Every now and again I'd ask him to write me a speech. He was very loyal. He was always on time. He always had on a suit and a starched white shirt."
there's more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/printout/0,8816,1103003,00.html
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
elfyx said:
"Now Brownie, I want you to go back in your office and think about what you did . . .um, didn't do."
nbcrusader
Blue Crack Addict
elfyx said:
It is very difficult to fire government employees absent due process. You can take them off the job, but not the payroll.
Besides, what are we after. Improvements to the relief efforts or Brown's head?
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
MaxFisher said:
You buy this?
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
nbcrusader said:
Um justice. We're paying the poor less than minimum wage to aid in the rebuilding but we're paying government employees who aren't doing their job?
I hope his voters are proud.
nbcrusader said:
You're right.. there is due process, and it shouldn't be circumvented. It definitely is a step in the right direction for relief efforts that he has been removed from Katrina efforts.
I still think though, if the man had any sense honor, he'd voluntarily resign... and I do think there should be a sense of duty from the President on behalf of the people, to get a new chief in the post as soon as possible. As far as I'm concerned, we're very vulnerable to another disaster.
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