Timeline: FEMA under Bush

[Dr. K]

January 2001: Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a crony from Texas, as head of FEMA. Allbaugh has no previous experience in disaster management.

 

April 2001: Budget Director Mitch Daniels announces the Bush administration's goal of privatizing much of FEMA's work. In May, Allbaugh confirms that FEMA will be downsized: "Many are concerned that federal disaster assistance may have evolved into both an oversized entitlement program...." he said. "Expectations of when the federal government should be involved and the degree of involvement may have ballooned beyond what is an appropriate level."

 

2001: FEMA designates a major hurricane hitting New Orleans as one of the three "likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country."

 

December 2002: After less than two years at FEMA, Allbaugh announces he is leaving to start up a consulting firm that advises companies seeking to do business in Iraq. He is succeeded by his deputy, Michael Brown, who, like Allbaugh, has no previous experience in disaster management.

 

March 2003: FEMA is downgraded from a cabinet level position and folded into the Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is refocused on fighting acts of terrorism.

 

2003: Under its new organization chart within DHS, FEMA's preparation and planning functions are reassigned to a new Office of Preparedness and Response. FEMA will henceforth focus only on response and recovery.

 

Summer 2004: FEMA denies Louisiana's pre-disaster mitigation funding requests. Says Jefferson Parish flood zone manager Tom Rodrigue: "You would think we would get maximum consideration....This is what the grant program called for. We were more than qualified for it."

 

June 2004: The Army Corps of Engineers budget for levee construction in New Orleans is slashed. Jefferson Parish emergency management chiefs Walter Maestri comments: "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay."

 

June 2005: Funding for the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cut by a record $71.2 million. One of the hardest-hit areas is the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, which was created after the May 1995 flood to improve drainage in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes.

 

August 2005: While New Orleans is undergoing a slow motion catastrophe, Bush mugs for the cameras, cuts a cake for John McCain, plays the guitar for Mark Wills, delivers an address about V-J day, and continues with his vacation. When he finally gets around to acknowledging the scope of the unfolding disaster, he delivers only a photo op on Air Force One and a flat, defensive, laundry list speech in the Rose Garden.

[MattyT]

January 2001: Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a crony from Texas, ... (drivel continues)

426260[/snapback]

Come on....you can do better than this. This was written by a 12 year old.

 

I believe you've got a point, but you're going to have to present something more credible than this.

[KD in CA]

Come on....you can do better than this. This was written by a 12 year old.

 

I believe you've got a point, but you're going to have to present something more credible than this.

426277[/snapback]

 

 

Don't you know? Bush invented 'cronies' and CAT 5 hurricanes.

 

 

[UConn James]

Come on....you can do better than this. This was written by a 12 year old.

 

I believe you've got a point, but you're going to have to present something more credible than this.

426277[/snapback]

 

I think the point is that the administration didn't heed some red flags, diverted the resources elsewhere, gambling that nothing would happen. Once again it came up snake eyes.

 

Not the first ones nor will they be the last ones to do a cost-benefit analysis and come out on the losing end.

[/dev/null]

Come on....you can do better than this. This was written by a 12 year old.

426277[/snapback]

 

no, if it was written by a 12 year old it would have read

January 2001: Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a homeboy from Texas

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

I think the point is that the administration didn't heed some red flags, diverted the resources elsewhere, gambling that nothing would happen. Once again it came up snake eyes.

 

Not the first ones nor will they be the last ones to do a cost-benefit analysis and come out on the losing end.

426326[/snapback]

 

That's pretty much the definition of the federal government. Put it off until tomorrow and hope it doesn't bite you in the ass.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

Where is the blame for the state government of Louisiana in this fiasco? For the city government of New Orleans? Seeing as how they actually live in these areas shouldn't they be taking the heat for not having better systems in dealing with the aftermath? What in the hell is the federal government supposed to do except stroke checks?

[ExiledInIllinois]

That's pretty much the definition of the federal government.  Put it off until tomorrow and hope it doesn't bite you in the ass.

426340[/snapback]

 

Yep.

[/dev/null]

Where is the blame for the state government of Louisiana in this fiasco? For the city government of New Orleans? Seeing as how they actually live in these areas shouldn't they be taking the heat for not having better systems in dealing with the aftermath? What in the hell is the federal government supposed to do except stroke checks?

426343[/snapback]

 

Shhh, common sense only confuses the BushBad! crew and gives them headaches. And they're already cranky enough on their caravan with a limited supply of HotPockets®

 

DING!

 

Gotta Go!

[TPS]

So typical of the Bush suck-up crew--bush can do no wrong. Nothing is ever Bush's fault. It's just whiney Bush critics. You guys are as bad as the old regime--the Clinton suck ups. No, actually, you guys are worse. It's a religous cult here: Conservatives good; liberals bad. What will it take for you republidiots to realize both major parties are corrupt? The right wing has you eating out of their hands...

[MattyT]

Where is the blame for the state government of Louisiana in this fiasco? For the city government of New Orleans? Seeing as how they actually live in these areas shouldn't they be taking the heat for not having better systems in dealing with the aftermath? What in the hell is the federal government supposed to do except stroke checks?

426343[/snapback]

Sure. Why not? Spread the blame. There's enough schitt pie to go around.

[/dev/null]

What will it take for you republidiots to realize both major parties are corrupt?

426355[/snapback]

 

i try to spread around the smartass comments to both sides of the isle, because they both suck. but the BushBad! crowd just begs to get trashed, especially when they come up with such witty retorts as "republidiots ".

 

i tried to actually pronounce "republidiots", but the closest sound i could make resembled the sounds made by the robot (Twiggy?) from that campy 70s Buck Rogers show

[GG]

So typical of the Bush suck-up crew--bush can do no wrong.  Nothing is ever Bush's fault.  It's just whiney Bush critics.  You guys are as bad as the old regime--the Clinton suck ups.  No, actually, you guys are worse.  It's a religous cult here: Conservatives good; liberals bad.  What will it take for you republidiots to realize both major parties are corrupt?  The right wing has you eating out of their hands...

426355[/snapback]

 

Aren't the levees nearly a hundred years old? I think there was at least one Democratic administration during that period that could have done something. Maybe a benevolent Rep president before evil Bush could have done something in that time?. Perhaps a Dem president who presided over a budget surplus that could have been used to build a 100' wall around the New Orleans preimeter?

[Dr. Fong]

What will it take for you republidiots to realize both major parties are corrupt?  The right wing has you eating out of their hands...

426355[/snapback]

 

 

They'll probably never realize it. If the past 5 years haven't convinced them I shudder to think what it would take to get them to come around.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Where is the blame for the state government of Louisiana in this fiasco? For the city government of New Orleans? Seeing as how they actually live in these areas shouldn't they be taking the heat for not having better systems in dealing with the aftermath? What in the hell is the federal government supposed to do except stroke checks?

426343[/snapback]

Ships gotta get into port. Deep harbors enable more stuff to come in. The feds are always pushing this.

 

It is always something with them... Again, why couldn't they just leave it alone?

 

What they need to do to NO is what they did with the Everglades. Restore it back to natural levels and depths.

 

Then again, I repeat, NOLA is the busiest port tonnage wise.

[Dr. K]

Of course both parties are corrupt. But one party has complete control of this government, and its track record on its decisions, foreign and domestic, is so far abysmal. At this point it's not even so much a case of idrology as basic competence.

 

If you think Bush and his administration represent good government, then we don't have much to talk about. Remember when Bush was asked last year if he had ever made a mistake, and could not answer. What kind of leader is that?

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

and its track record on its decisions, foreign and domestic, is so far abysmal. 

426478[/snapback]

 

Abysmal by WHOSE stadards? yours? If that's the case, then I'll take it.

[Peter]

January 2001: Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a crony from Texas, as head of FEMA. Allbaugh has no previous experience in disaster management.

 

April 2001: Budget Director Mitch Daniels announces the Bush administration's goal of privatizing much of FEMA's work. In May, Allbaugh confirms that FEMA will be downsized: "Many are concerned that federal disaster assistance may have evolved into both an oversized entitlement program...." he said. "Expectations of when the federal government should be involved and the degree of involvement may have ballooned beyond what is an appropriate level."

 

2001: FEMA designates a major hurricane hitting New Orleans as one of the three "likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country."

 

December 2002: After less than two years at FEMA, Allbaugh announces he is leaving to start up a consulting firm that advises companies seeking to do business in Iraq. He is succeeded by his deputy, Michael Brown, who, like Allbaugh, has no previous experience in disaster management.

 

March 2003: FEMA is downgraded from a cabinet level position and folded into the Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is refocused on fighting acts of terrorism.

 

2003: Under its new organization chart within DHS, FEMA's preparation and planning functions are reassigned to a new Office of Preparedness and Response. FEMA will henceforth focus only on response and recovery.

 

Summer 2004: FEMA denies Louisiana's pre-disaster mitigation funding requests. Says Jefferson Parish flood zone manager Tom Rodrigue: "You would think we would get maximum consideration....This is what the grant program called for. We were more than qualified for it."

 

June 2004: The Army Corps of Engineers budget for levee construction in New Orleans is slashed. Jefferson Parish emergency management chiefs Walter Maestri comments: "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay."

 

June 2005: Funding for the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cut by a record $71.2 million. One of the hardest-hit areas is the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, which was created after the May 1995 flood to improve drainage in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes.

 

August 2005: While New Orleans is undergoing a slow motion catastrophe, Bush mugs for the cameras, cuts a cake for John McCain, plays the guitar for Mark Wills, delivers an address about V-J day, and continues with his vacation. When he finally gets around to acknowledging the scope of the unfolding disaster, he delivers only a photo op on Air Force One and a flat, defensive, laundry list speech in the Rose Garden.

426260[/snapback]

 

Very telling time line.

 

If people start making the connection between cutting the Army Corps of Engineer's request and paying for the war in Iraq . . . look out. The support for the war already is dramatically lower than it was.

[Rubes]

Somehow this is Clinton's fault. I know it.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Very telling time line.

 

If people start making the connection between cutting the Army Corps of Engineer's request and paying for the war in Iraq . . . look out.  The support for the war already is dramatically lower than it was.

426711[/snapback]

 

Why do you think that the admin is backpedaling?

 

Like I said we have a lot of managers in Iraq right now on TDY that could have come in handy. Well maybe, a lot can be said for some useless effs.

 

Who knows who left NO district for TDY in Iraq district? Christ the poject manager for the whole Illinois Waterway is over there now.

 

It (war) has depleated some of our domestic and civilan capability in favor of the military mission.