WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former FEMA Director Michael Brown, who lost his job because of Hurricane Katrina, said Tuesday his biggest regret a year later is that he wasn't candid enough about the lack of a coherent federal response plan.
In all honesty, this was an all-around botched effort, in which the adminstration was ill-prepared. That said, all three levels of government, not just the feds are to blame. None of them seemed to have much of a coherent response plan.
Since that dreadful event one year ago, it has become apparent that Michael Brown was not the right man to lead FEMA. But that was not his fault. He applied for a job, sold himself, and was hired. But if I had been interviewing someone for that position, I can tell you that there were many other people that could have done a better job of handling things, at the Federal level, and Mr. Brown would not have been given the position.
But make no mistake. Mayor Nagin and Gov. Blanco must share in the responsibility for this fiasco; and in many ways, they are not smelling too sweet right now. When I think about those buses sitting parked and the governor's failure to ask the Feds in (as is per protocol) in a more timely manner, I cannot help but think that if they had done everything they could have; they'd be smelling like a rose right now and the Dems could have a legitimate selling point, in the upcoming elections.
No folks, I cannot fault one over the other. But I can say that Michael Brown should not be held accountable, alone. It's clear to most free-thinking people that he has been made to be the fall guy, by both parties.
Everyone makes mistakes from time to time and this was a huge natural disaster, so naturally one can expect that things would not go so smooth. One can expect that mistakes are going to be made. But, to make one unqualified man responsible for such a large task, is a big mistake. To pin the whole thing on on him, is a bigger mistake.
4 comments:
Amazing how the media keeps hoping for another hurricane. Ernesto fell flat and so now if you go to CNN.com they are looking at Hurricane John hoping it will come ashore instead of moving up the Mexico coast.
We are going to have to change the slur from ambulance chasers to hurricane chasers. Truly sad.
Don Henley said it best in his classic hit, Dirty Laundry.
//Kick 'em when their up.
Kick 'em when their down.
We need dirty laundry.//
He was damn near a prophet, I tell you.
Wasn't it also Henley who wrote "Get Over It"?
As to Brownie, he was on Bill Bennett's morning radio show. After hearing him give his side of the story, especially about Nagin and Blanco, I think he was treated very badly. The media and pundits didn't even wait until the event was under control before bashing him, even though it was repeatedly pointed out it was the worst natural disaster in history.
He also said Bush was at fault for failing to plan for such calamities and that FEMA was not prepared for the task. But really, if we get a tsunami or devastating earthquake along the New Madrid zone or LA/SF, there is only so much the feds can do. People need to understand they must self-plan for some of these events.
AC,
//Wasn't it also Henley who wrote "Get Over It"?//
It was. I think that was not long after the Eagles broke up. No hidden message there, eh?
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