The Disaster that is Bush's FEMA

by Leigh Graham · 2009-03-04 08:00:00 UTC
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I'd been holding this story for our weekly Gulf Coast Notes series.  Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) released a report last week detailing how FEMA:

  • spent $7.2B on formaldehyde-tainted trailers that had to be junked (we hope) because they were making evacuees ill (and killing them on rare occasion);

  • One in five (20%) of 5,000 evacuees applying for assistance were incorrectly denied;

  • failed to put together a coherent response plan in the years prior to Hurricane Katrina (and Rita and Wilma).

Furthermore, of almost 10,000 HUD subsidized units that were damaged in the storms, fewer than 1,000 were up and running as of this past weekend.

I was at a talk last night with liberal/Blue state government and consultant economic development folks.  They were talking about how our workforce development structure is byzantine and should be reformed.  It's extremely idiosyncratic (localized) and layered with bureaucracy.  As you know, I'm all for strong government, but not when bureacracy holds up over $3B in redevelopment funds for proposed projects, leading to lawsuits and more money wasted and more lives crippled in the process.

Now it turns out the LA FEMA chief has been "reassigned" pending 80+ allegations of sexual harrassment.  Sound familiar?  I thought so.

It's no wonder to me that my faith in government pontificating falls on so many deaf ears when I hear these stories.  I really believe that the Katrina response was Bush's nadir, and when any shred of credibility he had was lost.  Obama is promising to step-up and deliver on the countless broken promises made to the Gulf Coast.  Frankly, he's already got a full plate and a reputation for stronger words than action.  So forgive me if I believe it when I see it!

Ok, all you volunteers who've traveled to the Gulf, here's where you step in with your experienced optimism and faith!

(Photo by mknowles)

Leigh Graham
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