President needs to clean house

[txswinner]

This is not a George bashing as he gave the department a job to do and more than enough money to work with. Homeland Security failed in their duties: <br /><br />Read from Dept. of Homeland Security Web Site:<br />"In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility...for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation.<br />This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort.<br /><br />Forget who did not leave, some did not leave the Towers in 9/11. Some could not some chose not to.<br /><br />The news teams were in place for quick response, Task Force 1 a group of about 60 from College Station were in La. waiting for landfall.<br /><br />Why not Homeland Security? It is their job and as you just read they have authority and responsibility for being on the spot. They failed.<br /><br />Because of their failure, 6 days is too long for a response, heads must roll and our President must take this action or this Dept. is worthless.<br /><br />This could as easily been a terrorist act with no warning, Homeland had 4 or 5 days to get ready what were they doing. This is not the President's fault although I would like to blame him, but he must make sure he has the right people in place so it does not happen again.

 

[wildbill59]

Re: President needs to clean house

I agree, He should just eliminate many of the cabinet positions and all of the useless and wasteful socialist programs that are sucking the taxpayer dry.

 

[txswinner]

Re: President needs to clean house

Don't steal the thread, this is intended to discuss Homeland Security not your agenda on whatever you are concerned with. This not a socialist, capitalism, liberal, conservative, Republican, Demo rant,

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: President needs to clean house

txwinner, the failure is in the bureaucratic red tape.<br /><br />Everybody is pointing fingers and at the end of the day, everyone can make a case for whoever they want to take the blame.<br /><br />There needs to be made clear who is 100% responsible.<br /><br />Quoting your quote:"This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort."<br /><br />Please define the following terms:<br /><br />1)response<br />2)recovery effort<br /><br />These are very vauge terms which could be interpreted any way you want.<br /><br />Because our goverment is so full of red tape BS, it must be spelled out EXACTLY which agency does what.<br /><br />Ken

 

[txswinner]

Re: President needs to clean house

It was stated pretty clearly to me as to where the responsibility lies.

 

[JB]

Re: President needs to clean house

Nobody is 100% responsible.<br /><br />Some people made some bad decisions. Many people made good decisions.<br /><br />Just leave it the hell alone until the facts are in. Do not trust what a journalist says/writes. They have no commitment to truth, only to circulation.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: President needs to clean house

Originally posted by txswinner:<br /> It was stated pretty clearly to me as to where the responsibility lies.

Responsibility lies to do what???<br /><br />To send in the rescue squad, or to provide monetary relief?<br /><br />Your definition of response and recovery effort differs from mine, hence the confusion.<br /><br />Ken

 

[neumanns]

Re: President needs to clean house

I think M Brown failed miserably, however he is a bush appointee and bush has a habit of standing behind his men...If he does so here I feel it may hurt him but that is his choice.

 

[jtexas]

Re: President needs to clean house

It's my belief that a thorough investigation will show some bumbling on the part of the FEMA director. We shall see I hope. GWB will get blamed for that, as Brown's qualifications for the job (apart from good 'ol boy network connections) are seriously suspect. Did Bush hire him or was it Chertoff? no matter GWB will take the heat, right or wrong.<br /><br />I also believe that GWB got some bad advice. I believe he's taking heat now that he wouldn't be taking had he gone down there on Tuesday. Regardless whether he could have influenced the outcome. Wouldn't have mattered to the far left or far right, but the mainstream media now will influence a large percentage of the great mass of population in between, that might not otherwise have been influenced. Who among us rich honky boaters didn't predict that, and we ain't anybody's political advisors. just my 2¢

 

[KaGee]

Re: President needs to clean house

Didn't like the idea when it was proposed. Washington always creates more problems than it solves.<br /><br />Can we fire the Congressman and Senators that set up the beauracracy, making FEMA part of Homeland Security too??<br /><br />From ABC NEWS: "There's no question the federal government plays a major role in disaster relief. But federal officials say in order to get involved, they must first be asked to do so by state officials. <br /><br />As one FEMA official told ABC News, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco failed to submit a request for help in a timely manner." <br /><br />From NewsMax.com: "The Red Cross was reportedly ready to deliver food, water and other supplies to flood-ravaged refugees who were sweltering inside New Orleans' Superdome last week - but the relief was blocked by bureaucrats who worked for Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco."<br /><br />Can we fire the Governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of NO too?? <br /><br />From Associated Press: "It's not uncommon for the Federal Emergency Management Agency _ and whoever is in charge at the time _ to catch blame in the messy aftermath of disaster. <br /><br />It happened after Hugo hit South Carolina in 1989 and Andrew struck Florida in 1992. <br /><br />After Andrew, Mikulski slammed the agency for a "pathetically sluggish" response, and on the ground, Dade County emergency director Kathleen Hale famously summed up the frustration felt throughout the stricken areas when she cried, "Where the hell is the cavalry?" <br /><br />"There is nothing more powerful than the urge to blame," said Eric Dezenhall, a crisis-management consultant who helps corporate leaders and other prominent figures try to repair tattered images. "It happens every time. It is a deeply embedded archetype in the human mind." <br /><br />He said the Brown episode is playing out in classic fashion. <br /><br />"You can follow the steps," he said. "First, outrage. Second, the headline: 'What went wrong?' Third, the telltale memo that supposedly suggests somebody knew and did nothing. I just don't find this to be unique at all." "<br /><br /><br />You say that "This not a socialist, capitalism, liberal, conservative, Republican, Demo rant, " Yet, I find it ironic that you are simply parroting what all of the hysterical liberals called for yesterday. <br /><br />As the man said... this is nothing new. Somebody always wants somebody else's hide. Someone is always to "blame". Just in this case, try as they might to do otherwise, the real blame has to go to those who are in charge in Louisiana... who just happen to be all DEMOCRATS!

 

[oddjob]

Re: President needs to clean house

Originally posted by txswinner:<br /> This is not a George bashing as he gave the department a job to do and more than enough money to work with. Homeland Security failed in their duties: <br /><br />Read from Dept. of Homeland Security Web Site:<br />"In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility...for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation.<br />This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort.<br /><br />Forget who did not leave, some did not leave the Towers in 9/11. Some could not some chose not to.<br /><br />The news teams were in place for quick response, Task Force 1 a group of about 60 from College Station were in La. waiting for landfall.<br /><br />Why not Homeland Security? It is their job and as you just read they have authority and responsibility for being on the spot. They failed.<br /><br />Because of their failure, 6 days is too long for a response, heads must roll and our President must take this action or this Dept. is worthless.<br /><br />This could as easily been a terrorist act with no warning, Homeland had 4 or 5 days to get ready what were they doing. This is not the President's fault although I would like to blame him, but he must make sure he has the right people in place so it does not happen again.

I searched it but its different that what you posted. It say this changed begining March 1st...<br /><br /><br />web page

 

[dogsdad]

Re: President needs to clean house

If the Department of Homeland Security's website says something like "In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility..." we need to scrutinize their line of thinking. For my money, their role is to prevent terrorist attacks---not respond to natural disasters except perhaps addressing the security risks brought on by said natural disasters. It is most certainly NOT their role to bring in disaster relief, nor is it the role of the federal government and their bloated bureaucracies to be the first responders nor the sole adminstrators of disaster relief. <br /><br />How the hell did the idea materialize that the federal role is to do these things?? Seems to me the answer is that it is just the natural response of a bureacracy to entrench, empower, and perpetuate itself. NOT a good thing.<br /><br />I agree with wildbill. A lot of the federal structure should simply be abolished.

 

[jtexas]

Re: President needs to clean house

Interesting, follow LD's link & click "First Responders" even though it says there's nothing there, then click "more about first responders" here's an excerpt:<br /><br />

<br />Facts About First Responders <br /><br />*There are over 1 million firefighters in the United States, of which approximately 750,000 are volunteers. <br />* Local police departments have an estimated 556,000 full-time employees including about 436,000 sworn enforcement personnel. <br />*Sheriffs' offices reported about 291,000 full-time employees, including about 186,000 sworn personnel. <br />*There are over 155,000 nationally registered emergency medical technicians(EMT) <br />

 

[oddjob]

Re: President needs to clean house

Read this. click on the acrobat book mark ( State, Local and Tribal gov. ) on the left side of the page. <br /><br /> web page <br /><br />TXS, your smoking gun points back to the local gov. It seems to have contridicted itself.<br /><br />

 

[wildbill59]

Re: President needs to clean house

Our gov. sent 500 National Guard down and what are they doing? On the local news they showed em knitting sweaters, waiting for orders. The oppatunity to provide security at the Dome was the job for NO and LA to do. <br /><br />JTEX, Please list step by step, day by day, hour by hour what the Feds were supposed to do and get this over with.Start another thread and enlighten us all. Just like Homo security, all gobbermint agencies are a joke. <br /><br />As an example. the city of LaCrosse, Wi just got their $130,000 armored car from Home security. For what? An RPG would destroy it in a heartbeat.<br />Let's ask our Congressmen and Senators why hte voted one whay or the other.<br /><br />I for one am satisfied with the response so far from the Feds. Could it have been better? Probably<br /><br />And no, I didn't vote for GW orrrr JK

 

[Booner]

Re: President needs to clean house

quota by txswhinner:<br />__________________________________________________<br />Don't steal the thread<br /><br />AND<br /><br />not your agenda on whatever you are concerned with. __________________________________________________<br />Hey Tex your one to talk. That’s what you do on every thread. Dance around the posted question with your own agenda in mind looking to start a fight. <br />Don’t start none and there won’t be none.<br /><br />Tex you have very dysfunctional behavior.<br />SEEK HELP IMEDATLY!

 

[jtexas]

Re: President needs to clean house

Originally posted by dogsdad:<br /> If the Department of Homeland Security's website says something like "In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility..." we need to scrutinize their line of thinking. For my money, their role is to prevent terrorist attacks---not respond to natural disasters except perhaps addressing the security risks brought on by said natural disasters. It is most certainly NOT their role to bring in disaster relief, nor is it the role of the federal government and their bloated bureaucracies to be the first responders nor the sole adminstrators of disaster relief. <br /><br />How the hell did the idea materialize that the federal role is to do these things?? Seems to me the answer is that it is just the natural response of a bureacracy to entrench, empower, and perpetuate itself. NOT a good thing.<br /><br />I agree with wildbill. A lot of the federal structure should simply be abolished.

Good questions, the following is just my opinion:<br /><br />FEMA was once a cabinet-level office, now it's under DHS, my guess is because it responds to security-related emergencies as well as natural disasters. <br /><br />If you make DHS is responsible for all aspects of security-related events including emergency relief, then FEMA has to be under DHS, but then DHS has to be in charge of all disasters.<br /><br />With the added benefit of, if FEMA is not a cabinet-level office, one less thing for the Prez to supervise, no need to cut vacations short, since it's Chertoff's job to deploy Brown.<br /><br />Other words, now DHS beaurocracy is one level deeper, but the cabinet-level beaurocracy has a narrower scope.<br /><br />You need a federal agency standing by for disaster relief, because an event can easily overwhelm a state's resources, Katrina being the obvious extreme example, also events can hit multiple states and a coordinated response is more better, not so much as first response though, as you pointed out.

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: President needs to clean house

After 9-11 homeland security was setup with Fema as part of it. The biggest problem in NY. was communications. I expected Commo. to be the first thing into the areas of destruction. <br /> The news orgs. were there, other people drove in but no Federal involvement. Why. <br /> You put the best into positions of authority, not just yes men. I believe there are too many yes men and not enough why men. Because if you ask why, you cause problems for the yes men. <br /> I just saw a rescue on MSNBC from some volunteers from Michigan police. They were told by the powers to be that the area had been searched but they were not yes men. They stayed in the area and found a person trapped in a stairwell since monday. One for the people who ask why or maybe why not.

 

[jtexas]

Re: President needs to clean house

Originally posted by wildbill59:<br /> <br />JTEX, Please list step by step, day by day, hour by hour what the Feds were supposed to do and get this over with.Start another thread and enlighten us all. Just like Homo security, all gobbermint agencies are a joke. <br />

huh? what? huh? don't mean to sound like a know-it-all, I just seem to have a lot of strong opinions on some things.<br /><br />I believe FEMA is doing their job right now. Far as I know, they are supposed to provide food, shelter, medical & other assistance to distressed Americans who have been displaced due to some kind of disaster or another. Reason being, as Americans, we kind of care about other Americans who get victimized by disaster. In return we kind of expect that if it's us we'll get the same consideration.<br /><br />Homeland Security? FEMA is a division of Homeland Security. Homeland Security's job in a natural disaster is to supervise FEMA.<br /><br />Government beaurocracies are a joke? Yup they can be entertaining. Beaurocrats: can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: President needs to clean house

I didn't make any other observation than what happened is purely not acceptable. <br /> I thought since 9/11 that we had at least a system in place to dazzle the world. What we had was a pathetic, pathetic attempt to have no plan. <br /> People think big government is bad. It can be but no government is worse as we have just seen. Again I say that government only works is if you ask why? Why couldn't we communicate, get help in, etc.