| THE
BLUE RED
COLUMN
The Mountain Press
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| By: JIM ANDERSON 2006 In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, our government failed its citizens. Swimming in liquid horror, people's lives were ruined worse by delays and misjudgments at FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). What went so tragically wrong? When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in 2002 under President Bush, FEMA merged into DHS. Its director was demoted from Cabinet rank. Did these changes plant seeds for FEMA's foul-ups? Probably not. The true causes were: (1) the bone-headed idea that for Homeland Security to get better, make it bigger; and (2) lousy leadership. The amorphous DHS blob grew to absorb parts of 22 different agencies with over 180,000 employees, all under one person, Secretary Michael Chertoff. Today, about 1 in 12 federal employees works for DHS. You can't fully blame President Bush for DHS. He actually fought hard against creating it for over seven months--before he faced the inevitable, flip-flopped, and took credit for it. Maybe the President had some secret, far-sighted vision: “We should go fight tsunamis in Sri Lanka so we don't have to fight hurricanes here at home.” What mattered most wasn't the structure, but the leader. FEMA needs someone strong who leads urgently in a crisis, like Rudy Giuliani or General Russel Honore. They'll force everyone--local, state, and federal--to work together. They'll pound on the President's door until things get done right. How could George Bush make FEMA a throwaway crumb for an unqualified crony like Michael Brown? How could such petty value be put on the lives of so many victimized people? Such arrogant cronyism is bad for America. It's dangerous. It's like putting your friendly personal lawyer on the Supreme Court, when she's never been a judge, but served once on the Texas Lottery Commission. What trustworthy President would do THAT? -Jim Anderson is president of the Sevier County Democratic Club (www.sevierdemocrats.com). ©The Mountain Press 2005 |
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