(no subject)

[xiphias]

Is it possible that FEMA was under orders to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution? Or, at least, set up deliberately so that it could ONLY be part of the problem? I mean, FEMA used to help people, under a Democratic administration.

More to the point, I'd personally like to see people starting talking about how the Department of Homeland Security turned back trucks, refused aid, and kept people from evacuating the city, rather than FEMA. 'Cause FEMA, right now, is part of DHS, so I like to think of this as the Department of Homeland Security, not FEMA. When FEMA was its own agency, it didn't act like this. Therefore, this is DHS.

Comments

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Afaik, FEMA did an adequate job under previous Republican administrations, too.

I don't know know what's going on. It could be a fundamental frivolousness--a belief that nothing outside the Beltway matters, so why *not* just give the directorship to a random buddy?

On the other hand, nothing human that I can think of can explain the way they're obstructing help now.

[jehanna.livejournal.com]

I was listening to NPR today, and they mentioned that FEMA was taking a lot of criticism during the eighties as well for its handling of certain things then...apparently the Clinton administration was very willing to prioritize FEMA, and that plus the fact that Clinton and his director had worked together before at the state level for emergency response created a really strong result.

Which the assholes du jour have managed to totally dismantle.