It may be true that FEMA was not designed to be in charge of disaster relief, but extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. When the nation sees FEMA providing relief to victims in past disasters, they expect FEMA to also come to the aid of Katrina victims. Since FEMA has been able to meet the demands of victims of other catastrophes, FEMA should also meet the demands of the victims of Katrina. Just because they were affected on a larger scale does not give FEMA the right to short-change them. As individuals, they are no different from the other victims FEMA has helped in the past.

rlj wrote:
"I feel that I am accountable to the people who pay my salary and my employees know that also and if they do not perform they know there is a price to pay. Unfortunately that is not the case in most governmental agencies."

Yet somehow everyone gets their SS check on time, the IRS gets your refund back correctly and the coast guard are considered heros for their response to Katrina victims. You can look to any company and find lazy workers and yes the government has many, but to brand the entire government as lazy is wrong.

Michael Brown did everything to stay in his job and did little but send emails to request more aid. If higher ups were not responding he could have threatened to embarass them by going public, or he could have quit as many have in this administration to protest the way they were asked to do their job. Just look at what happened at CIA as incompetent Goss moved in their with his political pals.

But Brownie shopped for clothes to prepare for interviews while NO was being hit by Katrina. His incompetence is not a shield to mistakes and having an incompetent tell us how incompetent his superiors were is not comforting. All Katrina showed was that Bush could care less about America and cares a lot about his friends and cronies.

Elect democrats this fall to the house and senate so we can start investigating what other disasters this admnistration oversaw with equal incompetence but we just haven't yet seen the destruction or the bodies.

Where does the buck stop? How FEMA has handled this disaster from the beginning until now? Mayors and governors? Michael Brown? Homeland Security? The president? How about a government that has for years enabled a caged mentality of welfare, no work, and survival crime for generations. Giving just enough money for people to survive, but not offering grants for quality social service programs that can teach people how to fish, rather than giving them fish for a day. Providing the awareness to underpriviledged American society that there is a quality of life they deserve and can achieve with the proper tools, and then provide those tools! The people of the ninth ward and other low income areas of New Orleans are fish out of water. What FEMA seems to expect of them is like someone saying, "Ok, we have given you scrubs, scalpel and saw...In one year, you need to be able to perform brain surgery." No teaching, all expectation. Generations of a mindset, people. Forget about what has been wrong until this point. Instead of throwing money at people and agencies with no checks and balances, how about providing extensive case work and life skills for these people?

Sage Thrasher, yes he was just a political appointee, but we have him on tape warning the president, and the president did nothing. I never thought Brownie and Rodney King would have something in common, but tapes don't lie.

Unfortunately people in government don't have to be held accountable and the people who were most affected by Katrina are the poor and powerless. Poor people don't have a voice in this country and they never will until we start to care about the least among us. As a state government employee I set a high standard for my myself and my employees. I feel that I am accountable to the people who pay my salary and my employees know that also and if they do not perform they know there is a price to pay. Unfortunately that is not the case in most governmental agencies.

One last thing that bothers me about the Katrina response and the bleeding souls that are filling the airwaves each evening: what do they know about the concept of environmental justice?

For years local governments have had to deal with this concept in relationship to superfund clean-ups. The underlying premise is that you do not allow hazards to remain just because an area is poor or low income when you would remove them or perform other actions if the same situation existed in a more wealthy or affluent area. In other words, you don't leave a superfund site as is in a poor area when you would clean something if the people were more wealthy.

Why then would we rebuild the ninth ward as it was? The people in the ninth ward are poor, many working poor. They have been the low-priced (some would say almost slave labor) that kept the system running as it did in New Orleans for years. Many are undereducated; many cannot afford insurance on the meager wages that they are paid. So why would you put them back into an area that is known to flood at least every 10 years; that is well below sea level (duh...when you sit on a boat on the canal and look above the chimney it doesn't take extreme intelligence to know that it will flood at some point); that will experience catastrophic loss; and that the people will have no way of covering such losses? I wish someone would simply ask the question: how can someone even propose to put such populations back into harms way knowing that the harm will occur and they are the least prepared to handle it?

I totally agree that someone at the local level needs to have a plan for New Orleans; something that is lacking. The feds cannot plan a community (God forbid); obviously no one can in New Orleans either. Everyone (because we are all paying in some way for the losses) should ask why we would even entertain putting the neediest, most vulnerable populations back into an area that none of us would ever live in.

I am not being cruel, I am not proposing getting rid of the poor. Rather, I think it an attrocity that we would put the poor back into a situation that has an outcome very well known. That, to me, would be the crime.

Namron,

Clearly you do not believe in the Millenium Project, and what would you offer in its place, more American inddiference, apathy and platitudes?

It's weird that you're taking fault with Brown for essentially saying the same thing you're saying as far as the problems within FEMA/DHS. He's not blaming the talking points for those problems, he's regretting not admitting those problems sooner and instead sticking with the talking points.

The post continue to get more and more interesting.

Regarding FEMA, Tom is 100% correct. It is a support agency. As I said in my previous posts, the people of New Orleans need to look at their local governments as to why they were not prepared.

Also, as Tom mentioned, the Federal gov. can not simply "jump in". This was a concern our founding fathers had and made sure that could not happen. Troops and Federal aid must be requested. And just saying "send help" doesn't offer direction. The local officials needed to say what they wanted and where. Had they had a proper plan in place to begin with, this would have been covered also.

Does FEMA need some better managment, I believe so, but it was not there fault or the President's fault a hurricane hit New Orleans and the surrounding region.

No, I do not believe in "coporate welfare" and the Walmarts of the world should not be receiving any money from the government either.

My comment about New Orleans needing to stand on it own feet is true. No president, congress, or any government official can make business and people return to the area if they do not want too. The mayor of New Orleans needs to take charge of his city and fiqure out a plan for rebuidling. Dumping "federal" money into rebuilding the area as it was is stupid.

By the way, where is the Mayor of Biloxi? Maybe we do not hear from that area because they have a capable local government?

As far as the time that has passed, if anyone thought the New Orleans or any area would be completely rebuilt in one year, think again. It will never be the same and that is no ones fault, but simply the nature of diasters and what they can do.

Again, what is the most disturbing part of this whole issue is the concentration on only the City of New Orleans. I blame the media for that, but also the people who again are not willing to prepare themselves or take responsiblity for themselves.

Michael Brown was incompetent, that is acknowledged by nearly everyone. Where is the accountability of the people who put the fool in place to begin with. It seems the latest stratey they have adopted to absolve themselves of responsibility or blame is to have Bush come out and "take full accountability for the short comings" and everything is fine. But everything is not fine. It will take years to undo the damage to the American Image as well as our psyche from the utter incompetence we have lived under for nearly 6 years. Sometimes saying I'm sorry just doesn't cut it. It's time for accountability to be brought to the table by the American people in the form of their votes.

It is amazing how misunderstood FEMA and the emergency response system is in the United States.

FEMA is designed to be a SUPPORT agency. It is not designed to be a quick reaction force; it is not designed to take charge; as a matter of fact by the legislation (federal) that created it, FEMA CANNOT be any of those. The emergency response system in this country is designed around the premise of state's rights.

The state's are all required to establish emergency response departments. Those departments, in turn, authorize and recognize city emergency response agencies. The process is designed so that when a city recognizes it has committed all of its available resources and that the need will outweigh those resources, it requests assistance from the state. At the point that the state resources are exhausted, it makes a request for support from the federal government. The request must be specific and outline what resources are needed; Santa Claus does not pop out of the fireplace; the state must be able to communicate specifically what is needed, where, and how. FEMA is never designed to take charge of an event and if it did so, I would suspect the U.S. Council of Mayors and Governor's Association would be up in arms immediately along with most of congress since they would have usurped their enabling legislation which was controversial enough when Jimmy Carter signed it!

A disaster STARTS and ENDS at the local level -- that is the premise of all emergency management. That means the local government is in charge, regardless of competence, from start to finish. It is up to the state to recognize or revoke that authority since states are given that power under our systems. While I am not a Mike Brown fan and agree he should just go away after apologizing, if New Orleans or Louisiana could not manage the incident, it was not his job to do so nor anyone at the federal level. As a matter of fact, I believe this offer was communicated -- to federalize the troops which would have meant the feds were in charge -- and it was out-of-hand rejected by the governor (and probably rightfully so since it would have been a first).

I am so sick of all the talking heads on the "one year ago" memorial to Katrina. The system is broke; it does not recognize technology and many other systems that are available today since it was created in the 1970's before much of it was imagined. However, when the lights are not on, the water is not running, and the sewage is bubbling, most of the technology would have been useless. That is the point that needs fixing -- the communication, command, control, and coordination.

it distress me to read so many of these comments that seem to talk about those POOR katrina people.

White america is just does not care about anything unless it happens to them.

Do you really think that any person white, black or any culture would want to take anything from anyone. NO pride is a big thing in most cultures

But when a government has been so bad in responding to the needs of ALL americans, it becomes even more harmful for the american people to then turn on you, as well.

Stop with the do it your self attitude, you have no idea how it is to be without anything and to have no where to go, because you are poor.

Example of these same feeling can be seen and read in the words of government leaders like Mr Rumsfeld, he is so out of touch, that it is amazing that he still has a job.

Stop the Madness

Hey! What's with the shutout on the Rummy article! Can't these guys take the heat for insulting that 60% of Americans who no longer buy their horse manure?

Why is "Rumsfeld Enemy" article inaccessible?
Are being censured, like in China?

Dan Koch wrote:
"If New Orleans is going to rise again, it needs to based on its own accord, not a government bail out."

Maybe there should be no government handouts. Well, maybe that's not a good idea. How could farmers stand on their own without farm subsidies, not to mention mineral, timber, water, and rangeland subsidies. And how could the oil industry record record profits without their government handouts while charging $3+ for a gallon of gas? How could the construction industry keep going without funds for projects like the bridge to nowhere?

And what about poor Walmart? Why they would be a little discount store if it were not for subsidies. 91 Wal-Mart stores have received individual subsidies ranging from $1 million to about $12 million in the form of free or reduced-priced land, job training funds, sales tax rebates, tax credits and infrastructure assistance, including investment in roads.
In total, these subsidies amounted to $245 million.

Your local sports stadium was probably built with government sunsidies and grants. You may think you benefitted by having a local sports team but guess who is really winning from that government handout. Ever wonder why when driving in farmland there are so many soybean fields? 70% of US soy bean value now comes from the US government.

So please don't tell us how free money to people who have just seen their lives destroyed, their communities submerged and everything, EVERYTHING they ever owned, destroyed, is a bad thing. Don't tell them they must rise again on their own while the government hands out money to those not in need at such a high rate. If government handouts were ever justified, it is Katrina victims and victims of any disaster, large or small, who should rightly be first in line. Label me a liberal if you want. I'll wear that label with honor.

I hope if dogs ever take over the world, and they chose a king, they don't just go by size, because I bet there are some Chihuahuas with some good ideas.

your countries desperate leaders and complicit congress are afraid that you've seen them behind the curtain manipulating events.............

and so, they're announced they are going to push the fear button and get you all worked up in fricking Octover and September so that they can trick you into believing that someone is soft on "terrorism"

since the head terrorist is in control of the Green Zone

google Negroponte and Honduras

while you are at it Negroponte Bush Goss Walker and Yale

back to the topic, it's all about keeping you _AFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFRRRRRRRRAAAAIIIIIDDDDD_

or "appeal to emotion,"

Appeal to emotion is a logical fallacy where a party relies too much on emotional issues or presents only an emotional case in establishing an argument. This kind of appeal to emotion is a type of red herring and encompasses several logical fallacies, including:

Appeal to consequences

BINGO************** Appeal to fear **************BINGO

Appeal to flattery (someone did that to me a couple of weeks ago, maybe Archimedes?)
Appeal to pity
Appeal to ridicule
Appeal to spite
Wishful thinking

Related fallacies

Other types of fallacies may also overlap with or constitute an appeal to emotion, including:

Ad hominem attacks
Guilt by association
Misleading vividness
Slippery slope
Truthiness
Two wrongs make a right (if arguing for revenge)

Examples
"Think of the children!"
"For The Children"
"Mom and Apple Pie,"
"Appeal to manhood/patriotism"

In case you're too lazy to google, you still need to understand what you're looking at

ps. I do think that getting CHERTOFF THROWN OUT, AND PUTTING SOMEONE IN THAT ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THE WORD SECURITY MEANS FROM HAVING WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY WOULD BE SMART..........

BROWNIE HAS A POINT, HE _WAS_ APPOINTED TO A JOB THAT HE WASN'T QUALIFIED TO DO

JUST LIKE CHERTOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF GET RID OF HIM..........NO OVERSIGHT

NO OVERSIGHT

CRONYISM!!!!!!!!!

ahhhhhhhhhh ack ack ack...

.

Well Brown did warn Bush and Bush did nothing. So, I think that the final responsibility rests with the President. Too bad he only admits this responsiblity now to get votes. That is the really disgusting thing about this whole event. As long as Republicans were bashing the local governments, Bush remained silent. But now that the election is upon us and he sees the polls, he is contrite. This is disgusting. Sorry.

Truth is we have been told for years if a cat.4 storm hit new orleans the top of the superdome would be under water. This was not the big one for new orleans,it was a glanceing blow and look at the damage.Government was not prepared for survivors and there may not be next time if the eye of a storm comes directly up the mississippi river. The storm surge will not be slown down by leeves or wetland restoration. Money well spent for the recovery would be to spend the taxpayer dollars on a passenger rail system to the north of lake pontchatraine instead of leeves. All residential neigbhorhoods should be on the north shore.Then the leeves could be taken out and the wetlands would restore themselves for much less than 14 billion. If the government response had been flawless a year ago we would still face these issues today.People in the GO ZONE need help from the taxpayers. If the money were to be spent wisely it would be a good investment because the taxdollars would come back many times over.Dont let us spend it ourselves and dont let either political party buy votes with this money. Thats what will happen if America remains focused on Bush and Brown. Look ahead.

I agree with the post by Dan Koch, 110%. I can't feel sorry for the people who aren't trying to help themselves or won't because they are getting, or waiting for handouts from the government.

I also agree with the post by Andre. Why do those of us who are doing what we are supposed to be doing have to pay for those who are not!

Rev - Just to be clear....

You rightfully condemn the response of the Feds to Katrina and the kronyism (sp?) that took place.... you saw what that led to...

and you still think that the "Millenium Project" will succeed in countries that have no accountability to anyone other than their own despot?

We have to remember, we're dealing with deadenders so incompetent that they promote the people who come up with bad ideas, and fire or "move" those who disagree with them.

The classic maxim, "Action not Words" applies here. They speak much, but do little. Their actions, like their Red no-bid anti-capitalist contracts to their Party elite comrades, show their true values, no matter the lies that spill from their lips.

I've personally rebuilt dams, bridges, roads, and airports after natural disasters. It normally involves a brief period of disruption, before construction. A year is not a brief period, especially when the dikes aren't even up to pre-Katrina snuff at this time.

History will not judge these people kindly. Sadly, our justice system may never be given the chance to judge them properly, so long as Presidential pardons and radical Red activist judges and justices exist.

"...as a Canadian and proud of it..."

Posted by: Captain Canuck | August 29, 2006 05:37 PM

Captain, stop there. You're off the island!

How did this turn into a referendum, by some of you, on Ray Nagin and the citizen's of New Orleans?

1. Whether F.E.M.A. should exist or not it does exist, and by Mr. Brown's own admission something went awry. Where are all of the billions of dollars that never never reached the people?

2. With respect to California, we have obviously had numerous disasters over the course of the past 20 years, and it never took 5 days for F.E.M.A. to take the Overland Trail and to cross the treacherous Rockies to get to California. What method of travel did they use to get to N'awlins, pack mules?

3. In fact when we had our last big earthquake, during the world series as some of you will recall, the rest of you sent so much money and so many supplies, that the Red Cross could not spend all of the money. In fact they tried to sneak out of town with all of the millions.

With respect to some of the clothing that you sent, the Red Cross turned some of the clothing away because the colors were way 'too loud'.

Rag on Nagin and New Orleans all you want, however, the President even admitted today that the Government Buraucracy, at all levels, failed!

And thank you Namron, but I am still convinced that like the TV Show, The Last Commic Standing, you are going to be, The Last Apologist For America Standing(-:

Just turn out the lights and shut the door when you come to join the rest of us who want to get rid of some more of America's bad stuff in order to get the country on the right track!

Browny convinced me that the system did not work and there were a lot of hands in the cookie jar!

Being a native of New Orleans, I have seen with my own eyes the poverty stricken areas, the public housing areas, the beautiful French Quarter and also the Garden district. Many of our residents tried to get out of the city, but could not do so because they didn't have a way to go or a place to go. I for one am not trying to place blame, but I do question our government that can be on site within 36 hours when a tsunami another country hits halfway around the globe and can't get to the greatest natural disaster on our own soil for 5 DAYS!! We all should be questioning the response that that was given, our local government, including Mayor Nagin, was in New Orleans the entire time, pleading with the federal government to help them out. I believe that Ray Nagin did the best job he could, and of course we must remember that hindsight is 20/20. When we look back at the videos of Bush saying, " Heck of a job, Brownie", and reading the emails of Michael Brown discussing his TV appearances with his "sleeves pushed up, since that would make look like he was working hard', most New Orleanians feel physically ill. Our people were dying in the heat and floodwaters during this time...
What many people must also remember that here in New Orleans, there was NO electricity, NO running water or working sewer systems, there was anywhere from inches of water to 20 feet of water covering 80% of the city. There was also NO communications, as most of the land and cell lines were damaged beyond repair within a 50 mile radius of the storm. We were completely cut off from the rest of the world for days, our only outlet the media personnel who were faithfully filming the chaos and misery for everyone.
But, I digress from my main point... New Orleans is a focal point because it IS New Orleans, the home of the best food anywhere, a culture center of the country, the homeland of Jazz. It doesn't make other cities less needy that our own, but so many are in need here, and with our our great people of New Orleans, we will not be the same. Perhaps, Mr. Koch, people can look past their own fortunes and help out people less fortunate... Help the neighbor come back to live beside you in this city that can never be replaced.

I am so tired of hearing about all of those poor Katrina victims. Yes, a hurricane blew through and took everything they had. In reality, they do live five feet below sea level on the Gulf coast. It doesn't take a physics major to figure out that is a goatrope waiting to happen. many of these people have lived of the goverment so long, they just expect John T. Taxpayer to carry them through all of life's bumps. I say move on there are people in this county trying to make life better for themselves, I want them to get the beniet of the taxes I pay. Not, a city full of people that can't make reasonable decisions. If a hurricane is coming, leave toan. If your mayor totally drops the ball and gets dozens of people killed, don't re-elect him. If you do those things don't ask for my help getting back on your feet.

well dan, I am not missing your point. You believe that you have shaped your own destiny with your own two hands and wonder why each of us cannot do the same.

Let's take your statement point by point;

Building a city below sea level - where would your build a port? In 1721 what was important was building a city at the deepest point of the opening of the Mississippi where a port could thrive. This port - the world's largest inland port - is responsible for the boom in industry and export that made America the power it is today.

As for disasters waiting to happen - find me a safe place to live, what with tornadoes, earthquakes, flash floods, forest fires, drought, and lack of resources, all the world is a disaster waiting to happen.

As for us being a burden - I'm sure you know what I'm thinking right now. But instead I'll just remind you that helping each other is what an enlightened, compassionate society is supose to be about. New Orleans is in fact part of the US and we do take care of our own in this country.

As for the businesses, yes it is their right to leave if they wish. I was just pointing out the circular problems we face that you can't begin to imagine. Homes are destroyed, need to rebuild, need job for money, job gone, no other work because businesses can't open because their employees have no place to live.

And thanks for the "love it or leave it" blast.

As for JFK, I'm sure he would have pressed his attention in our direction until the problem was fixed. He was capable and compassionate. And I, like much of this military town, am a war veteran who has given, and will continue to give, for my country thank you.

And for your final thought; western Mississippi was devastated. Parts of it no longer remain. However, they suffered nearly a third of the damage as New Orleans alone, yet they have received - with none of the ultimatums we were given - the same amount of relief funds. Former RNC chairman Hailey Barbour should be proud of what he was able to secure from his state, and the President should be ashamed of the politics he has injected into our grief.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that ideology looks good on paper and talking tough about other people's misfortune might feel right, but nothing that has occurred in your ambulance can compare or equate to what happened here. Vote how you will but don't take the moral high ground over compassion.

A year after the fact and i run into this site. Some of the people in here think the american government didn't botch this important job. Wow, as a Canadian and proud of it, I'd have to say wake up America, Bush and his cronies are incapable and have an appaling record world wide and at home. American citizens just have to lump it though . Remember you voted him back in. I thought for sure you guys would drop that loser like a bad habit but what would I know? I'm just glad I live in the best country in the world and not stuck somewhere that George W. Bush is my dictator. LIKE you are,SUCKERS.

"Is it just me, or does former FEMA director Michael Brown bear a striking resemblance to JonBenet Ramsey fantasist and liar John Mark Karr?"

It's just you, Bill.

Memories are very short in societies. Especially with the way we are bombarded with up-to-the-minute news on TV and the internet. Nobody has compared Katrina and its effects with the combo double punch of Dennis and Floyd here in North Carolina back in 1999. FLOOD OF THE CENTURY it was called. Part of that was because nothing here in North Carolina was built next to the ocean down in a hole so the 5 mile wide rivers that used to be 100 feet wide did come as a shock. FEMA let NC down just like North Carolina but I will say that President Clinton seemed more sympathetic. With regard to the FEMA let down, my wife and personally witnessed a black tie affair at one of the nicer hotels in Raleigh being put on by FEMA days after FLOYD while survivors by the thousands were still in shelters and bodies were being pulled from the still not receded flood waters. There is a huge disconnect between the federal governmental agencies and we the people and I saw it firsthand. I think we are all experiencing a colossal group delusion on both sides and until the reality is confronted that government does not equal good parents we will always find ourselves in these messes looking around for someone else to clean it up or tell us how. While we sit and wait for federal mommy and daddy to come to the rescue people are dying and going homeless and children and mommy and daddy get mad at each other because both expected the extemely difficult from each other and not from themselves.

This was a terrible article. William Arkin. Go away. Please. You are worthless one.

Ok I don't understand something, When did F.E.M.A. become the insurance company of america? Their job should not be to rebuild disaster victims lives. That is up to the victim. That may be harsh but it is the truth, if you have a car accident without insurance should the government buy you a new car? Of course not. Why is this different? Just because it is on a larger scale? Or because it involves low income minorities? Alabama and Mississippi had much worse damage than New Orleans and are full of low income minorities too but we don't hear much about them. Why? Because they are too busy rebuilding their lives themselves instead of sitting around waiting for the government to do it for them. If you want someone to blame for the lack of progress in New Orleans then blame those who wont lift a finger to help themselves.

Speaking of common sense, dc...

There were a lot of people who simply couldn't get out of New Orleans; they did not have cars or they had nowhere to go. Also; You must realize that no-one is seriously blaming President Bush or the administration for the hurricane. I blame them for not getting the aid the victims of the hurricane needed in anything like a timely manner. Expecting the local government in Louisiana and New Orleans to deal with a disaster of Katrina's magnitude is like expecting the LAPD to repel a foreign invasion. What, indeed, is the purpose of the federal government if not to protect it's citizens? And if it fails to protect it's citizens, why not lay the blame where it belongs?

Mr Arkin
It is obvious that you are "oblivious" to the failures of this administration.
You and people like you who are probably well off do not know about being hungry and homeless.
This is america we are supposed to take care of our own no matter who or where they live.
There are many in New Orleans who never went to school because they were cotton pickers or children of uneducated parents. Although that is no excuse for not knowing how to take care of yourself it is a fact of life.
We are so used to seeing devastation in Iraq and Lebanon etc that it seems that New Orleans is just another incident of no importance to many of us.
Your defenders of Bush and Cheney and the Swiftboaters make me sick because you are the ones responsible for the inept administration we have had for the past six years.
I hope the voters have more sense in November and in 2008. Voters please get educated.

Katrina was a hell of a storm, i agree that the state and federal government failed the people of New Orleans. However too many people blames Pres. Bush for the outcome, my question is, what will happen if an earthquake hits California are we going to blame Bush for this too, there's a difference between a hurricane and an earthquake, you could tell when a hurricane is coming the other is unpredictable. I agree the Federal goverment should have done a better job, but most of the people should have had better common sense in getting out of the path of the hurricane, i put the blame on the city and state officials first then the federal gov. i agree with some of you that the director should be someone with experience not a political appointee, congress should change that.

IBfamous, I believe you are missing the point.

Building a city below sea level and in known Hurricane area was a disaster waiting to happen. Not any different than building on a known fault line, flood plain of a river, etc. But does this mean we who have not chosen to do this because of risks should have to bale out those who did?

While the City Of New Orleans has rich and colorful history, I do not believe the rest of the country has to have the burden of rebuilding it. If the businesses that have left the city do not want to return that is their right.

This is the same right we all have, if you do not like where you are, leave. But don't expect your neighbor to pick up the tab. IBfamous, remember you have that right also, if you don't like New Orleans, LA, or this country, no one is holding you back from going somewhere else.

I always come back to the famous speach by JFK, "As not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

While I am sure you will not believe me, I am Firefighter and Paramedic and was fully prepared to respond if called to assit after the storm hit. Many of my fellow brothers and sisters from other departments were called upon to do so.

Again what is disturbing to me and should be to everyone is the total concentration on only one area, New Orleans. What about the rest of the areas devasted by the storm. Maybe we don't here from them because they are standing on there own two feet and not continually ask for hand outs.

Having served in the USAF with over 20 yrs experience in C2, I can after having read the documents, know the structure and people involved in the Govts C2, that FEMA is not organization it needs to be. Not does it belong in the Dept of HD. Michael Brown is telling the truth when it comes to Chertoff and his arrogance, and that the President and his staff were not listening. Politicing happens even during crisies Mr.Arkin, believe it! Does Michael Brown share in the blame, yes he does. Is there plenty of blame to go around to include the LA politicians all the way down to Mayor Nagin? Absolutely. Will this happen again? You can bet on it.

One would wonder how deep of a relationship Mr. Michael Brown had with insurers and others who are charged in a 2 BILLION dollar [hurricane Isabel related] lawsuit that alledges widespread and systematic 'loss claim adjusting' fraud is rampant in the FEMA-NFIP / WYO insurance industry.

www.femainfo.us

I think it is rediculous that fema is paying for people that did not have insurance. I had insurance that I paid for and now I have to pay for the people that didn't!

The most appalling thing about Hurricane Katrina and the bungled response isn't the individual acts of incompetence, but that a year later, we still have no solution to the problem. FEMA was running pretty well before being absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security, this after years of work after another bungled hurricane response, Hurricane Andrew after President Bush I.
Regardless of where one lives in the country, there are disasters to which you have to respond. Americans as a whole should think about that, plan for the unexpected as best they can, and elect people who show a depth of understanding of how to manage these crises. The current political crop in D.C. seem more intenr on their political agenda than solving problems, and to me that's the most pressing disaster of all.

Rev,

Just so you do not think that I live to bash your posts.... you are 100% right on with the CEO rant..... no CEO is worth 25 million or whatever... there should be a cap on executive pay as a multiple of the lowest waged employee.... and "corporate officer" level stock options should not be able to be monetized until at least ten years after one's service is over!

Dan and Tracie,

You have no idea and if you are lucky you never will.

dan, you have no idea what your talking about. we have had "gloves,brooms and shovels" in our hands for nearly a year now - all of us. not just a few people having to clean dirty carpets and replant their gardens. its entire neighborhoods destroyed, many without power to begin work and there was also that eight month wait - mandatory - before we could rebuild while we waited for the government you so proudly defend to decide whate and where we begin.

tag on no tax base to run the city, no jobs to bring people back. insurance companies dragging their feet and ripping people off. Entergy going bankrupt and passing thier debt on to us. insurance companies changing exsisiting policies to exclude any libility. Rents throught the roof. medical and mental health crisis due to lack of doctors and facilities.

that's just off the top of my head, believe me i've missed most of the problems and these are not problems that can be fixed with "gloves, brooms and shovels." like the fact that the levees, built by your innocent government, were built incorrectly the first time and are no better now.

so dan, do us all a favor and stick to topics you might know something about and try and not insult good, honest, hard-working americans who are suffering a continuing tragedy beyond your insight and compassion.

VERY well stated post by Mr. Dan Koch. I wholeheartedly agree.

Why does everyone want to blame the "governement" for their own lack of planning and prepartion for helping yourself.

People in every part of the country need to be ready to take care of themselves for a minimum of 5 days in the event of disaster of any kind. The people in the south were warned days in advance of Katrina to get ready. Earthquakes, fires, and other disasters don't always present themselves with this much warning.

Face it, a huge part of the country was hit and hit hard. (but from the way the media is handling this you would only think it was New Orleans) Getting help to this area was going to take time no matter who was in charge. I blame the Mayor of New Orleans more than anyone for not having his city ready.

Many in this country feel it is the government's responsiblity to take care of them. This is not the case and I am getting tired of hearing from these people who do not want help themselves. Instead of debit cards, we should have been handing them gloves, brooms and shovels.

If New Orleans is going to rise again, it needs to based on its own accord, not a government bail out.

across the street from my office building is the superdome. from my office window i see both it and the interstate. as i write this marchers are making thier way from the convention center to the dome to commemorate those lost. i strain to look for them in the distant but me view is cut off by the city and state police and secret service that have closed the interstate to afford President Bush easy access to the lower 9th for his every six month photo op amongst the debris.

bush, FEMA, the army corp of engineers, they all let us down.

this is a day most new orleaneans won't turn on the TV or radio. newspapers will only be bought to store.

we thank all who did help, the average americans who did, in some cases, more than they could afford.

it's now time to take the elevator down to join the march. i'll be standing with some real heroes today.

Comparing Michael Brown to John Mark Karr is completely wrong and in the poorest of taste. Ironic that in order to post a comment here we, the authors of such comments, are held to a higher standard than the writers and reporters for The Washington Post itself. Think I'm kidding? Look at the criteria - "User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or...will be removed from the site." Now, having read that, who can say that comparing Michael Brown to John Mark Karr ISN'T a personal attack? Seems personal attacks are reserved for those deemed worthy of writing them.

It's funny how everyone wants to play the blame game when the excrement hits the oscillator, especially the media, but no one wants to say "Hey, congratualtions Mr. President on getting those folks out of Florida before the hurricane hit." Hmmmm...let's see, could it be because Florida (not the president) has politicians who actually have evacuation plans in place and are not afraid to implement them?! In the words spoken most recently by Mayor Ray Nagin, let's be fair here, okay?

The buck stops with Nagin and Blanco. Planning for and dealing with emergency situations lie fully in the hands of the folks running the city and state - FIRST. Second, comes the federal government. I fully appreciate the magnitude of Katrina but remain steadfast in allowing Nagin and Blanco the lionshare of the blame for the deaths associated with it. Having lived in Louisiana and seen first hand how inept and antiquated the government there is, I am not at all surprised by the outcome of state and city government dealings in a situation such as this. Katrina has only brought to light what has been status quo for a very long time in Louisiana.

Seeing the lack of response to the katrina disaster and slow pace of recovery by the federal and state government leads me to believe that as incompetent as Mike Brown was, that he was part of the norm rather than the exception since no one is responding quicker to the devastation and suffering of the citizens of New Orleans.

If ever there was an individual in the Political Arena who suffered more than Mr. Michael Brown former FEMA Director, I would love to meet him. There never will be a more overly qualified individual for that position he simply doesn't exist. Mr. Brown realized from the outset the fury of Katrina and who listened to him? You might say NO BODY and YOU would probably be reasonably correct. Mr. Brown served as a sacrificial lamb to satisfy a culture that I don't believe will ever be satisfied.

This is a true story in bullet points....

1. A church in my area was sued years ago...
2. Several boys in the church were molested by church leaders who were placed over the youth ministry
3. The family sued the church
4. The minister was livid and could not believe that anyone would sue a church

5. It took years but the case was brought to trial
6. The Judge did something unusual rather than sending both sides to arbitration or mediation. he made the two sides go and sit down and talk to each other
7. The pastor who had been railing against the plaintiffs, even in the pulpit. had a couple of epiphanies
8. He never considered the other side's true feelings

9. All he knew was that the church was being sued
10. He felt betrayed
11.And He never took responsibility for putting people that he did not know over the youth ministry
12. The minister finally atoned...

There are some lessons to be learned here that could be applied to the White House - Homeland Security - Secretary Chertoff - Fema - Browny fiasco...! Where does the buck stop?

Arkin, now your towing the Administration's talking points. So obvious. Everyone knows that Brown was underqualified, but I actually believe what he is saying because it actually makes sense. And who put Brown into the position. If i as a corporate manager hire an unqualified manager, that reflects poorly on me. How abou that, something coming out of Washington that makes sense. I now regret my vote for Bush.

Wow. Great rant Mr. Arkin (and I use the term "rant" approvingly here). I agree wholeheartedly. But would add one thing -- there will be no accountability in Washington for anything until we, the American public, demand it.

We need to stop treating this as a spectator sport where we support "our team" no matter what. This is not a football game, this is real life. I would rather the country move ahead than that I "win" the argument. Any patriot (in the true sense of the word) should say the same. I was shocked at the venom of the Pro-Bush posters below. We do not need to get into mud-slinging like that. Michael Brown was a political appointment in a position where he did not have requisite technical competence. The result was plain for the entire world to see. There should be some consequence for those who set in place that eventuality. Plain and simple.

But nothing will happen until we, as Americans, demand it each and every election cycle. Somebody messes up and doesn't pay -- Democrat, Republican, Whig, Tory, whaterver -- we need to make them pay. It is our government and our country after all. We are ultimately responsible for who we select to run it and how we choose to run it. The buck stops with us all. And I, for one, say that some big heads in this administration should be held responsible for what has happened with Brown and other situations as well.

WE as people should take a little blame for some of our action we incounter, but most of all we can not blame just one person, due to the fact that when something do not work on one end there is also another source of help we can not blame it all on FEMEA are they the only one that are funded if so the world is in trouble, the resolution is to put a project in place that reaches to everone state and have local people behind this project for example someone could of drove those buses licenseare no what do you have to lose.

Nothing more idiotic than an article complaining about why someone is still popping up in articles. You might as well put a bumper sticker on your car that says, "Help stamp out bumper stickers."
(I actually saw one of those in a box of Cap'n Crunch.) Let's move beyond this loser, folks.

America is not unique in this regard I am sure, but we certainly have a lot of executives in this country who are incapable of doing their jobs. The same are in way over their heads, they are abysmal failures, they wreck the lives of most of the people who are under them and they either remain at the helm or receive a Golden Parachute after they have destroyed their enterprise!

Mr. Bush, I mean Mr. Brown has to go, you're right! Men and women of the Board, how see ye? Ay, ay, ay...!

so whats new about politicians lying. it is an american heritage isn\t it

Folks, don't bring up issues pre George Bush, it makes it harder to blame him for them. Things like FEMA, global warming etc... we'll need to make them retroactive which would be silly, yet everybody is doing it. I blame Bush for going into Iraq, bending over for the stupid illegal immigration that should have been axed for soemthing more akin to reality and I blame him for agreeing with NAFTA and CAFTA and any other AFTA that makes other countries rich and hurts us.

I blame moron American's for not holding the big cheese accountable at the UN for the corruption and obvious dealings with the French and Russian and even Germany. Yet these same folks will blame Bush for everything from their sad state in life to cow farts in Africa.

I have an idea, let's bring in Kerry, you know, the guy who agrees with everybody he's standing in front of while lying through his teeth, or Gore who makes up facts almost as blatant as Mikey Moore let them run things and make you pay for them.

No wait, when they do, Bush will still get blamed... heck he could die in 2020 and in 2021 someone would blame him for running over their cat.

John, it's funny that Osama is blamed entirely on Bush when Clinton failed so miserably when he had the chance to get him.

Can I also ask why the mayor isn't being held to task for his failings in the Big Easy? He's corrupt, inept and worthless but they broguth him back anyway.

We are now making it easier for people to get health care and housing and most everything else. The way to get these benefits? Come here illegally, get the Dem's to call you anything but an illegal alien, immigrant works right, lets call them that, make getting here anyway you can legal wiping out all the hard work others have gone through to live the American dream and then smile while doing it.

Don't worry, the Dem's will win in '06 and probably in '08 so we can back to paying higher taxes and bending over for the entire world. The whole while apologizing for being the best country on the planet...

Brown is correct. The moron who appointed him to his office is to blame. After all, you can't expect the man to rise to the occasion. Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Additionlly, let's not forget Katrina came AFTER the debacle in Florida, whereby FEMA paid out for thousands of deaths NOT storm-related; where well-monied people were reimbursed for buying generators; where lovely residents of Hialeah were hosing down their furniture & appliances so that FEMA would replace them & also ruining their cars to get new rides! ALL this was reported as fraud, yet very, very few were prosecuted. All on Brown's watch--the same Brown appointed by Bush!

The message is "iys the Republicans" when James Lee Witt did just as bad during his watch. Maybe someone should observe "its the Government?" Oh well, that's right, its still the Republicans anyway.

Get real!

The following article illustrates what the Dems should be harping on; the fact that DHS can't hire competent, experienced people, only political appointees like Brown.

http://govexec.com/dailyfed/0806/082806j1.htm?rss=homeland

This guy was and is a useless incompetant from the ranks of the moneyed class. We have a lot of them today in high places due to social connections and inherited money. They lay like lizards around country clubs and effete social gatherings, scurrying only when there is a job with some rank and perceived stature available. There are plenty more, so don't be surprised when more show up in high places and, like roaches, run when the light shines on them.

I said it a year ago, I'll say it now. Brown was a scapegoat offered up by the Bush administration for the failure to respond to Katrina, and the media took the offered bait hook, line and sinker.

"Sure the federal and state governments are on high alert for this hurricane season, committed to not repeating their mistakes of last year. But at the same time, they can't admit that they made mistakes. It's depressing."

Hahahahaha ... this is news to you Arkin? When was the last time a Bush administration official took any blame for anything? Iraq? Missing Osama? Katrina? Abu Graib? 911? Outing Plame? Swiftboating Kerry?

What is sad is not just that Brownie is on TV saying where the fault lies higher up, its sad that few in the media have done a careful analysis showing the incompetence, in detail, of DHS and its administrators prefering instead to just have Brownie there, a proven incompetent, spouting what he sees as real. Its sad that Congress has done nothing to pressure DHS into fixing its problems, and its sad that Bush fired no one except Brownie and today is having dinner in New Orleans amide the rubble saying what great progress is being made. Its the Iraq line all over again -'progress is being made in spite of what you see with your own eyes, just trust me'. And the news media is reporting it verbatim without more than a side note that its still messy down there. Ed Morrow is rolling in his grave.

I don't blame the news media totally, but when the truth is not reported, widely, people do not hear the truth and do not contact their representatives to let them know they want it fixed. People need to know the truth to pressure their public servants into action. The media needs to keep the public informed about what is the truth and what is not, and not letting our public servants getting away with any lie or stretching of the truth.

For example, today Rumsfeld is defending our presense in Iraq as necessary to fight a new fascism akin to the fascists of WW2 Europe. Will any reporter tell him or the public that the REASON for the war has NO bearing on HOW it is fought? Rummy is deflecting valid criticism of how this war is being fought by insinuating that those who critize the Iraq war do not want to fight fascism. This is just plain wrong but I do not expect to hear any in the media point out that Rummy is deflecting the issue. His words will be reported and that will be it. Fox News analysts will declare he is totally correct. CNN will show the video of his speach with little or no analysis except through talking heads. Only the few who analyze it themselves will be upset and we will just continue on this dark path in our history. It's depressing.

Ah, Brownie got you down Arkin? But it could be worse remember?

So be thankful things are only bad. Remember if the choice is between bad or worse, worse IS worse!

The repulsive thing is, even though everyone on the planet knows that Michael Brown was completely in over his head in running a federal agency and dealing with an actual disaster, he is still getting airtime.

Uh, Arkin, this quote shows that, in a perverse way, Brownie is actually correct in blaming those who appointed a horse trader to run the nation's disaster response program.