FEMA's lack of response

September 7, 2005 6:42 AM

Oh well....
posted by threehundredandsixty (23 comments total)

here are the e-mails to contact our government

e-mail your senators
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

e-mail your congress representative
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

e-mail to the white house
[e-mail]
posted by threehundredandsixty at 6:44 AM on September 7, 2005

personal surprise level: 0.00
posted by NationalKato at 6:45 AM on September 7, 2005

Not to dodge Brown's responsibility in this, but he's being set up as a patsy. How convenient, especially given who gutted FEMA in the first place.
posted by Rothko at 6:46 AM on September 7, 2005

Yeah, that's what you call a smoking gun, all right.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:51 AM on September 7, 2005

This is hands-down my favorite conservative blog quote on Brown:

I forget the guys name who is the head of FEMA but if Bush does not fire the idiot, I'll lose 25% of my respect for Bush right there on the spot. (with more pending)

Whoa there, buddy. Try not to strain yourself. 25 percent? Is hating Bush that much even possible? Let's get a study done on this!
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 6:55 AM on September 7, 2005

I'm convinced Bush has to shoot a five year old girl in the face in broad daylight on her first day of kindergarten in order to lose any support from the Stepford Right.
posted by MetaJohn at 6:57 AM on September 7, 2005

In protest, some members of the unit have stopped wearing a search and rescue patch on their sleeves that reads, "So Others May Live."

Did they replace it with one that says "Convey a positive image"?
posted by If I Had An Anus at 7:02 AM on September 7, 2005

[e-mail]

Yeah, that's going to be productive.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 7:08 AM on September 7, 2005

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." –President Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, while touring Hurricane-ravaged Mississippi, Sept. 2, 2005 - Five days after landfall.

This and other great Katrina quotes here.
posted by JWright at 7:08 AM on September 7, 2005

Man, I got all excited, you know, from the Yahoo link -- I thought Brownie was already testifying before a Senate commission this very day. Very depressing to click on it and find it a stock photo from May. Oh well, color me idealistic...

In a very dark and cynical way, acknowledging already the death and destruction that has happened, and I am in no way trying to cheapen the despair and horror in LA -- there, enough disclaimers? pant pant -- It is fascinating that the first real test of our Homeland Security came from a non-political enemy. I think it would have been much easier for them to re-frame this dialog as patriotic or terrah or anything of the sort had it been some kind of terrorist strike. It's a very minor victory, but I think it is a victory that the first major homeland catastrophe bungled by this administration is a natural one. Still horrible, but at least these sycophants can't hide behind their godawful "You don't support AMERICA!!!" rag.

Having said that, I need to shower because of how dirty claiming a catastrophe is good made me feel.
posted by cavalier at 7:09 AM on September 7, 2005

MetaJohn, not so fast. Who was this girl? What did she do to make our president so upset? What's her background? Did some Bush-hater set her up for this? Where was she during the Clinton years? Why didn't Hilary or one of the other so-called "caring" Liberals do anything to save her? (And hey, we all know what Bill would have done to her, am I right?)

Once again, it's more senseless, knee-jerk fury from the Bush haters. There's plenty of blame to go around for this senseless shooting, and I think we should wait until the president and Congress have finished their no-doubt thorough investigations into this matter. Until we know for sure that a crime's been committed, we should support our president, no matter what.
posted by PlusDistance at 7:09 AM on September 7, 2005

Brown's memo told employees that among their duties, they would be expected to "convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public."

Well, then. That positive image sure worked out incredibly well.
posted by tpl1212 at 7:12 AM on September 7, 2005

Someone please tell me this FPP doesn't consist of two nondescriptive words which lead to a Yahoo News article. I think my eyes are going bad because that's what I'm seeing.
posted by Justinian at 7:13 AM on September 7, 2005

cavalier, you feel dirty because you're glad that this wasn't a terrorist attack?

look at it this way; the hurricane was going to happen anyway. at least we're seeing a glimmer of accountability because it's so easy to see how they fucked this up.

now, if i'd known about this and let it slide (like say, james lee witt), i might feel a bit guilty, but given that i didn't know how bad the admin had screwed the pooch here, i don't feel at all bad about trying to stick them for it.
posted by spiderwire at 7:14 AM on September 7, 2005

Charmaine Neville tells of her experience waiting for aid. More people need to see and hear these stories, rather than just hear pundits "analyze" the situation.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/06.html#a4827
(Crooksandliars.com)
posted by sponselli at 7:14 AM on September 7, 2005

but also, what Justinian said. this is old news and i can't stand it when MeFi turns into DKosBoingBoingSlashDotFilter.... (little more K Olbermann, anyone?)
posted by spiderwire at 7:15 AM on September 7, 2005

I'm saying I felt dirty for what could be implied from my message that I was -glad- we had a -Hurricane- which -killed people and destroyed things- :) That's the bad part. I want people to roast for this. I hope stuff like Olbermann continues...
posted by cavalier at 7:28 AM on September 7, 2005

This could not have been posted in another Katrina thread?
posted by LarryC at 7:57 AM on September 7, 2005

Here's another first-hand experience of someone caught in New Orleans. A small sample:

From a woman with a battery powered radio we learned that the media was talking about us. Up in full view on the freeway, every relief and news organizations saw us on their way into the City. Officials were being asked what they were going to do about all those families living up on the freeway? The officials responded they were going to take care of us. Some of us got a sinking feeling. "Taking care of us" had an ominous tone to it.

Unfortunately, our sinking feeling (along with the sinking City) was correct. Just as dusk set in, a Gretna Sheriff showed up, jumped out of his patrol vehicle, aimed his gun at our faces, screaming, "Get off the fucking freeway". A helicopter arrived and used the wind from its blades to blow away our flimsy structures. As we retreated, the sheriff loaded up his truck with our food and water."

posted by flug at 7:58 AM on September 7, 2005

I'm with LarryC, spiderwire, and Justinian. This is a crap FPP. Post the link in your choice of dozens of other Katrina threads. It's not like they've dropped off the front page yet (or will in the foreseeable future).
posted by goatdog at 8:04 AM on September 7, 2005

The maintenance workers who used a fork lift to carry the sick and disabled. The engineers, who rigged, nurtured and kept the generators running. The electricians who improvised thick extension cords stretching over blocks to share the little electricity we had in order to free cars stuck on rooftop parking lots. Nurses who took over for mechanical ventilators and spent many hours on end manually forcing air into the lungs of unconscious patients to keep them alive. Doormen who rescued folks stuck in elevators. Refinery workers who broke into boat yards, "stealing" boats to rescue their neighbors clinging to their roofs in flood waters. Mechanics who helped hot-wire any car that could be found to ferry people out of the City. And the food service workers who scoured the commercial kitchens improvising communal meals for hundreds of those stranded.

But they should have left so the blame is also on them, according to certain arms-subtracted-to-agricoluture like Santorum. Just don't show me one of his kind or I'll gnaw his head off.
posted by elpapacito at 8:12 AM on September 7, 2005

This could not have been posted in another Katrina thread?

It was - last night.
posted by ericb at 8:13 AM on September 7, 2005

Wow, sponselli, that video is amazing. It's the most moving story I've seen yet and there are probably thousands more just like it. I need to go for a walk, now.
posted by Alison at 8:21 AM on September 7, 2005