FEMA

[DeletedUser34]

So here is my question.
When FEMA dropped the ball with Katrina, President Bush was blamed. There was this big tado about how awesome Prophet Obama was on the campaign trail at the time, and how the republicans jacked up the Katrina thing....

So how come and here goes...
Sandy has devastated New England just as horribly, and yet FEMA has been as much a failure this time around as it was back then. How come nobody is crying foul now?

 

[DeletedUser]

Ummm, because they're not. FEMA has been on site since day 1. Money was released immediately and help arrived as well. In fact, FEMA has been so good that even Chris Christie (Governor of New Jersey) issued the following statement:

Appearing on the networks this morning, Christie, for the third day in a row, heaped praise on Obama’s handling of the storm. “The President has been outstanding in this,” he told the “Today” show. On “Morning Joe,” he said, “It’s been very good working with the President. He and his Administration have been coördinating with us. It’s been wonderful.” Speaking on CNN, Christie said that he had been mightily impressed by Obama’s accessibility throughout the crisis. “He gave me his number at the White House, told me to call him if I needed anything, and he absolutely means it.” Christie also pointed out that Obama didn’t once bring up politics in their conversations, and added, “If he’s not bringing it up, you can be sure that people in New Jersey are not worried about that, primarily if one of the guys running isn’t.”

New york has had the same praise for the President. So I don't know if you either don't understand the role of FEMA or haven't been following what's going on their, but FEMA has been doing their job. Now as far as the two states responding to problems, that has been pretty bad, but that has nothing to with FEMA.

 

[DeletedUser34]

you better check again...New York is still in trouble. In many areas of New York, Fema hasn't even showed up. To that point, Fema showed up in the areas outside of New Orleans fairly quickly...it was the dynamics of New Orleans that caused the delay...similar to the situation going on in NYC.

 

[DeletedUser]

Huh, I just looked it up. I guess the most recent press release is lying... Let me post it:

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said during a press conference Monday, “There are some local governments that will want trailers. …it’s going to be a community-by-community option,” he said, as reported by ABC News.
“Given the extent of the housing need, no option is off the table, FEMA has been working tirelessly to help us through this disaster."
So far, FEMA has spent $200 million in emergency housing assistance, placing 34,000 people from New York and New Jersey in hotels and motels, ABC News reported. Long-term housing plans have not yet been announced by City and State officials.
The worst of the nor’easter is expected to hit on Wednesday afternoon to evening, bringing rain, wind, cold and more coastal flooding, with steady winds of 25-30 miles per hour and gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, according to ABC. New York reported that according to computer models, the storm could, “carry far less forceful gusts than first forecast.”
On Nov. 1, a spokesperson for FEMA, Craig Fugate, said that available rental housing should be abundant enough that the trailers wouldn’t be necessary to house displaced hurricane victims, as reported on the Fierce Homeland Security website.
Half of the people left homeless are residents of New York City’s vast public housing complex, ABC News reported. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) website noted in an undated letter from general manager Cecil House, that there are “365 buildings experiencing power outages in Zone A and other areas that require inspection.”
FEMA has created a website to coordinate support for the disaster victims, www.serve.gov/sandy.

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Oh and Mitt Romney has pulled out his "Binders full or Women" to help out with the relief as well. hahaha

 

[DeletedUser34]

Huh, I just looked it up. I guess the most recent press release is lying... Let me post it:



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Oh and Mitt Romney has pulled out his "Binders full or Women" to help out with the relief as well. hahaha

and obviously you totally missed my point....Sandy's response in New York has been NO different than its response to Katrina....why was bush bashed, but Obama is not?

 

[DeletedUser2501]

Sandy definately helped Obama, but all he had to say was FEMA, do your job. Some general things to remember: States rights. The State has to ask the Federal Government for aid before the Prez can declare a federal state of emergancy (get money from Congress, get FEMA involved etc.) During Katrina, the State waited 3-4 days before asking for help(idiots). FEMA then screwed up a lot during Katrina, mostly because it was a new agency, and did not have the experience and procedures in place that anyone knew would work. They've got both these problems fixed now, but there is still a third problem that will be there every time: The manpower and resources can be huge. I've done distaster response before. The stress, confusion, Trama, Drama and shear amount of work can make anyone cry. As soon as it gets overwelming, someone cries foul. Theyre not calling this a "frankenstorm" for nothing.....

 

[DeletedUser34]

But that IS my point. The states fubar'd Katrina....not Bush. So the time line for good and supplies once the gov't was asked is equal to Sandy...so why was bush blamed, and obama not?

 

[DeletedUser2381]

But that IS my point. The states fubar'd Katrina....not Bush. So the time line for good and supplies once the gov't was asked is equal to Sandy...so why was bush blamed, and obama not?

Main Stream media will not blame the prophet for anything or ask any hard questions that might lead to his eviction of the white house and you as well as I know this.

 

[DeletedUser]

Obama didn't do anything to get blamed for, and neither did Bush, but... General Custer is correct, FEMA was new and did have some wrinkles that were broadcast on every news channel. Lets face it, no one liked Bush and Katrina was a great way to hit him. It wouldn't have mattered if Bush got on the phone with God and had the Almighty clean up the mess and restore everything as good as new, the press would've still found a reason to kick 'Dubya'. Not that they didn't have a reason or plenty of material to slam him, but he wasn't to blame for Katrina, Kathleen Blanco should have been. It was her job to asses the problem and get Federal help immediately. She dropped the ball and NewOrleans paid the price.

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Ahhh, I was wondering when the Right Wing radicals would show up and make this about the election!!

 

[DeletedUser34]

and YET....Bush WAS blamed, and you have yet to explain to me why.

 

[DeletedUser3]

Bush Jr. was largely, and justifiably, blamed for the aftermath of Katrina in Loiusiana because, prior to, Bush Jr. had reallocated the money earmarked for repairing and strengthening the Loiusiana levees. A study was released by the Army Corps of Engineers and another agency, during the Clinton administration, indicating the levees were insufficient and federal money was released to be allocated to repair/rebuild projects. At the height of Bush's warmongering, he lost sight of the homefront's needs and began pulling money away from different homefront programs, including levee management and FEMA, to pay for his little wars. When Katrina struck, not only did the levees break, flooding many parts of Loiusiana, but FEMA was sorely undermanned and underfinanced.

So, there's the greater part of the reason Bush was blamed. Bush was also criticized because he chose the lead staff for the role of heading up FEMA, and they were unqualified, having little to no experience. Finally, Bush received blame because he didn't respond or address the aftermath of Katrina until many days later and virtually ignored Mississippi throughout.

Now as to Obama not being blamed, Obama appointed competent, experienced persons to FEMA, ensured they had ample resources, and responded immediately to the aftermath of "Frankenstorm." Unlike the scene in Katrina, where FEMA had actually "prevented" help to reach Louisiana and Mississippi as they attempted to "control" assistance efforts, in this instance at New England, FEMA's role has been as a resource and facilitator, responding to needs posed by local authorities rather than dictating to.

It should also be mentioned that the day is young. It took weeks before the blamefest hit Bush & FEMA, it's only been days since "Frankenstorm."

 

[DeletedUser]

http://truth-out.org/news/item/2515art-three-fema-during-the-bush-years-2001--2004

Just something to back up Hellstromm's post.

 

[DeletedUser]

I did Dom. Read my last post. It doesn't matter anyway, Bush was a moron. Would you like an explanation on that too? hahaha

 

[DeletedUser34]

I did Dom. Read my last post. It doesn't matter anyway, Bush was a moron. Would you like an explanation on that too? hahaha

No, none is needed, Hell has given me the breakdown more than once on every Bush related topic...and now his side kick thinks it is his duty to fill in the gaps he THINKS Hell missed.

 

[DeletedUser]

Nice, just like this administration, Name calling and dogging the question... go figure.

Nope, I think we answered the question very thoroughly and with links to back them up. But since you continue to compare this to an administration I will as well since you comments are demeaning, misleading, and are only one sided... Like the Republican agenda. What surprises me is that you didn't throw in some biblical quote or a comparison to the Nazi regime... But the day is young.

And Hellstromm, very nice research. I didn't know Bush had actually reassigned monies from the Louisiana Levee project. I was of the understanding that Kathleen Blanco had appropriated the funds for other state needs. Although not all of the blame can be put on Bush Jr. Gov. Blanco did drop the ball in calling in federal help, I believe she waited three of four days. FEMA can't act until the state asks for Fed help. So Bush wasn't the only problem in that fiasco.

 

[DeletedUser34]

And Hellstromm, very nice research. I didn't know Bush had actually reassigned monies from the Louisiana Levee project. I was of the understanding that Kathleen Blanco had appropriated the funds for other state needs. Although not all of the blame can be put on Bush Jr. Gov. Blanco did drop the ball in calling in federal help, I believe she waited three of four days. FEMA can't act until the state asks for Fed help. So Bush wasn't the only problem in that fiasco.

It was a little of both....but in reality, it was more congress who did that than Bush...and lets all forget Presidents and Congress has been doing it for years. AND it isn't the Federal Governments responsibility to bail out a state that was irresponsible in the first place.....Oh wait, we do it all the time.

 

[Liberty]

Bush and FEMA were a huge failure with Katrina. The jury is still out as to whether Obama and FEMA will do much better. The people on Staten Island don't seem any too pleased.

The biggest problem is FEMA, itself. It should never have been created. Emergencies are best directed and dealt with by the states and local communities, and of course by all the wonderful volunteers from all over the country that pitch in during an emergency. Imagine, without FEMA, they might stop being turned away.

 

[DeletedUser]

Bush and FEMA were a huge failure with Katrina. The jury is still out as to whether Obama and FEMA will do much better. The people on Staten Island don't seem any too pleased.

The biggest problem is FEMA, itself. It should never have been created. Emergencies are best directed and dealt with by the states and local communities, and of course by all the wonderful volunteers from all over the country that pitch in during an emergency. Imagine, without FEMA, they might stop being turned away.

To your first point, the people on Staten Island are not happy because they're secluded and only a finite number of ways to get them aid and support with I-278 underwater along with I-78 and Hwy 440. So yeah, but that has nothing to do with FEMA.

To your second point, the state calls in FEMA, Liberty. It's not the other way around. FEMA doesn't respond automatically the Governor of the afflicted state has to call for Federal aid. The state has jurisdiction and are directing the relief. FEMA's job is to take that direction and aid the National Guard as well as life saving units.

I think the problem with this debate is that people don't know what FEMA's job actually is or what they do. I encourage you guys to read, especially Liberty: http://www.fema.gov/about

And Liberty, Federal Emergency Management Agency has been around since 1979 and has been a huge life saving agency. Again they are directed by the state once on site. FEMA doesn't take over the show and do everything on their own, the state does all that. FEMA has the money, equipment, and housing. The State's National Guard and Emergency Services pretty much supply the rest.

 

[DeletedUser34]

hmmm interesting points considering New Orleans had similar logistics issues with FEMA that Staten Island is having. It was Staten Island and the epic failure to get them help that made me think Obama's FEMA is as locked as Bush's FEMA.

 

[Liberty]

To your first point, the people on Staten Island are not happy because they're secluded and only a finite number of ways to get them aid and support with I-278 underwater along with I-78 and Hwy 440. So yeah, but that has nothing to do with FEMA.

To your second point, the state calls in FEMA, Liberty. It's not the other way around. FEMA doesn't respond automatically the Governor of the afflicted state has to call for Federal aid. The state has jurisdiction and are directing the relief. FEMA's job is to take that direction and aid the National Guard as well as life saving units.

I think the problem with this debate is that people don't know what FEMA's job actually is or what they do. I encourage you guys to read, especially Liberty: http://www.fema.gov/about

And Liberty, Federal Emergency Management Agency has been around since 1979 and has been a huge life saving agency. Again they are directed by the state once on site. FEMA doesn't take over the show and do everything on their own, the state does all that. FEMA has the money, equipment, and housing. The State's National Guard and Emergency Services pretty much supply the rest.

I know what FEMA is and I know what it has done. It has been a huge failure and has spent countless amounts of money being the failure that they are, that could have been left with the states (not extracted by the federal government) so that they could handle their own emergencies.

If you are arguing that FEMA has been a good steward of the money they have been given, then apparently it is you who needs to do some research.

Contrary to the government indoctrination that so many have been given, we actually can get along without having the federal government take over everything under the sun. That is not the form of government we were given and it most certainly is not the best use of resources. Or, have you forgotten the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on trailers that were junked because they did not meet "FEMA standards", or the checks doled out after Katrina to people who didn't even live there.

Simply said, FEMA hinders recovery. They come in and tell residents what they can and cannot do, won't allow you in your houses and hinder the local people and even volunteers from going in.

It needs to be abolished and the money that funded it should stay in the pockets of the taxpayers.