You know, I'm not being critical of FEMA for their actual response to the California wildfires, but this seems a bit silly:

[QUOTE]FEMA has truly learned the lessons of Katrina. Even its handling of the media has improved dramatically. For example, as the California wildfires raged Tuesday, Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy administrator, had a 1 p.m. news briefing.

Reporters were given only 15 minutes' notice of the briefing, making it unlikely many could show up at FEMA's Southwest D.C. offices. They were given an 800 number to call in, though it was a "listen only" line, the notice said -- no questions. Parts of the briefing were carried live on Fox News, MSNBC and other outlets.

Johnson stood behind a lectern and began with an overview before saying he would take a few questions. The first questions were about the "commodities" being shipped to Southern California and how officials are dealing with people who refuse to evacuate. He responded eloquently.

...

"And so I think what you're really seeing here is the benefit of experience, the benefit of good leadership and the benefit of good partnership," Johnson said, "none of which were present in Katrina." (Wasn't Michael Chertoff DHS chief then?) Very smooth, very professional. But something didn't seem right. The reporters were lobbing too many softballs. No one asked about trailers with formaldehyde for those made homeless by the fires. And the media seemed to be giving Johnson all day to wax on and on about FEMA's greatness.

[B]Of course, that could be because the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters. We're told the questions were asked by Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director of external affairs, and by "Mike" Widomski, the deputy director of public affairs. Director of External Affairs John "Pat" Philbin asked a question, and another came, we understand, from someone who sounds like press aide Ali Kirin.[/B] [/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/25/AR2007102502488.html[/url]

Shit like this doesn't even surprise me anymore. I don't even have a substantive complaint, but the administration's obsession with controlling the message is symptomatic of a much larger problem. Feels like so much propaganda.

Re: FEMA Stages Press Conference on California Wildfires

LOL I love these guys :lol: the most dysfunctional group of human beings on the planet! ...I hope to get a job there some day, that will no doubt be one of the most tragic yet hilarious episodes of my life :D:lol:

Re: FEMA Stages Press Conference on California Wildfires

It's just ridiculous. Somewhere, this discussion was held:

[QUOTE]Should we hold a press conference? Nah, people might ask tough questions. How about if we pretend to hold a press conference, and you guys just ask all of the questions? Brilliant!!!!![/QUOTE]

And this whole idea of it being time sensitive is hogwash. 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock -- it's all the same, when you're talking about a fire that has already been raging for a couple of days at the time. FEMA's kick-ass response to the disaster is not breaking news.

Re: FEMA Stages Press Conference on California Wildfires

FEMA: the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse :lol:

Re: FEMA Stages Press Conference on California Wildfires

I think the problem is that FEMA exists. If it's a mouthpiece for Bush, It's going to be a mouthpiece for any president that comes a long in the future.

The question is Do we need it? And If so, does it work?

No, to both, as we've unfortunately seen.

Re: FEMA Stages Press Conference on California Wildfires

[QUOTE=88Mariner;538400]I think the problem is that FEMA exists. If it's a mouthpiece for Bush, It's going to be a mouthpiece for any president that comes a long in the future.

The question is Do we need it? And If so, does it work?

No, to both, as we've unfortunately seen.[/QUOTE]

I think, though, that there are instances where there truly is a federal interest at stake, and the disaster is more than the local authorities can handle. Katrina was a perfect example. New Orleans is a major port city and is a critical part of the US economy, but the local authorities were clearly overmatched. It wouldn't be in the nation's best interests to just leave New Orleans twisting in the wind.

With that said, Katrina is also a prime example of government inefficiency at work and is the poster child for how [B]not[/B] to handle an emergency. The fact that Bush is an idiot and appointed a horse judge to do the job doesn't mean that the whole concept ought to be scrapped, though. My preference is for local authorities to take care of their own, but there has to be some way for serious, serious emergencies that have national implications to be addressed if the local authorities can't handle it on their own.

Re: FEMA Stages Press Conference on California Wildfires

yet even in that light, toasty, it was the people themselves that did a far superior job than that bureaucratic agency.

I agree with you that local authorities are better equiped and more knowledgable than some hoo-ha's from the beltway. (unless of course it's an emergency in DC).

I say FEMA would be fine in regards to, and only to, major terrorist actions on American soil. Just shy of Yellowstone blowin its lid, I don't think FEMA she be involved.

How have we been handling all of these natural disasters before FEMA existed?