Continuing an ongoing story, in which a certain faltering nation's President
insisted reporters knew more than him when the head of the nation's largest emergency management agency resigned (yet had a replacement
up and running within hours).
Our hero, Mr. Bush, has appointed R. David Paulison as the interim head of FEMA. if past history is any guide, and it is, our hero will make the "interim" tag go away as quickly as he can. Of course, you know this - it's been diaried! Also diaried is that our hero's new friend is the duct tape dude, to whom 3M owes an enormous debt of thanks for the duct tape scare of 2003. But there's good stuff that hasn't been covered yet - and I think we should have all the info on the table, don't you?!
Story-telling mode is tiresome now. more below the fold...
Our new friend, R. David Paulison, has been serving as the
U.S. Fire Administrator, part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate/FEMA. In addition, he served as the
Director of the Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate/FEMA in 2003 and 2004. For those of us with resume experience, that could mean December 2003 to January 2004, but who knows? He certainly has some background in dealing with emergencies, with 30 years involvement in firefighting and rescue services. No quarrels here.
But what was his job description, lo these several years since 2001, and how's he been doing?
As U.S. Fire Administrator, Mr. Paulison ... supports State and local fire service programs, and oversee(s) programs to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies, in partnership with fire protection and emergency service communities.
Oooops!
administered a broad range of programs designed to strengthen State and community emergency preparedness in order to reduce loss of life and property due to disaster
OOOPS!
administered first responder grant programs totaling more than $1 billion
Not much bang for our buck there, but we know this administration's not so good with the pocketbook.
He was also responsible for training Federal, State, and local emergency managers and first responders.
Well, again, that didn't go so well...
So, I have to assume that I don't need to provide a tiresome list of links to the many ways this guy didn't do his job right. So Bush has rid himself of Brownie, who was doing a "heck of a job" while failing utterly not just at providing services, but at knowing what services were needed or even IF services were needed. And today it seems he's found what I assume he'll call a "fantastic" replacement (don't forget "highly qualified", with a "good heart"), who by all evidence failed completely to provide the preparedness designed to limit loss of life and property. In other words, we've gone from the guy who was responsible for PROVIDING help and failed, to the guy who was responsible for PREPARING for disasters and failed. Woo woo for America!
And a poll because my Seattle Kossacks demand it...