Empiricum's Guest Editorial - Inside the Eye of the Storm

Yesterday's congressional testimony of former FEMA Director Michael Brown reinforces the perception that he is one arrogant, incompetent and a lying bureaucrat. All these three adjectives can be supported with facts. First on the issue of arrogance. In addition to his abrasive demeanor and responses before the select, but partisan, committee that is partly boycotted by the democrats, Brown's appearance and "performance" (or lack of it) before, during and after Katrina in white long sleeved, cuffed and buttoned shirts in a disaster zone were early indications of such arrogance.

One must expect that when a bureaucrat leaves the comfort of his office in D.C. to deal with a disaster, he must roll his sleeves up and wear a blue collar shirt. Brown showed a different appearance. Perhaps he dealt with Arabian horses in the same light with high boots and a whip!

Brown is incompetent. The facts and figures and the sights and sounds in the aftermath of Katrina speak for themselves.

This brings us to the issue of "lying." The day before Katrina made landfall, Brown appeared in almost every news outlet repeatedly saying that the "resources and personnel of FEMA are all in position" to deal with the impending disaster. Everyone knows that days after Katrina wrought havoc on the gulf coast, FEMA was nowhere to be found... including Brown himself... except in press conferences! It turns out later that Brown had in his command ONLY 2,000 or so personnel to deal with such massive disaster which was not to be mobilized until it was safe to do so.

Be that as it may, Brown should not bear the entire blame in this "blame game" as many have called it. Looking at the overall picture, George W. Bush should bear a heavy burden of responsibility likewise not only because of his late action or "reaction" ... if not inaction.

On the Monday after Katrina made landfall, Bush was in San Diego as part of his vacation delivering a speech before a captive audience... and simply smirking his way in the West coast as the Gulf coast suffers! One may be reminded of those precious moments on September 11, 2001 when he continued smirking with the Florida school children in a classroom as the twin towers came tumbling down.

But those precious moments after Katrina made landfall may not be that precious after all if one considers that the federal government, including FEMA, under the leadership of George W. Bush, is handcuffed and cannot go into action BECAUSE OF LACK OF FUNDS! Notice that no significant federal hand was lifted and aid given until Congress approved the $10.5 BILLION. Prior to that, all Bush could do was to make a fly-by and peer through the window of Air Force One over the safe skies of the ravaged areas.

The Department of Homeland Security, under which FEMA operates, was created at the 11th hour of the Congressional session and was riddled with pork barrel provisions that made FEMA under-funded and weakened its efficiency. Then Senate Majority leader Trent Lott of Mississippi promised to revisit and remove some of the objectionable provisions during the next Congress. He never fulfilled that promise as he was deposed in the aftermath of his racist remarks during the Strom Thurmond birthday bash.

Now Trent Lott is himself a victim of Katrina reportedly losing his house in Biloxi. Curiously enough, the usually loquacious Lott has become uncharacteristically quiet these days. Is he now realizing that his masterpiece legislation called the DHS charter makes him a victim of his own folly? Does Lott now believe that Bush will not lift a finger unless his 1% friends benefit? Does Lott now believe that all the budgetary cuts of domestic programs, including the reinforcement of the New Orleans levees, were all nothing but ploys to funnel every tax dollar available to finance Bush's war efforts in, and "reconstruction" of, Iraq?

Other similar recent legislations of note that are riddled with pork barrel provisions are the Highway and Energy bills. These are all integral parts of the Bush overall agenda to raid the national treasury and funnel taxpayer dollars to the detriment of future generations of taxpayers to his friends and campaign contributors. Now we have the $200 BILLION "Katrina Relief Fund" resting on our shoulders and seeking to reach deep into our pockets and those of our children and grandchildren.

Who will be benefit?

As Bush himself calls it, the ton of money will be used in the "Economic Opportunity Zone." Get the idea? And these people don't talk in millions anymore!

Should New Orleans and the devastated areas be rebuilt? To a certain degree, House Speaker Dennis Hastert was correct with his initial remark that New Orleans should NOT be rebuilt. But his remark is short-sighted in the ultimate analysis.

New Orleans and underlying low areas in the Gulf can be rebuilt after revising the building codes making it mandatory to have stilt posts strong enough to withstand the force and fury of a Category 5 hurricane and high enough to avoid 20 feet storm surge. Additionally, the flood plains of the Big Easy can be converted and transformed into a Venice of the United States where gondolas roam and paddle that would add additional flavor to the tourist's appetite for Cajun cooking and Mardi Gras.