Position:fire Michael Brown
From dKosopedia
The position that FEMA must fire Michael Brown is held very widely, by the Boston Herald, New Orleans Times-Picayune, among others. Both Boston and New Orleans are subject to hurricanes from time to time.
The arguments for this position:
- Alken FEMA Director Michael Brown was a private practice attorney from 1987-2001 and from his assessments regarding last week’s major national dead American disaster, he has had NO formal training whatsoever.
- His response during the crisis was confused:
- Thursday, 9/1, over 30,000 Americans without food or water: Mr. Brown pleased with effort: “Things are going relatively well.”
- Friday, 9/2, over 30,000 Americans still without food or water: Mr. Brown contended that "people are getting the help they need."
- Mr. Brown further conceded that all the resources that the agency had positioned before the storm were overwhelmed and that he did not anticipate the total lack of communications. He does not seem to realize his own self-deprecating words: "So, we've got to figure out some way to convince people that whenever warnings go out it's for their own good.” There are thousands of Americans that work in emergency services every day saving Americans. Can't one of them be the Director?
- Friday 9/2, President Bush praised Brown, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job” and “Friends of Brown defended the job he has done.”
- Since neither President Bush nor any of Brown’s friends were in New Orleans, it is probably better to have someone who has actual friends in a hurricane zone be the Director
The arguments against this position:
- Since Hurricane Katrina destroyed their stables or their owners let them free to save them, many valuable horses now run totally free in the Gulf Coast area. Browns prior background as an advocate for owners of Arabian horses could be crucial in gaining the support of the ultra-rich for the Hurricane Katrina cleanup.
- Now that there have been all these "lessons learned", Brown is qualified! Who else has totally botched such a large operation, created over 130,000 Hurricane Katrina refugees, and killed possibly tens of thousands of people? Nothing like on the job training.