Brownie and the Disaster...or How could one guy screw a bad thing up even more.
Ok, I know it has been a few days since my last post. But as a single father of a pre-teen, working full-time and temporarily living 42 miles away from my son, I get really busy. Divorce support group 1 night per week, great visitation time with my son 2 nights and every other weekend, and some days returning to work in the evening after visitation, it doesn't leave me much time for anything else, like I said.....really busy. So while I have had attitudes and opinions about the happenings of the world around me, there have just not been enough hours in the day lately. Thank god for that miracle elixer "coffee". I could go on and on about the virtues of coffee, but instead why not read one hell of a well written blog by my best friend and coffee gourmet, Kemp at http://blogofkemp.blogspot.com/ . I could not have written it any better myself.
The only caveat that I can add is that I am what Kemp refers to as a coffee junkie. Now I love a great cup of fresh gourmet coffee as much as the next person, and can truly appreciate it. However, I am also the guy that can reheat the coffee from yesterday and enjoy it, and having been a police officer and having served in the U.S. Army I can drink any beverage that is hot, black, and able to pour without having to 'cut' it with a knfe as the cup fills... bring on the sludge!!
But I digress.. The big item to rant about this week, again, is Michael Brown. Would I much rather be spouting off about our puppet-in-chief, you bet, but I cannot let this one go by.
I am at work yesterday at lunch when I get an e-mail from CNN.com with Breaking News. The news turns out to be 'FEMA Director Removed From Katrina Duty". Wow, it only took the largest natural disaster in U.S. history and 11 days of incompetency for this 'yutz' to be taken off the front line of response.
Wasn't FEMA rolled into that newly hallowed institution known as the Department of Homeland Security in order to place our nations readiness and responsiveness resources under one centrallized chain of command? Now a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, and in the supposed 'Steel Chain' known as the Department
of Homeland Security, Michael Brown is evidently a paper link. That's right, you get the paper wet and the chain will break. Almost two weeks ago his link was soaked !
You know it's bad when Democrats AND Republicans are essentially calling for his head on a platter. (I would prefer his head to be placed on a pike and placed near where Interstate 10 enters New Orleans, but that is just me....ah the good ole days...) When our President visited the Gulf Coast region on September 5, he was quoted as saying "And Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job. The FEMA director's been working 24 hours".
Now maybe someone forgot to tell the President that the hurricane hit the area on August 29th and that there were approximately 168 hours since the hurricane. So, what had 'Brownie' been doing the other 144 hours????
Obviously not much.
We also find out that Michael Brown was a longtime friend of Presidential campaign manager Joseph Allbaugh, who himself was a FEMA Director. 'Brownie' was Deputy under Allbaugh and was moved up when Allbaugh left the agency. Here my friends is the undeniable, living proof of the phase "Being promoted past your level of incompetency." What a surprise, patronage in a high ranking government position!!
Now you may say Michael Brown must have had a good deal of prior experience working with emergency situations or disaster preparedness in order to be placed in charge of the nations emergency response agency. You may say that, but remember, just cause you say it doesn't make it so!
According to CNN and many other reliable news agencies, before joining FEMA, 'Brownie' was a top official with the Arabian Horse Association. Reportedly in a capacity as overseeing the judging of Arabian equestrian events. And as reported on CNN, the secretary of that association says 'Bownie' was asked to resign in 2001. Ok, now how incompetent do you have to be that they ask you to resign from the Arabian Horse Association??
If working for a Horse Association qualifies you for running a goverment agency, I should be a shoe-in for 'Chief of Staff' for the next Democrat elected to the White House.
Now before you start thinking to yourself "Well he must have had the educational background or other previous work experience to justify his holding such a position"...not so fast. Time magazine and The Associated Press were both told by various officials with the City of Edmund, Oklahoma, and the University of Central Oklahoma that the information contained in his resume regarding positions held with the City and the University were not necessarily as stated.
So, how do we make sure that should another disaster, natural or man-made, god forbid, strike within our nation, the appropriate people are in the proper positions of responsibility. Simple, demand accountability from our elected officials. Nothing less.
After all they are elected by us, and are supposed to be in Washington or state government to represent the peoples (our) best interests.
You know, you're right, maybe that is just too simple....
The only caveat that I can add is that I am what Kemp refers to as a coffee junkie. Now I love a great cup of fresh gourmet coffee as much as the next person, and can truly appreciate it. However, I am also the guy that can reheat the coffee from yesterday and enjoy it, and having been a police officer and having served in the U.S. Army I can drink any beverage that is hot, black, and able to pour without having to 'cut' it with a knfe as the cup fills... bring on the sludge!!
But I digress.. The big item to rant about this week, again, is Michael Brown. Would I much rather be spouting off about our puppet-in-chief, you bet, but I cannot let this one go by.
I am at work yesterday at lunch when I get an e-mail from CNN.com with Breaking News. The news turns out to be 'FEMA Director Removed From Katrina Duty". Wow, it only took the largest natural disaster in U.S. history and 11 days of incompetency for this 'yutz' to be taken off the front line of response.
Wasn't FEMA rolled into that newly hallowed institution known as the Department of Homeland Security in order to place our nations readiness and responsiveness resources under one centrallized chain of command? Now a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, and in the supposed 'Steel Chain' known as the Department
of Homeland Security, Michael Brown is evidently a paper link. That's right, you get the paper wet and the chain will break. Almost two weeks ago his link was soaked !
You know it's bad when Democrats AND Republicans are essentially calling for his head on a platter. (I would prefer his head to be placed on a pike and placed near where Interstate 10 enters New Orleans, but that is just me....ah the good ole days...) When our President visited the Gulf Coast region on September 5, he was quoted as saying "And Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job. The FEMA director's been working 24 hours".
Now maybe someone forgot to tell the President that the hurricane hit the area on August 29th and that there were approximately 168 hours since the hurricane. So, what had 'Brownie' been doing the other 144 hours????
Obviously not much.
We also find out that Michael Brown was a longtime friend of Presidential campaign manager Joseph Allbaugh, who himself was a FEMA Director. 'Brownie' was Deputy under Allbaugh and was moved up when Allbaugh left the agency. Here my friends is the undeniable, living proof of the phase "Being promoted past your level of incompetency." What a surprise, patronage in a high ranking government position!!
Now you may say Michael Brown must have had a good deal of prior experience working with emergency situations or disaster preparedness in order to be placed in charge of the nations emergency response agency. You may say that, but remember, just cause you say it doesn't make it so!
According to CNN and many other reliable news agencies, before joining FEMA, 'Brownie' was a top official with the Arabian Horse Association. Reportedly in a capacity as overseeing the judging of Arabian equestrian events. And as reported on CNN, the secretary of that association says 'Bownie' was asked to resign in 2001. Ok, now how incompetent do you have to be that they ask you to resign from the Arabian Horse Association??
If working for a Horse Association qualifies you for running a goverment agency, I should be a shoe-in for 'Chief of Staff' for the next Democrat elected to the White House.
Now before you start thinking to yourself "Well he must have had the educational background or other previous work experience to justify his holding such a position"...not so fast. Time magazine and The Associated Press were both told by various officials with the City of Edmund, Oklahoma, and the University of Central Oklahoma that the information contained in his resume regarding positions held with the City and the University were not necessarily as stated.
So, how do we make sure that should another disaster, natural or man-made, god forbid, strike within our nation, the appropriate people are in the proper positions of responsibility. Simple, demand accountability from our elected officials. Nothing less.
After all they are elected by us, and are supposed to be in Washington or state government to represent the peoples (our) best interests.
You know, you're right, maybe that is just too simple....
posted by Scott at 7:22 PM
2 Comments:
Well said yourself Mr. D. 'Brownie' is an excellent example of this administration.
Friends being put into places of power that they have ABSOLUTELY no business being in.
And, I am a coffee addict. You are what I referred to as a coffee junkie...
But thanks for the plug anyway, always helps to have additional people reading the word of Kemp
Yes, I stand corrected I am the coffee junkie! Say it loud, say it proud..
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