permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

> CNN.com - A disturbing view from inside FEMA - Sep 17, 2005
> http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/17/katrina.response/index.html
>
> A disturbing view from inside FEMA
> Worker: Decision-makers lack disaster experience
>
> Saturday, September 17, 2005; Posted: 5:06 p.m. EDT (21:06 GMT)
> As Hurricane Katrina bore down on the Gulf Coast three weeks ago, 
> veteran workers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency braced for an 
> epic disaster.
>
> But their bosses, political appointees with almost no emergency 
> management experience, didn't seem to share the sense of urgency, a FEMA 
> veteran said.
>
> "We told these fellows that there was a killer hurricane heading right 
> toward New Orleans," Leo Bosner, a 26-year FEMA employee and union 
> leader told CNN. "We had done our job, but they didn't do theirs."( 
> Watch video of the whistleblower)
>
> Bosner's storm warning came early Saturday, three days before Hurricane 
> Katrina came ashore in eastern Louisiana

My Way News
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20050917/2005-09-17T201931Z_01_YUE773054_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-KATRINA-PRIORITIES-DC.html
Early warnings raised doubt on Bush disaster plans
Sep 17, 4:19 PM (ET)
By Adam Entous

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the months before Hurricane Katrina, President 
George W. Bush sought to cut a key program to help local governments 
raise their preparedness, and state officials warned of a "total lack of 
focus" on natural disasters by his homeland-security chief, documents show.

The disclosures add to questions over the administration's 
emergency-response planning, Homeland Security Secretary Michael 
Chertoff's priorities and the way the White House budgets for disaster 
preparedness after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Organizations representing emergency-response and security officials at 
state and local agencies had complained of funding shortages and what 
they saw as an excessive shift by the Homeland Security Department away 
from preparing for natural disasters, as it focused increasingly on 
terrorism.

In July, the National Emergency Management Association wrote lawmakers 
expressing "grave" concern that still-pending changes proposed by 
Chertoff would undercut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
<.....>
Copyright 2005 Reuters.