Crazy Idea for FEMA?

[Dave Schwartz]

Okay, so I am watching the story on TV (I know you I mean N.O.) and hearing some of the appaling and often illogical stuff going on and suddenly I had this crazy idea...

What if the FEMA responsibilites were delegated directly to the military?

I mean, who is better equipped to remain ready for near-instant deployment than the military?

Who is better at setting up command posts, HQs, field hospitals, temporary supply and communications centers than the military?

Who is better equipped to provide a force ready to maintain law and order effectively than the military?


Oh, wait! We're cutting back, aren't we? Maybe that decision should be reconsidered.


Is this a crazy idea or a good one? What is your opinion?


Regards,
Dave SChwartz

[schweitz]

Dave, my opinion is that the military would have the same problems with state govt. as fema---and maybe more so as states might be reluctant to turn their states over to the military. There is just so much red tape and bureaucracy to wade through. I tend to agree with the post Suff made in the "Blame" thread---nothing like this has ever happened before and it might be unrealistic to expect best case results---as in everything else; we learn from going through it. When the "big one" comes to California does anyone really believe it will look much different than this did?

Bottom line: govt at any level does not move quickly and is inherently inefficient.

[Tom]

Only is the military is given FULL CONTROL of the situation. That means, state and local governement shut up and do as they are told.

But this is dangerous as it relieves the locals from thier responsibilities as elected offcials to provide a safe city/state.

[ceejay]

I think everything should be on the table. The emergency response system is broken and must be fixed. Blame is useless in and of itself. Let's just fix it! The paramount role, maybe the only real role, of government is to protect its citizens.

Katrina was not terrorism, but what if Al Qaeda had rammed boats full of explosives in to the New Orleans levees during a work day?

[schweitz]

Some of the problems of using the military:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/08/AR2005090801862_pf.html

[Dave Schwartz]

Schweitz,

Good link.

Makes sense.


Dave

[JustRalph]

The article described the first responders as 'victims" I might go along with that in some ways. But when 1/3 of the police force is missing on day one, what the hell kind of response do you expect?