Where on FEMA's web site does it say they are first responders? They are responsible for providing training and funding for training for first responders. FRs are State and local gov'ts.

As for FEMA appointees and those for other independent agencies like EPA, I agree. However, that would take an act of Congress to eliminate those positions as political appointments.

As for the Washington comPost, thay are hardly objective in any analysis they do.

As for tonight's speech, I could not care less.

>As in any emergency situations there are plenty of stories of heroic deeds. However, there are also stories of catastrophic failure. And most of the failures directly point to the agency whose entire job it is to handle situations like this.
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>"The NAPA study said eliminating political appointees at FEMA would help "to assure that future leaders are qualified and trained for their jobs."
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>Although FEMA's standing and morale improved during the Clinton administration, employees began to feel out of the loop during the Bush administration, the career official said. Decisions were made behind closed doors, and any sense of teamwork between political appointees and experienced employees disappeared, the official said."
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>As the above quote from a Washington Post story point out, much of the blame for the failure of FEMA can be placed directly at the door of the white house. Bush's policies caused the department to become gutted of those with real experience at handling large disasters.
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>I have very little faith that anything will become of his speech to accept responsibility. Unfortunately, I think it's a ploy on the part of his handlers to have him give the speech, noting that several times in recent history, satisfaction ratings rose when other's have given the "buck stops here" speech.
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>There are obviously many fine folks working in the government because they truly want to help. But when you have someone like Bush, who has demonstrated failures as a company leader throughout his life, demonstrating the same failure of leadership at this level, we as a nation have a major problem.