Reply #31: Here's this morning's article in the Baton Rouge Advocate [View All]

[finecraft]

So how can Louisiana really partner with FEMA when FEMA doesn't notify the Governor, or the Louisiana agency in charge of the program, that they are pulling the people working on the program?

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/2297486.html

(snip)

FEMA tries to pause La. role

Agency says state not engaged enough in long-term planning

By MIKE DUNNE
Advocate staff writer
Published: Feb 11, 2006

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has told Gov. Kathleen Blanco that state and local officials need to take on more leadership in planning Louisiana’s long-term recovery.

This week, FEMA put out a notice to workers that it would put on “pause” the long-term recovery planning process known as ESF-14. It is designed to spur not only recovery but to build in elements that would avert or mitigate damages from future disasters.

FEMA told workers the pause was for at least two weeks. However, officials at the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the advisory partner in the process, were stumped when they started getting calls about the “pause.”

Late Friday, LRA spokeswoman Pam Laborde said the “pause is on pause.” Apparently, when word reached Blanco on Friday, she called Acting FEMA Director R. David Paulison to find out what was happening (end snip)