FEMA to get a facelift under Obama admin - - YES!

[babylonsister]

Disasters, Recoveries and FEMA

James Steinberg, who was deputy national security adviser in Bill Clinton's White House, is in line to be deputy secretary in Hillary Clinton's State Department.

By Al Kamen
Tuesday, November 25, 2008; Page A13


The Federal Emergency Management Agency, a tragicomic disaster since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 -- and even before that -- looks to be getting a facelift under the Obama administration, sources tell us.

First off, the likely plan is to break off the agency from the Department of Homeland Security, a move that by itself would help restore the pride that folks at FEMA felt when it was an independent agency.

Second, there's increasing talk that former director James Lee Witt, who took over the then-troubled agency at the start of the Clinton administration and left it eight years later with a much-enhanced reputation, is coming back from retirement to run FEMA for six months to a year, to whip it into shape.

After that, so the plan goes, his possible deputy administrator, Mark Merritt, who worked with Witt at James Lee Witt Associates -- where they made a fortune on disasters -- would take over the top job at FEMA.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112402461.html

[AlCzervik]

1. excellent news.

having functioning agencies again will be a great start.

[bluedeminredstate]

2. Great news!

What a mess Chimp has made of FEMA. Clinton had a well-oiled machine in place which Chimp willfully destroyed by stacking it with incompetent cronies. Of course, Chimp and Cheney don't believe in helping people so they saw no need for such an agency.
Thank God Obama is taking care of this asap!

:patriot:

[eleny]

3. K&R for this good news

[uppityperson]

4. k&r for restoring FEMA

[immoderate]

5. Nobody has a better reputation than James Lee Witt.

This is encouraging.

--IMM

[gblady]

6. GOBAMA!

:applause:

[Shiver]

7. How long...

...before someone starts complaining about "another Clinton retread"? :eyes:

I'm thrilled about this, personally, but some of the threads around here lately have been grating on me, destroying my usual cheerful mood...

[MadrasT]

8. Thank heaven. FEMA has become such a disgrace

under the current admin, it makes me ashamed of our country.

K&R

[InternalDialogue]

9. I remember hearing Witt interviewed on Ian Masters's show

not long after Katrina in 2005. He was harshly critical of not only the FEMA response, but also the president's involvement and energy in the time leading up to the hurricane and the immediate few days following it. He said that, had he been in the role during Katrina, he wouldn't have had a second to think about it before Clinton would have been on the phone asking questions and pushing for action. That's what FEMA is (was) all about, and it's what it can be again.

Great to hear.