Take the politics out of FEMA
The way the government handles a natural disaster can clearly have political ramifications, but commentator David Frum argues that's not an excuse to let politicians manage disaster relief.
David Frum (David Frum)
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TEXT OF COMMENTARY
Kai Ryssdal: The National Hurricane Center says it's unlikely that the year's first named hurricane is going to hit the East Coast of the United States, but if you have cash offshore in the Caribbean somewhere, you might want to keep your eye on the Weather Channel for updates on Hurricane Bertha.
Forecasters say they're surprised by how fast and how early in the season Bertha developed.
Commentator David Frum says if or when a big storm does hit, don't expect FEMA to do much.
David Frum: Three years ago, Hurricane Katrina wrecked New Orleans and the Bush Administration. The president's job ratings plunged in the summer of 2005 and never recovered.
Today, we wonder whether the government has learned the lessons of Katrina. Yet ironically, the Katrina disaster can be traced to the lessons learned from another previous disaster -- the wrong lessons.
Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida and southwestern Louisiana in August 1992. Andrew ranks as one of the three most powerful storms of the 20th century. It inflicted enormous economic damage and killed 65 people.
Federal response to the Category 5 hurricane was widely perceived as tardy. The Dade County Emergency Director appeared on television to beseech, "Where in Hell is the cavalry?"
The delay exacted political costs. In 1988, George H. W. Bush won both Florida and Louisiana. In 1992, he lost Louisiana and saw his margin in Florida dwindle from 12 points to a tenth of one point.
Many blame the Andrew response for Jeb Bush's defeat in his first attempt at the Florida governorship in 1994.
The conclusion that George W. Bush drew from Andrew was this: Federal emergency management is a deeply political job and requires a deeply political director. Literally.
In 2001, Bush gave the top job at FEMA to his campaign manager, Joe Allbaugh. The legendary Michael Brown was a long-time friend of Allbaugh's who joined the agency as general counsel, then filled the top post when Allbaugh returned to the private sector in 2003.
So, was Bush right? Should federal emergency management be so political?
The Weather Service that predicts the hurricanes relies on career specialists. So does the Coast Guard that deals with the consequences of hurricanes from the shore outward. Why not FEMA too?
Even from the politicians' own point of view, might it not be better to professionalize the thing? A non-political FEMA might well perform better and if it failed, the pols would have somebody else to blame.
Ryssdal: David Frum is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. His latest book is called "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again."
Comments
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From New York, NY, 07/12/2008
The problems of Katrina were directly related to the Democrats in New Orleans. Mr. Chocolate city Nagin ran away and let his city drown. That is a fact. Most of the horror stories were just that, fabricated stories with no truth to them. Rapes and deaths at the Superdome ? total BS. The non-evacuation of residents ? True, because Nagin failed to do his job.
From Houston, TX, 07/10/2008
David Frum's observes that George W Bush learned the wrong lessons from his father's experiences with FEMA. Frankly, I think Mr Frum's focus is too narrow. The current President, and his core advisors seem to have taken away the wrong lessons from Viet Nam, Watergate, the S&L debacle and Iran Contra to name a few. That may why they seem so skilled at repeating or even magnifying the mistakes of their predecessors.
From williamsburg, VA, 07/10/2008
I have three words for David Frum; James Lee Witt!
07/09/2008
It is ridiculous that Mr. Frum proposes the thesis that "A non-political FEMA might well perform better" and never actually mentions the ample historical evidence that would prove his point. During the Clinton administration, FEMA was widely considered to be one of the most effective federal agencies, handled a number of natural disasters, and was run by people who actually had professional disaster management experience. Mr. Frum must know that he is not proposing any kind of new idea here. Here's another conclusion of the current administration that Mr. Frum might do well to question--the conclusion that effective government policy can be made by people who indulge themselves in a willful ignorance of facts.
From Naples, NY, 07/09/2008
Re. the David Frum comments on FEMA. I suppose it’s no surprise that coming from the “Starship American Enterprise Institute” (per the Economist awhile back) he is unable to make any comments that might refer to Democrats or Bill Clinton in anything other than the pejorative. However, it seems to me that this “lesson” he refers to was put into practice by George W Bush’s immediate predecessor, as Bill Clinton is well regarded for turning FEMA into a professional organization. It was the George W Bush administration that undid these changes returning FEMA (and other agencies) to the control of pure political hacks. Is the right wing so blinded as to be unable to see anything good accomplished by their political opponents? Are we required to relearn history again and again?
From Kingston, NY, 07/09/2008
Just heard David Frum's commentary proposing a professionalized FEMA and had to laugh.
The neo-conservative creed is that Big Government IS the problem, not the solution, that
people are on their own (and the Devil takes the hindmost) and even that government exists
to rig the game for poliitcal payoff and corporate profits.
Bush, Cheney and his crowd don't WANT a successful or Professional FEMA that helps
people. How naif of Frum to think Bush and company want to help the people of America.
There's a sucker born every minute and two neocons to take him....
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