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Brownie to the Rescue
When the nation is in need, there is one man who you can count on to rush in and save the day. Be it a catastrophic hurricane, or a devastating string of wildfires, wherever football stadiums overflow with desperate residents, Michael Brown will let it be known that he is ready to help. From the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire:Washington Wire was a little stunned to receive a press release today hawking disgraced former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Micheal Brown as "available for interviews" to discuss the wildfire crisis in Southern California.
Just in the nick of time, Brown is camera-ready, and prepared to spill some of his expertise. Since leaving behind the Arabian horse world, and a top post in the Federal Government, Brown has parlayed his disastrous Katrina performance into a new gig as director of corporate strategy for Cotton Cos., a company that bills itself as a "leading provider of disaster recovery services."
Cotton Cos. is by no means running away from Brown's Katrina legacy. In fact, they seem intent on drawing a direct line connecting the map dots of New Orleans and San Diego:
"Currently, the brush fires are affecting hundreds of local businesses and have force more than 500,000 people out of their homes. Of these 500,000 people, an estimated 10,000 of them have taken shelter at the local NFL stadium, Qualcomm, vaguely reminiscent of the circumstances of Hurricane Katrina evacuees two years ago."Ah, yes, Katrina. Brown's first big test, during which, as the hurricane lay waste to the Big Easy, the former FEMA chief mused aloud, "Can I quit yet?" Of course, he's learned a lot since then. Or, rather, in classic pass-the-buck-fashion the agency Brown used to run has.
"The agency has learned some hard lessons regarding the handling of mass evacuations, especially in regard to the bureaucratic red tape that is involved in such a process."Note to the executives at Cotton, especially Michael Brown, don't hold your breath for that interview.
David Knowles is an author and musician. For more information please visit his website.
Recent Comments
(Page 1 of 4)david knowles9:40AMOct 24th 2007
Sandra,
We could start a wrist-band movement: WWBD?
Sandra9:49AMOct 24th 2007
Exactly. But who would buy it?
southrover11:00AMOct 24th 2007
This guy should go into some other line of work. Or be forced to live in the lower 9th ward in NOLA.
da2411:21AMOct 24th 2007
Mike Brown was made to be a scapegoat when Katrina hit. Those people were told to get out and they did not. Why is it that when the people in California are told to evacuate they do, and not only that, they do it with order. I am not about to say that there were not mistakes made during Katrina, but the people caused most of those problems. Not the politicians. The people need to take the first steps in trying to help themselves and then the government can help. Those people that voluntarily stayed behind during Katrina want the government to take on all the responsibility, and are still over two years later, asking for their handouts.
Take responsibility for yourselves people.
a1967Tigers11:28AMOct 24th 2007
He can help- because the majority of people affected in this disaster are rich white people
Brockage11:38AMOct 24th 2007
Heard him early this morning on KOA radio; he really has learned a lot and has a lot of good ideas for dealing with disaster. He's quite different from how he was portrayed by the media earlier. Hope you get a chance to see or hear his ideas.
Sharon11:46AMOct 24th 2007
I live in San Diego and have friends who live in and who have lost homes in Rancho Bernardo. They aren't rich and they aren't all white. What they are is organized and knowledgeable about emergencies. We DON'T need Mr. Brown in here, our emergency response agencies and the residents of all of San Diego have done a miraculous job in working together.
Steve Ferrante11:47AMOct 24th 2007
If Mr. Brown was the problem in Katrina, why, after he's been gone all this time, why is the Katrina mess still such a mess? Because somebody's getting crazy rich to keep it the way it is...
rascalcode11:48AMOct 24th 2007
The politicians caused ALL the problems during and after Katrina. They said things that were not true, promised things they did not provide, and totally mismanaged things all the way round. The main problem was that New Orleans was Democratic, and state officials clashed with the ineptness of the Bush administration. Another demonstation of the faults of cronyism...
Ron
george11:55AMOct 24th 2007
Go crawl back under the rock where you came from
Robert McEntyre11:58AMOct 24th 2007
to da24,Are you for REAL?The different between New Orleans people getting out was account most people lived in the inner city and did not have transportation as where in California,those people are rich white people who could flee with thier Lexus and BMWs.Bronwie is a pathic A.shole and so is his former boss (Bush). Start thinking about all people as Americans who need help from time to time , instead all of your neocons friends on the right.
Sammy12:07PMOct 24th 2007
What a knucklehead...
Sammy12:08PMOct 24th 2007
"You're doin a heckuva job, Brownie"
spdewinter12:09PMOct 24th 2007
Brown cannot deliver a pizza let alone direct emergency response....he needs to go back to dealing with horses or whatever he else he may be good at which does not include crisis management.
Glen12:12PMOct 24th 2007
Was Brownie really at fault? Look up the history and you will quickly blame the real culprit....Dunce dubya himself. There was a damn good man leading FEMA by the name of James Witt who was a Clinton appointee. Witt was a construction company owner, civil Engineer with great knowledge and hands on experience. Mr. Witt led FEMA to an efficient and truly great organization until the new President Bush began redistributing FEMA funds for other uses. At this time Mr. Witt found good reason to find other employment. Dubyas new appointees were most generally lawyers who had absolutely no qualifications for these type jobs. You know the rest, the USA has since been going backward in most federally funded employment.
ppahub12:12PMOct 24th 2007
I'LL SAY ONE THING FOR HIM, HE'S GOT "LARGE" STONES!
jimmy12:15PMOct 24th 2007
I live in San Diego. It has been the LOCAL community that has pulled together to help each other and fight the fires. If we waited around for FEMA, Chertoff, and/or Brown to help -- we'd be in real trouble.
The evacuation center at Qualcomm had to turn away some donations because they had already received too much. No fights, rapes, or violence --- just people helping people.
ksd12:18PMOct 24th 2007
Katrina and the San Siego fires are two separate, horrible disasters, but are similar in many ways. BOTH instances had people being given advance notice to evacuate their respective. Most of those in San Diego were intelligent enough to face reality and complied. The loss of homes is/was horrific in both, but the people and local government were miles apart in their thinking and actions. The mayor of New Orleans split the scene and never made use of the 350 school buses and hundereds of metro buses BEFORE the hurricane. He left his people stranded and he had no pre-set evacuation. The federal government took the blame for sad, but very evident stupidity in and around New Orleans.
rodney12:21PMOct 24th 2007
The reason people in California are able to evacuate and the people of New Orleans were not is pure economocial. As crazy as it sounds, yes, you have to have transportation and funds on hand to evacuate. The poor people of New Orleans didn't have either. To top it off, they had a stupid Mayor and a lazy Governor that didn't care about this population. They were the forgoten. People in California are living in upscale housing and have adequate transportation. They also have a government that is prepared for these types of situations and can properly step in and assist its' citizens. Thank God for organization!
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Sandra9:32AMOct 24th 2007
LMAO! David you are incredible. I was wondering this morning:"What would Brownie do?":) After all he is one of the President's Old Buddies. But then I was thinking there is probably another buddy in charge of disaster relief!