The federal government is nothing short of laughable and embarrassing.

We CAN’T abolish FEMA! It’s da guv-mint! It’s to HEP U! From ‘Bama’s stash!

I’ve studied disaster management and the structure of FEMA under Obama and under Bush, it’s been greatly overhauled and has done great work in the wake of the disasters this year. Sadly, it’s epic failure in Katrina has stained it’s reputation, leading to idiotic comments like this from Ron Paul. FEMA is now run by professionals who understand how to respond in disaster scenarios and is not run by friends or political appointees. Irene could’ve been far worse, and thank god it wasn’t

And of course this jackass chooses this moment, when millions of people are relying on FEMA, to try to make his pathetic political points. Of course FEMA has a bad reputation. That’s what happens when a moronic Republican president appoints an even more moronic political crony to a job that he is uniquely unqualified for.

Expecting the Federal government to do a job better done at the State level is laughable, and has proved to embarrassing.

Another F*^%ing bigot heard from. I hope your house get demolished you prick so you can finallyunderstand why we have a government to help people in their time of need. Go back to your TV in your trailer, moron and STF up.

Nice to hear that one person running for president understands reality. And, no, you cannot be generous with OTHER people’s money. So stop with the egotism charges!

Ron Paul has been elected many times because he’s in a gerrymandered conservative district with a PVI of R+18. In fact, most congressional districts have PVI of D/R >5

Ron Paul is a laughable, jackass and a Republican. It was the Republican administration when FEMA was at its worst so what Ron Paul is really saying is, “My party, the Republican Party had a terrible record with FEMA. It is a shame the Republicans ever had control of FEMA. You the American public should make sure Republicans never get control of such an important part of the governement again. So please don’t vote for Republicans for they find great ways to screw things up.” This is really what Ron Paul is saying so I am very happy to able to translate this for you.

When will all the self-entitled morons relying on the government for everything realize that this is why people buy insurance. The sole reason to buy insurance is for a situation like a natural disaster, fire, flood, etc. that is out of any human’s control. The government does not equal insurance, and people need to stop expecting it to be a cure-all.

State government is not much better. 

expecting conservatives to hide behind anonymous names is totally the norm now.

I don’t think FEMA is so much the problem as was the insertion of DHS bureaucracy between the executive branch and FEMA itself. Not that Brownie boy helped much. That clown was even in NOLA a number of weeks ago doing a book signing in the Garden District.

I played some iPhone games to get my mind off it.

I think it’s fair to say that both parties don’t care about the public, they care about their political power and only pander to voters when it suits their agenda

ron paul doesn’t mention in 2005 he sort of signed a request for fema..

Your reality is treatable. I suggest going to Marcu Bachma’s clinic. They can pray away your stupidity.

My parents roof caved in in two places due to the storm and the government will not be picking up any of the slack, you vapid artard. Get your head out of your ass and realize that this is why people buy insurance.

and you are?

Lol.  Tell that to people who are STILL waiting for promised trailers from Katrina.

There’s a reason why people donate to the RED Cross and not FEMA when catastrophe strikes.  The same reason that Habitat for Humanity is more efficient, quicker, and cheaper than FEMA.

I’m not advocation the elimination of FEMA, but the bureaucracy in that organization is obscene, just like most other government agencies.

Private charities accomplish 100x more with 99x less of a budget.

u mad bro? ur kinda losin it…

NOLA has recovered, a little, because of aid organizations and social groups. I went down there in ’08 with HfH and built homes because FEMA was incapable of helping, I won’t need to go to Tuscaloosa or Joplin to help because FEMA is doing better, although I might go down there just to be charitable and show support for fellow Americans.

You self-entitled moron… FEMA is not an insurance policy. It is an organization that brings disaster relief. It is there to help people who become REFUGEE’s in times of natural disasters or in any other situation that puts people out of their homes. Would you rather have them all living in the streets in front of your house or in the Superdome of your local town? Please when you house gets destroyed in a tornado or flood you will be there crying like a little child needing help. But when it is not your problem you are really strong in letting people sufer. You’re a pathetic piece of crap that makes me sick to my stomach.

FEMA’s fundamental flaw is that it is short-sighted and is not prepared for the long term effects of disasters, it helps to mitigate the immediate impacts, and once another disaster strikes, those affected are forgotten, leaving the private charities and organizations to pick up the pieces. How cruel! 

Disaster management is a battle of priorities and FEMA chooses urgency over severity (morons). 

And a point of information: I don’t think you can donate to FEMA, you can volunteer with them

I’m not mad brother, I am just trying to help a lost sould find soloutions for their dementia… The number for the clinic if you need a little pray thearpy yourself. (651) 379-0444
 

did mommy take away your bag of cookies?

See my response above to your stupidity. I don’t need towrite it again here. BTW… what is an “artard?”

FEMA’s fundamental flaw is that it’s run by government.  Just like the Post Office, Amtrak, Fanny, Freddy, etc.

We would still be talking on black government telephones if we didn’t de-regulate Ma Bell.  Some of us remember when it was illegal for a company to make a telephone and long distance calls would bankrupt you…look how far we’ve come.  Google that on your smart phone.

“I’ve studied disaster management and the structure of FEMA under Obama
and under Bush, it’s been greatly overhauled and has done great work in
the wake of the disasters this year. Sadly, it’s epic failure in Katrina
has stained it’s reputation, leading to idiotic comments like this from
Ron Paul. FEMA is now run by professionals who understand how to
respond in disaster scenarios and is not run by friends or political
appointees. Irene could’ve been far worse, and thank god it wasn’t.”
Nice summary. Piles of bodies in the streets. No relief supplies for the victims. The president refusing to abort his vacation. The head of FEMA, Heckuva Job Brownie, a close friend of the president, but critically with no experience in the field. Past presidents already knew better, but never will another president allow the director of FEMA to be a nepotism appointee like an ambassadorship. Bush’s failure in disaster relief before, during, and after Katrina will be studied by every president going forward.

Another Moron who can’t back up their position with any facts or logic and goes for the school yard bully jargon. Atta boy! What year did you drop out of school?

You have more issues than National Geographic.

keep crying pal, you’re entertaining me today…

oh and get some summers eve, we can smell your cooz

He is arguing for State directed relief funds, as opposed to at the Federal level.  The Feds tend to not be very reliant.

I find your anger laughable.  All of your comments are based in emotions, not logic.  Look at your name.

Typical of the left

No one believe you!

the whole government is flawed…I think we agree on that, and FEMA is no exception. The post office is not run on taxpayer dollars and don’t even get me started on Amtrak, Fannie and Freddy (those are disasters). The whole damn thing needs to be overhauled and redefined, too much duplication, waste, redundancy.

Disaster management is something best handled in the immediate short term by the government but then  passed on to the private sector once cleanup and damage assessments are complete. I study this, I’ve seen the various levels of gov’t and private involvement and that is the formula for best recovery

You, know, I thought that I recognized your incoherent, rambling, and disoriented rants before and I now know why.

You are Paul Westlake, the stupidest poster ever on Mediaite, and a viscous lib bigot!

Welcome back, Paul!

You have the worst of  infection of Treponema pallidum I have ever seen!

 I will agree with you that Katrina was a disaster for FEMA. But in the defense of Bush on this one(i cant believe im doing this) wasn’t it more than just FEMA screwing up? I mean you had a republican governor a democrat mayor who didn’t get along and a corp of engineers who hadn’t done their job in 40 years. My understanding is as bad as Katrina was it wouldn’t have been to bad if the levies didn’t break. If the corp and the government as a whole would have done their job and built the levies correctly then all else would have been a moot point. It appears as if it was to expensive in the governments eyes to do the job correctly. But I guess a teabagger would probably say we don’t need a corp of engineers at all. Who knows.

No one reads anything after you write “Moron!”

You have lost all credability!

Lost?

He never ever had any!

and what did your studies tell you about the mayor of new orleans and his administration during katrina? lets not forget the gov. of louisiana too…

 I mean you had a republican governor a democrat mayor who didn’t get along”

Blanco was a Democrat!

When you say state directed relief funds do you mean that the feds give the states the money, and then the states do the work? Or do you mean the the feds stay out of it all together? 

 its called Texas.

this is true, it was a massive failure on all levels of government, precipitated by a lack of effectiveness at FEMA and an extraordinary level of corruption in Ray’s government. Also the fact that no one really knew what would happen to New Orleans

ok “Sharpo”

yep your right you had two democrats who didn’t get along.

Statements like this make it mind-numbingly clear that the United States’ experiment with Freedom is largely a failure due to just pain ignorance.  There are much more harsh ways to put it, but it boils down to nature’s tendency to follow the path of least resistance and chronic gubment assistance has created a subculture of people who have so little ability that they cannot do anything but follow the path that gubment is able provide for them.  A gubment funded by others of course.

Ron Paul is about helping this nation get back on track with regards to having Independent People who don’t need a Governor, President, or expert to convince them that Hurricanes are dangerous or that living in a city on the coast below Sea Level (New Orleans) in a Hurricane prone region comes with risk.

We’re Human Beings :)  That used to mean something significant and promising, but alas our species is dividing where some are capable of carving out their own futures and a growing population is just plain Domesticated.  Like Livestock.  They cannot feed, shelter, or care for themselves without perpetual assistance.  That is just plain sad and in fact sick when you observe that other Humans are purposely leading the offspring of the dumbed-down into the same culture of cradle to grave dependency.

We must stand up against and abolish Human Domestication which is little different than shackle-less slavery.

Katrina was a combination of everything going wrong, but we must remember that Katrina was not only in New Orleans, it was elsewhere as well. FEMA’s job fell apart in New Orleans after the levee problem was solved because it’s director was not a professional in the field but rather a political appointee by bush who did not know how to handle the sheer amount of resources required to alleviate the situation in New Orleans

Katrina was a combination of everything going wrong, but we must remember that Katrina was not only in New Orleans, it was elsewhere as well. FEMA’s job fell apart in New Orleans after the levee problem was solved because it’s director was not a professional in the field but rather a political appointee by bush who did not know how to handle the sheer amount of resources required to alleviate the situation in New Orleans

Ahhhhh…..But would you believe me if I posted as Sara Flanders  ?  How about Richie  ?

Kind of like appointing Jeffrey Immelt to head the “Jobs Council” and then GE builds more manufacturing plants in China…

Kind of like appointing Jeffrey Immelt to head the “Jobs Council” and then GE builds more manufacturing plants in China…

ya just couldn’t resist the teabagger jab could you…  but at least you are a bit more honest than many folks are being in your assessment…  I do believe that the Federal Government in the end had to bully it’s way in as the State and local governments were in a little turf war holding the Federal response at bay…

One should also not forget the history of politics in Louisana…  know for corruption and less than effective leadership. 

Getting back to Ron Paul’s point… the government is bankrupt and can it afford to continually fund operations it cannot afford, or should people and communities become more responsible to the events that effect them…  how many times are we going to pay to rebuild communities along the Mississippi basin? 

Meanwhile back in reality, governors from BOTH parties say FEMA has done an excellent job supporting them during the Hurricane Irene incident.

Meanwhile back in reality, governors from BOTH parties say FEMA has done an excellent job supporting them during the Hurricane Irene incident.

It’s like getting rid of the Department of Education.  Because of the name it sounds extreme to abolish it.  Most people don’t realize it was implemented in 1979!  How’s that Federal oversight working out for Public Schools.  We spend much more and get less results.

I feel the same with FEMA, the states would be more efficient.  I’m not against Federal taxes going to Emergency Relief, it would just work better and be cheaper to run these operations on a State level.

What a pussy. That’s all I really have to say to you. You have 0% chance of survival when the dollar fails.

Unless you happen to find yourself in the middle of a horrible disaster and then FEMA looks like angels of mercy.  I should know.  I was in Alaska when the 64 quake hit.  We would have starved or been pushed out of our home without FEMA.  Before they got there, there was looting and mayhem and it was not pretty.  All this caterwauling about FEMA is ill informed.  If it has problems, fix them but do not kill an agency that is often the life line of a devastated community.

Let’s see a guy responds to me like a little child and you think he has credibility and I don’t because I call him a moron? You guys must be members of the United Broherhood of Morons!

I think you should assist them, but not to pay for every last nail that goes into rebuilding. FEMA should be there to shelter them in the short-term and hook those affected up with the appropriate resources needed to move on with life

Well corruption in New Orleans is like Jazz its just part of the culture. If the levies don’t break then everyone looks good.  In 20/20 hindsight everyone from the president down knew that the levies were crap and that they could break. So the response on all levels should have been better. In the long term if the Corp of Engineers would have done their job then it would have been just a big wind storm. But its all very interesting. My father was an engineer and he always use to say, you cant build things for a once in a generation event. Well he said you can but no one will ever give you the money to do it because they don’t think the worst case scenario will ever happen. Its like the nuclear reactors in Japan. Could they have built the sea wall higher? Yea they could have but it would have cost zillions of dollars and would never have been approved.

It’s the “it can’t happen to me” mentality

Actually I am a Republican so do not paint us all with your insults.  I experienced first hand the expertise of FEMA in Alaska in 1964.  I watched them move in to our small community, help us get organized and then provide some resources to those in need.  Mostly they understood how to get the mess cleaned up, get financing to rebuild, and to give a big dose of optimism to our small, devastated community.  I shall forever be grateful to FEMA and support it’s important work.  They did not take over the rebuilding.  they just helped that small devastated community get organized so they could think straight after the shock of losing so many friends and seeing the almost universal destruction.

 I don’t know I really don’t. Everyone always complains about people building their homes along these flood prone areas but then they go back and do it anyway. Although I was talking to my brother who lives in pittsburgh about this and he has stated that over the years people have slowly but surely moved away from many flood prone creeks and rivers. It may just take awhile. The whole federal flood assistance idea has never made a lot of sense to me. Rich and poor benefit on this and the taxpayers foot the bill. I think its way more complicated than we make it out to be.

 I don’t know I really don’t. Everyone always complains about people building their homes along these flood prone areas but then they go back and do it anyway. Although I was talking to my brother who lives in pittsburgh about this and he has stated that over the years people have slowly but surely moved away from many flood prone creeks and rivers. It may just take awhile. The whole federal flood assistance idea has never made a lot of sense to me. Rich and poor benefit on this and the taxpayers foot the bill. I think its way more complicated than we make it out to be.

I presume your parents have insurance so why should the government fix it all and thus relieve the insurance company of their responsibility.  But in Valdez after the 64 quake, believe me, FEMA was able to grease the wheels so people got insurance help very QUICKLY!

Paul is absolutely right. People blamed Bush for Katrina and Obama for the Glf spill. In reality FEMA and other huge bureaucracies are inept any time, and especially when emergencies occur.

Paul is absolutely right. People blamed Bush for Katrina and Obama for the Glf spill. In reality FEMA and other huge bureaucracies are inept any time, and especially when emergencies occur.

Paul is absolutely right. People blamed Bush for Katrina and Obama for the Glf spill. In reality FEMA and other huge bureaucracies are inept any time, and especially when emergencies occur.

 True good point. But FEMA was also working inside the corruption capital of the united states so they had their work cut out for them. However Bush was not famous for picking the right people for the right jobs i will agree with you on that. I never could figure out for the life of me why he didn’t fire the head of the CIA after 9/11 but instead gave him a medal. Ahhh the Bush years.

 True good point. But FEMA was also working inside the corruption capital of the united states so they had their work cut out for them. However Bush was not famous for picking the right people for the right jobs i will agree with you on that. I never could figure out for the life of me why he didn’t fire the head of the CIA after 9/11 but instead gave him a medal. Ahhh the Bush years.

 True good point. But FEMA was also working inside the corruption capital of the united states so they had their work cut out for them. However Bush was not famous for picking the right people for the right jobs i will agree with you on that. I never could figure out for the life of me why he didn’t fire the head of the CIA after 9/11 but instead gave him a medal. Ahhh the Bush years.

So far so good but be prepared to hear some bitching for political points:)

No Ron… Republicans when in control of FEMA, ‘Has One Of The Worst Reputations For A Bureaucracy Ever’!

I agree with your assessment, the government should be able to provide immediate relief and restore the basic functionality of a community that has suffered a disaster.  Ron Paul seems to suggest in his arguement that this maybe should be more of a function of State and local governments and that is an interesting point that he makes as they in the long run could maybe be more effective at such relief.  Other points not raised in the conversation is that when the government provides blanket protections as it often does we do not allow for market principles to corrrectly influence the risks involved… ie. were it not for government provided flood insurance it is a good bet that homes and communities would not be built in many coastal areas and in flood zones… 

But you are right, there has to be an emergency response to disasters that will provide people with basic necessities, but there is no way that the government can continue to make their lives whole again.

You’re an arse-hole! You haven’t clue. You, like all conservatives, try to rewrite history. Fuck Ron Pau!l He was all over Bush for his handling of FEMA and his appointments to it’s boards.

You’re an arse-hole! You haven’t clue. You, like all conservatives, try to rewrite history. Fuck Ron Pau!l He was all over Bush for his handling of FEMA and his appointments to it’s boards.

Well maybe but in a big disaster the states wouldn’t have the funds, and or the manpower. One thing I have learned over the years in working with the feds is yea they can be arrogant and inefficient but man can they bring in the resources quick. The fires out here in New Mexico and Arizona this year are a typical example. There is no way these cash strapped states could have dealt with the fires if not for the feds. Hell just on a basic level they are the ones that pay the firefighters. And they bring a crap load of other things as well. Planes, vehicles,food, shelter its pretty impressive when done right.

Down here you can see the worst case example, but it is done at the state and local level with some Federal assistance I am sure…  the Beach errosion issue..  We spend untold millions of dollars each year to fill in the beaches behind the homes of friggin millionaires…  Beachfront property down here is some of the most expensive property in the US…  maybe with the exception of a few areas of NY and CA. 

The state itself is not under any threat of being washed away, how many millions of years has Florida existed, so the ocean will redefine the shoreline a little bit in natural processes,  this has always happened.  But now that all these millionaires have homes along the beaches government sees a need to maintain the beaches and shorelines at great costs to the tax payers… 

Perhaps it’s time for the old white guy to take his meds. Either that or he just woke up from his nap that he began in 2000.

Honestly I cant argue with that. But its the old my welfares good yours is bad attitude. Maybe the fed looks at it as cost effective? What I mean by that is maintaining these beaches at a consistent level keeps the areas open for tourist,so in the long run more money comes in for the states? Im just grasping at straws here I know. Of course people who live on the shore im positive have tons of influence with local and federal politicians as well.

Hysterical Libs and hysterical media. Insane with anger that their ‘beloved’ guv-mint is under assault.

Small Lib tantrum-throwing child: We conservatives don’t believe in NO ‘guv-mint.’ We just believe in sensibly limited ‘guv-mint.’ You hysterical Libs and Obamo’s media breast-feeders can’t grasp this.

Will your life be utterly miserable for the next 15 months and beyond? Probably. But that’s what you get for plowing ahead with unfettered Liberalism before you could prove that it worked.

Tee Hee!

FEMA has it’s role to play in the overall scheme of things. What I’m saying is the government (FEMA) is not a giant roll of toilet paper!! This is a States responsibility! FEMA should only play a secondary role, in the respect that it fills in the gaps the State can’t handle.
As we saw in New Orleans, the Mayor, and the Governor used FEMA as their personal scapegoats as justification for their own lack of fiduciary responsibility for not having, and implementing an emergency system that all who lived there knew was an accident waiting to happen.

Audio7,

Nobody will join you or your cause if you can’t foment an argument for or against.

Ron Paul has been preaching this same message since the 1980′s.

Yes and the end of the world was… You are one of those fatalists who see armagedon on the horizon. There have crack pots like you throughout all time. Keep beliving the end of the world is coming. Dig that fall out shelter in the back yard too… So how does what I said above make me a pussy? Another idiot who has to go to the school yard when he has no point. HA!

Try to come up with a point.

Bush loved to reward failure just because the person demonstrated loyalty to the administration.

PREDICTION;

FEMA and Local Governments will spend more in scaring people about Irene

Than the damage the storm causes.

When there are disasters like this here’s what our President should do.

Speak before the nation and direct them to the Red Cross for donations.

Those who’s heart is bleeding can give.  Those who’re mean, won’t.

He’d continue to do that as the storm goes.  

No money is confiscated, everything is donated.  

That’s a positive way of using the bully-pulpit.

I agree.
The federal government should never have anything to do with disaster relief. In the even of an emergency (9/11, Katrina, earthquake) states should have two options: 1) donations only. If there aren’t enough donations from private parties, then more people will die in a disaster. But that’s fine, as long as the federal government doesn’t waste one dime on disaster relief.2) state funds only. If the state doesn’t have enough money then citizens will just be out of luck.  But again, that’s fine, as long as the federal government stays out of the “helping people” business.Yes, it will mean more deaths and more destruction if the amount of sources to appeal for funds is limited. But it will also mean less federal government. It’s worth it. 

Wish I could believe in the overall professionalism of FEMA, like you do but, I can’t. It’s a government run bureaucracy, with all the inherent pitfalls and shortcomings a government run system has. It’s first test was Katrina, and it failed, but then, so did the State of Louisiana, didn’t it. From the Governor down to the Mayor of New Orleans, the amount of butt-covering, finger pointing was laughable. Not once did I ever hear these local authorities take responsibility, for what was “their responsibility”! First, last, and always, it’s the responsibility of local leaders to make sure the proper emergency systems are in place. It’s not the responsibility of the Federal government to initiate a States responsibility.   

The Corp of Engineers had been warning the State of Louisiana that the Levy’s would not hold if a major storm hit the area. What part of that warning did the local authorities not hear?!!

I’ve come to the realization that most people who write comments on this blog are idiots.  Most people don’t want the federal government around of course until they need the federal government around them.  Then they are a bunch of brown-nosers taking everything they need, well, from the federal government.  And by the way Mari2JJ, trying to reason with morons, well, is trying to reason with morons.

What if FEMA had not been formed when Katrina hit. Who’s responsibility would it have been then? Wouldn’t that blame gone where it should have gone to, namely, the local State authorities for their lack of preparedness?

He’s the only one among politicians who’s outspoken, CLEAR, consistent, and utterly fascinating. 

GO RON PAUL!

no they heard it. My point being is that if the federal govt would have done its job to begin with then the levies don’t break. But they didn’t so the levee breaks and the response on all levels was piss poor.

The issue is FEMA. Try to keep up.

probably, I don’t feel like speculating on what could’ve happened, it happened, this is how it goes down in history and there’s nothing we can do to change it. We just have to make sure the failures that occurred on the federal, state and local levels don’t happen again when another storm hits New Orleans or god forbid another major city. 

What does ‘guv-ment, mean? Dog whislte?

I’m saying the government shouldn’t pay any. That’s what insurance is for. I think a lot of the Yankees/Westerners on these boards don’t know what “government will not pick up any slack” means.

I would say that is correct. During “Katrina” they didn’t respond for days. Then, it was as if they didn’t know what they were supposed to do! They were 100 times better than nothing, but they paid certain people several times over with no damage  and nothing for several with total losses. For that being their job, they weren’t ready.

Was it the Federal government responsibility to maintain the levee’s, or was it the State of Louisiana responsibility? Was it the State of Louisiana responsibility to have in place, and emergency system equipped to handle just such an emergency, or was it the Federal governments? Commonsense should give you the answer to both questions.
The failures of FEMA are incidental to the overall picture. What your telling me is like, someone is breaking into your house and the next door neighbor isn’t stopping them?!! When the hell did it become someone elses responsibility to take care of your personal responsibility?  It’s not the governments role to take responsibility for a States unbelievable ineptness! ..What the hell!!

Isn’t Ron Paul a Libertarian?

So true… FEMA saved me, my neighbors, friends after the Northridge earthquake.  They were organized, helpful and fast… can’t say anything bad about FEMA under a democratic administration…

Mr Paul has been preaching about FEMA since the ’80s? Sure, Fat, but be a little more specific. It didn’t officially exist till 1979. And as of July, 2011 the whole department had about 7600 people total whose responsibilities fall directly under the Department of Homeland Security.

So, the hero of the libertarians is focused on a tiny sub-bureau with a small budget, who, he believes doesn’t get the job done.  His micromanagement is greatly appreciated, but not really needed.

 Well my understanding is that it was the corp of engineers responsibility to take care of the levees and they are the federal government. Im not going to argue with you that state and local blew it big time in the response portion. I think we all are overly critical in a lot of areas during this event. This was not an easy situation to handle at any level.

You know the number because you call it so often right?

Considering the federal gov is protecting you with the military just shows how ignorant and uninformed you are! I think Ron Paul and the teaparty are laughable and embarrassing!

   Fema’s first test was not Katrina. It was started in 1979. By all reports it was run effectively under Clinton because he put someone in charge who was an expert and experienced in dealing with disasters. When the states get overwhelmed, they request help from FEMA. If that isn’t the function of federal government, what is?

Teabaggers are the first ones with their hands out for help when the crap hits the fan! This is why when repubs are in power they do NOTHING to shrink the size of Government!

I agree, from top to bottom, those in charge shirked their duty. My point is, it is not the Federal government role to replace local State leadership. Their role should be supportive only. Katrina is a perfect example of what happens when the voters in a State don’t vet their respective State, and local  Representatives. Responsibility starts, and ends at the local level.

   What first world nation doesn’t have a national response to natural disasters?

insideguy:

The responsibility for the levees is the “Orleans Levee District” who depends on the Core of Engineers for advise. Advise they conveniently dismissed because they didn’t want to spend the money.  

What is it that FEMA does over say the Red Cross to save lives?
Where was FEMA when New Orleans went under? And what did they do at the start of it?

you mean during the rain storm? I am sure anyone could have handled this with an Umbrella. Local and state are the ones that have done the excellent job.

You soundlike my liberal friends. They, like you, love to place the blame for that fiasco on Dubya whose appointee was not qualified to run the tiny bureau of FEMA and who did all he could to screw up any attempts at aid the Gulf coast states.

Your love of the bloated RC is misplaced.

When the hell did it become someone elses responsibility to take care of your personal responsibility?

When your Government says we have FEMA to protect you.. That’s the whole point I would assume. Counting on something that is not going to happen, Protection through Government. It’s time to cut back departments that do very little when the disaster actually happens, yet takes money to fund till that point comes.

all failed in Katrina, all hold part.. ll pointed to FEMA.. if it didn’t exist.. better work may have been done. Ofcourse thats a hard sale.. Corp of Engineers been trying to sell the right deal for years, no one listened.

The government was uncapable to actually respond in proper time. That’s the point. Give states the funding when needed, Your state can call in national guard and get help from other states just as easily as FEMA. You have a disaster, you wait on federal help, you wait on state help, you wait on county help you wait on city help, you clear the dead bodies. If each state knows it’s up to them at time of Disaster instead of waiting on FEMA to respond, they will be better prepared when it happens. How many levels do we need to place sandbags or remove trees?

Yes – FEMA is getting in the way of “THEM GETTING THEIR CHECKS”. Well I surely hope that somebody is checking to make sure the government isn’t getting ripped off. 
Maybe it was the inadequacy of the Republicans during Katrina that gave FEMA the reputation he speaks about.  There was no problem with FEMA during the Clinton years or now -must have been  the crony friends that were running FEMA instead of the most qualified during the “doing a good job Brownie” days.

Hmmm, you seem to be unable to answer the questions? But your quick on showing fault of his dislike of it through their failures? strange.. but makes the point some really just spew to spew..

This is one of the areas where Paul’s theories break down since FEMA is clearly a necessary agency. Paul was kind of snide, and he did not come off well.

I applaud you and the liberal progressive Americans for the bravery and courage you show in defending a federal government that borrows $0.40 on every dollar it spends.  You are somehow capable of proudly and arrogantly displaying disdain, hatred and disregard for the upcoming American generations by enabling a current administration to continue with its debilitating debt.   Congratulations…your grandchildren will think kindly of you.
Just a reminder:
US Debt on Jan 20, 2009:  $10.62 trillion
US Debt today:  $14.66 trillion
In addition to the military protecting us, it should also make you happy to know that the interest on the debt alone, by roughly 2015, will also independently fund the Chinese Liberation Army.  Awesome, right?
It’s not only impressive but breathtaking how much evil and hatred is in your heart for the future American generations while simultaneously encouraging the advancement of the Chinese Liberation Army.   I’m quite certain that Iran, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea and China all thank you from the bottom of their hearts.
God save us.

Oh well you got me…

You two clowns are just f(*&ing idiots. Maybe it willbe you who dies.

I think he was being sarcastic

Ron Paul’s entire philosophy says he does not know HOW to do things.

That’s why he wants YOU and your local residents to do it.

Thanks for proving his point.

Homeland security has limited FEMA recently and shifted the threats to TERROR over natural while removing yet more funds. In what ways does FEMA show to be a necessary agency that other agencies on a local state level could not handle? In that matter, what has Homeland security even done on the local levels that common sense and local agencies could not do? other than invade your privacy?

“GO RON PAUL!”  And take Rick Perry with you….

And we can thank BushDrunk #2 for most of that.

Isn’t it odd that it took this long for people to begin to appreciate someone in Congress who actually says what they really think.

You’re not supposed to say millionaires.  It’s job creators remember? 

I remember reading about that years ago in another part of the country. People were building expensive vacation homes in areas that were dangerous and ineligible for insurance, so the government stepped in to protect their investment. They deserve it though. They are the job creators after all. 

Ok well im not sure how this whole corp works to be honest. Orleans levy district hmmmm. I cant believe that a levy District in a local municipality could possibly have the money or resources to take care of that system but interesting none the less.

The price of gold is currently at $1822/oz and has increased 190% in five years (45% in the last year).  The CBO estimates over $10 trillion in additional debt for the next ten years.  QE3 by the end of the year?  Ah, the CBO also predicts that in 10 years the government will be spending 15-20% of budget in debt interest alone.

Don’t you think it is a bit arrongant to believe that the country isn’t headed down a sincerely dangerous path?  Does the spike in gold offer stability for you?  Are you comfortable with other countries looking to get away from the dollar as the world standard?

In 1788, Louis XVI in France was spending 60% of revenues on debt service and that ended pretty badly…but history never repeats itself.  All great countries exist forever.  

FEMA was a disaster in responding to the North Texas wild fires.  To begin with, by the time FEMA had arrived in Palo Pinto County, our volunteer firefighters had the fires ALMOST under control and contained as it began drizzling which helped out tremendously….. When FEMA did show up, they had all kinds of equipment BUT, the equipment was ALL wrong for fighting Texas wildfires, so they ended up borrowing county and also equipment lent from individual townships.  Cool right?  Wrong!  Turns out, FEMA did not know how to work the equipment!!  Meanwhile, all volunteer fire fighters and county workers had been sent home. NO ONE knew what was going on including the town peoples.  So, FEMA called the volunteer firemen back so they could teach FEMA how to operate the machinery.  Anyway, after a few days, the fires were finally put out.  Thanks for helping FEMA!….. But, what does FEMA do next?  They went on national TV and declared victory for FEMA when in reality, it was the volunteer firemen along with the professional firemen already on the scene, who actually had done most of the work before FEMA even had even arrived to help out. FEMA clearly was more in the way and actually slowed up efforts due to lack of knowledge.

Yeah, but state is better than FEMA.

Exactly turk281.  FEMA is flawed because big government is incapable of running anything.  This is also Health Care’s same demise if Obamascam HC is not totally booted out and declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Excellent, am glad you brought Katrina up.  FEMA had no idea what to do and it took days for them to come up with any interventions to help out those folks on the gulf coast especially New Orleans.

republicans are liars – you are really a hateful bitch.

No one is crying DickHead… Just laughing at morons with no clue. And by the way… Just let me know where to meet you and you can say this to my face.

Yes just keep beleiving in FOX news, Ron Paul and the Republican party. You’ll be standing along side the road with a sign in your hand or sticking up 7-11′s to feed yourself.

If we get rid of every federal agency guilty of bureaucratic mismanagement, what will we have left?  The end of that great experiment know as the US of A? Vote Gary Johnson!

Say or think what you want about Ron Paul but he’s one of the rarer politicians that doesn’t flip flop around and sticks to his positions.

What he is saying is that the Republican Party for which he was a part for so long and aided in their decisions was a political hack who hated government so much that it would risk people’s lives and property by appointing unqualified, incompetent political hacks to positions of authority in federal agencies. HIS party wasted taxpayer dollars trying to discredit govt in order to please their corporate masters and allow them to move freely within american society to rob, steal and defraud the people. Paul doesn’t speak truth. He hates govt and his ideas of personal liberty are arrogant testaments to his disingenuous “service” in the Congress. He is supposed to be there to make govt function in the best interest of the people. He has not done a very good job for his constituents or the country. He has a big mouth and no substance.

Do I agree with everything Ron Paul stands for? No.  But I’m now a Ron Paul supporter because there is the least chance of a candidate having ulterior motives than all the other “baby kissing” canidates, Obama included, who are all cut from the same cloth.  How many times must be continually get suckered into campaigns that only play to emotions and zero hard reality, or the lies in the campaign promises? 

GO RON GO!

Well we will see how many of those state’s rights states ask for federal funds. The fact is, most states can not handle natural catastrophes.

Zero hard reality sums up Paul’s campaign more than anyone, I’m afraid. Way too many controversial positions.

Its the positions that Paul takes themselves that are often the problem.

Yes, Back in the 64 quake in Alaska, when FEMA (formed in1978) hopped in their time machine and saved the day.  Your losing it in your old age.

Being from New Orleans, I could not agree more with Dr. Paul.  FEMA, Failure to Effectively Manage Anything.

They were more of an impediment than they were help.  Church groups gutted and rebuilt more homes (and generally accomplished more) for 1/100th the price tag. 

Trying to remember, didn’t they authorize funds to build casinos and didn’t spend any money on the levees?  That there was corruption involved, too?  I seem to recall some court case but don’t remember the details.

FEMA was historically the feds coming in and loosening out funds as loans for homeowners to rebuild.  They were check writers, not first responders in the classic sense.  That was a local level thing.

 Now we seem to want them to be the cavalry?

Except for when they require federal aid, then FEMA is better.

^This

He’s race baiting. 

True, but keep in mind that the person who was put in charge of FEMA had absolutely no experience in disaster management.

As Winston Churchill said: “That is the sort of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.”

Part of the problem with that argument is that extreme natural disasters tend to cause more damage than the state has resources.  And by resources, I don’t just mean money.  I also mean man-power, supplies, etc.

There’s also the fact that disaster relief involves countless relief organizations, non-profits and NGO’s, and they all need to be coordinated in order to be efficient.  FEMA offers that coordination and, more often than not, does a pretty decent job, Katrina notwithstanding. 

The fact that we constantly hold Katrina up as an example of failure on FEMA’s part should indicate that that response was an exemplar, an outlier.  If FEMA failed so often as to warrant its abolition, we’d have more than just the failure to address Katrina as ammunition.

Insurance doesn’t cover public infrastructure.  And insurance companies do not have unlimited money.  When only 3 insurance companies cover a  disaster area and the damage is estimated in the billions, do you honestly think those companies would remain solvent?

You should look a little closer at your savior.

I agree HS is a big waste of money. It is using anti-democratic tactics to foil any protest, or to smother any dissent. Which is why the intertubes is our last bastion of free speech, and they are using the internet against dissent as well.

Not all government agencies are bad.

Wait until one of our NUKES lets loose. Ohhh boy won’t that be a real entertaining event. The Ron Paul supporters will be screaming for FEMA.

Did they (FEMA) hop in their time machine and come to help you in 1964? FEMA wasn’t formed until April 1979.

Democratic FEMA good
Republican FEMA bad

Democratric WAR good
Republican WAR bad

Democratic Guantanomo Bay good
Republican Guantanomo Bay bad

Got it.

To all you Ron Paul supporters without insurance in the wake of any disaster you have experienced, REFUSE ALL FEMA MONEY … IF FEMA OFFERS IT, GIVE IT BACK… JUST SAY NO TO FEMA you schmucks, then ask your batshit, Michele Bachmann lovin, crazy ass neighbor to help you rebuild (pray for money from the sky) OR …. call 1-800-Quaker .. they might offer a few of those screws that came loose in your head. 

Exactly, when a State emergency systems are overwhelmed, that is when FEMA becomes necessary. The problem is, the State emergency system was almost non-existent! FEMA role is to supplement a States emergency system, not replace it.

There’s more than enough corruption to explain allot in New Orleans.

such as?

whats the difference a state asking feds for funds or a whole department run by feds comes in and does it anyways? The difference, a whole federal department “we” pay for that should only be handing out disaster funds to states asking for help. States can handle their disasters on a case basis and they already have the people in those states that can usually do it better. You pay for the National Guard in each state, use them.We have so many redundant departments and wonder why nothing ever gets done.

JZT, a sincere thank you for coming down and being part of the solution. Much respect for that.