Question of the Day.

Question of the Day:

What happens to the rest of FEMA with a shift in responsibility today?

Good question - especially since the media interest and political heat is so intense. In my opinion, the answer to this question: NOT MUCH.

Bush appointed a response-oriented person from the Coast Guard to replace Brown. In my opinion, Bush appointed this person because he wears a uniform and therefore has the appearance of authority. Personally, I’m not sure if this CG person was the right person to appoint – and I’m not saying this because I’m engaging in partisan sniping. The reason I don’t think a CG person suits this job is because, as I said earlier, FEMA is not a ‘first responder’ organization.

If you take the time (and don’t fall asleep) to look at FEMA programs and authorities, most of their activities affect recovery activities. In the short-term those recovery activities might include finding shelters and clearing debris. In the long-term, recovery activities typically include helping localities rebuild schools and public facilities and helping individuals find long-term housing. FEMA also tries to serve as a clearinghouse of information for other grants or loans or services that are provided by other Federal agencies. This is not the stuff that a CG person, whose primary role in Katrina operations is ‘first-responder’ activities, is necessarily suited for.

The fact that FEMA is not, under the Bush administration, a cabinet-level agency is another reason why this leadership change doesn’t mean much. Under Clinton, FEMA was elevated to a cabinet level agency when Witt was director. The current administration has DHS at the cabinet-table but FEMA is buried under DHS as one of many agencies subsumed by the creation of that mammoth agency.

Lastly, will people like me (or the FEMA guys in the same room) notice the change in leadership? Not bloody likely.