WWW.RIDESIDE.NET

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-01 04:15:41 +0000

Flicker has pools.

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-01 04:21:02 +0000

Reason Number 8,907,042 the Iraq war was/is a mistake: My brother in-law, Tim, just got shipped outside of Boloxi, MI, and instead of helping out the flooded, they're still packing for Iraq, and leaving for the Middle East on Sunday. They have already been poorly received by locals for not helping. This war is so lame.

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-01 04:22:47 +0000

This could be my favorite sign ever: It is only rivaled by "You're on Stilts!" Thanks for the post tgl...

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-01 04:24:06 +0000

A good set.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-01 04:40:40 +0000

A little harsh, eh? I mean, even the PPT is overwhelmed. Here he is, leading. ---- If you don't believe in Christ, is it OK to be on the PPT? Seems like only Christ-directed prayer is appreciated.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-01 15:14:15 +0000

Still Leading I don't expect him out there rescuing people, but, come on! Where is Ari Fleischer when you need him? Bush needs a whisper in the ear or something: "Um, sir, the country is under attack, let's put the book down and look busy."

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-01 16:55:10 +0000

Bush's dismantling of the US budget seems like a horrible and cruel joke now. Is he really going to push another tax cut for the wealthiest 1.5% with a straight face? I have a feeling he's going to try....

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-01 19:26:38 +0000

The private sector steeping up to the plate: MoveOn.org doing a great job, and this site has already helped hundreds.

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-02 03:18:43 +0000

New Orleans is a disaster, and I'm realizing how lucky I am to have seen it in it's relative glory. With calls from Congressmen to abandon reconstruction efforts there, "N'awlins" may never truely materialize into a major city again. Still I must say (because there have been comparisons to atomic bombings), I am so glad it was not a bomb that caused all the destruction. Is there any way we can galvanize the Dept. of Homeland Security to such natural disasters? However, I have a weird feeling my bro-in-law would not be leaving Mississippi, if it was a bomb that displaced 500,000 people. Sad on both fronts.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-02 04:15:35 +0000

The local economies are shattered. Months and months to get back on track. Not to mention that N.O. has been ordered evacuated. The region represents less than 1% of GDP. N.O. has always had a tenuous relation with water (paging Pamsterdam: send your extra dykes!), so, I can see why the _economic_ reasons for rebuilding are not too great. Emotional, historical, humanitarian reasons... sure.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-02 04:17:51 +0000

Over at the PPT, prayer has now topped "give to a relief agency" as the number one thing to do about Katrina. I'm a little disappointed that "get others to pray" is under 5% now.

Posted by frame609 on 2005-09-02 04:56:09 +0000

Emily's apartment is likely under water. Angie's family drove to Houston to escape the storm but left all of their belongings behind. Their house and business are likely both destroyed. Shelly was waiting to hear about her family's health. Talk of economics is purely didactic at this point.

Posted by pamsterdam on 2005-09-02 05:43:05 +0000

The Dutch do seem to have a special place in their hearts for the plight of New Orleans. The devastating flood of '53 is still at the forefront of many people's minds. My boss was a baby, and her family hid on their house's roof waiting for rescuers (crawling up there in the middle of the night, in the middle of winter) for more than 24 hours. "Almost half of the country lies below sea-level, up to six meters (18 feet) near Amsterdam."

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-02 15:08:13 +0000

After '53, The Netherlands _spent_money_ to install a world class sea control system. Let's see what happens here. Since New Orleans is majority Black and poor (2000 Census: 67% Black, 28% below fed. poverty line, $27k median income), I doubt that's what will happen. The N.O. local government is getting criticized from the right because it's staunchly Democratic. The criticism is a bit hollow considering the extreme reductions in spending on infrastructure at the federal level that has happened in the past 5 years. (Not to mention racist, how many times have you heard people describe the "savages" that are looting and shooting up the city?)

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-02 15:10:18 +0000

I don't think it is purely instructional, or impolite, to talk about economics right now. Is there any credible economic theory to explain why gasoline is $3.50 a gallon in Boston at the moment?

Posted by G lib on 2005-09-02 15:23:09 +0000

Credible economic theory-- price gouging. ________________ --Feminazi

Posted by G lib on 2005-09-02 15:25:14 +0000

Here's an interesting view of yahoo news... ________________ --Feminazi

Posted by rladew on 2005-09-02 15:35:15 +0000

I find it it funny that less than 48 hours after the storm, everyone (probably myself included) have "politicized" this storm. It was an act of mother nature, simple as that. The Republicans and the Democrats HAD NOTHING TO DO with this. Maybe the finger pointing should happen later while we help these people out NOW... _______________________________

Posted by cdubrocker on 2005-09-02 16:28:04 +0000

I think there needs to be helping and finger-pointing at the same time. I don't think it's necessarily political to say that the federal government failed miserably. "Democrats" or "Republicans" didn't fail, people did, agencies did. And I think it's helpful for those who are in a position to do so to call these people out and have them explain themselves. The enormity of this tragedy does not preclude talking about the massive failures leading up to it and continuing throughout the rescue efforts. I agree with this fellow.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-02 16:31:45 +0000

Yeah, so that up on flckr a few days ago as well. Those aren't Yahoo! news captions, they are the captions supplied by the AP. Likewise, I don't think the AP is completely responsible for captioning it's photos, the photographer might do that. Copy editing would be nice. The evacuation plan for New Orleans (and probably most cities) relies on private vehicles. If you don't have one, or can't afford the gasoline, then you are out of luck.

Posted by cdubrocker on 2005-09-02 16:36:30 +0000

I've read excerpts from various talk shows, and the new talking point is along these lines: blame the hurricane victims, they were told to evacuate, they didn't, they're causing their own problems. I can't imagine that this will ever become conventional wisdom, but the huge amount of ass-covering that is going to become apparent over the next couple of months means, I think, that there needs to be some pre-emptive fingerpointing.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-02 16:43:23 +0000

This country's disaster relief capabilities have been stretched perilously thin since Sept. 11, 2001. It's no one's fault that a hurricane hit New Orleans. But there is plenty of fault for how we as a nation have been able to respond to this tragedy. For example: 40% of LA Guardsman are in Iraq right now, fighting a war we do not need. Speaking of helping... I haven't done a thing. redcross.org is the best bet, I guess. Nice Wolcott post, by the way. Bush has spent the past four years politicizing the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. The right can't suddenly call "uncle" now.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-02 16:47:17 +0000

On "Morning Edition" on Monday there was an interview with a guy from NOLA that wasn't evacuating. He and his family didn't have a car, or didn't have $50 in gas money. The _plan_ was for these people to go to the Superdome.

Posted by frame609 on 2005-09-02 18:42:26 +0000

The price of gas has gone up because the hurricane hit some major oil fields and refineries down south, lowering the availible supply. Anyone driving an SUV has absolutely zero right to bitch about things.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-02 18:53:56 +0000

It was wicked easy. ----- Be prepared. That TCR post points to this TPM post, referencing the following article. This catastrophe was entirely predictable, if not preventable. By running budget deficits, worsened by tax cuts, we seriously compromise the infrastructures designed to keep us safe. ---- June 8, 2004 Tuesday SECTION: NATIONAL; Pg. 1 LENGTH: 1073 words HEADLINE: Shifting federal budget erodes protection from levees; Because of cuts, hurricane risk grows BYLINE: By Sheila Grissett, East Jefferson bureau BODY: For the first time in 37 years, federal budget cuts have all but stopped major work on the New Orleans area's east bank hurricane levees, a complex network of concrete walls, metal gates and giant earthen berms that won't be finished for at least another decade. "I guess people look around and think there's a complete system in place, that we're just out here trying to put icing on the cake," said Mervin Morehiser, who manages the "Lake Pontchartrain and vicinity" levee project for the Army Corps of Engineers. "And we aren't saying that the sky is falling, but people should know that this is a work in progress, and there's more important work yet to do before there is a complete system in place." In reality, levee building is a long-term undertaking. Section by section, earth is piled into walls as high as 20 feet to protect land on the east bank of the Mississippi River from water that a slow-moving Category 3 hurricane could shove out of Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne. But the levees gradually settle into southeast Louisiana's mucky subsoil, and every few years, the corps comes back, section by section, to pile on more dirt in what insiders call a "lift." "It has always been part of our long-range plan to raise each section of the levee four or even five times," said Al Naomi, the corps' senior project manager. "After that, we think the levee might have stabilized and not need further raisings." Time for next lift It's time now for the next lifts in a number of places that have sunk 2 to 4 feet from their design elevations. These include in Kenner west of the Pontchartrain Center, Metairie between Causeway Boulevard and Clearview Parkway, Norco and St. Rose in St. Charles Parish, the Bayou Sauvage area of eastern New Orleans, and remote marshland areas of eastern St. Bernard Parish. The subsidence is expected. What's new, said Morehiser and Naomi, is that the agency has run out of money for the next round of lifts. Naomi said this is the first time a lack of money has stopped major corps work on the levees since the project began in 1967. "I can't tell you exactly what that could mean this hurricane season if we get a major storm," Naomi said. "It would depend on the path and speed of the storm, the angle that it hits us. "But I can tell you that we would be better off if the levees were raised, . . . and I think it's important and only fair that those people who live behind the levee know the status of these projects." Levees on the east bank of New Orleans, as well as some in eastern St. Bernard Parish, are among the area's oldest and have had several lifts. Corps engineers said the next lift might be the last they need. But the levees on the east bank of St. Charles and Jefferson parishes are much younger, and most stretches have had only one or two lifts. "This project isn't expected to end for another 13 to 15 years," Morehiser said. "They aren't really finished levees at this point. We don't even turn them over to their local sponsors until we consider them stable, which is years from now." The levees are designed to handle a storm surge of 11 feet, and every additional foot of levee above that is intended to contain waves that otherwise would top the levee. The height of individual levee segments vary. "When levees are below grade, as ours are in many spots right now, they're more vulnerable to waves pouring over them and degrading them," Naomi said. "We're not below storm-surge elevation yet, but we will be if we stop raising our levees as they subside." Bush budget falls short The Bush administration's proposed fiscal 2005 budget includes only $3.9 million for the east bank hurricane project. Congress likely will increase that amount, although last year it bumped up the administration's $3 million proposal only to $5.5 million. "I needed $11 million this year, and I got $5.5 million," Naomi said. "I need $22.5 million next year to do everything that needs doing, and the first $4.5 million of that will go to pay four contractors who couldn't get paid this year." Naomi said the corps already owes four contractors more than $2 million for hurricane protection work they've done this year without pay, and he expects the figure to climb to about $4.5 million by Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. The challenge now, said emergency management chiefs Walter Maestri in Jefferson Parish and Terry Tullier in New Orleans, is for southeast Louisiana somehow to persuade those who control federal spending that protection from major storms and flooding are matters of homeland security. "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay," Maestri said. "Nobody locally is happy that the levees can't be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us."

Posted by cdubrocker on 2005-09-02 21:12:40 +0000

And this post briefly illustrates the most likely reason why federal aid and planning totally dried up for the New Orleans levee system. Could the federal response to the hurricane have been coldly calculated? It's hard to imagine what could be the reason behind it, other than sticking hard to an ideology. Bush, Condi, and Cheney were all on vacations, and returned (with the exception of Cheney) seemingly for PR purposes. I think this administration is truly concerned only with issues that are truly national in their scope (while the repercussions of Katrina will be national, the immediate problem is state-based). I've read comments from several prominent conservatives (whose names elude me) making the case for totally bankrupting a few states, which would teach them a lesson, and then serve as an example for other states, who would proceed to spend more wisely and not depend so much on the federal government for help. We've grown up in a time when we expect the feds to step in and give a helping hand, and these folks are trying to show us that we should no longer expect that. Perhaps they're trying to pare down the gov't to be involved mostly in trade and national defense (or offense). Just a thought. They could be a bunch of bungling fools, too, but that's too easy.

Posted by rladew on 2005-09-03 02:01:58 +0000

Alright, already THIS YOU'RE THE MAN, NOW DOG SHIT HAS GOT TO STOP!!!!! ...madness... _______________________________

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-03 03:12:36 +0000

This is most likely an extension of the starve the beast mentality left over from the trickle down economics in the 80's. It's sad people don't learn.

Posted by cdubrocker on 2005-09-03 05:03:36 +0000

At this point, I'm starting to think that the negligence in this whole tragedy is due to a really bad combination of gross incompetence, politics, and ideology, although I have no idea of the proportion of each in the mix. At the state and city level, it was probably due to cluelessness and lack of resources. I'm so furious that so little was done in terms of prevention, when it was made clear that some day this very event would happen. Even in the days leading up to the storm, I heard nothing in the news about preparations by the National Guard or anyone like that for the impending disaster. It just really, really boggles my mind. Members of the Somerville High School Orchestra played selections from "The Sound of Music" outside of the Davis T stop the other day. Their violin case overflowed with cash, and it was all going to the Red Cross. Way to go, SHSO!

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-03 13:28:48 +0000

If the goal really is "Starve the Beast", then, they should proclaim it. I don't have qualms that their goals differ from mine, it's that they can't achieve those goals directly. They can't get the agenda past the public basd on open discussion, so, deceit is used. I think most Americans agree that one of the proper roles of government is to provide disaster relief, even disaster protection.

Posted by pamsterdam on 2005-09-03 13:46:31 +0000

Government exists to protect people. Bottom line. Now, I reckon that goes as far as providing healthcare, equal access to education/employment, affordable & safe housing, a sturdy infrastructure... etc. etc. ad nauseum. A Libertarian I am not. Who in the F would think that this sort of insane total disregard for human life could happen so blatantly and on such a grand scale in a supposedly developed country, hm? It just fills me with rage. I need to listen to Nagin's speech again.

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-03 18:44:08 +0000

Regardless of what happens to Bush, Michael Brown the Republican lawyer who worked for the International Arabian Horse Association before heading FEMA, is cooked. Read the post, and you will see one of the greatest disconnects a public servant has told. I almost feel sorry for Brown, as he won't be able to show his face again, let alone get a job. Wait, stike that, maybe Bush will give him a promotion!

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-03 21:54:22 +0000

I actually have more respect for Condi then the others in the cabal. Michael Brown -- judging by the yardstick used to measure Paul Bremer and George Tent -- gets a Medal of Freedom for this.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-05 15:06:34 +0000

I might need to rethink my 1% of GDP assertion. I got it from an analyst on NPR's Marketplace. It might still be correct. The oil pipelines are vital to the US oil industry, but the maintenance of the pipelines themselves is probably not an annual economic engine.

Posted by pamsterdam on 2005-09-05 19:00:41 +0000

The Dutch are still spending money on their anti-flooding system - this time it's on prevention, in light of the Katrina disaster.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 01:08:50 +0000

While we can't be certain if the money the Army Corps of Engineers requested for levee (no dikes in LA, evidently) maintenence would have prevented the flooding, it's safe to say the flooding may have been minimized. The $10 million a year they were requesting sort of pales next to the $30 billion a year spent on "Homeland Security" (note ironic air quotes) for the New Orleans region and the $10.5 billion aid package that I presume has been passed. Of course, the $10.5 billion is for the entire Gulf Coast, and levees don't protect against wind damage.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 03:25:12 +0000

Oops, don't know what portion of DHS's $30 billion a year budget goes to the Gulf Coast region. I do know that DHS security spending is $40 per person in Montana and $11 per person in New York. Priorities I must not be able to undertand, evidently. Speaking of priorities: Is Cheney _still_ on vacation? Maybe he just went from vacation to undisclosed location.

Posted by rladew on 2005-09-06 15:08:25 +0000

_______________________________

Posted by rladew on 2005-09-06 15:11:18 +0000

NOT MUCH TRACTION WITH THE ABUSE _______________________________

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 16:19:50 +0000

If the President of the United States has no responsibilty for directing our national resources to reduce a calamity that has befallen 4 or 5 states, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, killed possibly 10,000, and have an economic impact that will likely dwarf the setback of Sept. 11, 2001.... why do we even bother with having a president? That's an ugly opinion piece.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 16:44:58 +0000

I don't think I've claimed that state and local officials are blameless. Blanco and Nagin should get run out of town, I agree. So too should Chertoff and Brown! At the end of the day, this is a national tragedy calling for a national response. What the hell have we been doing for four years if we watch a Cat. 4 hurricane approach a major distribution hub for oil and grain; knowing that the city is vulnerable to flooding; and it takes _days_ to get relief to the city? We got food to Banda Aceh in a shorter time frame. FEMA and DHS were caught flatfooted on this, has our $30 BILLION a year been well spent? I think not. What might happen if we get hit by something with no warning?

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-06 16:47:21 +0000

The Washington Times?!?

Posted by rladew on 2005-09-06 16:59:13 +0000

...just as surprised as you... _______________________________

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-06 17:02:29 +0000

The link doesn't work for me, maybe the Times will be up running again soon. The Washington Times is very similar to the Onion. It's great for laughs. My favorite was when they made fun of Paul Tsongas for dying of cancer.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 17:15:15 +0000

The WT server is now online. What's surprising about that piece from the Washington Times? They are Rove's backup.

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-06 17:17:49 +0000

Ooh, the link is up and running: Great Openner: "He's (Bush) getting it as well from his critics, many of whom can't believe their great good luck, that a hurricane, of all things, finally gives them the opening they've been waiting for to heap calumny and scorn on him for something that might get a little traction." Utter bile. Does this guys have horns? "Good luck." I'd love for him to tell that to family ripped apart by Katrina to their face. "Then the governor, Kathleen Blanco, resisted early pleas to declare martial law..." Martial Law? What about the State of Emergency she declared 3 days before the storm hit? Hilarious. "Mayor Nagin, who you might think would be looking for a place to hide, and Gov. Blanco, nursing a bigtime snit, can't find the right word of thanks to a nation pouring out its heart and emptying its pockets." Mmm, yeah and Giuliani should have bailed on NYC too. Can you imagine staying in the City you are the leader of during a catastrophe? And Blanco "can't find the words of thanks" for a National leader who played politics, instead of helping? Great Post. Better than today's Mallard Filmore

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 17:22:47 +0000

Oh, the poll result is surprising. That was taken on Friday, once the death toll starts getting reported, maybe that'll move. The weekend saw a flurry of coverage as well... Sorry, rladew, I thought you were pointing out a particularly cogent argument against holding the President responsible. Here's one that is less inflammatory, but still high in hackitude. Oh, how one misses Bill Safire.

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-06 17:27:46 +0000

It's still funny though...

Posted by rladew on 2005-09-06 18:54:07 +0000

everyone's favorite JOURNALISTIC HACKS weigh in... priceless: "We aren't referring here to the storm surge of recrimination blaming post-Katrina problems on everything from Iraq, to tax cuts, to his refusal to endorse the Kyoto Protocol."... _______________________________

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-06 19:14:29 +0000

Hey at least the WSJ admits that post-Katrina problems may validly be blamed on Iraq, tax cuts, and not signing the Kyoto protocol. The next line from which you quote: "The American public knows this was an epic natural disaster and won't fall for political opportunism. By the same token, Americans also won't have much patience for White House claims that state and local officials were the greater incompetents." Exactly. Were talking about straight up accountabilty. "The President has admirably refused to give up on Social Security..." Huh? I'd say that's a fair piece.

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-06 19:41:26 +0000

Actually after second reading: "But the truth is that federal revenues are rising by an estimated $262 billion--or roughly 14%--this year thanks to the growth that followed the 2003 tax cuts. Republicans have been far too defensive on tax cuts, and Katrina is an opening to explain their necessity and to push for making them permanent. " Not-to-Subtle award: Implying tax cuts helped the economy. Please WSJ, we know better.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 20:13:18 +0000

A more thoughtful essay than the Tierney piece about how officials with Magic Markers might have saved New Orleans. However, one of their conclusions is a little shaky: "If he ever fires anyone, Mr. Bush could do worse than find a few more Donald Rumsfelds as replacements." Huh?! How might Katrina relief had looked if Ole Rummy was in charge? I can see him at the podium: "Hurricanes are messy" "How many black people _are_ there in New Orleans?" I doubt Rummy could have kept a lid on looting, since he seemed to be nonplussed about it happening in Baghdad. There is scientific evidence that global warming attributes to more violent and frequent storms during the hurricane season. It is completely plausible that we ignore global warming at our short-term peril. Global warming is not an issue that could effect us 100 or 200 years down the road, we might be seeing it right now. The OJ also sneers at the needs of local politicians, however, if we spent the $10 million or so per year they needed we wouldn't be faced with a $20 billion --minimal-- price tag now. At least, the damage might have been lessened. The OJ points to the failure of the DHS, Bush's legacy of Big Government. That's a start. ---- If you had asked me two weeks ago why New Orleans was important to the nation, I might have shrugged, "Why should we keep this sub-sea-level town afloat?" NO, like Las Vegas, is a testament to man's urge to live in the stupidest places. It might come as no surprise that it was the French that first decided to put a town at the mouth of the Mississippi River, on a tidal plain, next to a lake. Turns out NO is an excellent port town, it provides access to barges that ply the Big Muddy. Pipelines, pipelines, pipelines. Lots of oil flows there, as much as I think $3.50 a gallon gas is good for the environmental health of the nation, I can't see it being good for the economic health. So, I guess I can see why it's economically important to rebuild there. --- The OJ gripes about the $20 billion that might be spent in the aftermath of Katrina. If three times the number of Americans died from Katrina as died on 9/11, can I be assured of three times the spending on infrastructure upgrades as has been spent on security upgrades? Heck, I'd settle for three times the amount of money spent on just the Iraq war (nearing $200 billion) in order to provide access to health services and education along the Goluf Coast and other areas prone to natural disaster (since that seems the best way to avoid being a casualty of one). Not a chance.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 20:14:44 +0000

Reminds me of another poser: If rebuilding after a natural disaster provides a boost to the economy, why not just go and raze a city every 18 months?

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-06 20:32:46 +0000

So, rladew are you coming around on this one? Fairly "left-ish" piece from the OJ for you to post...

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-06 20:50:29 +0000

Nah, it's not "left-ish". Questioning why the local, state and federal government so stunningly failed it's citizens after being on alert for four years and spending billions of dollars is a non-partisan question.

Posted by dawnbixtler on 2005-09-06 21:13:49 +0000

Well, when you put it that way... Heading to the ballgame...

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-27 18:54:32 +0000

It's official: It's time to play the blame game.

Posted by rladew on 2005-09-27 19:23:05 +0000

so if Nagin or Blanco point fingers its ok, but if everyone's favorite horse expert Mr. Brown says anything, he's the only one that should be shamed for pointing fingers? Like I said before, all these politicians on both sides yell and scream at each other while people in need of assistance fall through the cracks. _______________________________

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-27 19:39:55 +0000

I never criticised anyone for pointing fingers. I'm not criticising Brownie, he can blame all he wants. I'm just observing that the Bush administration seems to have deteremined that public finger pointing is now acceptable.

Posted by rladew on 2005-09-27 19:47:44 +0000

if you say so. _______________________________

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-27 20:08:48 +0000

OK, "whatever" then.

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-28 02:54:50 +0000

Is my criticism of where some people choose to lay blame being confused with criticism of some people laying blame?

Posted by tgl on 2005-09-28 03:47:38 +0000

I could be wrong, Brownie makes a serious case for the "lone FEMA director" theory. This is a man without a life jacket.