An Angry 'Times-Picayune' Calls for Firing of FEMA Chief and Others (E&P)

An Angry 'Times-Picayune' Calls for Firing of FEMA Chief and Others in Open Letter to President On Sunday

By E&P Staff

Published: September 04, 2005 10:40 AM ET

NEW YORK The Times-Picayune of New Orleans on Sunday published its third print edition since the hurricane disaster struck, chronicling the arrival, finally, of some relief but also taking President Bush to task for his handling of the crisis, and calling for the firing of FEMA director Michael Brown and others.

In an "open letter" to the president, published on page 15 of the 16-page edition, the paper said it still had grounds for "skepticism" that he would follow through on saving the city and its residents. It pointed out that while the government could not get supplies to the city numerous TV reporters, singer Harry Connick and Times-Picayune staffers managed to find a way in.

It also cited "bald-faced" lies by Michael Brown. "Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach," the staffers pointed out. "We’re angry, Mr. President, and we’ll be angry long after our beloved city and surrounding parishes have been pumped dry."

Here is the text.

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http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001054586

...indict later.

I have been hearing so much spin and fighting the freepers.. this is a very good argument: Govt says no way in yet reporters got in....Brown says he hadn't HEARD abotu the convention center, then he says they've been taken care fo all along.. at the very least one of his statements is a lie, which is UNACCCEPTABLE during a time of crisis.

Have you noticed how locals still support their Mayor and Governor when supposed jouirnalists trie to deflect blame to them... I think the perspective of the citizens of New Orleans is the one people should listen to.

it really is a good argument, very sad, but pretty airtight.

If CNN could get there, and NBC and CBS and even Fox, what happened to FEMA??

in helicopters were dropping water and food to rooftop survivors DAYS before the feds got in the act. How tough was it for the military to do the same?
Absolutely disgraceful.
Fire them all, and start at the top.

Really takes away their lies.

I'm really pissed! As a federal employee and an American, Michael Brown is a disgrace to all of us. The agency I work for responds to the aftermath of hurricanes and tropical storms and have been for years. We spend days before the storms planning and brain storming, placing assets where we think they will be needed. Those plans change frequently during the day as the storm tracks are better known. Our teams always get on station the day after the storm hits. This is not rocket science, it just takes planning and imagination and attention 24/7 until the job is done.

I can only conclude that FEMA is incredably incompetent or there was a political agenda. It doesn't matter, lives were lost and thousands upon thousands of Americans were put through hell because of it and those responsible must pay. Up to and including the President.

My thought is that there are many dedicated FEMA employees who are frustrated by their failed leadership.

pointing the finger of blame at FEMA after he put Joe Allbaugh in as Director to gut and privatize the agency. As most of you know by now, Allbaugh brought an old school chum, Brown, along as his Deputy Director and when War Profiteer Allbaugh left to go into consulting on Iraq projects, Brown was put in as top lapdog for Bush/Chertoff.

In the current disaster, FEMA's PROFESSIONAL CIVIL SERVICE CAREER EMPLOYEES in all the FEMA regions were ready for days to go into the Gulf area, but were denied permission by Washington (Bush Chertoff).

I had a sense that FEMA EMPLOYEES were chomping at the bits to go in and help, but the people in charge were busy playing games, delaying, criminally negligent in regard to human lives.

These employees must feel so grief-stricken and sick to their stomach to know they have the skills and equipment to help, but are held back from doing so.

The Sacred head of Fatherland Homeland Security doesn't seem capable of saying much other than, "let's not point any fingers at this time."

Yeah, I feel a LOT safer under this crew. :eyes:

There was a political agenda is my pick. Even totally incompetent people occasionally do something right, it takes real talent to screw up everything; to ignore warnings, to not use available resources, to send buses in w/o supplies, to prevent willing helpers from entering the devastated area, to turn a human tragedy into leveraging racial and class tensions, and to scorn the aid of other countries are just a portion of their incredible decisions.
This in no way is to be taken as criticism of the people actually doing the planning and searching and rescuing, it is directed solely at those with the power prevent capable people from doing their job.

I am sure they will be watching every detail.

Normally the "Tipsy" is a mild-mannered "rip 'n' read" type paper that reprints wire service articles and on rare occasion takes a bold editorial stand in favor of motherhood and apple pie.

This is a whole new Tipsy, just like the mayor you're seeing is a whole new Ray Nagin (he used to contribute to Bush**! The repukes can write off that contributor.) and, eventually, a whole new New Orleans. Sleepy New Orleans, a hotbed of radicalism? Don't count us out!

bush"? Whoa! Did you use to live in New Orleans, KamaAina?

the similarities between N.O. and our Hawai'i are uncanny:

* Both were under monarchy before being annexed or sold to the U.S.

* Both have evolved a unique culture and way of life that has attracted devotees around the world (there are hula halau in Japan).

* Both have really crappy public education and woefully underpaid cops.

* Both have ordinary supermarket items that are impossible to find anywhere else (beignet mix; saimin noodles)

and so on.

As for Nagin, who came on the scene well after I left, I learned the dirt about his DINOness in the La. state forum which I have been cruising all week. Not only that, he endorsed repuke Bobby Jindal over Gov. Blanco!! All that said, he still kicks some major ass, and I just found out someone I know from back then works in his administration. Now if I could only get hold of that guy...

That these people were willfully ignoring the situation, woefully incompetent, or simply criminal in their intent.

In any case, they should be immediately relieved their responsibilities and appropriate criminal proceedings should be considered.

The TP fawned over ** so much in 2000 that one could easily envision their collective tongue up his ass. Despite the fact that 80% of New Orleans proper is Democratic, the TP enthusiastically endorsed **. What do they expect but utter incompetency?

shocked, shocked I tell ya. The chimp they "endorsed" would come in like a knight in shining armour..wouldn't he? :silly:

in 2004?

and refused to endorse either candidate. Maybe someone can verify.

"Nine more papers, including the Cleveland Plain Dealer yesterday, abandoned Bush after four years but did not support the Massachusetts senator. Instead, these papers -- the Detroit News, the Tampa Tribune and the New Orleans Times-Picayune among them -- threw up their collective hands and made no endorsement."

http://www.centristcoalition.com/blog/archives/001290.html

who had endorsed Bush in '00, did NOT in '04--either didn't endorse, or endorsed Kerry. (It's one item in the mountain of evidence that Bush didn't win in '04).

Not saying they're not catbox liner. Just asking.

And I, too, was thinking: Fire Brown? How about firing Bush? And what about Cheney, supposedly lurking in some nice fishing spot in Wyoming throughout this horror? What's up with that?

Then I heard today Cheney had cancelled a trip to Canada "due to Katrina." Hm-m-m. Just as Halliburton gets their no-bid contract to rebuild something or other in LA (Trent Lott's second home?), Cheney decides that the hurricane is important.

It sure makes you want to see them both in orange prison clothing in Guantanamo Bay. (My peacenikism is getting a sore test, I'll tell you.)

"Nine more papers, including the Cleveland Plain Dealer yesterday, abandoned Bush after four years but did not support the Massachusetts senator. Instead, these papers -- the Detroit News, the Tampa Tribune and the New Orleans Times-Picayune among them -- threw up their collective hands and made no endorsement."

http://www.centristcoalition.com/blog/archives/001290.html

on Natl TV pretty hard to cover up!

Get him out of government.