Knight Ridder Exposes Horse Judge Background of FEMA Chief

Knight Ridder ^

[Wayland]

Knight Ridder Exposes Horse Judge Background of FEMA Chief During the 1990s, Brown served as judges and stewards commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association. His job was to ensure that horse-show judges followed the rules and to investigate allegations against those suspected of cheating. "I wouldn't have regarded his position in the horse industry as a platform to where he is now," said Tom Connelly, a former association president. The reporter refer to Brown's stormy years with the horses as a "rocky tenure." Some have claimed that he was fired from his post.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_di...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0509...

His "horse judge" tenure was a "Rocky tenure"? He was forced out of his "horse judge" job.

[Wayland]

Should this guy have been appointed to FEMA?

[PilloryHillary]

Your link doesn't work. Are you logged in?

[shadeaud]

This was all over MSNBC this morning. Some democrats and former FEMA managers were raging about the ignorance of the Bush Administration's appointment

[stboz]

Before we execute this guy, did he have other credentials that qualify him for the job?

[Wayland]

I will try to fix it.

[TheOtherOne]

Before we execute this guy, did he have other credentials that qualify him for the job?

You mean besides being the college roomate of the former head of FEMA? Sounds like this guy was a bad appointment and we will all pay for it.

[vox humana]

Bush hates to fire people. It is one of his few faults.

[TheOtherOne]

A lot of background information here. Although this is not a definative source.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Brown

[Peach]

An excellent, lengthy post that debunks the major lies told by the left about the levees, troop levels needed to respond to the crisis, and the response of the federal government.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477440/posts?page=652#652

[raybbr]

"Saturday and Sunday, we thought it was a typical hurricane situation -- not to say it wasn't going to be bad, but that the water would drain away fairly quickly," Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Brown said today. "Then the levees broke and (we had) this lawlessness. That almost stopped our efforts." ...

I have know since grade school the New Orleans was below sea level.

[vaudine]

Probably not. While "Everybody does it" is hardly an excuse, the truth is everybody does it---hires friends, relatives, etc. It is a thing about being surrounded by the known and loyal. While Bush has hired some very competent people at the highest level, he has also delegated and taken recommendations, as well as made the mistake(s) of keeping too many Clintonoids.

vaudine

[Wayland]

I am having trouble with this, but have this link, which should work:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0509040342sep04,1,474800.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[George W. Bush]

I read more about this elsewhere including quotes from people from the Arabian horses association that Brown screwed things up so badly that the association went bust and then had to merge with another organization. They said Brown was asked to resign, not exactly the same as fired. They also mention his background as an estate planning lawyer and that he did have some responsibility for emergency planning for some city council at one time.

Brown is an old college buddy of Allbaugh, his predecessor. Allbaugh, Bush's campaign manager, left as head of FEMA and then Brown, FEMA's legal counsel, was elevated to head the agency.

This information coming out is why Bill Kristol was saying Brown has a lot to answer for and that it's hard to imagine how he was given the FEMA job to begin with.

[Wayland]

I think this should work:

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001054585

[gondramB]

"Before we execute this guy, did he have other credentials that qualify him for the job?"

Exactly - like what did he do beofre his previous job?

What is his degree?

Maybe there is a totally justifiable background.

[cambridge]

FEMA should be the shock troops for when disaster strikes at home. 9/11 was supposed to tightened things up and it seems that here it didn't really do that.

I know the govt is not going to 'save us', but it can do better than nothing. If / when Al Qaeda strike with a WMD I hope to see more of a response than waiting days for papers to be signed and then fighting over blame.

This guy seems wholly inappropriate for a job that needs a military man or someone who has run similar operations.

[Condor51]

This tidbit came out yesterday and was posted.

Anyway, it does seem that this Brown guy is unqualified - a horse judge for eleven years.

However on the upside, at least in his previous career he wasn't a "Grief Counselor". There's a made up profession if there ever was one.

(I don't know where they come from, but I want that job)

[JustaCowgirl]

The state of Oklahoma has just accepted about 4000 people who need shelter from NO. I believe all came from the Superdome. Some of those people were on the road in buses for 36 hours continuously.

The State of Oklahoma, including its Governor (Democrat), has said that the overriding reason for the delay was that Oklahoma couldn't get the proper clearances they needed from FEMA so that they would be able to support these people properly.

Although the Gov is a Democrat, I don't think in this instance it is just buck-passing and blame-laying. I think FEMA actually has been guilty of a lot of bureaucratic bungling. It's beginning to be clear that their leadership, or lack thereof, is part of the reason why. I think the administration has a lot to answer for in this appointment.

[George W. Bush]

Good account there. These are the stories we will hear more about. There will be witnesses and a paper trail. We won't have to wonder how much of it is true.

I look forward to the hearings.

[gusopol3]

since he's been deputy director 2001-03, and director through last two years hurricanes, he has had plenty on-job training.
Relative to the federal attack on Waco, under direct supervision of Reno, when any calls for resignation were muted to say the least, I think Bush is smart to stick by him. This is the same scenario as early July when the left tried to stampede Bush into throwing Rove overboard, because they don't have the facts on their side.