There was a bit of an outrage when President Bush said that he would form a Whitehouse committee, which he would head to investigate Whitehouse response to Katrina. It is something totally different when the failed and “resigned” head of FEMA gets a consulting job to investigate his response to the emergency. Now, I think that internal investigations are good and appropriate – though they should not include the individual’s under investigation. They are also not adequate when we are talking about the actions of government. So, I think that there should also be a Congressional investigation, AND an independent investigation. So, I am concerned about the President’s committee plan, supportive of the Congressional investigation, and down right outraged at Michael Brown investigating himself – particularly after his little demonstration of “fairness” and “objectivity” his testimony before the House.
People have been pointing out the outright lies that he told during that session, and there were plenty of them. Others have criticized his unwillingness to acknowledge any errors on his part, or accept any responsibility for the dismal and deadly consequences of failure. But there is something that cut me to the core in his testimony, and it is getting very little air time.
The issue under question was why FEMA did not provide ice to disaster victims – particularly in New Orleans. Brown argued that he did not feel that it was FEMA’s responsibility to provide ice beyond what was needed for medical storage. Below is the exchange between a Representative and Michael Brown from the transcript of his testimony. I have highlighted the critical points, but I would not want to be accused of taking his comments out of context. (You can watch this exchange at the CSPAN video at approximately the 1 hr 40 minute point.)
“JEFFERSON: Well, I appreciate that. In fact, the contract has never been put in place with FEMA. The governor was so frustrated, she ended up hiring the people herself and the state of Louisiana paying for it.
But the end result was that there was dozens of dead bodies that remained outside on city streets decomposing for two or three weeks after the hurricane which, in this country, is unthinkable.
Mr. Chairman, I think, with respect to all these areas, and I don’t have time to go into all of them. I’ve talked about the generators and what is a similar problem with the ice trucks. I don’t think ice ever made it to New Orleans. I don’t think there’s been one bag of ice delivered down there in all these weeks. It’s unbelievable.
And look, ice trucks have gone — headed to New Orleans, ended up in Maine, everywhere but New Orleans.
So, I mean, that’s been a terrible problem.
We already talked about the communication issues and how that all went down.
BROWN: Can I address ice before you move on, do you mind?
JEFFERSON: Go ahead.
BROWN: I just want to state publicly that ice was one of those commodities that I feebly attempted to get FEMA out of the business of ice, because ice was originally intended to be only a life-saving commodity for baby formula, medications for hospitals and that sort of thing. And ice is one of those commodities that the demand for has just grown and grown and grown.
And so while I have tried to limit something, I failed miserably in that regard.
(UNKNOWN): Would the gentleman yield?
BROWN: Everybody wants ice.
JEFFERSON: Yes, I yield.
(UNKNOWN): Because I think this is really interesting, Mr. Brown.
Have you ever been through a hurricane?
BROWN: No, but I’ve been through disasters where I haven’t had power for a long time and I know that the refrigerators go on the blink and food spoils, et cetera. But I don’t think that’s a federal government responsibility to provide ice to keep my hamburger meat in my freezer or refrigerator fresh.
(UNKNOWN): Well, if it goes bad and, as you said, people should — you first said just a little while ago, people should be prepared to feed themselves for two or three days…
BROWN: With nonperishable…
(UNKNOWN): … if I may.
So now you’re saying, OK, they’re trying to feed themselves for two or three days. We have a low-cost alternative to feeding them; we should just give them a couple bags of ice to keep that stuff from going rotten.
BROWN: No, because they can’t cook it.
(UNKNOWN): Now you’re saying you shouldn’t do that.
But let me follow up.
What else do they do with the ice, Mr. Brown?
BROWN: Pardon?
(UNKNOWN): What else do they do with the ice?
BROWN: I assume…
(UNKNOWN): Because I think we have a serious disconnect and I think I’m really beginning to realize why you were removed from this job.
What else was that ice used for?
BROWN: Ice should be used for life saving, to keep baby formula fresh and for medications. And I think that’s what it should be used for.
(UNKNOWN): How about keeping the dead corpses from rotting in the…
BROWN: Because you can’t use it to keep…
(UNKNOWN): … sun?
BROWN: … hamburger meat because you can’t cook the hamburger meat. That’s why we say, have provisions for two or three days of nonperishable items.
And I think it’s wrong for the federal government to be in the ice business, providing ice so I can keep my beer and Diet Coke cool.
(UNKNOWN): How about the need to keep bodies from rotting in the sun?
Had you visited Hancock County, which you didn’t, you would have met a gentleman named Edmund Faise (ph). He was given the grisly task of trying to preserve the bodies. They were stacked up at his local mortuary. He had no power. And he literally came to me, tears in his eyes and said, You have got to find me a freezer truck because these bodies are rotting in my driveway.
BROWN: And we had refridge (ph) trucks available throughout the region to store…
(UNKNOWN): Two days later.
BROWN: … bodies.
(UNKNOWN): Two days later, sir.”
Here we have Michael Brown – who never had ice delivered to New Orleans – making the comment that “I think it’s wrong for the federal government to be in the ice business, providing ice so I can keep my beer and Diet Coke cool” AFTER they had already told him about the decomposing bodies rotting from lack of refrigeration.
Here is a man, (forget whether he is qualified or not for the job) who has so much contempt for those he sees as below him, or has such prejudice, that he can toss off that kind of a snide remark. Various times during the testimony, Representatives made reference to Brown’s “disconnect.” However, this is not a simply a “disconnect” from what was going on in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, but a “disconnect” from common humanity. And THIS is the type of “loyal crony” placed in control of the most critical areas of our country. Could they find anyone who has less compassion for those struck by tragedy than this chimera? Do you really think that other appointees are of higher “quality?” And what does this say about those who place these folks in positions of power?
Michael Brown blamed the disaster on a “dysfunctional” Louisiana. Read his responses to questions, or watch the tape. “Dysfunctional” in action.
Rowan Wolf 