Thread: FEMA Director Brown Resigns

Embattled FEMA Director Mike Brown Resigns
Sep 12 3:08 PM US/Eastern

By RON FOURNIER
AP Political Writer

WASHINGTON

Federal Emergency Management Agency director Mike Brown said Monday he has resigned "in the best interest of the agency and best interest of the president," three days after losing his onsite command of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

"The focus has got to be on FEMA, what the people are trying to do down there," Brown told The Associated Press.

His decision was not a surprise. Brown was abruptly recalled to Washington on Friday, a clear vote of no confidence from his superiors at the White House and the Department of Homeland Security. Brown had been roundly criticized for FEMA's bearish response to the hurricane, which has caused political problem for Bush and fellow Republicans.

"I'm turning in my resignation today," Brown said. "I think it's in the best interest of the agency and the best interest of the president to do that and get the media focused on the good things that are going on, instead of me."

The board is shocked, SHOCKED to hear this, right?

Originally Posted by skyblue_123

The board is shocked, SHOCKED to hear this, right?

The only thing that I'm SHOCKED about is you not taking an opportunity to jump back up on your Anti-Bush soapbox. Maybe you could introduce a Poll of some sort on this one too?

I just sent Krellum a PM about this subject and my guess is that you and I both are going to either be booted off or given hell for posting and (in your case) picking a fight. Please refrain from doing so. You have an opinion of Bush why don't you just put it up here and stop attacking other posters?

Originally Posted by skyblue_123

I just sent Krellum a PM about this subject and my guess is that you and I both are going to either be booted off or given hell for posting and (in your case) picking a fight. Please refrain from doing so. You have an opinion of Bush why don't you just put it up here and stop attacking other posters?

Not trying to pick a fight. Merely surprised that you didn't take it in another direction. Not choosing political sides either -- everyone dropped the ball on this one.

You know, I had actually taken the time to respond to that nasty little PM, but given the fact that you're back to the same old tricks in this thread, you're done.

But I'll give you some excerpts from my reply. What you're doing here isn't called "debate." It's called a single-minded stirring up of sh&^ by someone who is obviusly unhappy with their current President/administration. This forum is not a place for you to grind your political axe. Plain and simple.

I see members posting on political-related topics all the time and they almost always manage to post them without the slander. You, on the other hand, can't seem to post ANYTHING in that regard that isn't dripping with anti-Bush rhetoric. You don't get it, so you're gone.

As for what you had to say about me, I could care less. What I DO care about is this forum and that it remains a resource for LE applicants and that it doesn't become a political bickering forum. But it seems to go down that road nearly every time you post something of a political ilk because YOU don't seem to have the maturity/restraint to post on a political issue without making snide or rude comments...about POTUS, about the current administration, etc. You don't have the ability to post on those topics without letting your own dislike of a particular person come through so strongly that you antagonize others. So if you can't do it, you can't post.

And no, it is NOT "a given" that posts in these forums will be deliberately argumentative and antagonistic. Differing opinions, yes, but differing in a professional/tactful manner - not with the continuous stream of snide remarks. You're apparently yet another in a long line of board members who have mistakenly assumed that "difference of opinion" = "green light to piss everyone off." That's not the case.

One more time: this forum is not for political axe-grinding. I'm sick of it and apparently so are a lot of others.

k

I agree 100% with Krellum on this and I am glad that he took the action that he did because I was about to do the same thing myself. People can have a difference of opinion on whatever topic they want and debating those differences is fine as long as it is professional and what has been going on with the anti-Bush topics are not professional. I personally don't care that people like or dislike Bush or the current administration the thing is that he was elected and he will hold the office until his term expires unless he is impeached which I do not see happening.

Now back on topic I think everybody saw the writing on the wall when Mike Brown was recalled to Washington last week that he was either going to be fired or resign. I think he did the right thing by resigning but I do not think that will keep the critics quiet.

Thanks to the Mod's for keeping it civil.

Originally Posted by Birky

Now back on topic I think everybody saw the writing on the wall when Mike Brown was recalled to Washington last week that he was either going to be fired or resign. I think he did the right thing by resigning but I do not think that will keep the critics quiet.

I agree 100% however, Mr. Brown was a scape goat for the ineffectual Louisiana authorities and a target for the blood thirsty media wanting to bash the administration. Why was it that Florida did not have a beef with FEMA, perhaps their Govenor and other State and Local Officials were better prepared and responded accordingly to their disastor? How about the State of Texas in responding to the Shuttle explosion? Where was or is all the federal funding provided to the State of La. prior to Katrina? Why is it that 2004 some Louisiana State officials were indicted by a federal grand jury for the disappearance of 30 million in mitigations funds for levy projects?

There was a whole lot wrong but to make Mr. Brown the scape goat is absurd.

http://www.fema.gov/about/bios/brown.shtm

"Michael D. Brown was nominated by President George W. Bush as the first Under Secretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response in the newly created Department of Homeland Security in January 2003. As the head of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Under Secretary Brown leads federal disaster response and recovery operations and coordinates disaster activities with more than two dozen federal agencies and departments and the American Red Cross. He also oversees the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration, and initiates proactive mitigation activities.

Additionally, Under Secretary Brown helps the Secretary of Homeland Security ensure the effectiveness of emergency responders, and directs the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Integration Center, the National Disaster Medical System and the Nuclear Incident Response Team.

Under Secretary Brown has led Homeland Security’s response to more than 164 presidentially declared disasters and emergencies, including the 2003 Columbia Shuttle disaster and the California wildfires in 2003. In 2004, Mr. Brown led FEMA’s thousands of dedicated disaster workers during the most active hurricane season in over 100 years, as FEMA delivered aid more quickly and more efficiently than ever before.

Previously, Mr. Brown served as FEMA's Deputy Director and the agency's General Counsel. Shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. Brown served on the President's Consequence Management Principal's Committee, which acted as the White House's policy coordination group for the federal domestic response to the attacks. Later, the President asked him to head the Consequence Management Working Group to identify and resolve key issues regarding the federal response plan. In August 2002, President Bush appointed him to the Transition Planning Office for the new Department of Homeland Security, serving as the transition leader for the EP&R Division."

i'll be curious to see where he lands. i doubt the press will follow up on it though. however if the pattern holds true, university professor somewhere. (win big become a consultant, mess up big and a universoty or law firm will pick you up.)

He resigned for the right reasons. Rightly or wrongly, his continued presence in the administration was detrimental to the President and the recovery efforts.

DC types were convinced it was only a matter of when, not if.

I'm sure he'll land on his feet. For fun, keep an eye out for his new position and see if I'm right! DM