Guys - let me repeat, excessive reporting or calling people pet names or trying to wind up specific people is going to get you a forum ban and managing forum bans is not something I'm interested in. If you go out, you won't come back soon. Ignore list people you don't like please.
I didn’t get the impression it was directed at anyone in particular though it does add a little more context to what you posted.
Hey Bob and Bob's Bob, riddle me this one: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-13/how-the-pentagon-spun-hurricane-maria Sept. 30: Trump attacks the mayor’s “poor leadership ability.” The Pentagon worries that Trump’s “dialogue” with Cruz is becoming the story, with “many criticizing his lack of empathy.” The Government Message: FEMA stresses its success in reaching “all municipalities in Puerto Rico.” Oct. 1: Trump calls critics of the response “politically motivated ingrates.” The Government Message: Defense staff admit that “the perception of USG response continues to be negative.” Spokespeople are told to say, “I am very proud of our DOD forces,” before conceding “there are some challenges to work through.” So again, do you still believe that Trump did not influence the inadequate response in PR?
Obviously I have reported this post for your desire to attribute an insulting nickname to others, mere hours after @dark knight requested you stop. So I will only respond to the substance. The DOD wants to look good for its work. The disaster in PR is massive, and the government is overwhelmed by having to deal with four hurricanes in three months. I said that a few weeks ago, stanger agreed, and nothing Trump says or does can change the overwhelming magnitude of these disasters hitting at the same time.
Harbinger of doom!!! As @SpeakerRyan landed in Puerto Rico another power station was failing, dropping electricity on the island from 13% to 9@CBSEveningNews pic.twitter.com/soi7Bv2S7v— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) October 13, 2017
The official death toll doesn't reflect what's happening... https://news.vice.com/story/not-even-hospitals-in-puerto-rico-know-how-many-people-have-died President Trump has downplayed the scale of the disaster in Puerto Rico, where the official death toll now sits at 45. But hospital employees, funeral directors, and healthcare volunteers in Puerto Rico who spoke to VICE News put the count much higher. They’re not only overwhelmed with bodies — often whose cause of death hasn’t been determined — but officials might not be accounting for deaths indirectly related to Hurricane Maria, like those due to medication shortages. VICE News called all 65 hospitals in Puerto Rico listed on the U.S. government’s website. At least one hospital had permanently closed, and others’ phone lines had been disconnected. Many had administrative employees unable to show up to work, while others were running on inconsistent flow of water and diesel to power generators. At most hospitals, however, the morgues were filling up beyond capacity, making the death count difficult to track. “There’s got to be a death toll in the hundreds, and that’s a conservative estimate,” said Jin Packard, a physician who’s traveled to remote villages to treat patients. “People die due to being neglected and due to being inaccessible, but you won’t see that in the official count.” /quote
It was rather passive-aggressive in nature, considering the context of the last few pages of this thread. Sure. It could have been directed at El Presidente...I mean, the President. Or it could have been directed at nobody in particular, just a commentary. But as it is directed at me, I'm trying to figure out where I suggested we were not helping...or stopped helping.
This is where I was going, nutter. I read this post as an implication that FEMA doesn't know whatbthey are doing. The issues aren't going to be fixed quickly, we need to continue to work.
I discussed the support DoD is providing with one of the folks in DoD responsible for coordinating the response, and his assessment is DoD will be in PR for "a long time." Maybe years. The real test for the PR recovery effort is not just the speed of the initial response, but how long the commitment will last. PR has an opportunity - perhaps the silver lining to all this -- to make major upgrades to their infrastructure and comms systems. Things that before would have been prohibitively expensive, are now necessary - so hopefully they'll get that part right.
If you are implying that Trump directed the executive branch to slow roll the response you'd be wrong. If you are implying Trump was indifferent to what was happening in PR, you'd be right -- but not to an extent that it affected the ability or motivation of FEMA or DoD to conduct a recovery effort. If they hadn't already been working on recovery efforts for 2 major hurricanes, the speed of the response would be a cause for criticism, but from what I've seen up close, they are working at 110%. As an anecdote, the offices in OSD that handle FEMA response support and disaster recovery effort go to 24/7 ops and everyone is working weekends with ONE major hurricane or natural disaster. Staffs have been cut so severely over the past few years, they have no bandwidth to absorb additional work.
My worry is that we're going to have another crisis elsewhere and FEMA will be so stretched that the agency will collapse on itself. Can you reassure me? I live in a hurricane zone so very selfish motivations here.
DoD has already sent hundreds of civil servant volunteers to plus up the FEMA staff for 45 days (and we expect there will be another 45-day cadre heading out in a month). But I can't say with certainty what the capacity will be to absorb another hurricane. The same DoD offices supporting FEMA for hurricanes are also working to answer requests for DoD support for California wildfires. Whether FEMA collapses is all relative -- if they can't support your crisis but are working hard in PR, it would certainly appear they have collapsed from your perspective. Wish I had better news.
These are the White House approved "meals" FEMA reportedly is handing out in Puerto Rico...Vienna sausages, a Nutrigrain bar & f'n Skittles. pic.twitter.com/fyViKthg7W— Joshua Sánchez (@jnsanchez) October 12, 2017
Now here's something we can be upset with together. Skittles?!?!?!! Sure, I get putting sugary stuff in for kids, but Skittles? Was saltwater taffy all out? Did Puerto Rico piss off FEMA in a previous life? ********ing skittles...
I think you are totally missing what I am saying. FEMA is in a tough spot having 3 major hurricanes make landfall in a month. And one of them in Puerto Rico, which make it logistically more difficult. But they also should have had a plan for that. They should have been better prepared for the logistically difficulties then they seem to be. And the problem that this administration seems to be looking at is how much this will cost, not how many lives will be saved. Yes, FEMA has a reduced budget, and that blame can go to Congress as well. But Long either didn't try or was unable to make his boss understand the crisis and problems associated with Puerto Rico, or didn't try.
If FEMA models forecast four large hurricanes in the spring or early summer, and failed to do something substantive, that is on them. I agree that's true.
Considering this has been a record-breaking season I don't see how anyone coukd have planned for it. Now consider the differences in the issues with the three major storms and planning would have been impossible. To even suggest that FEMA is to blame is a joke.
Now stanger, if a bunch of scientists at FEMA said "the sky is falling" and nobody at FEMA says anything, you could argue the bureaucracy should do better.