Mike Brown - Sterling example of middle management in America

What can I say? I don't think there is an appropriate adjective to describe how flabergasted I am at the report on Mike Brown's emails during Katrina. [Even more detailed in the actual report from Rep Melacon's office here]

This one email selection seems to sum up how incompetent Brown was to be in this position:

On Wednesday, August 31, 2005, at 12:20 p.m., Marty Bahamonde, one of the only FEMA
employees on the ground in New Orleans, sent a desperate message to Mr. Brown:

Sir, I know that you know the situation is past critical. Here are some things you might
not know.
Hotels are kicking people out, thousands gathering in the streets with no food or water.
Hundreds still being rescued from homes.
The dying patients at the DMAT tent being medivac. Estimates are many will die within
hours. Evacuation in process. Plans developing for dome evacuation but hotel situation
adding to problem. We are out of food and running out of water at the dome, plans in
works to address the critical need.
FEMA staff is OK and holding own. DMAT staff working in deplorable conditions. The
sooner we can get the medical patients out, the sooner wecan get them out.
Phone connectivity impossible.


Mr. Brown responded to Mr. Bahamonde at 12:24 p.m. This is Mr. Brown’s full response:

Thanks for the update. Anything specific I need to do or tweak?

Anything specific I need to do or tweak?!?! What the hell kind of response is that? The buck on this has to go to the President. He and his staff have a responsibility to appoint qualified people. A responsibility that he has done a pretty terrible job on. i guess the main qualification is how much you can tell the President that he is the greatest President ever.

Read the whole pdf. If anyone can make a serious defense of Mike Brown after reading it, i would love to see them try. Mike Brown was a disaster in a disaster.