The President's Role During a Crisis

reply to post by nixie_nox


Nixie for all the threads i have seen condemning FEMA and FEMA camps etc etc.
I agree they are in charge and I don't see them as a bad thing in this scenario.
Alex Jones might think otherwise LOL

They are in charge but I guess i am being idealistic in thinking the president should have more to do with things like this....it is an emergency after all.
Declaring an emergency is a no brainer...the people going through it don't need a president to officially say it,they are living through it and get the situation alot more than the president does.
If i caught a fish,would I need him to announce it for it to be real??

Its politically correct BS.

I agree about the FEMA thing though,they are in charge.

Okay...geez...i just starred someone for telling me they hate Obama...what is the world comming to.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by Indigo5

 

Indigo..... Would you prefer I put on a false face and play as if I don't hate Obama so much it vibrates? Everyone on this site who knows me from my posting knows my feelings toward this man. I'm being as gracious, respectful and grateful toward the President as I can bring myself to be, given how I personally feel about him as a man as as a leader.

I'd prefer that you didn't "hate" him. If wishes and buts were candy and nuts then we would all have a wonderful Christmas?

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
So... I hope, in that sense, my sentiments can be taken as sincerely as they're offered. I really am sorry, and I mean this, that my personal feelings are so strong, I cannot set them entirely aside. I thought about how to address that when I got up today....and I figure just being 100% up front and being me is the best way.

Honesty appreciated...it's more than most on the left or right offer of themselves. Respect the post.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Yeah.. I think we agree entirely, when it comes down to it on this crisis. The man did it right. How or why isn't nearly as important as the fact he DID, by all accounts, do it right for the nation and those suffering right now.

Sharing confessions....
I didn't like Pres. Bush..."hate"? Not so much, I thought he was a tool easily used by those with agenda around him and resented him for that, but thought his heart was in a good place and still is. Good man, horrible President IMO.

Of course I didn't vote for him either time. My GOP friends knew where I stood. The days following 9-11 I called my best friend...a Republican...and confessed I was glad that GW was in office. He handled those days well. I wanted his naive bravado on TV, he united us in those days...the months and years that followed were a cluster-ef, but in that moment right after 9-11 the man I seriously didn't want to be President? I was glad he was.

reply to post by beezzer


Your friend the Governor of New Jersey would beg to differ my floppy eared friend.



If the interview had lasted a few more minutes, I think Christie would have endorsed Obama!

reply to post by DrumsRfun


FEMA is not in charge. As badly as you want them to be, they are not.

When you see clips of rescues in NYC, how many FEMA workers do you see?

As much as ATSers want them to be, they are not. They only provide support and filter funds.

It is not poilitical, it is common sense. The feds are not going to know all the resources and the way of the land. That is why it is all in local control.

When a Governor declares a state of emergency, it empowers him with insane abilities.

they don't need the President for anything. The Governor can do it. And he knows his own state.

When the President signs off on a state's declaration, what he is doing is releasing funds and FEMA resources to the state. But he can't do it till the state declares it first.

reply to post by shadwgirl


As much as I loathe bush, Katrina wasn't his fault. The Governor and the mayor screwed the pooch on that one.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I am not American...forgive my mistake.
I really did think that in a disaster,they are the ones doing things and calling the shots.
At 911 because they had such a big role...I just assumed.

Assumptions make asses out of the ones who assume,I will plead guilty.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I agree with you 100% but there were a lot of people who did and still blame Bush instead of the local governments. On the issue of this hurricane, I sincerely hope people don't do the same to Obama. There are plenty of real issues and problems that lay at his feet but this is not one of them.

reply to post by beezzer


Why is it, when people need help right now, others jump in and start pointing fingers. Man, why not give it a day or too before you pounce on your agenda here.
There are people with no power, and a lot of damage. And you are worried about pointing fingers already?

Dude, human life is more important right now than who's fault it is. Lets see these people safe before we start on our regular system of the blame game.

There will be plenty of time here for both Obama and Mitt supporters to play our their little head games with each other. But right now is not the time.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


911 wasn't a natural disaster, it was an act of terror. The federal government is suppose to react and take a leadership role when our country is under attack. The local governments are suppose to react and take a leadership role on acts of mother nature.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


I worked all of Irene and never saw a FEMA worker till it came time to talk money.
They wait to be asked for something.

Please don't feel bad, you see how many Americans on this site don't have a clue.

www.thestar.com...

"HURRICANE SANDY REMINDS AMERICA THAT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MATTERS"

LOL

How political can you get?? This isn't the time to proclaim some Stalinist BS that the government is amazing.

Originally posted by zysin5
reply to post by beezzer

 

Why is it, when people need help right now, others jump in and start pointing fingers. Man, why not give it a day or too before you pounce on your agenda here.
There are people with no power, and a lot of damage. And you are worried about pointing fingers already?

Dude, human life is more important right now than who's fault it is. Lets see these people safe before we start on our regular system of the blame game.

There will be plenty of time here for both Obama and Mitt supporters to play our their little head games with each other. But right now is not the time.

edit on 30-10-2012 by zysin5 because: (no reason given)

Where did I blame Hurricane Sandy on Obama?

reply to post by Indigo5

Sharing confessions....
I didn't like Pres. Bush..."hate"? Not so much, I thought he was a tool easily used by those with agenda around him and resented him for that, but thought his heart was in a good place and still is. Good man, horrible President IMO.

Of course I didn't vote for him either time. My GOP friends knew where I stood. The days following 9-11 I called my best friend...a Republican...and confessed I was glad that GW was in office. He handled those days well. I wanted his naive bravado on TV, he united us in those days...the months and years that followed were a cluster-ef, but in that moment right after 9-11 the man I seriously didn't want to be President? I was glad he was.

Wow.. Strange days indeed. It's not every day I find myself not only agreeing with but actually forming some new respect for someone on the left from where I sit. It's been years since I've heard someone on your side of the center isle grant that Bush handled those early and first days well. I figure if we move a month or 6 into the future....well..why ruin the good nature spirit of agreement here?

I have to say though, that's a fair and honest way to put things above personal feelings.

On hating Obama.. Well, I wish i didn't too. Actually. I have a note in my profile about hate and it's been there since I made my profile on day 1. I believe those words too.

Stuff I Don't Like:
I can't say I really hate anything in life. Hate is a precious commodity to be allowed with utmost care in my view. It always hurts both sides of a situation.

I can't say I've lived up to my own ideal entirely.,..but I do try my best. Personal feelings from his personal decisions over the years..that's where I came to be here, not his party, race or ideology. Makes it hard to undo. At least there are those on both sides willing to try and keep feelings separate from events of a given day, eh?

reply to post by beezzer


Logic would tell me.. Your not blaming Obama for a storm mother nature created. However you are questioning, and spinning this into a blame game.
I did not say you blame Obama for this.

Logic also tells me where you are going with this.
I know where you stand, I have seen your threads before, they all lead to the same agenda. You have made it clear to all ATS members where you stand, and what your agenda is on here when it comes to Obama.

Granted, I am no Obama defender, but I know how bad BUSH was blamed for lack of whatever, or what he did during Katrina.

I just feel people will want to start pointing fingers, and worry about whos role is what. When the truth to the matter is, peoples lives are most important right now. Not whos role is what.

I just hope the peoples whos role it is to help those in need of help can do so, and are able to do so..
That is all I mean.

reply to post by shadwgirl


Well a lot has changed under DHS. They have set up a new response system. Though it seems like DHS was created and hasn't done a thing except harrass you for moving too much or changing cell phone providers, they set up an entire system.

But DHS gives basic requirements locals gotta meet with the money, and it is up to locals to make the plans.

People forget how BIG this country is. It may not be Russia or Canada, but it is still a very large country. There could never be a federal agency big enough to handle the in and outs of every county.

I work state level disaster response. The amount of collaboration between agencies from feds to local is dizzying. It is not a simple process.It can take the collaboration of 3,4,5,6 agencies to handle a situation.

And it is not just government, the state and locals have to make A LOT of relationships with private partners. There is even a sector called critical infrastructure. Businesses that the government can't run without, like credit card companies, utilities, and internet.

In fact, the feds don't even take care of their federal facilities, the states are in charge of that. If I have to deliver vaccines due to a pandemic, my state is in charge of the military bases, social security, and the FBI.

Basicallly DHS moves funds to your local government to make plans. Even the state doesn't keep that much.

Originally posted by zysin5
reply to post by beezzer

 

Logic would tell me.. Your not blaming Obama for a storm mother nature created. However you are questioning, and spinning this into a blame game.
I did not say you blame Obama for this.

Logic also tells me where you are going with this.
I know where you stand, I have seen your threads before, they all lead to the same agenda. You have made it clear to all ATS members where you stand, and what your agenda is on here when it comes to Obama.

Granted, I am no Obama defender, but I know how bad BUSH was blamed for lack of whatever, or what he did during Katrina.

I just feel people will want to start pointing fingers, and worry about whos role is what. When the truth to the matter is, peoples lives are most important right now. Not whos role is what.

I just hope the peoples whos role it is to help those in need of help can do so, and are able to do so..
That is all I mean.

edit on 30-10-2012 by zysin5 because: (no reason given)

Actually, I think Obama is doing fine with his handling of Sandy.

I just see a dichotomy when he stays and does a great job on Sandy yet goes to Vegas when our embassies are attacked and people die.
During that crisis he was not there at all.

First, thank you Nixie for working disaster relief. I don't believe I would ever be able to do that job with out crying all the time and just breaking down in sheer exhustion. Second, thank you for this information. I appreciate it and had no idea dhs takes part in national disasters. I thought they were just there to infringe on our rights.

Originally posted by beezzer


Actually, I think Obama is doing fine with his handling of Sandy.

I just see a dichotomy when he stays and does a great job on Sandy yet goes to Vegas when our embassies are attacked and people die.
During that crisis he was not there at all.

Okay fair enough.. If you honestly feel that way, that is fine, I take no issue with that.
I just know there are families out there right now as I type who are in dire straights right now, they need our help. And do not need people starting the blame game already.(which I won't put words into your own mouth.)

I can not answer you about the whole Vegas and embassies deal.. its a shame that is for sure. And I have no love for any sitting president. I have tons of issues with our murderer of a president. But that is a whole other thread and topic.

My concern is those families right now, up there stranded, and in flood water.. Its going to be cold.. And that leads to hypothermia. Levies broken, families broken.
Not trying to stand on my high horse from my armchair in the comfort of my home. But there is a time and place for everything. Trust me man.. There will be plenty of time to complain about Obama.

The REAL question is : Has Obama done a Bush fly over yet??

Bush was ROASTED for Katrina.. still roasted when you get the haters going. Obama must not be roasted and whats good for the goose is apparently not good for the gander. I cant stand Obama, Romney, Bush... et al. Romney offered his bus to ship water or some such and Obama is being serious in the WH.. big freaking whoop. SMile, nod your head and pray they dont do more than that. Leave things to those who know how to handle it.. on a state and county level.. they can request and coordinate with different agencies. You do NOT want some out of touch president during election season dabbling in disaster recovery anyway, do you?

reply to post by nixie_nox

Thanks for bringing detail and depth to a system it's so easy to misunderstand or just blindly attack as "them". Meanwhile...suffering people are helped in disasters large and small, year in and year out without much fanfare and almost no thanks really given to any of the people expected to live in the middle of horror, yet never be effected by it.

Thanks for what you do and the difference I am sure your personal efforts make to whatever situations you're working. Normal people can fix their own lives in a disaster, but it takes what your describing to fix society when disaster breaks it.

(snip for a sep. post)... gotta stop doing that after posting.. lol.. err..