I dont' get Romney's proposal to eliminate FEMA, and return the function to the states.

[politicaljunkie41910]

First of all, FEMA already contracts with local businesses (the private sector) to provide emergency services. When was the last time, the federal government packaged and sold water, or food supplies. Where is the federal government's hotel for displaced homeowners? Where is the Government Mobile Home factory where FEMA purchased those Trailers for temporary housing after Katrina?

So if I understand this correctly, Romney would have the federal government "redistribute" money it receives from lets say California and give it Louisiana's Bobby Jindal during a hurricane for Bobby to go out and issue contracts to his cronies for supplies and services as payback for campaign donations while he's trying to manage a national disaster.

National disasters are costly because they are unpredicatable, but FEMA when managed by professionals and not campaign donors is better equiped to deal with a major national disaster than 50 individual states because they have people who are professionals that do this stuff every day.

[doc03]

1. They need to get an ad up about that just after the hurricane

danger passes.

[oldhippydude]

2. my take on it he would privatize it.. ie pay some outfit like Halliburton n/t

[TexasCPA]

5. No. Bain would take it over.

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. And a gallon jug of water ...

will be re-packaged (read: the Costco price tag removed) and sold to the highest bidder ... It's the bain way.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

3. Well articulated.

True as can be. Leave it alone and let the pros handle it.

[Blue Meany]

4. It's the old Reagan trick:

Say your returning the money and responsibility to the state, so that it can be managed locally. Then give them less money than is needed for that and everything else. That way, they will transfer the money to urgent things, like education. And, when the disaster comes, you will say: "I'm all for disaster relief but that's a job for the states and the private sector."

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. And this is exactly why ...

romney is so dangerous ... he has already said that this is his plan for Medicaid.

One would think Governors across the nation would be up in arms.

[Swede Atlanta]

6. His statement suggests two things......

(1) Turn over coordination to the individual states...he said "in conjunction with FEMA and the Federal Government".....
(2) Privatize as much as you can (profit when people are down)

#1 is a no-brainer and is the current "status quo". FEMA engages with the states and local governments to plan for an emergency.Funding for the efforts if federally-funded so as to not impact a specific state or region.

#2 is stupid. FEMA currently contracts with numerous private businesses to deliver services in an emergency. But you don't outsource the coordination to private players because they will cut corners. "Oh look, those are black people over there...we won't go and help them because our corporate masters have told us that black people are bad." I have no problem with FEMA using the methodology that makes the most sense for them....private, government or a combination thereof...But Robme suggests that only "for profit" companies should be involved.

That leads me to a further thought on this......ONLY the federal government with resources in every state can respond to a catastrophe. ONLY the federal government can use the power of the U.S. military to aid in rescue efforts such as providing helicopters, ships, etc.

When a NATIONAL emergency (not a Florida emergency or an Iowan emergency) happens, it is the NATION through their federal government that comes to the rescue. Why would any person deny that? Well, Mittens has. He thinks FEMA and the money to fund it is IMMORAL. I don't disagree we shouldn't be funding the government with borrowed money but to suggest that saving lives is immoral is well, immoral. The rich need to pay A LOT MORE for the benefits they receive from our society. We need to lop off 50% of the military budget including the military tit-sucking contractors......That will cause pain but it is high time for that to happen. Let those engineers that currently design ways to kill others to ways to reduce carbon emissions, increase food production, reduce traffic congestion, etc.