Wake-Up Call: FEMA trouble

Among the residents who evacuated in the face of a fast-moving fire in Boulder this week was Michael Brown, current consultant and talk-show host, and former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a man who will be forever linked with this remark by President George W. Bush over his handling...

By Patricia Calhoun

January 9, 2009

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Among the residents who evacuated in the face of a fast-moving fire in Boulder this week was Michael Brown, current consultant and talk-show host, and former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a man who will be forever linked with this remark by President George W. Bush over his handling of Hurricane Katrina: "Heckuva job, Brownie."

Brown certainly knew how to handle himself in the Boulder evacuation situation -- he has a "go bag" always packed -- and, as he shared with me in a wide-ranging interview a year after Katrina, there was a lot more to the Katrina situation, too, including a complete disconnect between FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security and the White House.

Janet Napolitano, the next head of Homeland Security, could do worse (and likely will) than listen to Brown's cautionary tale. And you can listen to him on KOA, where he does a weekend show and frequent fill-in work. -- Patricia Calhoun

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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