Forget FEMA And The National Guard; You Want Something Done, Call Victoria's Secret
Matthew Feeney posts at reason:
Victoria's Secret has saved the National Guard.On Monday night Superstorm Sandy left the armory of the New York Army National Guard's 69th Infantry Regiment without power. Thankfully Victoria's Secret was in town for an event at the Regiment's armory, and had brought in huge generators. The National Guard reached out for help from the producers of the show. Power was restored hours later.
...The National Guard also turned to Victoria's Secret for help distributing food provided by FEMA. For some reason a lingerie retailer was better equipped to distribute food in the aftereffects of a natural disaster than FEMA and the National Guard, and was on hand to provide a fork lift.
More on private sector disaster relief here.
Cato's Michael Tanner writes in the WSJ:
Mitt Romney is being attacked in some quarters because he suggested in a 2011 debate that some federal disaster-relief functions might be shifted to the states. Critics claim that this means he simply doesn't care about people affected by disaster--that he is putting dollars and ideology before people's lives. But might not a more locally focused disaster-relief program make sense?After all, much of the federal government's relief efforts simply amount to shifting funds from one part of the country to another and back again. Yesterday New York paid for assistance to Louisiana; today Louisiana pays for assistance to New York. Is that necessarily the most efficient way to accomplish our goals?
FEMA essentially represents a centralized "command and control" approach to disaster relief. It presumes that only the experts in Washington--not state and local officials, and certainly not private charities--know best how to respond to local needs and conditions.
In the wake of Katrina and other disasters, there have been numerous stories of federal officials rejecting offers of assistance--from Coca-Cola KO -0.67% offering to send water, for example, or private organizations trying to deliver hospital supplies--because those offers didn't fit neatly into the bureaucratic script. Initial indications do suggest that with Hurricane Sandy, federal, state and local coordination has been better. But that doesn't argue against giving more authority, and more responsibility, to those actually in the affected areas.
The bottom line: Big government is seldom the same as effective government. That applies as much to disaster relief as to anything else.
Yeah. Remember, most union members are government employees.
See also.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at November 3, 2012 2:46 AM
And.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at November 3, 2012 2:49 AM
Moar.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at November 3, 2012 2:58 AM
Thoughts On Disaster Survival
Not everyone is nice.
Radwaste at November 3, 2012 4:23 AM
I'd like to know where anyone finds FEMA in the U.S. Constitution? I can't find that in there.
Jim P. at November 3, 2012 5:19 AM
I hate jokes like this, and try not to share them. Try.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at November 3, 2012 5:31 AM
I never thought I'd have anything to say about our gov here in CT, but Malloy has actually been pretty good. He got all the people who could actually accomplish stuff into a room, coordinated shit, and then got the hell out of the way.
Which is unusual for any politician.
brian at November 3, 2012 6:47 AM
Rad,
Thanks. That was interesting and super scarey. I can testify to the increase in crime in areas that have taken in displaced people. I live in Houston so I know all about that.
Sheep mommy at November 3, 2012 8:16 AM
'Sandys Secret?' Sounds like good alternate title.
Their Angels line makes a lot more sense now.
Joe J at November 3, 2012 8:29 AM
@JimP: No where, of course. In fact, disaster relief was always handled by local communities, with backup from the national guard. Since the federal government has gotten involved with FEMA, the quality of response has plummeted.
It's just stupid to suppose that the federal government can be useful. In the absolute best case, their personnel are not local, and don't know the local situation. In reality, FEMA is just another arthritic bureaucracy sucking down tax dollars.
a_random_guy at November 3, 2012 10:17 AM
Probably the finest blog post of 2012.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at November 3, 2012 1:00 PM
Blog post of the year and I fucked up the link.
Crid [CridComment at gmail] at November 3, 2012 6:42 PM
If you don't work for government, you're nobody.
Crid [Cridcomment at Gmail] at November 4, 2012 5:42 AM
Sorta related, in the sense of thinking about principles of limited government...Amy, I was wondering if you've seen Bill Whittle's video addressing people who are thinking about casting a vote for a third-party candidate in this election? And if so, what do you think about the points he makes, given your strong libertarian stance and your belief, expressed repeatedly on this blog, that Romney is no better than Obama as a tax-and-spender? (A belief I happen to share for the most part, btw.)
Here's the URL if you want to watch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPjBXufufUU&feature=youtu.be). Apologies if you think this is hijacking your thread, but reading this post made me think about the principles he discussed in the video.
Jennifer at November 4, 2012 11:36 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/11/03/forget_fema_and.html#comment-3423772">comment from JenniferJennifer, no apology necessary -- love being steered to further information. Prepping my little guts out for tonight's radio show, but I'll save this and watch.
Amy Alkon
at November 4, 2012 12:43 PM
"I'd like to know where anyone finds FEMA in the U.S. Constitution?"
It's in one of those pen-umbrella thingies. I've never seen it, but lots of fine people in Washington assure me that it's there. Actually, us slope-headed knuckle-draggers from the flyover states aren't allowed to look at it, because it's super-ultra-delicate and we're so clumsy and destuctive that our mere glance would shatter it into a million pieces, and then the world would end and the wimmenz and childrunz would be hardest hit. Good thing we have those smart people in Washington to keep us from accidentally killing gazillions of the wimminz and childrunz.
Cousin Dave at November 5, 2012 6:41 AM
Amy,
Thought you'd like to know this post finally got my husband to follow you (and to listen to your podcast w/ the author of Wheat Belly).
Shannon M. Howell at November 5, 2012 7:04 PM
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