Well, ya gotcher Bee Pee, ya gotcher EPA...

[LeftyFingerPop]

ya gotcher Coast Guard, ya gotcher Bobby Jindal, ya gotcher MMS, ya gotcher parrish presidents, ya gotcher President Obama, ya gotcher NOAA.

Here are the problems:

1) Stopping the flow of oil.

2) Cleaning the oil from both beaches and wetlands.

3) Rescuing and rehabilitating the wildlife.

4) Providing monetary remuneration to everyone impacted.

5) Ensure that clean-up workers are safe.

6) Provide counseling and emotional support to those impacted.

Here's my question: Which one person in the US Government is responsible for tieing this all together? Which one person is responsible for making sure that all of the above tasks are being completed? Has that person set up an office in LA?

[Catherina]

1. Rec'd but still at 0. What a frigging surprise n/t

[LeftyFingerPop]

2. Yep. And it's a valid question too.

[MadMaddie]

3. And so my friend you have identified the problem with the

massive DHS Organization that the previous administration cobbled together badly.

FEMA would have been the organization to lead a disaster like this if it was still a cabinet position. However; the previous administration destroyed the essence of FEMA by changing it's focus to Terrorism versus responding to disasters.

This is exactly why FEMA needs to be pulled out of DHS.

[boston bean]

4. I agree wholeheartedly! nt

[LeftyFingerPop]

6. I agree, MadMaddie. n/t

[Canuckistanian]

10. Oh, yes, FEMA

I wondered what happened to them.

Isn't this situation considered... like, an emergency or something?

[MadMaddie]

12. It is but because of the way that FEMA

has been cobbled up in DHS the organization does not have the money and structure it once had. If FEMA was a cabinet position the FEMA manager would have been reporting dirctly to the President instead of going through two or three levels.

I am studying this now and it really is appalling how the previous administration almost dismantled FEMA.

There are professional Emergency Managers there now but they lost so much knowledge when Brownie took over they are still recovering.

[Canuckistanian]

14. Oh, yes, I remember now

FEMA was removed as a cabinet position. I think that was Skeletor (Chertoff) who grabbed that portfolio.

[Little Star]

5. I think that is what this administration is tone deaf on. They need one person

over seeing those tasks and that person needs to be present in LA and available to the media EVERYDAY!

[LeftyFingerPop]

7. One person would appoint an individual or organization...

to be responsible for each of the TASKS shown in the OP. Each of these individuals would be responsible to develop a quick response plan to attack each of the tasks. These people would then report to the "leader" their progress or lack thereof, on a daily basis.

And yes, the "leader's" job would be to coordinate each of the people below him or her, and to provide input to the media.

[MadMaddie]

8. See Post #3

This was FEMA's directive before the previous administration and Brownie came in.

[LeftyFingerPop]

9. If it can't be FEMA, it has to be someone else now...

Whether it be a person or an organization.

[chill_wind]

11. Good thought. K & R.

[William Z. Foster]

13. what are you talking about?

The government?

According to people here:

- The government has no expertise.

- The government has no equipment.

- The government has no power.

- The government has no authority.

- The government would just have to hire the same people from private industry anyway, so what's the difference.

- There is no precedent for any such government intervention.

- Government interventions don't work - they are too slow and bureaucratic.

Many here just cannot understand why anyone would ever propose such a goofy idea - that we turn to the government in times of emergency rather than to private companies.

Government - what a silly idea! Who needs it? What can government do that BP can't do?