God knows we can’t rely on the National Guard to bail us out when natural disasters strike. They’re much too busy in Iraq and Afghanistan. And God forbid we expect the “drowned in a bathtub” federal government to come through in a pinch. They screwed up Katrina, and preliminary evidence suggests they didn’t do such a hot job (pardon the pun) with assisting California in fighting this weeks’ massive wild fires.
Yesterday, after three days of fires, the Feds finally began the effort to send 6 C-130 aerial tankers from their staging area in Idaho. These are key very effective firefighting tools. They are needed. California has been in a pure fire storm since Sunday. Why did it take three days to start to get us some additional key resources?
For one example of the problem, here’s a quote from the Orange County Fire Authority Chief:
From WAPO: [While]Schwarzenegger and other officials emphasized cooperation among jurisdictions and agencies across the state and beyond, an improvement urged by a blue ribbon commission appointed after 2003. But the fire chief in Orange County, a prosperous area wedged between San Diego and Los Angeles, complained vociferously that the pool of available assets was too small, especially in the week’s frantic first 36 hours. Because no aircraft were available to attack a blaze near Irvine that arsonists apparently set, flames leapt a road and overtook a dozen firefighters who survived only by wrapping themselves in fireproof tents that they carry as a last resort.
“Yadda yadda yadda,” said Fire Chief Chip Prather, dismissing the state’s assurances. “All I know is, I had 12 firefighters deploy their shelters yesterday, and they shouldn’t have had to do that.”
So what’s a person to do next time a natural catastrophe strikes? Is all lost? Home, life, limbs (human or otherwise)? Fear not brothers and sisters. We’ll still have the private sector, baby!
A retired general now working for a controversial private security company told an audience last night about the services the company plans to provide.
The government does not have the tax base to provide services to everyone in the event of a major catastrophe, retired Brigadier General Richard W. Mills told an audience in Pellston last night.
Mills served as Deputy Director of the Counterterrorism Center (CTC) of the Central Intelligence Agency before retirement this year. At a public meeting at the Pellston High School he presented himself as the executive vice president for strategic development for Sovereign Deed, an 18 month old company that offers private disaster response services. […]
Mills said that Sovereign Deed would offer planning and rescue services to subscribers who pay a “country club type membership fee.” Basic service, he said, would involve a one time $50,000 fee and $15,000 per year.
“The reality of FEMA is that is has no infrastructure, and a lot of our National Guard is elsewhere fighting the war,” Mills said. “You never know what could happen. A hurricane, a terrorist attack, a nuclear power plant going bad — it doesn’t matter, you make concentric circles, you get a plan.”
Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy (like a moldy peach out under a hot Florida sun) that the country club set will still be able to get disaster relief while the rest of us die our well deserved Social Darwinian style deaths. At least the rich will survive, and isn’t that what personal responsibility is all about? Those who have the money can afford personal responsibility. The rest of us will just have to hope God really does hear (and is inclined to answer) our prayers.
Privatization rules our deconstructed Bushworld, folks. Get used to it.
