[Rhodes22-list] Katrina Update

[DCLewis1 at aol.com]

Brad wrote (again a quote):Bush and the Congress had their heart in the  
right place over Katrina, but the inefficiencies and limits of government have  
reared it's predictable head. You could double the amount of money appropriated  
and it wouldn't speed things 10%.
 
 
Dave writes: IMO, the notion that the Katrina money can’t be obligated and  
spent because of the government bureaucracy is pure egregious BS, plan and  
simple.   It’s a cop out by the political Administration - blame the  civilian 
bureaucracy.  It’s not the civilian bureaucracy.  I worked  with federal 
government contracts for years, I know whereof I speak.
 
I personally have staffed a contract from receipt of a new proposal, still  
in it’s envelope,  to executed contract in 1 business day.  Commonly  it would 
take 30 to 90 days to staff, negotiate, and start the efforts I was  
associated with - in 17 years I can’t recall any effort taking more than 100  days.  In 
urgent matters authorization to start work and incur costs can  be, and is, 
given long before the full contract was executed.  I know of  many contracting 
efforts that have taken more than 100 days to execute, but  those that I am 
familiar with were staffed by people who were just doing their  job, there was 
no sense of urgency.  The federal contracting system is  ponderous, but it can 
be dealt with by competent, dedicated motivated  people.  The problem is, 
nobody is motivating those people - it’s business  as usual.  The long delay in 
getting Katrina money to contractors in the  gulf is inexcusable.  The  problem 
is, Bush, Sec Def, no one really  cares - it’s not a priority.  The political 
Administration could focus  and motivate the contracting effort for the gulf 
coast in a heart beat, but  instead they are in a CYA mode and really doing 
nothing about Katrina.  It  appears to me that there is a lot more discussion, 
and acceptance, about  rebuilding Baghdad than there is about rebuilding New 
Orleans.
 
Brad, it’s interesting that you passively accept and endorse the  governments 
delay in rebuilding the gulf region, while appealing for volunteers  to help 
rebuild the region.  I understand it appeals to your ideology, but  it sure 
seems counter productive.  You want help, tell Jr to get off the  dime and do 
something.  Seems to me that dedicated professional help and  equipment, and a 
lot of it, will do much more to rebuild the gulf coast quickly  than will a 
gaggle of semi-competent volunteers.  Tell your Tenn and SC  Senators and 
Congresspeople to have that money directed to the TVA for  contracting - as I recall 
they had a reputation as a can-do outfit.  In  fact the TVA might be a very 
good agency to lead the rebuild.  I’d bet you  a doughnut they’d be thrilled to 
take on the task - really.  There’s no  reason that money should be lying 
idle.
 
Trust me, 100 church volunteers showing up in the gulf region for a weeks  
work will accomplish something, but if you got 100 million dollars out of the  
government to buy and operate a fleet of earthmovers and heavy equipment you’d  
get a whole lot more done a lot faster.  It can be done, but Jr or a  member 
of his cabinet has to want to do it.  There's no good reason it  should take 
this long to move that money, except that the political  leadership don't care 
or don't want to.  
 
Dave