Sure can tell none of you guys were ever on a debate team

[Roberta]

My "failed the test" thread took off on tangents that even a professor of chaos theory wouldn't have predicted, which I guess is the whole point of chaos theory..
Anyway, the point of the commentator was that the number one complaint of the various first responders at 9/11 was the inability of their various departments to communicate. Homeland Security was set up at great expense to us taxpayers and all of Congress jumped on the bandwagon. Several areas were addressed, particularly the communication issue.
Between a subway fire in NYC last year and the Katrina disaster, we learn tha tit's a case of SOS on the communication front.
We had been led to believe that we would be better prepared to resond to a national catastrophe. Not so. Doesn't anyone else want to know what they did with the money? If we're not any better prepared than we were four years ago, I'd like to see the money put back into the Treasury so we're not saddled with so much debt. - Roberta

[fishingpox]

I don't understand why any of us thinks, that if we put money into any government agency,that it will work efficiently.I would like them to put more money in our military, for some reason ,in my gut ,I feel a storm brewing.

[Deacon]

I have to say that after watching the KATRINA mess I really do not feel safe.
I think that all of America had and in some cases still has a false sense of security.
I really think the 2nd Revolution is not far off!

[crappiefishergirl]

you know what i do for a living right now? i train emergency responders and the EPA. these past two years our training has been focused on the incident comman system and the integration of agency resources at a large "nationally significant event'. now i'm only a contractor, so i have to do what my client wants, but things have moved too slowly due to the egotistical viewpoint of the various agencies. no one (i.e., federal agency) wants to change anything that they do cuz "they don't do things that way". i hear that a lot in the classes.
a message needs to go to congress to tell the various agencies that they WILL change their ways to be more cooperative and share information. They will complete the formation of their incicent management teams by some reasaonable date. i have to say that overall, local responders are far more better organized compare to our state or federal groups.

[LBM]

If the money already squandered by our beauracrats is troublesome I'll predict, no guarantee, that the previously wasted monies will only be drops in the bucket compared to the tidal waves of money that will be flushed during the reconstruction of the gulf coast.
Fraud, corruption and waste an inescapable fact when money is taken out of the private sector and put into the public sector. No difference whether it is perpetrated by Republicans or Democrats or whatever one is called.

[big "E"]

I have to say that after watching the KATRINA mess I really do not feel safe.
I think that all of America had and in some cases still has a false sense of security.
I really think the 2nd Revolution is not far off!

Ben Franklin said that a revolution is neccessary every 20 years in order for a democracy to remain effective and un corrupt.Those are wise words.Humans are humans and they cannot handle power without it going to their heads.After a little while even the smartest man starts to "believe the hype " if it serves his own purpose.That second revolution you speak of will be a welcome change in my opinion , but will also leave us more vulnerable than ever to threats from the outside.I think a revolution that would work well would be for one of our leaders to have the plums to take private money out of the political system all together.And to make it punishable for those who recieve private campaign funding from corporations to the tune of drug war penalties.In other words "We dont care if this is your first offense , your'e going to jail for a long time and theres nothing you can do about it.We dont care if your'e a respectable member of society and own a nice home and pay taxes , you're going to jail for a long time"

[fishingpox]

Hey big E, I'll agree with that or do like they used too when the leaders didn't act right, drag them out in the city square...tar and feather them, that might be more fun.

Ben Franklin said that a revolution is neccessary every 20 years in order for a democracy to remain effective and un corrupt.Those are wise words.Humans are humans and they cannot handle power without it going to their heads.After a little while even the smartest man starts to "believe the hype " if it serves his own purpose.That second revolution you speak of will be a welcome change in my opinion , but will also leave us more vulnerable than ever to threats from the outside.I think a revolution that would work well would be for one of our leaders to have the plums to take private money out of the political system all together.And to make it punishable for those who recieve private campaign funding from corporations to the tune of drug war penalties.In other words "We dont care if this is your first offense , your'e going to jail for a long time and theres nothing you can do about it.We dont care if your'e a respectable member of society and own a nice home and pay taxes , you're going to jail for a long time"