Presidential State of Emergency?

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Bush Declares Emergency for Inauguration

MSNBC/Associated Press

Wed. January 14th, 2009

I don't like Obama, I'll admit that. But my distaste for him aside, isn't this a little ridiculous? FEMA disaster money going to Obama's Inauguration? God knows, with the fiscal crisis we're facing, departments out West won't need that money for forest fires or earthquakes. The Midwest won't need it for Tornadoes, the South for Hurricanes. Are we going to have to declare a state of emergency for every event where Obama is outside? Granted, the threat against his life is probably legitimate, but FEMA disaster funds?

[x129K 1,393]

Are you joking me!?!?!?

Interesting....

Edited January 14, 2009 by x129K

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Thats what I said, but no, sadly, I'm not kidding. I'm not creative enough to make this ____ up.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Obama's inauguration is going to be one of the largest events in the history of American politics. D.C. is expecting three times the number of people ever according to one source I read. They are going to need this money to keep the President-Elect, the public and any dignitaries safe, I find that taking it from FEMA however might not be the best idea if a disaster does strike but I actually agree with Bush with his belief of needing extra high and good security for this high profile event. I only wish I was there to watch history.

[Guest MVFD334]

Come on guys, you act suprised.. At least we know ahead of time about misuse of fema funds rather than a few years down the road. My suggestion is if this is an ongoing circumstance with Obama, perhaps they should consider being responsible and downsizing events, or withdraw it from his campaign funds.

[ex-commish 490]

I don't like Obama, I'll admit that. But my distaste for him aside, isn't this a little ridiculous? FEMA disaster money going to Obama's Inauguration? God knows, with the fiscal crisis we're facing, departments out West won't need that money for forest fires or earthquakes. The Midwest won't need it for Tornadoes, the South for Hurricanes. Are we going to have to declare a state of emergency for every event where Obama is outside? Granted, the threat against his life is probably legitimate, but FEMA disaster funds?

It's only the beginning....

[turk182 37]

Are you people for real.

a. Bush and the Mayor of D.C. have asked for the money.

b. This will be a very important day in American history like it or not and a lot of people want to be there to see history.

Bush and FEMA have such a great track record together don't they please!

[JBE 328]

OK, wait a second here guys. Let's look at this from a big picture point of view. Put aside your feelings towards the President-Elect. This is a historic event. DC is going to be jammed with hundreds of thousands more people than would normally come out for an inaugurational. The story itself explains why they are doing it. It's not a true emergency, but DC may not be able to pay the total tab. I have to say, W did the right thing here. It's probably gonna cost a heck of a lot more than the $15 mil already appropriated. IMHO it's a legitimate request that got sensationalized by the press, who never liked W to begin with.

[INIT915 1,119]

I don't like Obama, I'll admit that. But my distaste for him aside, isn't this a little ridiculous? FEMA disaster money going to Obama's Inauguration? God knows, with the fiscal crisis we're facing, departments out West won't need that money for forest fires or earthquakes. The Midwest won't need it for Tornadoes, the South for Hurricanes. Are we going to have to declare a state of emergency for every event where Obama is outside? Granted, the threat against his life is probably legitimate, but FEMA disaster funds?

That's a little naive. President-elect aside, the Government is responsible for the safety and security of an estimated 3 Million people who will be present. That's a significant terrorist target.

Remember the old saying, An once of prevention...

Edited January 14, 2009 by INIT915

[ex-commish 490]

Obama speaks of change. Why not start with his inaguration. I can understand the signifance of his election and what it means for many people and allthough I did not vote for him I wish him luck as his success will be ours. That aside, with milliions out of work, a failiing econony, public service being cut to the bone, why not have a simpe, private ceremony? All you need is a judge and a bible.

Remember...change.

[x129K 1,393]

Obama speaks of change. Why not start with his inaguration. I can understand the signifance of his election and what it means for many people and allthough I did not vote for him I wish him luck as his success will be ours. That aside, with milliions out of work, a failiing econony, public service being cut to the bone, why not have a simpe, private ceremony? All you need is a judge and a bible.

Remember...change.

I agree....

[fjp326 42]

Maybe he can borrow the Pope-mobile....

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I guess its a good thing that there are people that look at the big picture and risk analysis based on potential threat and issues that could arise and not personal thought or rhetoric.

As far as keeping it simple...did FDR do the same when the country was even worse off during the great depression? Or does anyone truly value what the significance of that ceremony mean to us as a nation and in the eyes of the world. Spending the money for that ceremony isn't going to help squat. If I were the man...I would do it and want it as well. Regardless of whether you supported him or not this is a major historic milestone for our country.

Additionally:

Number 1: Inaugarals often have numerous demonstrators and this allows DC to get additional federal support they can not get if the declaration isn't made. Money or not..that is other emergency service "brothers and sisters" who's rears are on the line and may need the help. I can only imagine what you would still have to say if they didn't and protestors go violent and destruct property or the PD gets caught with their pants down. Then it would be the other way. Pick an ideal and stay on that side. For those of you who question using FEMA Disaster Funds....please name me the other agency/department where such funding would come from within the walls of the federal government then? If not FEMA then what? If you were to have 100, 000 people come into your town for a festival who would coordinate such activities? Each agency themself...or would you want OEM type organization. That is what they are there for and that is what their job is.

Number 2: Who knows what his profile is as a target because of his background. DC is a sovereign city with little resources for such numbers being added. Again there are federal laws that certain things have to take place in order to get comply with them.

Number 3: There are large crowds expected, and the ability for a major disaster to occur such as a stampede, or people being crushed is a high risk. The only way to try to prevent this is through planning by multiple agencies to funnel people properly and to try to maintain immediate order. Again if people were dying in the streets I'm sure you'd flip and say they should have done more. But that is society at its best.

[ajsbear 11]

So what every one is saying because of the magnitude of this event, the local agencies just can't handle it! Bring in the National Guard if need be. NYC doesn't go to FEMA every time there is a major event at the UN do they? We have just as many foreign missions in NY as DC. We have heads of state from anywhere from 2 to 50 nations here at once. I have not heard NYPD cry out for help. When they ask for their fair share of federal funding they get turned down.Maybe they should go to FEMA now.

[ny10570 745]

Obama speaks of change. Why not start with his inaguration. I can understand the signifance of his election and what it means for many people and allthough I did not vote for him I wish him luck as his success will be ours. That aside, with milliions out of work, a failiing econony, public service being cut to the bone, why not have a simpe, private ceremony? All you need is a judge and a bible.

Remember...change.

This whole thing is done for the people. They aren't spending all this money to make Obama feel better about himself, or to add to the grandeur of office. The lion share of this cash is being spent to protect the citizens who are flooding DC to see this event.

[ny10570 745]

So what every one is saying because of the magnitude of this event, the local agencies just can't handle it! Bring in the National Guard if need be. NYC doesn't go to FEMA every time there is a major event at the UN do they? We have just as many foreign missions in NY as DC. We have heads of state from anywhere from 2 to 50 nations here at once. I have not heard NYPD cry out for help. When they ask for their fair share of federal funding they get turned down.Maybe they should go to FEMA now.

NYC got a huge chunk of money for security at the RNC and every year the city gets money for the UN and dignitary protection. On top of that this is a massive event unlike anything seen in DC before. They simply do not have the infrastructure to handle it.

[223Truck 0]

i must say, im really loving the direction this country is headed...strait down the S_____R. welcome to America, The place where the dollar will soon be used as toilet paper

[Goose 188]

They gotta do what they gotta do. I am no fan of Obama or Biden, at all but the government - as someone aptly pointed out - is responsible for the protection of the millions of attendees the president elect, his family, the current president and his family and the past presidents who will be in attendance. I have no problem footing the bill on this one.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

One more thing to add....DC cannot turn to some state agency like the NYPD can if need be. Since DC is a district, hence the D in DC or District of Columbia, it can not receive funding from a state to provide financial assistance, thus it is required to turn to the federal government for relief money.

And for those of you Bush fans, 15 million is a lot less to pay for this than the 105 billion required to handle Bushes mess after the 2005 hurricane season.

[INIT915 1,119]

Number 1: Inaugarals often have numerous demonstrators and this allows DC to get additional federal support they can not get if the declaration isn't made. Money or not..that is other emergency service "brothers and sisters" who's rears are on the line and may need the help. I can only imagine what you would still have to say if they didn't and protestors go violent and destruct property or the PD gets caught with their pants down.

Agreed. Who here wants to see DCPD and DCFD not have the resources they need? That's how MOS's get hurt and killed. Way to watch out for each other!

So what every one is saying because of the magnitude of this event, the local agencies just can't handle it! Bring in the National Guard if need be. NYC doesn't go to FEMA every time there is a major event at the UN do they? We have just as many foreign missions in NY as DC. We have heads of state from anywhere from 2 to 50 nations here at once. I have not heard NYPD cry out for help. When they ask for their fair share of federal funding they get turned down.Maybe they should go to FEMA now.

Are you serious? You must not be involved in much of the pre-planning for these events.

NYC got a huge chunk of money for security at the RNC and every year the city gets money for the UN and dignitary protection. On top of that this is a massive event unlike anything seen in DC before. They simply do not have the infrastructure to handle it.

Correct. Did anyone on the Board have anything to say the week of the RNC Convention when FEMA and other Federal Resources were committed ti Minnesota while a Huricane hit the South? I don't recall hearing any objections then, but now, all of the sudden. Interesting.

i must say, im really loving the direction this country is headed...strait down the S_____R. welcome to America, The place where the dollar will soon be used as toilet paper

Well, that added alot to this discussion!

[SageVigiles 1,194]

MVFD, your comments on FEMA are inaccurate. The agency had problems before the hurricane, but FEMA has streamlined itself post-Katrina (I was present at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing where they provided a report on FEMAs progress. FEMA funds are used much more effectively than in the past. For example, FEMA now contracts with major companies to buy supplies nearby the incident, instead of having to ship them out from FEMA warehouses. I have the whole summary of the report, which I won't go into here, but there were alot of changes that have made the agency more effective.

ALS, if we are going to spend that kind of money on the inauguration, thats one thing. But taking funds from the FEMA emergency budget puts more Americans at risk by detracting from what is available to the agency for actual emergencies. Congress has contingency funds all over the place, why can't those be used? I'm simply stating that this has been mismanaged, and that the declaration of a National Emergency A. sends a bad message and B., more importantly, endangers the ability of government to effectively respond to emergencies. According to the US FY 2008-2009 Budget proposal the US Secret Service ALONE is slated to get 1.4 BILLION dollars a year for its operations. FEMA gets a alittle over 5 billion for its emergency and disaster response budget. The money should be coming from somewhere else.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/pdf/budget.pdf

PS: BVFD, Bush is not solely responsible for FEMAs failure during Katrina, if that nutjob Ray Nagin, Mayor of the "Chocolate City" (That's a direct quote from him, he really is insane) or the then-governor of LA would have recognized the hazard and requested help earlier, FEMA would have been able to respond sooner. Contrary to what the media tells you, Bush is not to blame for everything.

Edited January 14, 2009 by SageVigiles

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Where then...who else is responsible for emergencies and disasters other than FEMA?

I thought it was obvious who was supposed to handle this just based on the name, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Edited January 14, 2009 by bvfdjc316

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Its not an emergency! Its a celebration of sorts. Homeland Security, Secret Service MAYBE, but the FEMA Emergency Response fund? That money WILL be needed elsewhere, given the financial state of most fire departments and the rapid deterioration of weather in recent years. This winter is harsh, brush fire season will probably be harsh.

[Remember585 815]

I say take all the money - wherever it may come from - for this event's security and hire all the nation's law enforcement officers currently out of work.

How about that for change!

I think I will use that in my Presidential campaign in 12 years...

[weaselff 6]

I have no problem with FEMA money being used for Obama's innaugriation. The event(administration?) is already set up to be a disaster. His main support groups are idiot college kids and inner city skells, and DC on tuesday is gonna be chock full of them. Think of all the riots and other acts of uncivil disobedience these groups have been responsible for in modern American history.

[Goose 188]

I have no problem with FEMA money being used for Obama's innaugriation. The event(administration?) is already set up to be a disaster. His main support groups are idiot college kids and inner city skells, and DC on tuesday is gonna be chock full of them. Think of all the riots and other acts of uncivil disobedience these groups have been responsible for in modern American history.

AMEN BROTHER! Couldn't have said it better myself.

As a side bar - it's beyond me why people look to the federal government to solve all of their, and the world's, problems. This is the attitude that got Obama elected and people will shortly see that he is not the pipe dream he tried to aspire to.

...wait...thats already coming true: he's nominated a well known socialist as the chief environmental policy czar, a tax evader as his secretary of treasury and a mark rich pardoner as his attorney general....

all aboard for Clinton redux...

Edited January 14, 2009 by Goose

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Its not an emergency! Its a celebration of sorts. Homeland Security, Secret Service MAYBE, but the FEMA Emergency Response fund? That money WILL be needed elsewhere, given the financial state of most fire departments and the rapid deterioration of weather in recent years. This winter is harsh, brush fire season will probably be harsh.

FEMA falls under the DHS. Again some of you are saying there is this kind of fund, that kind of fund. Name specifically a fund where the money is easiest to utilize as prescribed by federal law and/or regulation. FEMA is not designed to be first responders....they are emergency management...which under most OEM agencies also involves the preplanning and planning for calamities. I'm sure its not the only money being floated around.

National Guard....they are being utilized and have been advised of their activation for the event. How does a "national emergency" send a bad message. Inaction sends a bad message. Again, with the way certain things work to open up funding and such...such declarations have to be made.

Yes it is a celebration of sorts. The celebration of the oldest democracy in the world putting on display that our system of government still holds true. And while its a "celebration" on camera...try being in the back lines several blocks away and tell me its not an emergency or a tinderbox waiting to explode. Anyone else experience that or see that first hand? Because I certainly have. And the crowds I experienced in 1997's inaugural will be absolutely nothing like that, or even in the startuck/bush haters of the world that were there in 2005's.

[INIT915 1,119]

...he's nominated a well known socialist as the chief environmental policy czar...

Just out of curiosity, can you direct us to your source on this?

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Just out of curiosity, can you direct us to your source on this?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479935,00.html

Sage has a point in that she had/has some socialist views but who cares, unless someone you know is more qualified to for the position by all means let Mr. Obama know but this woman regardless of her political views knows what to do regarding the environment and knows how to do it.

She will cause more good for the environment in 1 year than any Bush did in 12, and you can count on that.

Why does it matter what label themselves, as long as she is American, her policies will better America and the global environment considering the CO2 producing machine and gas chugging nation America has become. You knows, maybe she will even be able to save the environment for our children.

Edited January 14, 2009 by bvfdjc316

[INIT915 1,119]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479935,00.html

Sage has a point in that she had/has some socialist views but who cares, unless someone you know is more qualified to for the position by all means let Mr. Obama know but this woman regardless of her political views knows what to do regarding the environment and knows how to do it.

She will cause more good for the environment in 1 year than any Bush did in 12, and you can count on that.

Why does it matter what label themselves, as long as she is American, her policies will better America and the global environment considering the CO2 producing machine and gas chugging nation America has become. You knows, maybe she will even be able to save the environment for our children.

That link didn't work for me, but I found another. Thanks!