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BROWN RESIGNS FEMA POST |
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by Bruce Alpert
NOLA.com Staff writer September 15, 2005 Nagin: Stepping down won't solve problems WASHINGTON - Three days after being relieved of responsibility for managing the federal government's Hurricane Katrina relief effort, Michael Brown stepped down Monday as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. His departure comes after an avalanche of criticism that the federal relief effort, particularly in New Orleans, parts of Jefferson Parish, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes, has been slow, inept and largely ineffective. "It is important that I leave now to avoid further distraction from the ongoing mission of FEMA," Brown said in a written statement. Brown's resignation was expected after the Bush administration in effect issued a no-confidence declaration Friday by removing him from day-day-management of the relief operations, replacing him with Vice Adm. Thad Allen of the Coast Guard. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said Brown's resignation will not solve the problems. "I think it's bigger than any one person,'' Nagin said. "If you think that's going to fix it, it's not. It might make people feel better. It doesn't make me feel better." Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said that while Bush has "now addressed the leadership issues" with FEMA, he must still deal with "the resource and organizational issues, which hindered our national response to this tragedy." Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said the departure of Brown, whom critics said lacked solid experience handling disaster management, was appropriate. "On the positive side, I'm very impressed so far with Vice Admiral Allen," said Vitter, who praised him for quickly taking charge and demonstrating complete command of the current rescue operations. R. David Paulison, head of FEMA's emergency preparedness force, was named to take over the beleaguered agency. Paulison is a career firefighter from Miami who was among emergency workers responding to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades in 1996, according to a biography posted on FEMA's Web site. He also has led the U.S. Fire Administration since December 2001, according to the site. In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Brown said he last talked to Bush five or six days ago, but decided his resignation would allow the relief effort to move forward with the least controversy. "I think it's in the best interest of the agency and the best interest of the president to do that and get the media focus on the good things that are going on, instead of me," Brown said. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who asked Bush to replace Brown last week, called his departure "the right thing for the country and for the people of the Gulf Coast states." |
