MICHAEL BROWN
(Michael DeWayne Brown | Mike Brown)
This egregiously insensitive statement was one of the reasons he was fired from heading the relief effort and then resigned from the government. He had been a political appointee of George W. Bush with no previous emergency management experience. He had been a lawyer and his management experience consisted of managing horse shows. While many blamed the President for the terrible appointment, the Senate confirmed Brown with not a single No vote, yet his lack of experience was known to the Senators.
Thousands of people were trapped in the New Orleans convention center without food, water, sanitary or medical facilities. A number died. While the head of FEMA claimed Federal ignorance, the plight of the people at the Superdome and the Convention Center was constantly being broadcast on the radio and television, including on location video and pleas for help. Mr. Brown’s qualifications for emergency management before he was appointed to head FEMA was to head up an organization for Arabian Horses.
Michael DeWayne Brown served as the first undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response, a division of the Department of Homeland Security. This position is generally referred to as the director or administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He was appointed in January 2003 by President George W. Bush and resigned following his controversial handling of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. Brown first had been appointed as general counsel at FEMA. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks President Bush nominated Brown to become deputy director of FEMA. Brown currently hosts a radio talk show on 850 KOA in Denver, Colorado.
