The federal official in charge of the bungled New Orleans rescue was fired from his last private-sector job overseeing horse shows.
And before joining the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a deputy director in 2001, GOP activist Mike Brown had no significant experience that would have qualified him for the position.
The Oklahoman got the job through an old college friend who at the time was heading up FEMA.
Source: the Boston Herald. I’m sitting here shaking my head. That’s just … wow. I mean, WOW. Exactly how is this man even remotely qualified to run FEMA?
It gets better.
Before joining the Bush administration in 2001, Brown spent 11 years as the commissioner of judges and stewards for the International Arabian Horse Association, a breeders’ and horse-show organization based in Colorado.
“We do disciplinary actions, certification of (show trial) judges. We hold classes to train people to become judges and stewards. And we keep records,” explained a spokeswoman for the IAHA commissioner’s office. “This was his full-time job . . . for 11 years,” she added.
Brown was forced out of the position after a spate of lawsuits over alleged supervision failures.
Now, the calibre of the political appointees to a government agency do not necessarily reflect on the calibre of the agency’s staff, but it does have an impact in terms of the ability to keep key members of that staff, as well as in policies, priorities, and planning. We’re seeing that impact played out in excruciating detail this week on the Gulf Coast.
This guy need to be fired.