Axios reporting that an Exec Order signed to revamp FEMA

[allegorical oracle]

The order calls for the creation of a task force, dubbed the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, to review FEMA and recommend changes in a report to Trump.

The group will be composed of the secretaries of homeland security and defense, along with private-sector subject matter experts, per the order.

Between the lines: The task force could recommend getting rid of the agency.

I'd point out (from experience):
--No FEMA head has yet been named;
--Tornado season typically begins around April.
-- There's usually at least 10 or more disaster recoveries in progress at all times, nationally. California is an especially complex response/recovery.
This administration essentially will be building an airplane while it's in flight. What could go wrong?

[jls4561]

1. Let's hope this is just bluster and will be as effective as the endless coming of infrastructure week.

[allegorical oracle]

5. So far this past week, he's blustered plenty, but has been a very busy boy -- sticking

screwdrivers into the spokes of government.

One of many things he may not realize is that FEMA doesn't just respond to the 50 states and Puerto Rico, but also to Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Marianna Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

[surfered]

2. With the Trump Administration, this is situation normal: all f****d up!

[Silent Type]

3. Honestly think FEMA needs revamping, but not to trump standards.

[Phoenix61]

6. The biggest issue I have with FEMA is a lot of the

assistance to cities is reimbursement for things they have paid for. If FEMA decides what was paid isn’t a qualified expense the city is on the hook for the bill. There’s no way to prequalify a lot of the expenses.

[allegorical oracle]

11. Public buildings are covered by Public Infrastructure, which is separate from assistance to

homeowners. Insurance covers some of the public infrastructure, but the qualification of uninsured public losses is always a lengthy wrangle during recovery.

Basically, the municipality receives only reimbursement for what the disaster wrecked -- roads, bridges, schools, libraries. If a public structure was already in disrepair, it likely won't be totally reimbursed. If it's a critical road or bridge, it stands a good chance of getting repair assistance. The Small Business Administration provides low interest loans to small businesses and individual homeowners. Costs are split between state and federal funding -- usually on a 25/75 basis. Huge disasters like Katrina and now California often end up in a 10/90 share or even a 100 percent federal coverage.

Is the agency as good as it good be? No. But the improvements inevitably are attempted between storms, simply because there's so many disasters that are being worked at any given time. The full time FEMA staff is only a few thousand people and is augmented by several hundred "reservists" who respond when needed.

[RainCaster]

4. This will be yet another example of destruction

Trump has never improved anything. All he knows is destruction. When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

[msongs]

7. overwhelming number of tornados are in red states. lets just not allow FEMA to help them, that'll save $$

[IbogaProject]

10. They are talking to switching to block grants

To better allow for grift, corruption and discrimination.

[vapor2]

12. It's ALL about grift and enriching himself

I say he can't take it with him

[yellow dahlia]

8. FEMA being reviewed by people who like to hurt other beings.

Puppy Killer and a Torturer of Women

Plus - the mindset behind the mission of the military is completely different than the mindset behind the mission FEMA. But the grifter would not understand any of that. He does not live on that level of understanding.

[Renew Deal]

9. Bring in the consultants

It's typical corporate BS. The consultants will tell them what they already know, and their recommendations will have no impact on the outcome. It's just an excuse to make it look like they did their due diligence.

[allegorical oracle]

13. Professional disaster consulting is an industry, itself. Following hurricane Andrew in 1992,

private consulting companies popped up everywhere. Full time FEMA folks were leaving the gov't. like crazy to become consultants.

It was (I felt) a rip-off. Here's why: after a disaster the feds arrive and assess damages. Meetings begin with the town or city and state as to reimbursements. Negotiations reach agreements. Once private consulting companies entered the picture, their personnel would be hired by the town or city to make their assessment. Those were extremely costly. Negotiations would begin and funding decisions were reached.

Then FEMA would pay what it agreed PLUS the cost of the private consultants' assessment fee. So the taxpayers' bill rose considerably. One consultant I knew made enough money following a couple of disasters to purchase matching new Jaguars for himself and his wife. I hope that policy may have changed, but....

That is why I fear DJT's FEMA "do-over" may result in the privatization of the agency because disasters will become even more "grift bait" than they could be now.

[Renew Deal]

14. It absolutely will.

They will claim that that the studied it and privitization was the recommendation.

[UTUSN]

15. Obvious when drumpf controls the aid it will go to MAGAt areas with drumpf signs.

[Tanuki]

16. Yep, I'm sure he wants to keep the money currently allocated to FEMA,

which must abide by uniform rules and regulations, and instead distribute or withhold it by executive privilege on the basis of political patronage.

[ReRe]

17. What I hear from this AXIOS report is

Chaos. Chaos. Chaos. Chaos. Chaos. Chaos. Chaos.

[oldmanlynn]

18. This would be a serious mistake by Trump

At some point, he’s gonna make a serious mistake. That’s gonna really hurt people in their pocketbooks and other ways and that will start opening up some eyes. then I think the Maga movement and Trump will come tumbling down in a glorious self destruction