FEMA's New Sheriff: Run You Over, By Order of the President

By Order

Right so this new bloke at FEMA David Richardson thinks he's come to Birmingham. Word is he's been telling his staff he'll 'run right over' anyone who doesn't toe the line. Sounds like someone's been watching too many gangster flicks. But this ain't about settling scores on Watery Lane; this is about disaster relief. And the man in charge is threatening to flatten anyone who disagrees with him? Sounds like a recipe for a bloody mess. He said 'I and I alone in FEMA speak for FEMA'. Reminds me of someone else who thought he was always right.

Trimming the Fat... or Cutting Off a Limb?

Trump and Noem want to shrink FEMA ship responsibilities off to the states. 'Course they do. Less federal aid more for the rich lads eh? Richardson's just following orders looking to narrow the agency's operations. Says it's all about being 'within the law' and 'within our mission'. Well the law's a fickle thing ain't it? And missions can change with the wind especially when the wind's blowing from the White House. This all comes down to money and power as always.

Military Precision or Blinding Arrogance?

This Richardson ex Marine keeps banging on about his military experience. Fine. But running a government agency ain't the same as commanding artillery. He claims 20% of any organization will resist change. Says he'll know their 'tricks'. Well son you've got a lot to learn about tricks. I've seen more twists and turns in a day than you've seen in your whole career. Arrogance is a dangerous weapon especially when you're dealing with people's lives.

Hurricane Season: Hold on Tight

And here's the kicker. All this upheaval all this talk of cuts and control just as hurricane season is about to hit. Under the previous bloke they were already slashing costs. Now this new fella comes in promising even more austerity. It's like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic except instead of icebergs we're talking about category five storms.

Exodus: The Damned Flee

Word is around 2,000 FEMA employees have already jumped ship. That's a third of the full time staff gone. Not exactly a vote of confidence is it? This Coen fella the former chief of staff reckons Richardson's speech will only make things worse. 'Lead to more departures,' he says. I'd wager he's right. When fear trumps loyalty men head for the hills. And a weakened FEMA? That's a disaster waiting to happen.

Tick Tock: The Clock is Ticking

So what's the play? This Richardson seems determined to reshape FEMA in Trump's image damn the consequences. States are going to be expected to do more with less and Tommy Shelby knows that's a recipe for disaster. The question isn't if a storm is coming but when. And when it does will FEMA be ready? Or will they be too busy running over each other to actually help anyone? Time will tell. But I wouldn't bet on the good guys winning this one.