Why I Hate Bureaucracy

For a week now we've been hearing about how slow the Federal Emergency Management Agency was to respond to the devastation of the Gulf Coast. We've also been hearing about FEMA turning away hundreds of volunteers who have driven from all over the country with supplies or the good intentions of rescuing people.

Doesn't make any sense, does it?

I can slightly understand the latter problem. They're trying to maintain order, and outside help confuses things. But don't turn them away, let them help somehow. FEMA's National Respose Plan should include the possibility of unplanned civilian help.

As for the red-tape and the lenthy response time of FEMA, this is what it's all about: the National Response Plan, a 426-page text explaining how FEMA is supposed to respond to national disasters. Click that link, check it out. A ridiculous amount of information. I understand a need for it, but I would also think that it would provide for a quick turnaround time. If a wildfire breaks out in Southern California, and it's spreading several hundreds of miles a day, Los Angeles will not have two or three days to wait for FEMA to take care of business. If another terrorist incident occurs like 9/11, will a large city like NYC be able to wait three days for FEMA to get it together? It's kinda scary.