carter created FEMA by executive order
With the passing of President Jimmy Carter there are many reflections being written on his legacy. For me, the thing that stands out is that he will be remembered most for how he used his prominence after he left the White House. No one has been as selfless as he in being a servant to many.
For his actual accomplishments while in office, the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt will be remembered. Earlier this year I was able to visit the Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta, Georgia. It was only through his personal efforts and perseverance that the treaty was accomplished and is still in effect today.
For this Disaster Zone Blog, we must also remember that it was during his administration that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created. It combined several other federal departments and efforts into one small agency of about 2,500 people.
Here’s what Wikipedia says, “The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders on April 1, 1979.[1] The agency's primary purpose is to coordinate the response to a disaster that has occurred in the United States and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities.”
Then there is this news item from yesterday Remembering Jimmy Carter: The president who set the standard for national-disaster response
In that article there is a list of all the FEMA Directors/Administrators. In my emergency management career, I have lived through 14 of these appointees. There have been some really good ones in the recent years. Professional emergency managers with experience who brought expertise to the job. James Lee Witt was a favorite of mine. He was the first true emergency management types to be appointed by then President Clinton. The position of FEMA Director was also made a Cabinet agency/position. That only lasted for Clinton’s two terms.
One of my least favorite directors was Joe Allbaugh I would describe him as a political hack appointed by President Bush. I remember his “emergency management credentials” be touted at the time of his appointment as being a Chief of Staff when he served under Bush when he was the Governor of Texas. You can compare what he did after leaving public office with that of President Carter. This from Wikipedia:
Post-FEMA career
After leaving the government, Allbaugh capitalized on his ties with the Bush administration by going into private business ventures connected with Bush's policy objectives. He and Republican strategist Ed Rogers founded New Bridge Strategies to help clients "evaluate and take advantage of business opportunities in the Middle East following the conclusion of the US-led war in Iraq". Allbaugh also co-chaired Diligence-Iraq, founded by former CIA and FBI chief William Webster and 40 percent owned by a wealthy Kuwaiti politician, which partnered with New Bridge to advise and provide security for companies doing business there.[21][22][23]
Allbaugh also started his own firm, which he merged in 2004 with that of his wife Diane, who had worked as a lobbyist at the Republican firm of Barbour Griffith & Rogers during his government service.[24][25] The Allbaugh Company is commonly described as a lobbying and consulting firm, although Joe Allbaugh himself says he only consults with clients on presenting their services to government agencies, and does not lobby the government directly for contracts.[26] The Wall Street Journal compared his work to that of his predecessor at FEMA, James Lee Witt, who also provided consulting and lobbying services after leaving government service.[27] Major Allbaugh Company clients include The Shaw Group and Halliburton subsidiary KBR.
Though no longer affiliated with FEMA, Allbaugh traveled to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina to help coordinate private-sector support, according to his spokeswoman. His clients were among the first to win federal contracts to help with hurricane recovery: Shaw won a bid potentially worth $100 million to refurbish buildings and provide emergency housing, and KBR received $29.8 million from the Pentagon to rebuild Navy bases in Louisiana and Mississippi.[28][29]
On July 12, 2006, Emergent Biosolutions, maker of an anthrax vaccine under its former name BioPort, announced that Allbaugh joined the board of directors.[30] During the years before Allbaugh's appointment, BioPort had a troubled relationship with the US Food and Drug Administration. In September 2006, Allbaugh was elected president of Ecosphere Systems, Inc. He also sits on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association of America.[31] “
I’ll add that this is also posted to the end of the Wikipedia article, “Allbaugh, in an interview with Texas Monthly editor Evan Smith of Texas Monthly Talks, said, "Wikipedia is 99 percent wrong. I mean, my bio on Wikipedia is trash."[
What is not listed in what I read about him is his connections to Halliburton and helping them get huge contracts with the Federal Government during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Now, I have to say that his actions post public service are more typical of most people of influence once they have the opportunity to “cash in” on their connections. Which makes the Jimmy Carter legacy even more prominent when compared to past presidents.
