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November 3, 2005
Brownie, self-proclaimed "Fashion God," asks to be rescued
by Sylvia S Tognetti
In this town, good image consultants get paid for an hour or two of work, what I make in a day. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that, as Katrina made landfall, "Brownie" was more preoccupied with when he could go home, and, with his attire. I really do have other topics I want to write about but, since Brownie is still on the federal payroll, and since he provides some transparency into how things get done, or not, in the Bush administration, and since disasters don't end when news coverage fades, a few excerpts from Brownie's e-mails(pdf):
Monday August 29th, 7:52 am (Mike Brown to Cindy Taylor, FEMA Deputy Director for Public Affairs): "Can I quit now? Can I come home?"
Monday August 29th, 8:51 am (Mike Brown to Cindy Taylor and Marty Bahamonde - the only FEMA employee in the region before landfall): "If you'll look at my lovely FEMA attire, you'll really vomit. I am a fashion god."
Other e-mails, from later that morning, at 9:39, 9:53, and 10:20, and 11:57 show that, contrary to his statements that he only learned of the breach in the levees on Tuesday, he was indeed informed on Monday morning, both of the breach in the levee, and of severe flooding. But for some reason, replied at 12:09 that he had been told that "water over not a breach."
By Friday September 2nd, he must have realized he was in way over his head - in another e-mail: "Last hurrah was suppose to have been Labor Day. I'm trapped now, please rescue me."
On Sunday September 4, he was advised by his press secretary, Sharon Worthy to: "Please roll up the sleeves of your shirt, all shirts. Even the president rolled his sleeves to just below the elbow. In this [crisis] and on TV you just need to look more hard-working.... ROLL UP THE SLEEVES"
More analysis is provided in this staff report prepared for Rep. Charles Melancon.
But that isn't all that happens in this town. If you live in the area, please come out to Bangkok Blues in Falls Church this evening from 7-11 pm, for:
A Special Fundraiser and Performance by Marva Wright, the Blues Queen of New Orleans
Marva Wright will be reunited with her close friend and bandleader, bass player and vocalist Benny Turner (brother of the late blues guitarist Freddie King). Both Marva and Benny lost everything in New Orleans and he is now based on the West Coast as she tries to rebuild her life here in the DC-Baltimore area. Joining Marva on stage will be one of the area's finest blues guitarists, Robert Lighthouse as well as Pete Locke on keyboard, L.T. King on drums and Tala Faral from Madagascar on sax. The evening will begin with a performance by the award-winning singer-songwriter Margie Perez and her band Disaster Relief featuring Fritz Myer on guitar and flute, Don Fede on bass, L.T. King on drums, and Tala Faral on sax . She too lost everything to the floods following Katrina.
Tickets: Minimum $15 (ahead) $20 (door)
Net ticket proceeds will go to Marva Wright.
Bangkok Blues is located at 926 W. Broad St. (or Rt. 7), Falls Church, VA; 703-534-0095
Posted by Sylvia S Tognetti at November 3, 2005 12:57 PM
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