| San Diego County, CA (October 30, 2007)
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| | was unable to attend, Schwarzenegger
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| -- It's no secret that California is a
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| | offered this explanation of the
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| hotbed for disasters. The potential for
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| | importance of his personal response.
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| major emergencies like wildfires,
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| | "The most important thing is you jump
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| earthquakes, floods and mudslides is
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| | into action as quickly as possible," he
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| high, perhaps higher than any other state
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| | said. The public needs to see "that you
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| in the nation. But other states
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| | are a hands-on governor," that you "take
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| experience serious natural disasters as
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| | care of the firefighters" and feel the
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| well, and with the exception of Florida
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| | pain of people who have lost their homes.
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| few are able to ride the wave without
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| | (Time.com)
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| wiping out.
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| | The Question of Early Aircraft
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| Some of my colleagues say that California
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| | Intervention
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| was just lucky this time around. I say no
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| | In an earlier report I made note of
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| way, because when the Santa Anas blow
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| | criticism leveled against Schwarzenegger
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| hard and the vegetation is tinder dry,
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| | by Chief Chip Prather, the boss of the
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| it's like joining in on a crap game in
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| | very large Orange County Fire Authority.
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| which no one's brought the dice. There is
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| | Chief Prather, a well-known national fire
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| no luck.
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| | administrator, chastised the Governor and
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| So why is the Left Coast better prepared
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| | the state for banning firefighting
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| to deal with Mother Nature's nasty side?
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| | aircraft from the skies during the early
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| In a word - planning. Starting from the
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| | stages of the fire.
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| Governor's office down to the smallest
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| | Of course pilots and fire officials
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| volunteer fire brigade, the state has
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| | agreed that sending flight crews on low
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| developed contingencies for large-scale
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| | level sorties, buffeted by hurricane
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| disasters.
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| | force winds, would have been a suicide
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| Statewide Coordination and Cooperation
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| | mission. My suggestion at the time was
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| The state's Office of Emergency Services
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| | that perhaps Prather was exhausted, and
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| serves as the Governor's direct
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| | didn't realize that he was speaking to a
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| connection to all emergency services in
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| | hastily assembled press conference -
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| California. When it came to this week's
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| | rather than his chiefs and crews at the
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| wildfire disaster, OES is what FEMA
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| | command post. As it turned out, that was
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| wishes it could be -- an agency that is
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| | partially the case.
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| on the street within hours of a disaster,
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| | By Wednesday, reports, Prather had
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| and well-organized under a common
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| | nothing but accolades for Schwarzenegger.
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| Incident Command System.
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| | His "personal attention" to firefighters
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| The response to the 2007 Firestorm wasn't
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| | battling the blazes "is inspiring -
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| a knee-slap reaction but rather the
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| | knowing the guy at the top is there with
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| implementation of a long-established plan
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| | them," Prather said at a news conference
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| that has long been administered by Cal
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| | near Los Angeles.
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| OES. It's a dynamic plan, one that is
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| | FEMA goes 0 for 6.
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| updated as each disaster is critiqued and
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| | On Thursday, the situation was still very
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| recommendations made.
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| | serious, but sunlight was beginning to
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| The current working plan was ordered by
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| | peak through the constant haze of
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| the Governor back in the Spring. Signed
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| | chocking smoke. With the Santa Anas dying
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| on May 9, 2007, Schwarzenegger's
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| | down, and tankers dousing the flames,
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| Executive Order S-07-07 essentially
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| | firefighters were making remarkable
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| instructed agencies like the OES, Cal
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| | progress. Many evacuees were permitted to
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| Fire, the CDC and the National Guard to
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| | return to their neighborhoods, and for
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| beef up their response capabilities.
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| | those families who lost their homes, the
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| According to the order, additional OES
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| | process of re-establishing their lives
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| strike teams were to be created, Cal Fire
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| | was beginning.
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| staffing was to be increased, better
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| | Following the Katrina debacle, FEMA's
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| coordination between state agencies and
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| | David Paulison promised better and more
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| the military was mandated, and a
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| | immediate response to large-scale
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| reciprocal firefighting arrangement was
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| | disasters. His plan did, in fact, take
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| to be established with Mexico
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| | place. The agency immediately deployed
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| The order also reaffirmed how the state's
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| | the Federal Incident Response Team
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| automatic mutual aid system would
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| | (FIRST) out of Atlanta aboard a Coast
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| function under the California Fire
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| | Guard C-130. The advance team hit the
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| Assistance Agreement. S-07-07 was
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| | ground running and began to coordinate
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| presented in such detail that the
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| | emergency support for the thousands of
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| Governor even indicated a minimum
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| | evacuees at the Qualcomm shelter.
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| staffing level for fire engines. (1)
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| | However, a quick visit to FEMA's website
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| Take Charge Governor
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| | reveals that the agency was taking credit
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| When the situation went from bad to
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| | for the hard work of others. The website
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| worse, Schwarzenegger made certain that
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| | suggests that FEMA had been coordinating
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| he was front and center. While flying to
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| | the military response to San Diego
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| speak at a conference in Long Beach, he
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| | County, which is far from the truth.
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| learned that a major evacuation was
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| | The military is a major presence in San
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| taking place in San Diego County. He
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| | Diego County, with some 300,000 of its
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| diverted his helicopter directly to the
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| | personnel and dependants living there.
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| firefront, where he took command as if he
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| | Like any good neighbor would do, the
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| were a 30-year firefighting salt. (If it
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| | NAVY, Marines, Reserves and National
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| counts, he did play the role of a
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| | Guard stepped up to assist state
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| firefighter in a 2002 motion picture.)
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| | government in the early stages, while
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| Schwarzenegger launched each press
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| | FEMA was still watching the disaster play
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| conference by crediting the state's
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| | out on CNN.
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| firefighters, always making note of the
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| | Then there was FEMA's fake press
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| dangerous conditions under which they
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| | conference. Yes - like a parody from The
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| were working. While agency directors
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| | Colbert Report, America's favorite
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| tended to hour-to-hour operations, much
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| | federal agency staged a phony briefing on
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| of the Governor's focus this past week
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| | Tuesday with FEMA employees posing as
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| was on the plight of the evacuees, saying
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| | legitimate members of the press.
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| he didn't want anyone to feel abandoned.
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| | Real-life reporters were given just 15
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| He personally toured evacuation centers
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| | minutes notice of the press conference,
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| like Qualcom, where he conducted his own
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| | however for those who weren't able to
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| assessments, some of which dealt with the
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| | make it, the agency offered a toll-free
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| nitty-gritty.
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| | 800 listen-only line.
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| "Do we have enough toilet paper, do we
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| | It's an unfortunate situation for FEMA.
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| have enough toilets?" Schwarzenegger said
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| | The good work that Paulison accomplished
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| at a press conference after his tour. "Do
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| | in the early stages of this disaster will
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| we have everything we need for the people
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| | never be remembered. The 5th Estate will
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| here so they can stay overnight?"
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| | scrutinize everything that the agency
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| So, without any ceremony, the title of
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| | does from this moment on, regardless of
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| Master of Disaster was quietly handed
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| | its merit. And David Paulison, a good man
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| over this week from former New York City
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| | with fine intentions, will take the fall
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| Mayor Rudy Guliani to Governor Arnold
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| | and likely lose his position.
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| Schwarzenegger. The California governor's
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| | Lessons Learned
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| handling of the 2007 Firestorm, and the
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| | The campaign in California is still in
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| state's largest evacuation ever has
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| | disaster mode, so it's a bit early to be
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| brought him praise from around the World.
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| | critiquing the operation. But there is
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| Even ultra-liberals offered admiring
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| | one thing that I'd like to share. In my
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| remarks.
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| | mind there are two ways to fix FEMA.
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| "How about Schwarzenegger…he was
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| | Immediately turn the agency over to the
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| certainly in control this week," said
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| | US Coast Guard -- or sub-contract
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| HBO's Bill Maher on his Friday night
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| | national disaster response to Governor
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| broadcast. "It's a shame that he can't
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| | Schwarzenegger's Office of Emergency
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| run for president,' Maher added, "…he'd
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| | Services.
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| probably have my vote!"
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| | Sources:
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| During a satellite feed beamed to the
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| | (1) OES
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| participants of the conference that he
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| | (2) Time.
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