Kerry, Edwards see chance for change after Katrina – Yahoo! News

“In separate speeches,
John Kerry and
John Edwards said the administration’s inadequate response to the hurricane revealed a failure of competence and values, while the public outpouring of support for storm victims showed Americans wanted more from their government.”

Interesting. Is it any wonder that a Democrat’s response to the failure of a bureaucracy, and the determination of the human spirit, would be to say we want “more government?”

I believe if any lesson should be learned from the “perceived” inability of the bureaucracy to respond, it’s that bureaucracies are not designed for rapid response to unplanned crises. After a number of years, FEMA has become quite adept at responding to “traditional” hurricanes. Note there isn’t much complaining about their response around Mobile, and Gulfport. They have much practice responding here. It’s the Hurricane with FLOODING that has them stymied.

Of course, as I have mentioned here previously, much of the slowness to respond has it’s heart in the challenges of logistics rather than the willingness of the heart. Since then, the slow response of FEMA (as documented personally by my brother, and others) can be attributed to the slow, methodical, paper-pushing nature of bureaucracy. It’s the nature of an accountable government to work to ensure that they remain accountable. In fact, if you check your history books, you will note it’s more often than not the Democrats that have pushed for this sort of accountability. Whenever one requires a “full accounting” of the expenditure of government funds, we not only slow the process down, but increase to overall costs along with the overhead.

So what is Kerry’s response? That somehow, because the American People are able, and willing, to stand up, and stand in the gap, that we desire “more government?” Hmmm… I think he didn’t get it in the election, and I remain convinced he doesn’t get it now.

We don’t want more government. It is no longer “of the people, by the people” and it seems less and less that it is “for the people.” This is not because the individual people in the government aren’t wanting to do more, or are callous. They are hamstrung by the bureaucracy of government.

Freeing people to care for people is the best way to deal with most situations, especially in crises.

I am proud to be an American, who helps Americans.