How can a blogger in West Texas do more than the litany of already written books about the Bush administration’s spectacular incompetence? An Iraqi government insider joined the fray today with his release of “The Occupation of Iraq” published by Yale University Press. It details the massive corruption and widespread incompetence America imported into his country. Did you note the President’s alma mater in the publisher’s name?
Why could the simple revelation of a botched Hurricane Katrina “Lessons Learned” report on hospital evacuations cause the Bush team fits? It’s because Americans have high expectations that the sick and injured are cared for properly.
When the healthcare facilities themselves die, patients need to be rescued by capable Americans ASAP. The Bush team failed in that regard. This the nation already knows. What most people don’t know is the White House investigation doesn’t say who was responsible, how they performed, what broke down, or how to do better next time.
Did you know your local community hospital is responsible for evacuating its own patients regardless of conditions? No local, state or federal emergency operations center coordinated patient evacuations from dead hospitals in New Orleans. A trade group, the Louisiana Hospital Association worked diligently to fill the void left by the various EOC’s. This got not one mention in Bush’s booted follow-up investigation.
But who benefited the most from George Bush’s flat footed tome? It might be The Carlyle Group whose LifeCare affiliate lost 24 patients in the storms aftermath. Their complete absence from the report likely helps them defend those coming wrongful death civil lawsuits. Early legal maneuvers in criminal cases show LifeCare pointing fingers at everyone but themselves. Yet they had a duty to ensure patients were cared for by LifeCare employees only. On that they clearly failed.
Will Americans allow a President who plays politics with hospital patients lives by ignoring the Democratic governor’s plea for rescues? Can they stomach a whitewash report on hospital evacuations that abdicates the federal government of any responsibility for saving seriously ill patients both retrospectively and in the future? President Bush must know everyone has relatives who at some point in their life need hospitalization. Picture a helpless patient in a facility dead from a disaster or terrorism. Your federal government can just let them sit there. It already has and it produced an investigative report that greases the skids for it to happen again.
Does wasting money in other lands pale to wasting sick relatives here at home? If the American public finds out, they will decide...
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
NASA IG Applying Bush Management Principles Ordered "Back to School"
NASA's Inspector General Robert Cobb committed a series of cardinal sins in his role as an "impartial investigator". Mr. Cobb frequently golfed with the head of NASA, traveled together on department aircraft, and even tipped off officials to his internal investigations. The Integrity Committee which reviews IG's said Robert created "the appearance of a a lack of independence".
Cobb also held up a Texas Rangers investigation into the final disposition of missing jewelry from fallen Columbia astronaut, Laurel Clark. Her husband wanted to use all means to recover the keepsakes, including the television program CrimeStoppers. The NASA IG nixed that idea to save his department's and the Bush administration's face.
Corrective action for the wayward IG is "management training". Does that ring any bells? Karl and company got a round of "ethics training" after the White House leak of a CIA agents name. That and an internal White House investigation, the President assurred us would solve the problem. Yet, that promised follow up investigation never occurred according to Bush's security chief.
Robert Cobb's background included serving as ethics adviser to Alberto Gonzales, then White House Counsel. With nine years experience in the U.S. Office of Government Ethics one might expect more from Mr. Cobb. But this isn't his first brush with the Integrity Committee.
Previously, the committee found Cobb guilty of creating "an abusive work environment". People inside the IG's office described him as abusive, dismissive and a bully. Does that sound familiar? Did he learn how to blow his top and unleash a series of four letter words while working in the White House? Did George, Dick, Karl, Alberto or even Fran Townsend (known for her four letter tirades according to Time magazine) teach Mr. Cobb?
One case shared with the Intergrity Committee is mind boggling. IG auditor Carroll Tom Hassell described how "a person in a South American country" over three days in late 2002 logged into the Marshall Space Flight Center's supposedly secure computer system, stole space shuttle data valued at $1.9 billion and shipped it to a third country. The complaint said Cobb's office refused to report the theft to the Commerce Department as an illegal transfer of intellectual property. The IG's rationale for not reporting was the data still existed on NASA computers.
Robert Cobb is a fractal in the Bush administration. He's simply a reflection of the sorry managment beliefs and practices residing in the White House. The great losses are here and sending a flunkie to "management training" will accomplish little, that is if it even happens...
Cobb also held up a Texas Rangers investigation into the final disposition of missing jewelry from fallen Columbia astronaut, Laurel Clark. Her husband wanted to use all means to recover the keepsakes, including the television program CrimeStoppers. The NASA IG nixed that idea to save his department's and the Bush administration's face.
Corrective action for the wayward IG is "management training". Does that ring any bells? Karl and company got a round of "ethics training" after the White House leak of a CIA agents name. That and an internal White House investigation, the President assurred us would solve the problem. Yet, that promised follow up investigation never occurred according to Bush's security chief.
Robert Cobb's background included serving as ethics adviser to Alberto Gonzales, then White House Counsel. With nine years experience in the U.S. Office of Government Ethics one might expect more from Mr. Cobb. But this isn't his first brush with the Integrity Committee.
Previously, the committee found Cobb guilty of creating "an abusive work environment". People inside the IG's office described him as abusive, dismissive and a bully. Does that sound familiar? Did he learn how to blow his top and unleash a series of four letter words while working in the White House? Did George, Dick, Karl, Alberto or even Fran Townsend (known for her four letter tirades according to Time magazine) teach Mr. Cobb?
One case shared with the Intergrity Committee is mind boggling. IG auditor Carroll Tom Hassell described how "a person in a South American country" over three days in late 2002 logged into the Marshall Space Flight Center's supposedly secure computer system, stole space shuttle data valued at $1.9 billion and shipped it to a third country. The complaint said Cobb's office refused to report the theft to the Commerce Department as an illegal transfer of intellectual property. The IG's rationale for not reporting was the data still existed on NASA computers.
Robert Cobb is a fractal in the Bush administration. He's simply a reflection of the sorry managment beliefs and practices residing in the White House. The great losses are here and sending a flunkie to "management training" will accomplish little, that is if it even happens...
Thursday, April 05, 2007
How Much Did Matteo Fontana Make on His Education Learning Stock?
The news revealed a federal employee in charge of the student loan database owned 10,500 shares of Education Lending Group as of September 2003. It traded at $9.50 a share at the time giving it a value of over $100,000. The question is when did Matteo sell his shares? Did he hold them until February 2005 when ELG was acquired by CIT Group? If so, Mr. Fontana grossed $200,000 on his holdings given CIT's cash purchase price of $19.05 per ELG share.
That's a heckuva investment return for a federal bureaucrat managing a computer database. Now how did he get those shares to begin with? And did the company get preferrential access to potential customers from this arrangement?
Don't count on the Bush administration to come clean or conduct even a cursory examination into the matter. I'm still waiting on why the Bush team completely omitted the hospital with the largest number of patient deaths from its post Hurricane Katrina "Lessons Learned" report. The Carlyle Group likely is most appreciative that Frances Townsend left their newly purchased LifeCare Hospital out of her post mortem on the Bush performance. It's easier to defend their wrongful death civil suits with the feds silent on the matter...
That's a heckuva investment return for a federal bureaucrat managing a computer database. Now how did he get those shares to begin with? And did the company get preferrential access to potential customers from this arrangement?
Don't count on the Bush administration to come clean or conduct even a cursory examination into the matter. I'm still waiting on why the Bush team completely omitted the hospital with the largest number of patient deaths from its post Hurricane Katrina "Lessons Learned" report. The Carlyle Group likely is most appreciative that Frances Townsend left their newly purchased LifeCare Hospital out of her post mortem on the Bush performance. It's easier to defend their wrongful death civil suits with the feds silent on the matter...
Republican Husband of Asian Indian Slams American Indians
Radio Talk show host Michael Berry also serves as Houston’s Mayor Pro Tem. He’s active in the community, even serving on the board of the Houston Holocaust Museum. One would think these positions would give him a higher perspective but Berry fell off his elected high horse the other morning when on Fox News Radio he lit into American Indians for “whining” about having been “whipped in a war”. This resulted in U.S. citizens paying “large amounts” of welfare to those same Native Americans.
Harris County Republican leader Michael Berry’s fall landed him in deep horse manure. People from all corners informed the ignorant talk show host of numerous errors in his statements. For these he eventually apologized. "I've done my homework and learned that I was wrong, I'm big enough to admit when my facts are wrong."
It’s a good thing Berry is a Republican, otherwise he might be known as "a flip flopper". I wonder how his Asian Indian wife reacted to his American Indian comments? Her people were oppressed by the British in a colonizing manner similar to U.S. westward expansion. One would expect Berry to have more understanding before shooting off his mouth, but that is the state of American politics. Shoot first, ask questions later. Kudos to Berry for forcing down that morsel of humble pie...
Harris County Republican leader Michael Berry’s fall landed him in deep horse manure. People from all corners informed the ignorant talk show host of numerous errors in his statements. For these he eventually apologized. "I've done my homework and learned that I was wrong, I'm big enough to admit when my facts are wrong."
It’s a good thing Berry is a Republican, otherwise he might be known as "a flip flopper". I wonder how his Asian Indian wife reacted to his American Indian comments? Her people were oppressed by the British in a colonizing manner similar to U.S. westward expansion. One would expect Berry to have more understanding before shooting off his mouth, but that is the state of American politics. Shoot first, ask questions later. Kudos to Berry for forcing down that morsel of humble pie...
More Jack!
Jack Cafferty's questions today included one of my hot button issues. As a past hospital leader I helped evacuate a 165 bed facility on the Texas Gulf Coast prior to a record setting hurricane and suffered through a dead river flooded 700 bed teaching hospital in Southwest Virginia.
Q: How can FEMA regain the confidence of the public?
Answer #1: They could actually rescue hospital patients suffering in dead facilities after the next hurricane. President Bush's "Lessons Learned" report never mentioned the group that did FEMA's job for them. A trade group, the Louisiana Hospital Association coordinated patient rescues.
Of course Bush's report left out more to protect his buddies down Pennsylvania Avenue. LifeCare's 24 patient deaths got not one mention in the White House "investigation". Guess who purchased LifeCare just weeks before Katrina? None other than The Carlyle Group.
Answer #2: They could be honest and change their name to EMPHYSEMA, an acronym for Everyone Manage your own Personal Hell while Yelping loudly for the Selective Emergency Management Agency.
Q: How can FEMA regain the confidence of the public?
Answer #1: They could actually rescue hospital patients suffering in dead facilities after the next hurricane. President Bush's "Lessons Learned" report never mentioned the group that did FEMA's job for them. A trade group, the Louisiana Hospital Association coordinated patient rescues.
Of course Bush's report left out more to protect his buddies down Pennsylvania Avenue. LifeCare's 24 patient deaths got not one mention in the White House "investigation". Guess who purchased LifeCare just weeks before Katrina? None other than The Carlyle Group.
Answer #2: They could be honest and change their name to EMPHYSEMA, an acronym for Everyone Manage your own Personal Hell while Yelping loudly for the Selective Emergency Management Agency.
Presidential Candidates Success in Hunting for Ka-ching
With Barack Obama's $25 million and John McCain's $12.5 million, the first quarter Presidential fundraising total neared the $130 million figure. All those campaign hunter-gatherers reaped considerable success on behalf of their candidates. Of course, it is sexier to be the hunter.
Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney proved this with his assertion of his "lifelong hunting experience". Data reveals Mitt only pursued live prey twice in his 60 year life, once as a 15 year old and the other just last year at an outing with major Republican donors. Evidence shows Romney to be anything but a lifelong hunter. So why would he lie?
The better question is why does the American populace want to elect a hunter? It seems our country needs a gatherer or at least someone familiar with cycles. I don't hear any candidates bragging about their experience working on a farm. Growing something takes understanding, planning and patience, something in short supply in our hallowed halls of government. Stephen Covey speaks of the law of the farm. Meanwhile political candidates talk of the power of the blast and how they can pull the trigger.
Planting seeds vs. popping pistols? I'll vote for the grower of people anytime...
Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney proved this with his assertion of his "lifelong hunting experience". Data reveals Mitt only pursued live prey twice in his 60 year life, once as a 15 year old and the other just last year at an outing with major Republican donors. Evidence shows Romney to be anything but a lifelong hunter. So why would he lie?
The better question is why does the American populace want to elect a hunter? It seems our country needs a gatherer or at least someone familiar with cycles. I don't hear any candidates bragging about their experience working on a farm. Growing something takes understanding, planning and patience, something in short supply in our hallowed halls of government. Stephen Covey speaks of the law of the farm. Meanwhile political candidates talk of the power of the blast and how they can pull the trigger.
Planting seeds vs. popping pistols? I'll vote for the grower of people anytime...
New Recess Appointed Belgium Ambassador is PEU
President Bush picked up his Maxwell Smart shoe phone to call an old “Ranger” buddy for help with international affairs. No, not a Texas Ranger but a Bush/Cheney fundraising Ranger, the label given to those who raise over $200,000 for the campaign. Using the old recess appointment trick, Bush slid Sam Fox, private equity underwriter into the ambassadorship of Belgium.
How did the President do this? In a move worthy of a brutally fought 3 am Yale RISK game, Bush feinted by withdrawing Fox from Senate consideration of the Belgium ambassadorship. Then while abusing the Congress for being gone 2 weeks (while a Republican controlled Congress took a break over 3 times as long last fall to the President’s silence), Bush used the double secret recess appointment trick to lodge a multimillion dollar Republican fundraiser into positions career diplomats used to occupy.
For what is Belgium famous? It’s known for diamond trading which has a distinctly Jewish flavor. The U.S. government has a distinctly pro-Israel stance as evidenced by the recent AIPAC meeting attended by “rock stars” from both major parties. Future Presidential candidates competed for the “who loves Israel” prize.
Belgium also serves as a financial center for the European continent. From this base the United States monitors world wide financial transactions for evidence of terrorism. The SWIFT program is based in Brussels, Belgium. In an eerie coincidence another private equity firm, The Carlyle Group purchased a financial software and services company that very country last fall. FRS Global markets unique products that help banks and financial institutions with “regulatory compliance”. Does that include helping Uncle Sam root around in our financial drawers?
For what is Sam Fox famous? Besides taking over distressed companies and turning them around for massive gains, Sam likes to fund a political winner at any cost. Remember the “Swift boat veterans for truth” negative ads against John Kerry? Sam kicked in a yacht load of money to run the ads. This act held up Fox’s nomination in the Senate.
Sam Fox might the perfect ambassador for a dirty playing, heavy handed, Israeli loving government that wants to contract almost any government service to its buddies. The international monitoring program SWIFT should be broadened to include U.S. politicians, their fundraising and legislative voting patterns. But the Bush “open and transparent” government wouldn’t have such a thing.
One would think in America, the freest country on earth, citizens would have easy access to such information to make informed votes. In this case the people’s representatives didn’t even get to vote as King George used a procedural move to get his way.
Don't worry America is still the finest democracy on Earth, with the freest people? Would you believe we're a pretty good democracy, with mostly free people? How about an average country with obedient citizens? OK, a country run by rich landowners who send business to their friends and don't trust the people to select a President by majority vote, thus the Electoral College...
How did the President do this? In a move worthy of a brutally fought 3 am Yale RISK game, Bush feinted by withdrawing Fox from Senate consideration of the Belgium ambassadorship. Then while abusing the Congress for being gone 2 weeks (while a Republican controlled Congress took a break over 3 times as long last fall to the President’s silence), Bush used the double secret recess appointment trick to lodge a multimillion dollar Republican fundraiser into positions career diplomats used to occupy.
For what is Belgium famous? It’s known for diamond trading which has a distinctly Jewish flavor. The U.S. government has a distinctly pro-Israel stance as evidenced by the recent AIPAC meeting attended by “rock stars” from both major parties. Future Presidential candidates competed for the “who loves Israel” prize.
Belgium also serves as a financial center for the European continent. From this base the United States monitors world wide financial transactions for evidence of terrorism. The SWIFT program is based in Brussels, Belgium. In an eerie coincidence another private equity firm, The Carlyle Group purchased a financial software and services company that very country last fall. FRS Global markets unique products that help banks and financial institutions with “regulatory compliance”. Does that include helping Uncle Sam root around in our financial drawers?
For what is Sam Fox famous? Besides taking over distressed companies and turning them around for massive gains, Sam likes to fund a political winner at any cost. Remember the “Swift boat veterans for truth” negative ads against John Kerry? Sam kicked in a yacht load of money to run the ads. This act held up Fox’s nomination in the Senate.
Sam Fox might the perfect ambassador for a dirty playing, heavy handed, Israeli loving government that wants to contract almost any government service to its buddies. The international monitoring program SWIFT should be broadened to include U.S. politicians, their fundraising and legislative voting patterns. But the Bush “open and transparent” government wouldn’t have such a thing.
One would think in America, the freest country on earth, citizens would have easy access to such information to make informed votes. In this case the people’s representatives didn’t even get to vote as King George used a procedural move to get his way.
Don't worry America is still the finest democracy on Earth, with the freest people? Would you believe we're a pretty good democracy, with mostly free people? How about an average country with obedient citizens? OK, a country run by rich landowners who send business to their friends and don't trust the people to select a President by majority vote, thus the Electoral College...
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