Dole moving in on Easley's turf?
Every year when Hurricanes start rolling into the state, Gov. Mike Easley goes through a predictable series of steps. He gets his emergency response guys together and holds press conferences telling folks to stockpile water and food and generally stay safe. As the storm gets closer, he switches from business suits to what we scruffy media types call "disaster casual," kaki pants and opened collared shirts with logos. After the storm, he goes riding about in a helicopter to survey the damage, declares disasters, etc... You know, governor stuff.
So a couple of news releases from Sen. Dole's office had us confused. Here's the latest:
Friday, September 5, 2008 6:15 p.m. MEDIA AVAILABILITYDole will meet with the North Carolina State Emergency Response Team (SERT) to discuss preparations for Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike. Yesterday, Dole spoke with North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary for Federal Emergency Management R. David Paulison, who heads the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and officials at the American Red Cross to help coordinate an effective response to the severe weather.
North Carolina Emergency Operations Center
Administration Building
116 West Jones Street
Raleigh, N.C.
It's not just that senators don't have a whole lot to do in disaster given that whole lack of executive authority thing. Honestly, I can't remember her ever doing this before for any previous hurricane.
You don't think this could have something to do with it being an election year, do you?
Update: I had ask Dole's office this afternoon if she had ever done anything like this. I got a response back saying that she had and listing all the times. The problem with the list is most (if not all) are touring damage after the fact, not getting ready for it. But by way of full disclosure, I'll post the list after the jump. My point remains that there's not much for a federal (or state-level) legislator to do in preparation for a hurricane.
Update 2:And by way of fuller disclosure, Dole spokesman Wes Climer takes issue with my characterization, saying that Senators have a role in marshaling the resources of the federal government and "encourage and advise" on the placement of public resources.
"Senators work with state officials and federal officials to ensure a smooth response," he said.
Even after hearing that, I'm still am a bit dubious. But here's the jump, and you can look through this list yourself and decide.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From Sen. Dole's office, a list of her involvement in hurricane-related things:
- September 18, 2003 – Dole sent a letter to President Bush and FEMA, expressing support for Gov. Easley’s request for Federal Stafford Act assistance after Hurricane Isabel. She was also on the ground in NC at the State Emergency Operation Center, speaking with county managers and meeting with emergency management officials.
September 19, 2003 – Dole visits Bertie, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Pasquotank, and Pitt Counties to assess damage in the wake of Hurricane Isabel.
November 3, 2003 – Dole sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting funds to repair damages to National Parks caused by Hurricane Isabel.
September 9, 2004 – Dole toured sites in Western NC to assess damage from Hurricane Frances.
September 15, 2004 – Dole supported a Senate measure providing $2.9 billion in assistance for farm losses caused by hurricanes and other weather-related disasters.
September 18, 2004 – Dole toured Buncombe and Henderson Counties to assess damage from Hurricane Ivan.
October 13, 2004 – Dole supported passage of a disaster aid package in the Senate (which included assistance for damages related to hurricanes as well as crop damages as a result of natural disasters).
February 3, 2005 – Dole called for an investigation into allegations of fraudulent claims to FEMA following the hurricane season of 2004…goal was to ensure fair distribution of resources to those most affected (wrote letters to the U.S. Comptroller General as well as the Acting Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security). After the allegations surfaced, representatives of Dole’s office attended FEMA briefings and NC Emergency Management meetings and requested, on her behalf, that a FEMA representative attend a meeting with NC officials to address discrepancies and delays in FEMA reimbursement. Dole representatives maintained regular contact with government officials from affected counties as well as FEMA through detailed inquiries and correspondence.
February 24, 2005 – Dole representatives held meetings with FEMA officials, Small Business Administration officials, and state disaster agencies to discuss concerns about hurricane damages and claims in Western NC.
September 2005 – Dole urged President Bush to ensure nation’s supply of gasoline would not be significantly affected as a result of Hurricane Katrina (the President released supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve).
September 8, 2005 – Dole called for swift Senate passage of the Calling for 2-1-1 Act, which would provide funding for the national implementation of this program. The 2-1-1 system was a useful communication tool during the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts
September 9, 2005 – Dole cosponsored legislation to exempt college students with Federal Pell Grant loans from having to repay them if they are forced to withdraw from school as a result of a hurricane or other major natural disaster.
September 9, 2005 – Dole wrote to Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Philip Grone, urging the Defense Department to consider placing Hurricane Katrina evacuees in former and excess military housing.
September 11, 2005 – Dole spoke with FEMA officials to ensure FEMA would be in place in NC in the event that Hurricane Ophelia affected NC communities. Dole had already spoken with other NC elected officials and members of her staff attended regular local briefings,
September 15, 2005 – Dole toured counties affected by Hurricane Ophelia to assess damage.
September 19, 2005 – Dole joined a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the Office of Management and Budget Director to support supplemental funding of at least $500 million for the U.S. Coast Guard to help cover its Hurricane Katrina costs.
September 22, 2005 – Dole joined with Gov. Easley in requesting that President Bush declare a major disaster so that NC could receive 100% of federal assistance.
October 5, 2005 – Dole urged the Senate Committee on Aging to take action to ensure that public and private entities prepare emergency plans and strengthen communication capabilities before a disaster strikes.
October 6, 2005 – Dole cosponsored the Gas Petroleum Refiner Improvement and Community Empowerment (PRICE) Act, which aimed to address rising energy costs after hurricane damage to refineries.
October 18, 2005 – Dole urged Congress to strengthen and secure the National Flood Insurance Program (which was seriously strained after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita).
November 17, 2006 – Dole toured Columbus County to assess tornado damage and meet with Columbus Sheriff.
May 19, 2008 – Dole toured Guilford County to assess tornado damage.
Comments (5)
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Perhaps she's getting in their way because of her previous experience driving the American Red Cross into the ground - er, I mean, running the American Red Cross.
Shameless.
Posted on September 5, 2008 5:57 PM
Good stuff, Mark. I'm 57 and I can't remember any such political shenanigans in all my years. It's like High School Musical ... without the music.
Posted on September 5, 2008 7:14 PM
Mark:
Senator Dole, the former President of the American Red Cross, has not, does not, will not politicize a human catastrophe. In this case, the polar opposite is true.
You might be interested to learn that Senator Dole cancelled a campaign fundraiser scheduled for this evening so that she could be in Raleigh to meet with officials at the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh. You should also note that Senator Dole cancelled a similar event with the President in 2004 to coordinate a response to Hurricane Frances.
Indeed, Senators are not executives; but they are their state’s liaisons to the federal government and overseers of federal agencies, like FEMA. Through the appropriations process and Congress’ oversight powers, Senators do play a substantial role in ensuring that federal agencies and assets are put in place to serve the interests of their states. That is why Senator Dole was on the phone with the head of FEMA yesterday making sure that the federal government is prepared to respond effectively to Tropical Storm Hanna and potentially Hurricane Ike should North Carolina be affected.
Senator Dole takes hurricanes seriously. And perhaps that is why, in 2003, Governor Easley is quoted in the Charlotte Observer at a press conference after Hurricane Isabel hit saying, “When I need something done in Washington, I call her office.”
Below, you will find an extensive list of actions Senator Dole has taken to prepare her state and her country for hurricanes and respond in their wake.
Thanks,
Wes Climer
Office of Sen. Elizabeth Dole
September 18, 2003 – Dole sent a letter to President Bush and FEMA, expressing support for Gov. Easley’s request for Federal Stafford Act assistance after Hurricane Isabel. She was also on the ground in NC at the State Emergency Operation Center, speaking with county managers and meeting with emergency management officials.
September 19, 2003 – Dole visits Bertie, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Pasquotank, and Pitt Counties to assess damage in the wake of Hurricane Isabel.
November 3, 2003 – Dole sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting funds to repair damages to National Parks caused by Hurricane Isabel.
September 9, 2004 – Dole toured sites in Western NC to assess damage from Hurricane Frances.
September 15, 2004 – Dole supported a Senate measure providing $2.9 billion in assistance for farm losses caused by hurricanes and other weather-related disasters.
September 18, 2004 – Dole toured Buncombe and Henderson Counties to assess damage from Hurricane Ivan.
October 13, 2004 – Dole supported passage of a disaster aid package in the Senate (which included assistance for damages related to hurricanes as well as crop damages as a result of natural disasters).
February 3, 2005 – Dole called for an investigation into allegations of fraudulent claims to FEMA following the hurricane season of 2004…goal was to ensure fair distribution of resources to those most affected (wrote letters to the U.S. Comptroller General as well as the Acting Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security). After the allegations surfaced, representatives of Dole’s office attended FEMA briefings and NC Emergency Management meetings and requested, on her behalf, that a FEMA representative attend a meeting with NC officials to address discrepancies and delays in FEMA reimbursement. Dole representatives maintained regular contact with government officials from affected counties as well as FEMA through detailed inquiries and correspondence.
February 24, 2005 – Dole representatives held meetings with FEMA officials, Small Business Administration officials, and state disaster agencies to discuss concerns about hurricane damages and claims in Western NC.
September 2005 – Dole urged President Bush to ensure nation’s supply of gasoline would not be significantly affected as a result of Hurricane Katrina (the President released supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve).
September 8, 2005 – Dole called for swift Senate passage of the Calling for 2-1-1 Act, which would provide funding for the national implementation of this program. The 2-1-1 system was a useful communication tool during the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts
September 9, 2005 – Dole cosponsored legislation to exempt college students with Federal Pell Grant loans from having to repay them if they are forced to withdraw from school as a result of a hurricane or other major natural disaster.
September 9, 2005 – Dole wrote to Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Philip Grone, urging the Defense Department to consider placing Hurricane Katrina evacuees in former and excess military housing.
September 11, 2005 – Dole spoke with FEMA officials to ensure FEMA would be in place in NC in the event that Hurricane Ophelia affected NC communities. Dole had already spoken with other NC elected officials and members of her staff attended regular local briefings.
September 15, 2005 – Dole toured counties affected by Hurricane Ophelia to assess damage.
September 19, 2005 – Dole joined a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the Office of Management and Budget Director to support supplemental funding of at least $500 million for the U.S. Coast Guard to help cover its Hurricane Katrina costs.
September 22, 2005 – Dole joined with Gov. Easley in requesting that President Bush declare a major disaster so that NC could receive 100% of federal assistance.
October 5, 2005 – Dole urged the Senate Committee on Aging to take action to ensure that public and private entities prepare emergency plans and strengthen communication capabilities before a disaster strikes.
October 6, 2005 – Dole cosponsored the Gas Petroleum Refiner Improvement and Community Empowerment (PRICE) Act, which aimed to address rising energy costs after hurricane damage to refineries.
October 18, 2005 – Dole urged Congress to strengthen and secure the National Flood Insurance Program (which was seriously strained after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita).
November 17, 2006 – Dole toured Columbus County to assess tornado damage and meet with Columbus Sheriff.
May 19, 2008 – Dole toured Guilford County to assess tornado damage.
Posted on September 5, 2008 8:41 PM
Mr. Climer.
Methinks thou doest protest too much. If this weren't patently political, you wouldn't have had to send out an advisory on the matter. If we buy your logic, we'd have to conclude that you consider it newsworthy when your boss does her durn job.
We may be little people, but that doesn't mean we're stupid.
James Protzman
Ignored constituent
Posted on September 6, 2008 1:20 PM
I would like to copy for you something I wrote around the time of Katrina.
Elizabeth Dole is focused like a laser on America's Biggest Fear.
September 1st, 2005 - - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole today announced that the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) decided to invoke the China safeguards to limit imports on two categories, synthetic filament fabric and brassieres and other body-supporting garments. CITA extended until October 1, 2005 the deadline for making a determination on four other categories: cotton and man-made fiber sweaters; cotton and man-made fiber dressing gowns and robes; men’s and boys’ wool trousers; and knit fabric.
In fact, Dole's first public utterances about katrina seem to be on September 5th when she thanked Bush for giving North Carolina money to take care of Katrina evacuees.
Once again, Eliabeth Dole safeguards our nation by serving as the Panty Police.
Posted on September 7, 2008 9:35 PM