GAO and California wildfires

30 October 2007 |permalink | email article

My October 25 post, “California Burning: Feds Unprepared,” described two devastating reports earlier this year by Congress’s nonpartisan auditor, the Government Accountability Office - stark warnings on shortcomings in the administration’s plans to fight fires.

Although huffingtonpost.com picked up the story and included an interview with a GAO administrator about when the fires were getting out of control, national, state and local media gave the Bush administration’s bungling failures short shrift.

A June GAO report faulted the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, and other agencies for failing to adequately prepare for the approaching fire season.

The GAO report shows that the Bush administration was warned that approximately $3 billion spent on fire prevention and suppression was not being used properly.

But members of the state’s Congressional delegation interviewed by ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday offered more praise than criticism about how federal, state and local governments responded to California wildfires – far superior to the Hurricane Katrina debacle.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said “I think things went as well as could be expected.” Well, not really considering how the feds in particular were unprepared.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had a nasty exchange with national ABC News correspondent Claire Shipman in San Diego who correctly said efforts to combat the state’s wildfires were hampered by a lack of resources, including a delay in aircraft, to save more homes.

On Wednesday’s Good Morning America the bullying governor scolded Shipman for her negative comments.

Not satisfied, Schwarzenegger grabbed hold of Shipman’s hand, what she described as employing “a heavy weight grip,” to make his case: “Trust me when I tell you, you’re looking for a mistake and you won’t find one and it’s all good news, as much as you hate it…”

His machismo performance aside, the state’s federal delegation needs to read the searing GAO reports to understand the facts and ask tough questions about accountability during Bush’s brief stop which the media never asked.

 

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