By Kim Bellard
Immediately from the disastrous floods in Texas, days away from Hurricane Katrina twenty anniversary, and with Hurricane almost becoming another hurricane SandyDedicated FEMA employees are worried. Very worried. They have a president who He has repeatedly called To dismantle the agency, a DHS secretary who is more interested in Photo OPS and Slow expenses requests for walkingand an interim administrator who has Without experience in emergency management. Ah, and have suffered losses of Around a third of its workforce.
So, some of the most open employees have written a letter. That should do the trick.
The letter, which they call the FEMA KATRINA DECLARATIONIt was signed by almost two hundred current and past employees (Althegh only three dishes allowed their names to be public). Cobran:
Since January 2025, FEMA has been under leadership or individuals who lack legal qualifications, the approval of the Senate and the required proven background of a FEMA administrator. Decisions taken by the official FEMA performance The duties of the administrator (SOPDA) David Richardson, former Sopda Cameron Hamilton and the Secretary of National Security Kristi call the capacity of FEM and our state, Hinder, Swift and Oururial and ours and Ouritt) discard whose institutional knowledge and institutional relations are vital to guarantee effective emergency management.
The letter continues on the list of “six opposition statements”, calling to reverse several actions that the administration has taken that they believe it harms the capacity of Fema to fulfill its mission. Each seems perfectly reasonable, and it is not likely that any is in action, unless disasters hit enough red states to force action.
FEMA spokesman Daniel Llargues, was not impressed, responding: “It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objtaining the reform. The change is always in the status quo. Survivors, not to protect the broken systems.”
I probably had no more paid to the letter, except for two months after about 90 NIH scientists issued their “Bethesda statement“To protest what has happened to the NIH until now in the Trump administration. Aimed at director Jay Bhattacharya, he said:
For the staff of the National Health Institutes (NIH), we disagree with the administration policies that undermine the NIH mission, waste public resources and damage the health of Americans and people worldwide. Keeping NIH at the forefront of biomedical research requires our unconditional commitment to continuous improvement. But the nature of life and death of our work demands that the changes be reflective and examined. We are forced to speak when our leadership Prioritize political impulse on Human security and Faithful administration or public resources.
The declaration lists five categories of cuts that the Administration has taken, on which they warn: “Combined, these actions have resulted in a Unprecedented reduction in NIH spending That Does not have the numberThey reflect efficiency, but rather a dramatic reduction in research that saves lives. “
In addition to that.
The director Bhattacharya was somewhat more respectful than Mr. Llargues in his response, stating: “Bethesda’s statement has erroneous concepts about the instructions of the policies that NIH has tasks in recent months, including the continuous support of NIH for international collaboration. NIH for success.”
I don’t believe him. This administration does not recognize any disorder as “respectful.”
I am pleased to keep in mind that it is not the employees of FEMA and NIH who protest the administrative actions that believe that it endangers their mission. Employees of other agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency” POTand the National Foundation of Sciences They have published similar letters.
The EPA letter, for example, Flat Out said: “According to its leadership, administrator Zeldin, this administration is undermining the EPA mission,” is on the list five specific examples and warning: “His decisions and actions Willerberen to occur.
Similarly, 149 employees of NSF, almost all of whom remained anonymous, expressed their “deep concern for a series of motivated and legal political actions by the administration that threaten the integrity of the NSF and undermine the civilian civina and undermine the civilian and civina civina, civina, civina, civil and civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil, civil and civil. Let’s say: “Collectively collect the systemic dismantling of a world -renowned scientific agency” and “American science,”. “
And, in response to August 8Th Attack at the CDC headquartersMore than 750 current and previous employees of the CDC issued an abrasing response to Secretary Kennedy, saying: “When a Federal Health Agency is under attack, United States health is under attack. When the federal workforce is not safe, the United States is not safe “, And accuse Secretary Kennedy of being “CONTR in the dismantling of the public health infrastructure of the United States and endangering the health of nations through the propagation of inaccurate health information repeatedly. “
Keep in mind that hundreds of CDC employees were fired the week after the shooting and, that I know, President Trump has never talked about the shooting. Secretary Kennedy issued what It has been described As a “warm” answer while fixing them to work in criticism or the Pandemia response of the CDC. Class boy.
Bravo to all the people of the various agencies that were willing to speak. Call them bureaucrats, give them to be “awakened”, strip the protections in which they have trusted for a long time, and these brave public servants still want to speak when they live a good paralyzed job.
But I have to point out that almost none dared to list its identifications, concerned about compensation from the administration and potentially worse on the part of the magician supporters. These are the times in which we live. And, or of course, despite several legal actions, most of the administration’s actions face virtual incessantly.
The letters, I’m afraid, they won’t do it. This administration doesn’t care about letters. We all need to protest, but keep in mind that President Trump has just issued a Executive order Asking that the National Guard in each State has specialized units to “… pass civil disturbances and guarantee public safety and order every time circumstances require.” That is you and me, friends. That is what they think of our rights of the first amendment.
President Trump can deny being a dictator or wanting to be a dictator, As did todayBut if some speak as a dictator and act as a dictator, believe them. That is a dictator.
So keep those letters and demands, but they will not be enough. TO batch Or we have to talk, stand up and vote.
Kim is a former emarketing executive in an important blues plan, editor of The Late & larmente Tintura.ioAnd now regular THCB collaborator
