notes from across the pond

Gov. Huckabee was as lively and humorous as ever, focusing on the strong connection between Arkansas and Louisiana and what Arkansas did under his leadership to help the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Presidential Leadership Forum:
Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AK)

Not worried about hurricances in AK, but ice storms and earthquakes.
Could split Mississippi Valley and suck in Memphis

Begin today by addressing issues during Katrina/Rita
Didn’t encounter enormous property damage, but people damage
Not just about erosion coast
Loss business, homes
But fact people’s lives are forever scarred

How do you calculate what it takes to rebuild confidence in person who felt abandoned by their own government?
Saw issue in way few others did
75,000 found way to AK
Major impact on population
State’s population increased dramaticly

City suddently below sea level in way never seen before
Levees surround all our lives
We think they’ll hold
When they break, we find out all of us live below sea level. All of us live below sea level. Not just NOLA.
Metaphor for life

Is American issue.
We need to resolve and will to rebuild our own cities and gulf coast.

Watched on tv
Nation able to get tv camera to them, but not bottle of water/food
Livid, angry cos not 3rd world country
This was USA and these were my neighbors
Despite intense rivalry during LSU week, many of our families are tied together
We know LA
You are our neighbors
We wanted to do for you what you would do for us in reverse

1st thing I did, assembled Cab and agencies state government
We will abide by golden rule, do unto others what you want done for yourself
Many bottlenecks cos people waiting for paperwork
When have catastrophe of this level, don’t have time to fill out all paperwork
Needs to be people first, paperwork second
Forget all boundary lines, if you see elderly lady coming off plane from Superdome, think if this were my mother how would I want her treated?
Put yourself in their shoes
Won’t get in trouble bending/breaking a few rules
Will get in trouble if don’t treat people humanely

What should government response be to natural disaster:

i) Created Op. Care (stood for Katrina/Rita relief effort)
ii) Created website to connect people
iii) Governor’s command center in same room to provide instant comms

One of clear breakdowns was lack comms between Fed and State Gov

iv) Emergency Management Assistance Compact worked - Gov can call other Gov and state what they need
AK National Guard one of first into state
Understood got to get things underway right away
Meant mobilizing state troopers, etc asap

Complete breakdown between state and fed authorities
Came to believe FEMA stood for ‘Fail to Expect Meaningful Answers’

FEMA needs to be seperated as standalone agency, not part Homeland Security
V.different to criminal event
Natural disaster totally different, people, then property and quickly

1) Engage all resources of all agencies
Don’t allow them to live within boundaries of normal jurisdictions

2) Enlist all private/nonprofit entities
Red Cross/Wal Mark - know how to move things
V. helpful designing logistical systems

3) Keep structure flexible for growth

4) Empower - many delays cos answers how to go all way up chain
Have to have entrusted people empowered to make field command decisions at most local level
Mistakes will be made, but better than no mistakes at all
Don’t have luxury of saying will get back to you
People not boxes, shouldn’t be stacked on top of each other
Didn’t want to dehumanize people any further
Enlisted 39 different church camps with dinig halls, rec facilities, bunks/beds, etc
Find out their name, give them a name tag, wear a name tag
Treat them like people, give them dignity, honor, etc

5) If you’ve got someone who’s not performing fire them!
Bring right people in

Ann ?, Women of the Storm
Would you consider endoring NOLA for site debate?

MK:
Yes. Been 2 years, but until real understanding of complexity of problems and ongoing issue must be done.
Issues far bigger than merely rebuilding levees
Must protect coast, to preserve economic benefits all along Mississippi
Critically important for nation

Bill Jennings:
What is your opinion on Fed Income Tax Reform?

MK:
Proponent of it. Support it very strongly
Single greatest tool to empower people at lowest end economic spectrum.
Tax code broken

Andre Boule:
Are you proponent of even more sharing of revenues along Gulf Coast?

MK:
Yes. It’s American issue. Vital to economy.
AK no.1 rice producing state. Reliant on ability to move that down to NOLA and markets of world.

Lee Zurich:
Do you think insurance is a state/national issue?

MK:
Primarily state issue.
Willing to look at ways to enable it.
Tension between state and market.

Insurance will always be greater on coast subject to hurricanes.
No perfect solution.
Needs to be examination of how to spread risk that doesn’t penalize those who live inland.

Bruce Thomson:
What do you think of national catastophe program?

MK:
Florida engaging in $30bn bond issue to protect losses, but could bankrupt state if severe hurricane.
Have to look at Florida. Would make California’s financial nightmares of a few years ago look paltry.

Lee Zurich:
What kind of protection would you commit to?

MK:
Look to Dutch. Their’s has worked real well. “That little boy with his finger in the dyke has done real well.”
Costs more money to do it over than do it right.
What does it take to do it right?

Lee Zurich:
Doesn’t seem like much of what we’ve studied of Dutch is being implemented?

MK:
Doesn’t lessen American pride if we copy Dutch. Just be thankful someone else has already worked it out.

Coastal erosion critically important. Part of reason is decisions government made in past.
Nobody knew what that would mean.
eg. Like with trans fats. Made it longer lasting, but no longer good idea.
Took action cos we truely believed it was in best interest.
Lets not go back and blame.
Lets make changes to prevent it continuing.
Most Americans don’t understand what is happening on coast and that it will affect them eventually.

Closing Comments:
I don’t know of anyone in America, this is not an endorsement cos I know we’re different parties, but all kidding aside, no-one has kept this issue in the national eye as you have.”
American is polarized. Issues are horizontal.
For many issues it’s about vertical. Is it going to be up or down.
Landrieu has done great job of focusing on vertical.
Made sure we’ve had leadership that looks up.
“I don’t know of anyone in the country who has taken such a consistently strong and capable stand.”