Kim Bellard
After the catastrophic flooding in Texas, days after Hurricane Katrina’s 20th anniversary, and Hurricane Irene has become almost another Hurricane Sandy, FEMA’s dedicated staff are concerned. Very worried. They had a president repeatedly called for the removal of the agency, the DHS secretary was more interested in photo action and slow-walking spending requests, and an agent administrator with no experience in emergency management. Oh, they suffered about one-third of their labor losses.
So some more outspoken employees wrote a letter. That should solve this problem.
What they call the FEMA Katrina manifesto was signed by nearly 200 and past employees (although only three dozen allowed their names to be published). They charge:
Since January 2025, FEMA has been led by individuals who lack legal qualifications, Senate approval, and backgrounds required by FEMA administrators. The decision made by senior FEMA officials performs the duties of Administrator (SOPDA) David Richardson, former Secretary of Sopda Cameron Hamilton and Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security, weakens the capabilities of FEMA and our State, Local, Tribal and Territory (SLTT) to enable our mission to quickly execute their established employees and effectively enable them to perform their affairs effectively and effectively enable them to perform their established causes.
The letter continues to list “six opposition statements” and calls for a reversal of actions that the government believes are undermining FEMA’s ability to fulfill its mission. Everyone seems reasonable and there doesn't seem to be anything that can lead to action, at least unless/until the disaster strikes enough red state to force action.
FEMA spokesman Daniel Llargues was not impressed, replying: “It is no surprise that some of the inefficient bureaucracies that have presided over decades now against reform, which is always difficult. This is especially those who invest in the status quo. But our obligation is the obligation to survive, not protecting broken systems.”
I probably won't be concerned about this letter, just two months after about 90 NIH scientists issued the Bethesda Manifesto in protesting the Trump administration's NIH situation so far. It addressed director Jay Bhattacharya, announcing:
For staff at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), we disagree with administrative policies that undermine the NIH mission, waste public resources, and harm the health of Americans and people around the world. Keeping NIH at the forefront of biomedical research requires a firm commitment to continuous improvement. However, the survival nature of our work requires changes to be thoughtful and reviewed. We are forced to speak when our leadership takes priority over human security and faithful management of public resources.
The statement set out five categories of cuts taken by the government, warning that “combining these actions has led to an unprecedented reduction in NIH spending, Not reflects efficiency, but greatly reduces life-saving research. ”
Amen about this.
Director Bhattacharya, in his response, respected more than Mr. Llargues, who claimed: “The Bethesda Declaration has some fundamental misunderstandings about the policy directions adopted by the NIH in recent months, including that NIH continues to support international cooperation. Nevertheless, international cooperation. In terms of science, respect is effective.
I don't believe him. This government does not consider any objection to be “respectful”.
I am pleased to point out that it is not only FEMA and NIH employees who protest against administrative actions they believe are endangering their mission. Similar letters have been published by staff from other agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and the National Science Foundation.
For example, the EPA letter opened, “Under your leadership, Zeldin Administrator Zeldin, this administration recklessly violated the EPA mission,” continuing to list five specific examples and warn: “Your decisions and actions will reverberate the descendants. More than 600 employees signed – although all were anonymous.
Similarly, 149 NSF employees (almost all remain anonymous) expressed “a deep concern about a range of politically motivated and legally problematic actions of the government that threatened the integrity of the NSF and undermined the protection of civil servants guaranteed by federal law.” The end result, they said, “collectively called a systematic demolition of world-renowned scientific institutions” and “a problem that would undermine American science.”
And, in response to August 8Th More than 750 current and former CDC staff members responded to Secretary Kennedy in surprise, saying:When federal health agencies are attacked, U.S. health is under attack. When the federal labor force is not safe, the United States is not safe.” and accused Secretary Kennedy of being “Complicitly conspiring to demolish the public health infrastructure in the United States and repeatedly spread inaccurate health information, thus endangering the health of the United States. ”
Note that hundreds of CDC employees were fired a week after the shooting, and as far as I know, President Trump has never talked about the shooting. Secretary Kennedy published a response described as “moderate” when criticizing the CDC’s pandemic response. The guy in class.
For all people in various institutions willing to speak out. Calling them bureaucrats, accusing them of being “awakened” and depriving them of the protection they have long depended on, these brave civil servants still want to speak out when they see their good jobs weakened.
But I must point out that few people dare to list their identity, fear the government's retribution, and perhaps even worse by Margo supporters. These are the times we live in. Of course, despite various legal actions taken, most of the government's actions have not actually diminished.
I'm worried that the letter won't do that. This government doesn't care about letters. We all need to protest, but be aware that President Trump has just issued an executive order that each state’s National Guard has a dedicated force “…do civil harassment and ensure public safety and orders if necessary.” Guys, it’s you and me. That's how they think of our First Amendment rights.
President Trump may deny that he is a dictator or even wants to be a dictator as he is today, but if anyone speaks like a dictator and acts like a dictator, trust them. That's a dictator.
So please keep these letters and these lawsuits, but they are not enough. one a lot of Among us must speak out loud, stand up and vote.
Kim is the former emarketing Exec of the main blues program, late editor and regret tinture.ionow regular THCB contributor
