FEMA | Reason Archives (original) (raw)
Abolish FEMA
FEMA has given Americans every reason to believe it is highly politicized, a poor steward of federal resources, bad at establishing priorities, and often unable to communicate clearly to people in distress.
Katherine Mangu-Ward | 11.14.2024 6:00 AM
FEMA's Targeting of Trump Supporters Makes the Case for Less Government
Government agencies and officials can’t be trusted, so we should give them less to do.
J.D. Tuccille | 11.13.2024 7:00 AM
The Panic Over an Imaginary Militia 'Hunting FEMA' Did More Damage Than the Actual Threat
Someone did allegedly threaten first responders, but the panic may have done more damage.
Matthew Petti | 10.25.2024 10:00 AM
The Remarkable Redneck Air Force of North Carolina
The relief effort after Hurricane Helene is powered by private citizens, and volunteers have discovered that it's better to ask forgiveness than permission.
Eric Boehm | 10.23.2024 2:00 PM
Brian Trascher: Has FEMA failed North Carolina?
The Vice President of the United Cajun Navy, Brian Trascher, discusses effective disaster response and the problems with FEMA.
Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe | 10.17.2024 1:00 PM
GOP Despair
Plus: FEMA threat-related arrest, incentives for babymaking, "men" for Harris/Walz, and more...
Liz Wolfe | 10.15.2024 9:30 AM
What Happens When FEMA Buys Your House?
As hurricane damage mounts, the government is buying—and sometimes seizing—homes in flood-prone areas, sparking concerns over property rights and accusations of discrimination.
Josiah Neeley | 10.11.2024 1:50 PM
FEMA Should Stick to Disaster Recovery and Quit Social Engineering
Goal 1 of FEMA's strategic plan is to "instill equity as a foundation of emergency management."
Jack Nicastro | 10.10.2024 4:15 PM
How Milton Friedman Can Help Us Get Through Hurricane Milton
To give storm victims the best chance at recovery, let local knowledge and markets guide decisions.
Jack Nicastro | 10.8.2024 10:05 AM
Trump's FEMA Fib
Plus: Iranian oil, Nevada's double-haters, and more...
Liz Wolfe | 10.8.2024 9:30 AM
Why Federal Disaster Relief Is a Disaster
Plus: October 7, one year later.
Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman | 10.7.2024 5:15 PM
Washington Worsened Hurricane Helene's Destruction
How the National Flood Insurance Program subsidizes living in high-risk flood zones.
Jack Nicastro | 9.30.2024 5:14 PM
The Feds Shouldn't Subsidize Fancy, Risky Beach Houses
Government is "promoting bad behavior," says Sen. Rand Paul. He's right.
John Stossel | 1.10.2024 12:30 AM
Department of Homeland Security
DHS Just Turned 20. It's Time To Abolish It.
Break it up into fewer, smaller agencies that are more accountable to pre-9/11 departments.
Nick Gillespie and Justin Zuckerman | 3.8.2023 10:34 AM
Wealthy Connecticut Residents Received Millions in Federal Dollars After Hurricane Sandy
It shouldn't be the federal government's responsibility to protect wealthy homeowners from the inevitable.
Joe Lancaster | 12.29.2022 4:45 PM
Netflix Teams Up With the Obamas To Produce Big Government Propaganda
The G Word, a new documentary, only occasionally covers serious issues. But it opts not to do honest reporting.
John Stossel | 10.19.2022 12:30 AM
Here's What the Media Get Wrong About Hurricanes
No, a big storm does not require big government.
John Stossel | 10.5.2022 12:30 AM
Where Did Puerto Rico's Disaster Relief Go?
After a Category 1 hurricane made landfall Sunday, a million Puerto Rican households are still without power.
Eric Bazail-Eimil | 9.20.2022 12:25 PM
Former Puerto Rico Governor Latest Official Arrested in DOJ Corruption Crackdown
Wanda Vázquez, the latest in a string of Puerto Rican officials to face criminal corruption charges, is accused of bribery and mail fraud charges during her failed 2020 reelection campaign.
Eric Bazail-Eimil | 8.10.2022 4:35 PM
FEMA Encourages Survivors of a Nuclear Holocaust To Mask, Socially Distance
The COVID-conscious advice from the federal government's primary disaster response agency is silly. It's also outdated.
Christian Britschgi | 2.28.2022 3:15 PM
Rand Paul Isn't a Hypocrite on Disaster Relief
The senator's opposition to past disaster relief bills has always been on the grounds that congressional budgets should mean something.
Christian Britschgi | 12.15.2021 11:50 AM
Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security's Creators Promised Efficiency. They Delivered Disaster.
The consolidation of numerous unrelated government agencies within a single department has led to decades of waste, mismanagement, and terrible abuses of authority.
Christian Britschgi | 9.8.2021 3:45 PM
Lockdown Supporters Embraced Wildly Wrong COVID-19 Projections That Fit Their Preconceptions
The episode illustrates the perils of confirmation bias on both sides of the debate about disease control measures.
Jacob Sullum | 6.4.2020 2:15 PM
Puerto Rico No Longer Forced To 'Buy American' for Much-Needed Masks
Puerto Rico is temporarily free from Buy American restrictions on crucial protective medical gear thanks to FEMA.
Marc Joffe | 3.24.2020 2:00 PM
Trump Declares National Emergency To 'Unleash the Full Power of the Federal Government'
But what he will do with that power remains uncertain.
Billy Binion | 3.13.2020 5:09 PM
As Tropical Storm Barry Approaches, the GAO Highlights FEMA's Past Failings
Unclear and contradictory procedure guidelines slowed down relief efforts in Puerto Rico in 2017. Will it happen again this year? Probably.
Alex Muresianu | 7.12.2019 4:55 PM
Report: 38 Percent of FEMA Employees Aren't 'Qualified' for Their Jobs
At the height of the agency's deployments in the summer of 2017, 54 percent of staff were serving in a capacity for which they were not fully qualified.
Eric Boehm | 12.27.2018 11:00 AM
Trouble in Paradise
Naomi Klein misses the meaning of "the miracles Puerto Ricans have been quietly pulling off while their government fails them."
Tate Watkins | 12.27.2018 6:00 AM
Community and Technology—Not Government—Take Lead in Hurricane Michael Recovery
A report from Florida's ravaged Panhandle.
Andrea O'Sullivan | 10.23.2018 8:00 AM
Nationwide 'Presidential Alert' Texts: Not the Best Idea
Most of us got a "presidential alert" text today. Is that something we really want?
Joe Setyon | 10.3.2018 3:20 PM
FEMA Director Brock Long Racked Up $151,000 in Unauthorized Travel
One of his unauthorized trips included a tour of a pineapple plantation with his family.
Zuri Davis | 9.27.2018 11:50 AM
FEMA's Administrator Is Under Investigation for His Travel Habits
FEMA confirmed the investigation just one day after admitting to leaving nearly a million water bottles for storm victims on an airstrip.
Zuri Davis | 9.13.2018 12:00 PM
FEMA May Not be Prepared for Hurricane Florence, but Waffle House Is
The "Waffle House Index" shows some differences between the private and public sector when it comes to emergency preparedness.
Zuri Davis | 9.12.2018 2:10 PM
Tremendous Job: FEMA Left a Million Bottles of Water on a Puerto Rican Airstrip for a Year
But yeah, I'm sure FEMA is ready for Hurricane Florence.
Eric Boehm | 9.12.2018 1:55 PM
FEMA Is Almost Certainly Not Ready for Hurricane Florence
If FEMA's prior record when it comes to disaster response is any indication, the agency is not going to handle this well.
Joe Setyon | 9.11.2018 12:00 PM
Sexual Misconduct Allegations Show That the Real FEMA Disaster Is Behind the Scenes
Former FEMA personnel chief Corey Coleman is accused of nepotism and sexual harassment.
Zuri Davis | 7.31.2018 11:15 AM
The Whitefish Contract Is a Natural Consequence of FEMA's Mismanagement
Free money and poor oversight sap the incentive of localities to prepare for disasters or respond to them effectively.
Christian Britschgi | 10.27.2017 5:15 PM
Stossel: Hurricane Reconstruction
Is rebuilding after disasters the government's responsibility?
John Stossel and Naomi Brockwell | 10.17.2017 12:45 PM
Greg Abbott's Fair-Weather Federalism
The Texas governor sells out his supposed principles for billions in federal aid.
Christian Britschgi | 9.18.2017 10:45 AM
Stop Encouraging People to Live in Dangerous Places
Who will have the courage in the face of tragedy to change the government's disastrous policies?
Matt Welch | 9.18.2017 10:05 AM
Forget Price Gouging: Businesses React Altruistically To Disasters
From Walmart to Uber to AirBnB, businesses should be lauded for their generosity and effectiveness in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.
Nick Gillespie and Mark McDaniel | 9.15.2017 12:12 PM
Hurricane Harvey Isn't About Climate Change, It's About Bad Federal Policy (Podcast)
As greens rush to blame Harvey's devastation on global warming, the real culprit - subsidizing coastal development - goes unmentioned.
Nick Gillespie and Ian Keyser | 9.1.2017 2:15 PM
The Private 'Cajun Navy' Shows the Glory, and Necessity, of Private Disaster Aid
Hurricane Harvey has made a life-threatening mess too serious to rely on just government-managed aid.
Brian Doherty | 8.28.2017 6:55 PM
Out of the Way, Texas, Federal Hurricane Rescue Is Coming
If history is any indicator, it's going to be a long and very expensive siege.
Mark Lisheron | 8.27.2017 2:00 PM
7 Things Donald Trump Shouldn't Do After Hurricane Harvey
The federal government is awful at handling disasters. Can we try not to screw it up this time?
Katherine Mangu-Ward | 8.25.2017 10:30 PM
Rebuilding After Louisiana Floods Will Require Government Permission Slips
And new federal regulations could add to the cost of rebuilding or force some residents to abandon their homes.
Eric Boehm | 8.24.2016 4:50 PM
FEMA Dramatically Increases Reconstruction Project Budget for No Apparent Reason
Taxpayers nationwide will be forced to fork over money for a Sandy reconstruction project already rife with pork and waste.
Jim Pagels | 2.17.2015 2:10 PM
Instapundit Glenn Reynolds on Fast and Slow Disasters for America
Nick Gillespie | 3.24.2014 8:04 AM