Time alone will tell how FEMA can be revamped so that when (not if) another similar disaster strikes, we will hopefully be better prepared to move a little more quickly and with a greater efficiency and sense of purpose. I must say, however, that working for a trucking company has given me a first-hand look at the incredibly inefficiencies of a bloated federal agency.
My company shipped seven truck loads of water (in only one instance) to Bay St Louis MS several days ago. The rate per mile was well above normal rates (FEMA's rates, not ours) PLUS detention time at $600.00 per day per unit if the trailer is not unloaded right away. This, too, is well above normal market pricing. The problem with all this is that one cannot determine who is ultimately in charge of this particular project. Our drivers who are in the area cannot find anyone who can - or will - claim to be "in charge".
When a tragedy of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina strikes, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said it best when he determined that we must deal with the humanitarian issues first; we can worry about the cost and how to pay for it later. Fair enough. Eventually, however, it must be remembered that even if we choose to "worry later", there is still a terrible waste and inefficiency that is nothing more than firm evidence of a government that is out of control. This $600.00 per day storage/detention fee is not going to come from some magic money pond; this is OUR TAX MONEY that no one is apparently accounting for.
I should mention that these trucks and these drivers have no other place to get comfortable or rest, so they are burning fuel at a rate of roughly 1.25 gallons per hour that the truck is running. All this is happening because no one "in charge" knows what to do with all the water that these trucks were delivering. And make no mistake: we are not the only trucking company down there burning fuel and wasting time. Our lead driver said that there were literally "hundreds" of trucks parked all over the place with nowhere to deliver the loads.
Our private economy has learned the value of "JIT", or "just in time", deliveries. This means that the product spends no wasted time on the truck or in a warehouse. The product is virtually sold before it is loaded onto a trailer. This is where our government needs to be. Unfortunately, our government system is not situated in such a way that genuinely qualified persons are hired. How many FEMA employees are honest-to-goodness transportation or logistics professionals with the education and/or experience to guide such efforts as Katrina and so many others require?
It is not my intent to disparage government employees. I am confident that most of them do the best with what they have. It is not the rank-and-file government employee any of us should have a beef with nor is the president personally responsible. And I dare say that even the director of FEMA, regardless of who fills the post, will be restricted in many ways by laws and written policies, practices, and procedures. I say this because the trucking industry has been virtually hog-tied by new Hours of Service regulations that only a bureaucrat with NO trucking or logistics experience could have possibly written.
As the saying goes, "The road to perdition is paved with good intentions." How does the Lord fit into all this? Very simple. Everything belongs to Him, including those who distribute and utilize the resources. Gluttony is a sin of waste and misuse or misappropriation. Throwing money at an already bad situation will accomplish nothing, and we will have learned nothing from it. We are obligated to the Lord to make the best use of everything entrusted to us. This means no waste. This also means no cutting corners when there is an obvious need. All this requires learning from our mistakes and being as efficient as we can possibly be.
So FEMA didn't move quickly enough to suit everyone. Talk to the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor neither of whom invited FEMA in; by law they must. It's called "state's rights", and it is very constitutional. By contrast, however, notice how quickly and efficiently the Red Cross, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the Baptists, and countless other volunteer relief agencies moved.
I guess it's a matter of love that will sacrifice anything, faith that can move mountains, and hope that tomorrow will still come.
Grace and Peace.
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