Little Hoover Commission Report Compares California’s Lack of Emergency Preparation with Katrina

Posturing and No Action by The Governor

There is a pattern of inaction here by Schwarzenegger, despite pleas by Democratic legislators for planning. Instead, we’ve had the distraction of last year’s special election and yet another example of a big problem ignored by our chief executive, this one in the face of the wake-up call of Katrina.

We’ve had plenty of press conferences, proclamations, and reassurances by the Governor and his people that California is taking bold steps, but these are timed for events such as the centennial of The Great San Francisco Earthquake. The emperor has been fiddling while Rome has been in danger of burning.

Assemblymember Pedro Nava, who has been very active in trying to get the Governor to take action will be at the hearing—and should have a lot of questions to ask. (He is the one who actually requested the Little Hoover Commission to prepare this report.) We’ve reported before that the council set up to advise governors on emergencies had not met since 2002 and that Nava had to “nudge’ Schwarzenegger to reactivate it.

We’ve also reported in The Policy and Politics of Infrastructure, Bonds, Levees, and Flood Control the remarks the leader of the Assembly Republicans had made that there was no urgency by the Governor on the levee bonds until the eve of the Republican state convention and that all of a sudden they were announced with a great flourish.

Since the we have had the Governor change his position and finally support a separate California Department of Public Health in April on the 100th Avnniversary of the San Francisco quake. We reported on the hard work by Senator Ortiz to finally get him to support this after 3 years of opposition. Now he’s taking credit for it and his press secretary is saying “The governor is focused on getting ahead of the game and being visionary.” Can you believe it?

April 20, shortly before the Little Hoover’s report, a press release entitled “Governor Schwarzenegger Leads Emergency Preparedness Exercise” proclaimed that “The Governor has taken significant actions to improve California's emergency preparedness.”

On April 22, in the weekly radio address of the Governor, this one by his Director of the Office of Emergency Services, we are treated to reassurances such as the following:

Nothing is more essential to our state than protecting our people …

That is why the Governor has committed more than $1 billion in federal funds to improve readiness, communications and bioterrorism response efforts throughout our state.

He has strengthened our state's Highway Patrol, fire protection and our capacity to prevent and respond to possible disease outbreaks. …
This week, the Governor proposed two new actions that will build upon his record of disaster preparedness.

He called on the Legislature to send him a bill that creates a new Department of Public Health. …

It is a disturbing fact that 70 percent of Californians don't have a family disaster plan.

After all we have been through in this state and after all we've seen in New Orleans this is shocking.

Finally, you’ll be happy to know that May is now to be “disaster preparedness month.”

Contrast With What the Little Hoover Report Documents

Just take a glance at the actual headings of the different sections of the Little Hoover Report and tell me if your eyes don’t bug out:

OES is Charged with Leadership, but Defines its Mission as Coordination

Planning is Inadequate Effectiveness Measures are Not In Place.

The report can be downloaded.

You can read the Commission’s press release.

As for Nava, he is calling for a merger of the Disaster Response and Homeland Security Offices. He agrees with Little Hoover Report: We need a clear chain of command. And I would add, an end to press opportunities and the start of real action.