by Andrew Zajac
When he last made an appearance on this site a couple of days ago, former FEMA director Michael D. Brown was billed as an expert in data mining.
Turns out there's more.
Brown, the one-time Arabian horse show judge-turned-disaster preparedness guru, also is an expert in airline passenger screening, according to this squib from a PR shop:
Michael Brown, shown here testifying before Congress after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, has a resume running from Arabian horses to natural disasters, and now data minining to screening of airline passengers.
As government leaders warn of imminent terror attacks, the House Homeland Security Committee wants to reduce airport security by instating a Registered Traveler Program.
Just like Disney World, people can now buy a pass that allows them to cut to the front of airport security lines for a measly $99. These line cutting systems barely work for Disney, so what makes the HHSC think it will work in our national airports?
As US government agencies take security cues from an imaginary land, there is a technology available that is capable of actually protecting our national security. Instead of wasting tax payers’ money on childish schemes, the government should be using InferX, the most advanced technology and screening process that:
Gathers data through a trusted network, analyzes the data, and determines potential and actual risks in near-real time.
Generates risk scores based on traveler data.
Provides a legal, non-intrusive surveillance solution that is necessary for homeland security.
Supplies in-depth, real-time analyses of all passengers and cargo, enabling officials to take action immediately and stop threats before they happen.
So why would government agencies even consider putting their dollars into a Mickey Mouse program when a solid and effective technology to screen passengers thoroughly already exists?
Michael D. Brown, part of InferX’s advisor board, former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the former first under the Secretary of Homeland Security, is available to speak to this issue. Please let me know if you are interested in speaking with Mr. Brown regarding passenger screening and InferX’s advanced technology.
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We note that Brown is billed as "the former first under the Secretary of Homeland Security."
No doubt this was an awkward position (stance? pose? punishment?), but certainly not as
uncomfortable as under the bus, which is where Brown found himself after the full scale of the the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe and the federal government's inept response to it came into focus.
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Comments
Wasn't a nearly identical article posted to the Swamp on 30 July? Heck of a job...
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | August 2, 2007 1:25 PM
"YADA YADA YADA"
Where are the lost emails. Michael, tell the truth, nothing but the truth. Just send them to your local news outlet and let them tell the truth about Katrina. "THEN AMERICA MIGHT WANT TO GIVE YOU A JOB AT MCDONALDS."
'BETTER YET, ANSWER THE 76 MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION OF THE DAY. WHY DID THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION GIVE THE PALESTINIANS 80,000,000 THATS RIGHT EIGHTY MILLION DOLLARS AND WHY TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA 4,000,000, THATS RIGHT A MEASLY FOUR MILLION DOLLARS TODAY DURING MORNING PRAYER?
CAN YOU MAKE THAT HAPPEN MR. GINGER MAN CAN CAN HECK OF A JOB BUSH BROWNIE? ONE MAN TO THE NEXT THAT'S ALL.
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 2, 2007 2:11 PM
Sounds like a great system, but, just wondering... ...suppose it does "stop threats before they happen" and it turns out the threat is a young moslem male say between the age of 18 and 40 years old. How long will it take some liberals to gut the funding for the system because it is too similar to racial profiling?
Posted by: Richard | August 2, 2007 2:13 PM
I really don't understand all these Swamp items on Mr. Brown all of a sudden. But since he has been a highlight again, here is some correct, factual perspective. In 2004, when FOUR MAJOR HURRICANES pummeled Florida within one month, FEMA under Brown got the job done and done well.
In 2005, yes FEMA didn't do as well with Katrina. But the true blame falls on the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana.
Posted by: John D | August 2, 2007 2:23 PM
Someone needs to check his references. This man is an imbecile...a complete buffoon. He's one of Bush's finest.
Posted by: Doug R. | August 2, 2007 2:37 PM
The "Registered Traveler" scheme is particularly offensive to me by establishing a "privileged" tier among us. I guess maybe we're not all together in this 'War on Terrorism' fight after all.
Only a Bush administration could think of this.
With 538 more days of Bush in office, I wonder if we can survive the wait after he has put this nation in such grave peril.
Posted by: canoer | August 2, 2007 3:16 PM
In 2005, yes FEMA didn't do as well with Katrina. But the true blame falls on the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana.
Posted by: John D | August 2, 2007 2:23 PM
Johnny D-
Was it the Mayor of New Orleans or the Govenor of Louisiana who held first responders back in camps for diversity training and lectures on the history of FEMA while people needed rescue?
Was it the Mayor of New Orleans or the Governor of Louisiana who failed to decalare Katrina ans "Incident of National significance" until 2 days after landfall?
Is it the Mayor of Nrew Orleans or the Governor of Louisianas fault that FEMA was afraid that there would be riots in Mississippi in the day after Katrina due to lack of food?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10340530/
Is it the Mayor of New Orleans or the Governor of Louisiana's fault that one full week after Katrina hit, FEMA representatives could not be found in Biloxi Mississippi?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/06/48hours/main821587.shtml
Ohh, and Johnny Torture, don't even start with your usual nonsense about how great the recovery is going in Mississippi as opposed to Louisiana.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/05/25/mississippi/
Posted by: Tony | August 2, 2007 4:15 PM
Tony, the predictable response will be to discredit the sources you attached as lefty media blah blah blah.
That or bring up Clinton and something he did equally wrong.
Here is Heckuva Job Brownie five days after the disaster:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LsuOyMCPZ4
And don't forget the ultimate lie by W that nobody could have predicted the levies would break and the subsequent video of him being advised of exactly that days before it hit land.
Posted by: Bubba | August 2, 2007 4:54 PM
Bubba-
Yep it's really sad how guys like Johnny Torture are willing to ignore the suffering of an entire region of the US to make a partisan point. They will defend the indefensible in order to shield the Republicans from blame.
The failures of Katrina were completely non-partisan. Every level of government failed and failed massively. Local, State, Federal, Republicans and Democrats, all failed. Worse yet, they continue to fail the region to this very day.
Posted by: Tony | August 2, 2007 5:44 PM
"JOHNNY JOHNNY JOHNNY BOY JOHNNY BOY"
AGAIN YOU WILL NOT LIKE THIS WORD - ARCHIVES - IF YOU TAKE THE TIME AND GO TO NOAA. THEY NOT ONLY RECORD THE HURRICANS BUT THEY ALSO RECORDED THE EMAILS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WHICH IS IN THE SAME BUILDING AS THE NOAA. RIGHT DOWN STAIRS TO BE EXACT.
GEORGE BUSH WAS IN PHOENIX ARIZONA WITH HIS POSSEE KARL ROVE, JOHN MCCAIN, JON KYL SELLING 75-85 YEAR OLD ELDERLY PEOPLE HIS MEDICARE PLAN FOR PROFIT AND COPAY THAT HAS PROBABLY BANKRUPT THEM ALL.
NO DIABETES MEDICATION FOR YOU. GIVE UP THAT SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK FOR FUTURE SAVINGS ON PHARMACEUTAL DRUGS WE MAKE AND SELL AT A HIGHER PRICE NOW.
BUSH KNEW, CHENEY KNEW AS THE HIGHEST ADMIRAL IN THE NAVY NOAA TOLD HIM. BUT BEING THAT FEMA HAD BEEN CONSOLIDATED AND WE THE PEOPLE HAD NO CLUE ABOUT THAT AND THE FACT THAT THE NATIONAL GUARD, AGAIN THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS IN IRAQ TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT AN AUGMENTATION OF A WAR IS. YOU TOO WOULD NOT OF JUST BEEN WATCHING IT ON TV.
I SAY, JOHNNY BOY SAY WHAT YOU KNOW AND NOT WHAT YOU THINK. AS WHEN IT COMES TO KATRINA, YOU ARE NEXT. WHERE IS YOUR NATIONAL GUARD. LOOK AT MINNESOTA. DID YOU SEE THE NATIONAL GUARD HELPING HIS MOM, SISTER, BROTHER, FATHER OUT OF THE MISSISSIPPI. NO, BUT YOU DID SEE HIM IN THE LINE TO BUY HIS OWN UNIFORM, TOOTH PASTE, FOOD, AMO, HUMMER, POSTAL STAMPS, AND TO PAY FOR HIS CHILDS MEDICAL BILLS BACK HOME.
DID YOU SEE DICK CHENEY OR GEORGE BUSH PULL ANYONE OUT OF THE WATER. DID YOU SEE THEM AT ALL FOR THE FIRST FOUR DAYS? FOUR DAYS, FOUR DAYS YO DADDY WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND. HIS CABINET WAS OUT SHOPPING FOR SHOES, AND A NICE NEW GEORGE BUSH BLUE SHIRT AND TIE.
MAYBE YOU GOT SOME OF THAT 80,000,000 HE JUST SENT TO THE PALESTINIANS FOR PLAYING ALONG WITH THE COUP OF THEIR LAST DEMOCRACTIC ELECTED OFFICIALS.
IF THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE INSURANCE AGENCIES THAT STOOD BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'S NEW AMERICA CULTURE OF CORRUPTION JUSTICE SYSTEM AND BE DENIED COVERAGE SHOWS THAT ITS NOT THE GOVERNORS FAULT OR THE MAYORS. BECAUSE THEY GOT HOSED TOO THEY LIVE THERE. THEN TO BE TOLD BY THE COURTS IT WAS FLOOD DAMAGE OR AKA WATER DAMAGE IS WHY THE PURGE OF THE PROSECUTORS IS SO IMPORTANT. HOW CONVENIENT TO SIDE WITH THE BIG INSURANCE COMPANIES.
WHERE IS THE NATIONAL GUARD? IS WHAT EVERY GOVERNOR SHOULD BE SAYING AND WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BRING THEM HOME MR. PRESIDENT, MR. VICE PRESIDENT, MR. SECRETARY, MR. ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR. SECRETARY OF TREASURY.
STOP BEING A POSTER CHILD BOY FOR GEORGE BUSH, HE DOESN'T LIKE LITTLE KIDS OR PARENTS WHO HAVE THEM.
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 2, 2007 6:49 PM
Well said, Roger Morris. But, wasted breath on Johnny Boy D. Another imbecile like fashion god Brownie.
Posted by: Rick/Sneads Ferry, NC | August 2, 2007 7:19 PM
Tony, who didn't evacuate New Orleans as advised by the National Hurricane Center?
Who didn't use the buses available to evacuate the citizens?
Who told the people to head to the SuperDome, where no to very little supplies existed?
Who moved to Texas after the hurricane hit (hint, the mayor of NO)?
Who did such an incompetent job in 2005 that she is not running for re-election for governor?
Tony, all levels of government failed following Katrina. But the local governments take the lead, not the federal government.
Was FEMA overwhelmed? Yes.
Did they make huge mistakes? Yes.
Did Nagin and Blanco fail miserably? Yes.
Can you and the rest of your ilk admit that the city and state governments failed miserably? No.
Can you and your ilk admit that cities and towns that were built over decades cannot be rebuilt in a year or two or even three? No.
Can you and your ilk admit that much of the rebuilding failures are the result of local bureaucracy? No.
Posted by: John D | August 2, 2007 11:06 PM
Can you and the rest of your ilk admit that the city and state governments failed miserably? No.
Posted by: John D | August 2, 2007 11:06 PM
Every level of government failed and failed massively. Local, State, Federal, Republicans and Democrats, all failed. Worse yet, they continue to fail the region to this very day.
Posted by: Tony | August 2, 2007 5:44 PM
I already had Johnny Torture. You're doing a helluva job .
Posted by: Tony | August 3, 2007 8:40 AM