The Aftershocks of Disaster: More Government Control

It certainly didn't take the feds long to use Hurricane Katrina as an excuse to call for more power:

Bush Says He May Need More Power in Disasters

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday urged Congress to examine whether the White House needs stronger powers to deal with catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina.

Bush's backing for the congressional inquiry raised the possibility that lawmakers might expand presidential authority to:


• Order mandatory civilian evacuations
  
  
• Dispatch U.S.-based armed forces for emergency search-and-rescue operations
  
  
• Grant wider leeway for active-duty U.S. military personnel to carry out law enforcement operations.

"It's really important that as we take a step back and learn lessons--that we are in a position to adequately answer the question: 'Are we prepared for major catastrophes?'" Bush said during a tour of hurricane damage in New Orleans.

He said if there was a terrorist attack with weapons of mass destruction, such as germ-warfare agents, "we've got to make sure we understand the lessons learned to be able to deal with catastrophe."

Asked whether the federal government needed broader authority to "come in earlier or even in advance of a storm that (is) threatening?" Bush replied: "I think that's one of the interesting issues that Congress needs to take a look at."

Bush's comments came as outside experts urged a variety of changes they said could improve the federal government's ability to respond to natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

Can someone please explain how more government control is the solution to a problem created by government incompetency in the first place?