In the 2000 election campaign, Bush praised Bill Clinton’s Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for its effectiveness. As president, he treated it as a source of patronage, replacing its top officials with political cronies who had little experience in managing emergencies.
可以肯定的是，国家和当地的官员应该为准备不足承担部分责任。但布什政府应该承担的责任也不容小觑。2000年竞选活动中，布什赞扬了比尔·克林顿联邦紧急措施署的高效工作。而作为总统，他却把联邦紧急措施署当作了论功行赏的工具，任命缺乏灾难管理经验的政治亲信担任紧急措施署的高官。