New FEMA head tells staff: "Don't get in my way... I will run right over you"

[highplainsdem]

Source: CBS

During his first all-hands meeting with agency personnel, acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Richardson issued a striking warning: "Don't get in my way," the former United States Marine Corps ground combat officer told staff, according to a recording of the speech obtained by CBS News.

"Obfuscation, delay, undermining," Richardson continued, referencing tactics he believed a fraction of FEMA staff might try to subvert his agenda. "If you're one of those 20% of the people and you think those tactics and techniques are going to help you, they will not, because I will run right over you. I will achieve the president's intent."

Richardson's formal title is Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator. He was named to the role Thursday and has not been formally nominated nor confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

"I can't recall the full title, but essentially, I'm acting," Richardson told staff on Friday, "I don't need the full title. All I need is the authority from the president to put me in here as some degree of acting and I will make sure that his intent gets completed. I don't stop at yield signs," he continued.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fema-acting-administrator-david-richardson-staff-meeting/

---

I can think of some names for him. And I don't care what his title is.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Trump surrounds himself with ruthless psychopaths.

Who else would a mob boss hire?

[ananda]

12. And most of them are incompetent idiots.

Anyone trying to be Hitler these days is in for
a big surprise, and it won't be pretty...

for anyone. Period

[Irish_Dem]

13. Yes they are not very bright narcissists and psychopaths.

Mostly from Fox News.
So they are entertainers, they put on shows.

It is all fake reality TV.

They will do whatever Trump wants them to do.

[orangecrush]

2. How about "dick"

Shut up, dick.

I said it for you.

[Scrivener7]

28. Or "tiny."

[walkingman]

3. The "tough guy" talk is not gonna help people who are

Experiencing tragedy. Just STFU and do your job.Understand that asshole?

[2naSalit]

5. His job...

Is destroying the agency. I hope those who oppose will hamstring him to a standstill.

[2naSalit]

4. Sounds like a challenge...

I can imagine the 20% might have already set up a surprise for him.

[Nigrum Cattus]

6. What an un-American rat

[JohnnyRingo]

7. Shouldn't FEMA be concentrating on natural disasters ....

Instead of checking the boxes on Trump's enemy list.
Guaranteed, first tornado of the season and it will suddenly become Biden's FEMA.

On edit:
After reading at the link I see the problm now. This is insane!

Richardson was appointed to lead FEMA after Cameron Hamilton, the former acting administrator, was fired Thursday morning, one day after publicly breaking with the Trump administration's expressed intent to eliminate the nation's disaster relief agency.

[riversedge]

8. "We're going to find out how to push things down to the states," the acting leader later added. "That should be done at

If it were me--I would seriously look for another job.



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fema-acting-administrator-david-richardson-staff-meeting/



............During his roughly 17-minute speech to FEMA employees, he recalled sending home a member of the Second Marine Division from Iraq. "I had too important of a mission for anybody to undermine me or to make things difficult," Richardson said.

"We're going to find out how to push things down to the states," the acting leader later added. "That should be done at the state level. Also going to find out how we can do more cost sharing with the states."

During his address to FEMA employees, Richardson described his leadership style at length, noting that coworkers will rarely see him sitting behind his desk. "Most of this time I will sit at the table drinking tea while I'm working out something with a stubby pencil," Richardson said, pointing a sharpened pencil into the air from behind a FEMA podium, according to the video of the recording.

Richardson told FEMA employees, "I have never read a book on leadership," but contended that, "I'm fine operating in chaos and a very ambiguous environment."

[PatSeg]

11. Whoa, he sounds like a really amazing boss!

What an absolute jerk.

[Conjuay]

23. He didn't describe himself as an "Alpha Male"?

Usually egos like his clutch erroneous catch phrases like that.

[Falcon101]

14. Never Read a Leadership Book

Well morale will not exist and employees will not do squat. So alpha male will strike out.

[jmowreader]

17. I have a hard time believing the last paragraph

You are telling me a field-grade officer in the Marine Corps has never read a book on leadership? NOT happening. If nothing else, he's read Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 6-11, Leading Marines, and since he taught at the US Army Field Artillery School I'm positive he was given Army Field Manual 22-100, Military Leadership.

Although right about now I'm thinking the best manual for this situation is Army Field Manual 22-102, Wall-to-Wall Counseling. As Chapter 2 of this fine publication says, simple infractions can be dealt with quickly by a simple ass-beating.

[LittleGirl]

24. I love your reply

It made me snicker. Thanks for that.

[hildegaard28]

26. They want

To push things down to the states, some of which are eliminating their own income taxes, so they won't be able to afford to rebuild. Very smart idea. Are we supposed to be one nation, or 50 individual nations?

[maxsolomon]

9. I intend to be a terrible boss and destroy everything I touch.

JFC...

[COL Mustard]

21. Most likely that's his exact mandate.

Just remember, loot BEFORE you burn.

[Fichefinder]

10. The good people at FEMA have seen things that would make this man boy weep.

[Boomerproud]

30. He has no empathy so suffering wouldn't phase him.

I see bad things happening.

[Midnight Writer]

15. LOL, I used to work for a guy like this, bragging about being an ex-Marine and all.

Called us all together his first day and said, "There are only two words you will use when you speak to me. Those words are "yes" and "sir"!"

We had all kinds of fun with him. It was so easy to get his goat.

He spent a few months in our office swinging his dick around and then disappeared into the corporate stratosphere. I don't know what happened to him.

[Skittles]

29. at work a former Marine, hearing I was a USAF veteran, called me a "p****"

without missing a beat I said, "I like dating Marines.....they're not too smart and they take orders REALLY WELL."

That made him turn purple but I hope it taught him about stereotyping.

[LudwigPastorius]

16. Hey, Administrator Dave...

[oasis]

18. Asshole Administrator. nt

[Karasu]

19. "I don't need the full title. All I need is the authority from the president to put me in here as some degree of acting"

This fucking dumpster fire of an administration in a nutshell. Bypassing the process just to get away with appointing the most unqualified pieces of shit possible.

[DFW]

20. People that don't stop at Yield signs

Funny how they are often responsible for fatal crashes.

[Fla Dem]

22. What a A-Hole.

[LittleGirl]

25. Oh, I know that kind.

When I heard something like that in the past, I started looking for another job. I don’t need that attitude breathing down my neck while I’m working. F that. See ya.

[SheltieLover]

27. Charming fellow with great leadership skills, hu?