Russell Honore on Puerto Rico Response: Bureaucratic Response Is Not Working

EXCERPT:

HONORE: “I don’t know what the hell’s going on back there. They’re using words I don’t understand. We never used words like 'with our partners.' No, I’m not your partner, FEMA, I’m a command that you give me a mission and say, 'Take water, fuel, and save the people of Puerto Rico. 'That’s what we operate off as a mission. The military didn’t get that mission until yesterday. (...) I heard a conversation earlier today where they indicated that if the task force commander wanted to do air drops, he could make a recommendation. That’s bull [ bleep ]. Now that Commander Buchanan’s on the ground, he need to be giving orders and figure out what rules need to be break to save lives, because this bureaucratic response is not working. With all due respect to the White House, they try to put lipstick on this pig, but this thing is moving too slow."