The President Should Take Note…

…this is how you handle disaster relief.

From Hat Chat, the official blog of Hoosier Ag Today:

No sooner had the flood waters stopped rushing across more than 20 Indiana counties, than top state officials were on the scene assessing the damage. One of the first was Governor Mitch Daniels. Close behind him was Lt. Governor Becky Skillman. On the surface, this seems only logical (this being an election year and all). Yet, from my perspective, it is more than that. These two have put out the word to all state agencies to get busy and provide relief. Skillman called it an “all hands on deck” approach.

The agencies are responding 24/7. I have been getting e-mails at 10 pm from the State Department of Ag and the Governor’s office. While government is by its nature inefficient, this time around Indiana is giving efficiency a good try. FEMA could stand to take a few lessons.

While this is a terrible storm for Indiana, it is the perfect political storm for the administration. For the past week, the news coverage has been dominated with stories of the Governor meeting with flood-displaced Hoosiers and promising help. Meanwhile, poor Jill Long Thompson sits on the sidelines watching helplessly.

Daniels and Skillman are acting like effective leaders- something I hope voters remember in November.

In addition, Lt. Gov. Skillman and eight other agency heads held a conference call last Friday with over 100 mayors and local officials to give an update the situation in southern Indiana. Skillman said “We know that community leaders need good information to help in their disaster recovery efforts. Governor Daniels and I want to make sure that we continue to move at lightning speed to get people the assistance they need.” She went on to say “The Governor and I have traveled the state surveying the flood damage, and we have talked with Hoosiers who have lost their homes, businesses, and crops. As the floodwaters recede, the real work begins. Today’s call helped us answer questions that many people are bringing to their local officals.”

Now that’s real leadership in the wake of the past weeks disaster and recovery.