Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

In the mere six months that he led the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Donald Trump, David Richardson, who resigned this week , demonstrated a profound unfitness for that essential public safety post. His term was a fiasco, and it’s nothing short of a miracle that more Americans weren’t imperiled as a result.

Richardson’s alarming failures cry out for a leader who exudes competence, boasts experience and stresses responsiveness. While the Trump administration has repeatedly advocated for FEMA’s downsizing, if not outright elimination, this is a chance for the White House to show it cares about storm-prone regions such as Hampton Roads, and elevate a proven professional to lead federal emergency management efforts.

Americ

See Full Page