Heckuva Job

FEMA -- the mighty fine folks who brought you the bungling response to Hurricane Katrina -- have come up with a great way to avoid bad press: don't let anyone talk to the media.

Thousands of people are living in FEMA trailer parks all around the Gulf Coast -- from hurricanes dating back years. But FEMA has a rule that says if you live in one of their parks -- you are not allowed to talk to reporters.

A reporter and photographer were kicked out of a trailer park after a resident invited them in. Another resident was ordered back to her trailer because she was talking to a reporter through a chain link fence.

FEMA says one of their representatives has to be with the press whenever they're on the grounds -- you know -- to imake sure the residents say just the right things.

Gulf Coast Congressmen are not at all happy with FEMA's decision to reinterpret the First Amendment.

A quick lesson for the public affairs folks at FEMA: the quickest way to get bad press -- is to ban the press. That's a sign there's a story there somewhere. (The Advocate)