Is America Ready for the Next Disaster?

At a hearing last week in Washington, the president of the National Association of State Emergency Planners, told Congress that, when it comes to disaster planning, he has "never experienced a more polarized environment between the states and the federal government." Oklahoma's Albert Ashwood said the legacy of Katrina for Washington is to minimize federal exposure while blaming states for not being prepared. As an example, he cited the National Response Plan, now revised as the National Response Framework--a formerly secret document leaked to Congressional Quarterly. State leaders say it's not a plan, and they don't understand it. A high-level veteran of FEMA during the Clinton years says federal agencies no longer know what they're supposed to do either. What are the implications for homeland security?