Somewhere deep in the Malloy Administration there must be a secret fan of that 1960s spy classic, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” The name of the review panel to examine the response to Irene is one of those corny/cool retro acronyms.
Connecticut, I give you “S.T.O.R.M. Irene, the State Team Organized for the Review of Management of Irene.”
It took them a little longer than expected – and I am assured the time was required to staff the panel with knowledgeable folks who have no conflicts, not to commission a catchy theme song – but S.T.O.R.M. Irene was named today.
It will be led by Joseph McGee, the vice president of the Business Council of Fairfield County, and James Skiff, a retired major general of the U.S. Army.
The other members are: Peter Carozza, the president of the Uniformed Professional Firefighters; Terry Edelstein, president of the Connecticut Community Providers Association; Lee Hoffman, a Pullman & Comley lawyer with expertise in environmental law and utility issues; Scott Jackson, the mayor of Hamden; Robert McGrath, former fire chief of Stamford; and Cathy Osten, first selectman of Sprague.
Inexplicably, Robert Vaughn, who lives in Ridgefield under the cover of a semi-retired actor, was not tapped.
Malloy said the review will be comprehensive, not just an inquiry into why it took Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating a week to get the lights back on throughout the state.
“Yes, it’s important to understand why power was out for so long, but it’s just as important to understand how state agencies performed, how local officials performed, and how the private sector reacted,” Malloy said. “We need an honest assessment of what we did right, what we could have done better and what needs to be done the next time we have a weather-related event such as Tropical Storm Irene. This isn’t about pointing fingers or placing blame, it’s about making sure that we are as prepared as we can be the next time this sort of event occurs.”
But if blame is assigned, we suspect it going to fall heavy on THRUSH.