The Katrina Memo: Another story of FEMA Waste and Fraud...

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Another story of FEMA Waste and Fraud...

Photo: Robert King/Polaris

FEMA spends $250,000 a month to store about 10,000 mobile homes at an airfield in Hope, Arkansas.

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I've read several stories of the waste and fraud associated with the delivery of FEMA aid after Hurricane Katrina. This story in yesterday's New York Times provides some of the sickening details. It is a story of scams, schemes and bureaucratic bungles costing taxpayers up to $2 billion dollars.

A hotel owner in Sugar Land, Texas has been charged with submitting $232,000 in bills for phantom victims. And roughly 1,100 prison inmates across the Gulf Coast apparently collected more than $10 million in rental and disaster-relief assistance.

The Times story provides a litany of depressing examples of unbelievable waste and fraud.

In my view, the major tragedy is that many of the real victims of Hurricane Katrina were left homeless and received very little aid.

Why this Blog?

THE KATRINA MEMO was first launched in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when issues of class, race and poverty re-emerged as major national issues.The original goal was to keep a focus on post-Katrina reconstruction and the issues that surfaced out of what was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. While we continue to focus on what's happening in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast we'll also explore broader social and political issues that are of concern to all Americans.

Support for THE KATRINA MEMO is always welcome. You can make a donation by clicking on PayPal link or by snail mail. The address:The Katrina Memo, c/o Ed Deevy, 170 Washington Street, #1009, Haverhill, MA 01832. Email address: eddeevy@cs.com.

The Chief Advocate

Name: Ed Deevy

Location: Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24, Ireland

Dr.Ed Deevy is the author of "HOW TO SURVIVE THE GREAT RECESSION." Published by the Liffey Press, this book is available from your local bookstore or from the website of the publisher - www.theliffeypress.com. A resident of Kilnamanagh, Dublin, he is also author of CREATING THE RESILIENT ORGANIZATION (Prentice Hall 1995).He holds a doctorate in organisational behaviour from the University of Masssachusetts at Amherst. He is currently offering presentations to various organisations and community groups on "Surviving the Recession." To schedule a presentation contact jeanroberts@eircom.net. To contact Ed Deevy send email to eddeevy@cs.com. This blog offers ongoing updated information on the resources available to individuals and families as they cope with the Great Recession.

The Katrina Memo

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Another story of FEMA Waste and Fraud...

Why this Blog?

The Chief Advocate

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