Posted on 06/21/2006 11:30:47 AM PDT by Daniel T. Zanoza
After Katrina, the most destructive hurricane and natural disaster to ever hit the United States, was over, the nation's media, along with many politicians attacked FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency www.fema.gov/). Many cited gross incompetence, while they hung the organization's director, Mike Brown, from pillar to post. Also, the Katrina disaster was a great opportunity for some to deny responsibility--while blaming others for the suffering which ensued in the aftermath of the storm.
Brown lost his job at FEMA and the Bush administration was said to be racially insensitive because many of the victims in New Orleans were people of color. Bush took the heat, even though Katrina cut a huge swath through the Gulf Coast region and affected people of all races. The Governor of Louisiana blamed the Mayor of New Orleans, citing incompetence regarding the failure to protect the City's residents--before and after the storm. The Mayor of New Orleans blamed the Governor of Louisiana, as finger-pointing ran rampant in the aftermath of a natural disaster of biblical proportions.
However, it was FEMA which took the brunt of the criticism which has led to a shake-up in the organization. Last week the GAO (Government Accountability Office www.gao.gov/) released a report* concerning an audit performed related to the financial aid doled out to Katrina victims by FEMA. The report indicates the level of fraud perpetrated on FEMA by some Americans was staggering. An estimated 16% of the financial aid distributed by FEMA was used or obtained fraudulently. Some FEMA money went towards the purchase of pornography. Others used FEMA dollars for items like Don Perignon and caviar. One con-man or woman, allegedly, went so far as to use the money for a sex-change operation.
Other examples of alleged fraud, include a prisoner from the state of Louisiana, who was given at least $20,000 when he claimed his post office box as damaged property. Another person scammed FEMA for $2,300 for rental assistance and the same individual received an additional $8,000 to stay at a posh hotel in the state of Hawaii for two and a half months. One individual was so bold he listed a cemetery as his place of residence and he took in over $2,000 from FEMA. The list of fraud goes on and on and on--to the tune of $1.4 billion, according to the GAO audit.
Surely, there will be those who, once again, will blame FEMA for the misappropriation of funds. However, blaming the federal relief organization is taking the easy way out. The real culprits in the story are those Americans who took advantage of the suffering of others to pad their own pockets or serve their own vanity. The de-frauding of FEMA money is a result of a nation where some do not understand or acknowledge the meaning of shame. While many Americans donated their money, time and sweat to help the victims of Katrina, there were those planning on how they could use this disaster to scam the government.
Truly, such behavior has taken place during past disasters. After Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992, there were reports of unscrupulous contractors who swooped down on the state with the intention of ripping off stricken home owners. They did so with impunity. And their actions led to stricter laws concerning the construction industry and the role it plays in rebuilding after disaster strikes a region.
But the fraud related to Katrina is different. Many individuals in the nation pulled together in support of hard hit areas and the people who lived in them. The true American spirit shined through as billions of dollars were collected on behalf of Katrina victims. Yet, at the same time, there were those with dark spirits who planned to take advantage of the situation. This was not done on the spur of the moment. The fraud was committed in a premeditated fashion. Individuals used fake names and false addresses, in an attempt to obscure their criminal trail. However, there must have been some who were dumb enough to defraud the government using their real identities.
No mercy should be taken on those who used the plight of others for their own gain. Hopefully, the U.S. Justice Department will prosecute these societal vultures to the fullest who saw Katrina as an opportunity, not a disaster. Congress should enact legislation prescribing heavy fines, jail time and community service for the criminals who used fraud to obtain material gratification. Certainly FEMA must consider institutional safeguards that would help prevent this kind of criminality from occurring in the future. Perhaps the same amount of money some scammed from FEMA should be applied towards the apprehension and prosecution of the con artists who committed these crimes. Such actions are a violation of the American trust.
God forbid those who perpetrated the fraud will one day need assistance from FEMA themselves. Perhaps, on that day, justice will truly be served.
* Highlights of GAO report available at: http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d06844thigh.pdf
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