Posted on 08/30/2004 11:23:54 AM PDT by day10
One day after Donald Seither's mobile home was ripped up by Hurricane Charley, the 74-year-old retiree picked up a friend's phone and pleaded for federal aid.
Technically, he got it. But mostly, he got ticked off.
Seeking the government's help, the Punta Gorda resident — after being put on hold for 2 1/2 hours — got through to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and told his tale: a damaged roof, shattered windows and no electricity.
About a week later, a check from the U.S. Treasury came in the mail. Here, Seither figured, was the hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars he and his wife would need to help rebuild their lives.
Then he opened the envelope and read the fine print. The check's value: $1.69.
It turned out Seither and his wife didn't appear to qualify for major federal assistance because they had insurance coverage. But rather than reject them outright, FEMA says it is giving them, and several other hurricane victims, token sums instead.
It's a quirk in a system intended to provide serious relief for those whose lives have been disrupted or destroyed. FEMA says for many, a small sum is better than nothing.
"I know $1.69 sounds ridiculous, but if the guy seems entitled to it, we're going to cut the check," said Butch Ducote, a FEMA spokesman.
Seither is not alone. Ducote said FEMA has received a handful of calls from other puzzled victims with small checks, though he could not say how many have been issued.
"I can assure you that checks that small rarely happen, but it does show you the effort," Ducote said.
The token relief carries an unintended consequence. For residents who spent much of the past two weeks living amid rubble without electricity, it can feel less like help and more like a slap in the face.
"I fell to the floor and I started to cry," said Seither, recalling his disappointment when he opened the envelope. He said he and his wife still live in the mobile home, which sustained roof and siding damage and had a tree jutting through a window after the storm.
FEMA, which provides financial support for the uninsured and underinsured in the aftermath of major disasters, says it has written nearly 42,000 checks worth more than $68 million to victims since Hurricane Charley nailed southwest Florida on Aug. 13.
That money has gone a long way toward helping tens of thousands with everything from home repairs to replacing damaged furniture and paying for clothing and medical care.
About 70 Floridians have qualified so far for the maximum FEMA award: $25,600.
But at the other extreme are people like Seither.
When he opened his envelope and called FEMA in a rage, someone told him the money was provided so he could buy a gallon of gas for his generator.
"I said, 'Evidently you don't live in Florida,' " Seither said. "Because gas here is $1.83."
He said he's not ungrateful but can't believe the federal government would go to the trouble to mail him a check for such a pittance.
"It's an insult," he said. "I would rather have gotten nothing."
Such was his anger that he took the check to a local radio station and railed against the federal agency on the air.
Seither's plight came to the attention of local FEMA officials, who found his case bizarre and decided to investigate.
"At first people thought it was just a misplaced decimal point," said FEMA spokesman Doug Welty. "But this was in fact a legitimate check."
Welty said it was impossible for him to say why a FEMA official decided to award Seither the exact amount he received. Aid requests are assessed case by case and are based on several factors, including the extent of a victim's insurance coverage and how much damage he or she can document.
In many instances, FEMA officials go to homes to assess the damage themselves.
Welty said he understands that receiving such a small check can seem insulting. But he pointed out that the only alternative would be to not send it at all — something sure to raise plenty of ire as well.
"If you don't do it, then people get (angry)," he said.
Seither said he's not going to cash his check. He's holding on to it as a novelty item. Someone already has offered him $24 for it, he said.
Now he's considering auctioning it on eBay.
LOL!! Great story!
"I trusted the Gubmint and all I got was a lousy check for $1.69!"
Too good!
Entitlement mentality. FEMA should have sent the guy a box of facial tissues instead.
This does suck, but yea he does have insurance.
Besides, what's a minimum amount where you cross from rediculous to "much needed help". $10? $50? Jeez I'm starting to argue like a liberal!
I can just hear some guy not getting $120 because FEMA said it would be insult to injury. Lawsuit city!
Too bad he's not a black, gay, transgendered illegal alien from Mexico - then he'd get all sorts of money.
Yeah, this is just a FEMA hit-piece. Charley was Bush's fault don'cha know.
Another Kerry supporter, how much you wanna bet? $1.69, perhaps?
He's whining because he expected Uncle Sugar to come across with some cash. Never mind that he wasn't qualified - what does that have to do with anything when the entitlement mentality kicks in?
At the same time I notice what a disincentive there is for having insurance coverage - apparently everyone, including the insured, seems to think that their fellow taxpayers are legally required to subsidize them.
Big FEMA payouts to the uninsured looks like the government incentivizing radical personal irresponsibility.
It's the taxpayers who should be whining, the overhead for producing the check probably was well over $1.69.
I'm bewildered. He had insurance. Why did he even call the government?! (Unless it was easier than playing the lottery...?)
Maybe he can get Tuh-ray-za to part with a few thou to help him out.
Local call!
That's exactly what they are.
The understanding was that it was a no-interest loan, with nothing payable for two years. They were told that the "loan" would likely be forgiven long before anything came due.
Reminds me....I should call some of 'em up and see what happened in the end.
I wonder how much it cost us (the taxpayers) to process and mail this check?
it doesn't just sound ridiculous, it is ridiculous! If the guy's got insurance and doesn't qualify just turn him down.
I think it's because insurance companies will take forever to pay up if they pay at all. Meanwhile he & wife live in a damaged trailer. I understand why Fema didn't pay but I think the guy probably thought Fema help would be faster.
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