The wrong target

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Wednesday, December 8, 2004 | Mark Tapscott

[Willie Green]

Hurricane Frances made landfall more than 100 miles north of Miami-Dade County this year. But that didn't stop thousands of residents there from getting nearly $28 million in federal disaster aid.

Top winds reached only 47 mph in Miami-Dade during the Labor Day weekend, so damages were limited to some fallen power lines and uprooted trees, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency and other disaster relief officials.

Yet residents used their relief checks to buy more than 5,000 televisions allegedly destroyed by Frances, as well as 1,440 air conditioners, 1,360 twin beds, 1,311 washers and dryers, and 831 dining sets.

Residents also used their relief checks to fix or replace more than 600 vehicles, pay temporary rent for 4,300 people and pay for thousands of dollars worth of dental work.

So much disaster aid flowed into Miami-Dade that one liquor store owner estimated he cashed more than $500,000 FEMA checks. Federal officials even blamed storm-damage payments in six claims on "ice/snow."

[Willie Green]

The state of Florida should be held responsible for making restitution to the federal treasury.

[Yo-Yo]

Hey, Why do you think Dubya carried Florida?

[dennisw]

rip off city .... welfare mentality hard at work...

[rogers21774]

Another fine example of bloated government beauracracy at its' best.

[newgeezer]

Un-FREAKIN'-believable! 47 MPH winds, and... Wait, lemme guess... Without the Federal aid, Dubya loses FL.

[LowCountryJoe]

Ah yes, the Free Republic's champion of subsidies show his hypocritical tendencies.

[Chemist_Geek]

This sort of thing should be treated as fraud, and held similar to filing a false police report.

[mbynack]

On the flip side - My brother-in-law's house was destroyed by Ivan and he's still waiting for FEMA to put him on a list. I guess it was more important for the folks in Miami to get their new TVs than it is to take care of the homeless.

[Mr. Jazzy]

Dear Yo-yo,

W would have carried Florida WITHOUT the aid that was SCAMMED by criminals down in the BLUE parts of Florida. I live in central FL and we were hit HARD by those storms (Charley, Frances, a bit of Ivan and Jeanne)and there are deserving situations. These criminals in the BLUE counties saw a chance to play the system, and now they are going to PAY with jail time.

Jeb will see to that.

[Billthedrill]

So much disaster aid flowed into Miami-Dade that one liquor store owner estimated he cashed more than $500,000 FEMA checks.

A perfectly legitimate expense. I mean, the wind starts howling and I start drinking.

The gummint owes me.

[darkwing104]

Stories like this make it hard on the folks that honestly lost everything from the recent hurricane season. Not everyone who went to FEMA was a crook but there were a lot of them out there.

[glock rocks]

Hell, we had two days of 50 mph winds here. Where's muh check, I need some liquor for Christmas gifts, and there's a cool flat screen TV over at Costco. Oh, wait... Utah's not a battleground state.

Glad I voted for the party of limited government.

that whirring sound you hear is Ronald Reagan spinning...

[Torcer]

27 Million dollaras is a small price to pay in order to keep my taxes low and stop our Government from lying prostrate before the UN.

[darkwing104]

These criminals in the BLUE counties saw a chance to play the system, and now they are going to PAY with jail time.

Amen brother!

[Lokibob]

I must be the only one that read the story.

It isn't about fraud, or FEMA, or Hurricanes, but about the freedom of information act!!!!

[ClaireSolt]

Seems pretty localized if one liquor store saw $500,000 in checks. My check was $509.

[Mr. Jazzy]

Just read the story.



On the radio and TV here in Florida, the FOIA act has been relegated to background information and the main story is the uncovering of the theft from those who are truly in need.

People here are just plain MAD at this situation and are demanding prosecutions.

[Yo-Yo]

OOOOOPPPPPSSSSSSSSS!

Forgot the </sarcasm> at the end of my post!!!!!!!

[litehaus]

This from the state where registered voters outnumber the population in some areas? WADAJOKE Willy!

[Mr. Jazzy]

Thanks for the clarification.


I'll call off the "hit squad".


Just kidding!!!