4,### a week. Not everyone works for FEMA. A foreman under contract is paid in that most capitalistic way. By production. I never started this to say that this was the norm. Most of my customers that went say they are making about 13- 16 hr
It's possible that two people, one legal and one illegal, are sharing the same paycheck. The work gets done, the taxes get paid using one social security number, and the workers split the money.
Usually some governmental agency has been behind the work in NO til now be it city, state, county or federal. Not capitalism but more like socialism with taxpayer money.
Did you not ask that person who showed you his pay stub how much he was making a hour. Did you see any deductions such as FICA? Was this a 1099 and nothing withheld? It didn't strike you as strange that he was making that kind of money and the rest making a measly $13 - $16 an hour.
I am sorry, but to me something is fishy here.