FEMA relief rife with abuse, fraud, report says (Katrina Fraud)

MSNBC ^ | 12 JUN 2006 | Chip Reid

[Libertarian444]

WASHINGTON - As requests for emergency assistance poured in after Hurricane Katrina, one applicant listed as his address the Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans. FEMA promptly issued a check for $2,358 for rental assistance.

That's just one of thousands of examples of alleged fraud and abuse described in a new report by the investigative arm of congress — abuse that cost taxpayers about $1 billion.

One person applied for aid 13 times, using 13 bogus addresses, and received a total of $139,000.

The report says FEMA didn't even try to verify the identity of people who applied for aid by phone and says FEMA's fraud controls are “weak or nonexistent.”

More than 2,000 people applied for aid from prison and received about $12 million.

The report also finds that FEMA debit cards, which were supposed to be used for necessities, were used for a week-long Caribbean vacation, a $600 tab at a gentleman's club and a visit to Hooters, which included a $200 bottle of champagne.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Who woulda thunk it?

[Rakkasan1]

"Helluva a job,FEMA!"

[thoolou]

I'm shocked! SHOCKED!

/Capt. Renault

[IronJack]

Please, PLEASE tell me that this isn't a surprise to anyone ...

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

All US government welfare has a lot of fraud.

[no-to-illegals]

Getting more popcorn.............

[prophetic]

and last but not least, even Cindy Sheenan dropped by FEMA and got several cases of MREs, several bags of ICE and other goodies.

Yup it IS a fact!!!

[Moose4]

Forget the waste and fraud. What Hooters has a $200 bottle of champagne on the wine list? I thought their wine list was "the one with the screw top" or "the one in the five-liter box with the built-in tap."

}:-)4

[colorado tanker]

Well, after "Brownie" got fired and FEMA was roasted by the MSM and Congress, they turned the spigot on and left it on. Is this a surprise???

[Retired Chemist]

Don't keep the victims waiting! Get that money out!

[forward]

Oh, tell me this isn't so!! Who could have seen this coming? Such a shock!

[no-to-illegals]

it is too easy .........?

[John Lenin]

This is Bush's fault for throwing money out the window like he did.

[AmusedBystander]

Of course if FEMA hadn't handed out emergency aid, the MSM would have BBQ'd W more than they did. So it really is a few fraudulent cases making it hard to help the many, but that won't stop the media from jumping on both sides anyway. But what you won't hear is how many of these fraud cases will eventually be prosecuted. Same thing happened after Ivan in 2004 with some being convicted within the past few months alone.

[no-to-illegals]

as is said often....
our congress critters forget whose money they are playing with and wasting.
didn't they seem to try and hang out the welcome mat?
our ?
congress critters.
sheeeeiilieeeeiiii
money on the table, courtesy of the congress critters????

[p. henry]

And in some California jurisdictions 40% of child care payments for alleged former welfare moms are fraudulently obtained. And a substantial majority of California Highway Patrolmen retire on state funded disabilities. And the pension system for employees of the City of San Diego is so out of control that the city has lost its credit rating and any ability to borrow on Wall Street.

It's not any one of FEMA, DHS, the feds, the state, local government, Democrats, or Republicans. It's government in general. Government is the ultimate monopoly. It has no competition. There are no market forces that drive it out of a business if it performs foolishly or inefficiently. And the more it tries to do, the worse its overall performance becomes.

Reagan was right. Government does not solve problems. It is the problem.

[Bob]

Which do you prefer that GWB be bashed with:

FEMA was absolutely wrong to rush aid to people because it resulted in fraud and waste.

or

FEMA was absolutely wrong to delay aid to people because of unreasonable fears that providing it hastily would result in fraud and waste.

Take your pick. I've heard both opinions expressed.

[jcparks]

How 'bout: There shouldn't be a FEMA?
And before you accuse me of being "intolerant" let me explain that STATES and the LOCAL communities are better off dishing out freebies because they are more local AND more accountable.
But,of course, Bush would be buried in the media if he called for FEMA's demise...
Just gotta love government run schools

[lapsus calami]

 

 

There's another angle to this fraud that I haven't seen reported about.

 

I have a relative who lives in northern Louisiana, and he got hired on to work for FEMA setting up the utilities and concrete pads for trailers for displaced people to move into and live in. The work was hard but the pay was great and he did this for months, then what he described as some "ignorant old fart" got hired on as his supervisor, but what that guy lacked in construction knowledge he more than made up for in ability to falsify records and make construction materials disappear. This old guy also hired on a number of cronies to help out with the larceny. My relative found that work atmosphere rather uncomfortable and said to heck with that, and quit. Two weeks later, the Feds busted that "ring" - one of probably many that have been doing their thing for the Katrina cash.