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A Hurricane of Fraud
LA Times ^ | June 17, 2006 | Editorial

Posted on 06/17/2006 9:31:36 PM PDT by jmranchman

MOVE OVER, RECKLESS CONSUMERS. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has outdone your irresponsible spending by racking up a debit card bill so outrageous it could have been created using Mad Libs. Sex-change operations, vacations to the Dominican Republic and wild nights at strip clubs were all bought on the government's dime by both con artists and legitimate victims of Hurricane Katrina. But try to keep that knee from jerking — although FEMA's oversight was lacking, wasted money is an inevitable byproduct of providing rapid emergency assistance.

The tawdry expenses are listed in a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office. Though the headline makers were select items purchased with debit cards that FEMA gave out immediately after Katrina struck, the centerpiece of the survey was an estimate that about 16% of the agency's more than $6 billion in overall hurricane relief payments were improper and potentially fraudulent. And that figure is probably on the low side because it only accounts for certain categories of fraud, such as misrepresentation of identity and duplicate payments.


(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: fema; govwatch; katrina; katrinafraud
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You just cant make this stuff up....

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-fema17jun17,0,4807430.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials

1 posted on 06/17/2006 9:31:37 PM PDT by jmranchman
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To: jmranchman
You just cant make this stuff up..

Sure you can -- you made up the title.

2 posted on 06/17/2006 9:33:02 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Mr. Mojo

Now fixed.


3 posted on 06/17/2006 9:37:12 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: jmranchman; Admin Moderator

Not a good idea to change the title from the original...even if it's to make a point.


4 posted on 06/17/2006 9:37:23 PM PDT by JRios1968 (There's 3 kinds of people in this world...those who know math and those who don't.)
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To: jmranchman
George W. Bush doesn't care enough about black people to keep track of the free money he gives them.
5 posted on 06/17/2006 9:39:38 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Build the fence. Sí, Se Puede!)
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To: jmranchman

Take it easy guys....only the second time I have ever posted here...thought it was an interesting article....my apologies


6 posted on 06/17/2006 9:39:52 PM PDT by jmranchman (No problem....I am just a first timer so I wasnt sure.....)
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To: jmranchman

Gosh, we could have given it to the UN for all the good it did and the accountability expected.


7 posted on 06/17/2006 9:42:02 PM PDT by Ruth A. (we might as well fight in the first ditch as the last)
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To: jmranchman

No problem. Just that the Mods are real strict on altering the titles though. I don't even like it when FReepers add commentary in parenthensis next to the title. Not only is it tacky, but it's skirting the posting rules too.


8 posted on 06/17/2006 9:42:47 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: jmranchman
Take it easy guys....only the second time I have ever posted here..

I just figured out how to get images to post...and I am quite proud of that. :)


9 posted on 06/17/2006 9:44:18 PM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: jmranchman
"Probably on the low side", 16% of $6 billion comes to nearly a billion wasted taxpayer dollars. Why on earth would a scumbag Democrat newspaper like the LA Times give a rat's behind about taxpayers? There is absolutely nothing surprising about this editorial. Nothing.
10 posted on 06/17/2006 9:45:11 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

You are right....it is tacky but it wasnt done maliciously and I will certainly know better next time....should have done a better job of reading what I posted when I previewed it....thanks for letting me know and for fixing it as well...


11 posted on 06/17/2006 9:45:42 PM PDT by jmranchman (No problem....I am just a first timer so I wasnt sure.....)
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To: P-40

What is with the cows taking a dirt nap?


12 posted on 06/17/2006 9:51:05 PM PDT by razorback-bert (Kooks For Kinky)
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To: P-40

Is that one of them UFO cattle mutiliation photos?


13 posted on 06/17/2006 9:52:32 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: razorback-bert

Doing their best impression of the French in WWII I guess....


14 posted on 06/17/2006 9:53:20 PM PDT by jmranchman (No problem....I am just a first timer so I wasnt sure.....)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
I don't even like it when FReepers add commentary in parenthensis next to the title. Not only is it tacky, but it's skirting the posting rules too.

I don't think it "skirts the posting rules", and I don't think it's tacky. Often, a short added phrase is helpful in clarifying what the actual topic of the thread is.

Regards,
LH

15 posted on 06/17/2006 9:54:40 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

Well i didnt want to give the impression that I even remotely agreed with the article....what I posted as the title was actually the caption underneath the title of the article.....just a brain fart moment on my part...


16 posted on 06/17/2006 9:56:31 PM PDT by jmranchman (No problem....I am just a first timer so I wasnt sure.....)
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To: jmranchman
I didn't see the original, but convention is to list title first, and if you want to 'correct' or re-title, follow the existing one with "Real Title (Your Title Here)"

I do that from time to time, and is often necessary with how the MSM plays things, but for the sake of not double posting you should always include the original title first.
17 posted on 06/17/2006 9:59:22 PM PDT by FreedomNeocon (Success is not final; Failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts -- Churchill)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
Well I do the (Re_Title) and I consider it not only VALID (not skirting the rules) but also GOOD NETIQUITE.

I will continue to do so.

Deal with it.
18 posted on 06/17/2006 10:00:56 PM PDT by FreedomNeocon (Success is not final; Failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts -- Churchill)
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To: FreedomNeocon

I gotcha...thanks for the help Neocon....


19 posted on 06/17/2006 10:04:04 PM PDT by jmranchman (May God be with our beloved troops and their families)
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To: Lancey Howard
Often, a short added phrase is helpful in clarifying what the actual topic of the thread is.

I find "barf alert" is a time saver for me.

20 posted on 06/17/2006 10:08:59 PM PDT by A message
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