FEMA And Hurricane Aid Data

www.newsmax.com...

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Federal emergency officials say they won't release information from a survey of people who had home inspections after last year's hurricanes.

The News-Press of Fort Myers had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the data, which was seeking information on how well the victims of hurricanes thought FEMA performed its job, under the federal Freedom of Information Act.


A federal judge ruled earlier this month that FEMA does not have to give newspapers the names of people who received hurricane aid. That decision came in a lawsuit filed by The News-Press, Pensacola News Journal and Florida Today, all owned by Gannett Inc., after FEMA had refused to disclose who received assistance and how much each person got. The newspapers are considering an appeal.

OK, so if FEMA does not have to reveal the data on the people who have recieved financial hurricane aid; how do we know that all of the money is truly getting to the people in question?

I am supposed to trust an organization like FEMA that seemingly does not have to be acoountable with the billions of dollars that it overssees?

This is a touchy subject. I'm not sure If I would want FEMA to give out information like that to the general public. I'm not saying audits or special investigations shouldn't be done.

But I don't think the general public needs to know who got what. My reasoning is that I find that many shady people and businesses might take advantage of that info by swindling hurricane victims trying to rebuild their lives.

If the roofer who was normally going to charge $1500 for the roof, finds out that Fema gave the victims $2000 for the roof, he might jack his price up for no other reason other than greed.

The truth to this is that FEMA does not want peoplr to find out how backed up they are on trailers. What i am saying is that people have been waiting 5 or so months for a trailer and still do not have one. Also some people (evil people) ended up its 50 trailers. I know of a guy who ended up with those trailers and now he rents them to katrina victims for profit.

I also know that people outside of the disaster area who are storing the trailers for FEMA are getting $400 A DAY for each trailer.

makes you wonder where that $80 BILL.

Your right some people got help and money and others are at their wits end still waiting.

I'm from the area.... (Northshore) I've seen the struggle. It's really just a big mess. All the help is so unorganized and no one on the southshore (New Orleans) can get any building permits. My area has more than tripled in population. You can't buy a house anywhere all real estate is taken and the prices have sky rocketed. Landlords were kicking renters out who missed pay while they were evacuated so they could sell their places at top dollar, making more homeless. We can't support the overflow of traffic and the Slidell area is starting to get prostitution problems with pimps moving their women down to the area from Houston for the all workers. Nothing is the same....It's a hard transition.....I took in a good friend who lost her place while she was evacuated and it has not been easy.

I was in Slidell during Thanksgiving and it's a mess; all the traffic. It's the same in areas like Picayune, MS. And the price gouging is widespread in construction too.
I have a FEMA trailer story for you.
My brother works for our local power company & was working 15-18 hrs a day for weeks after the storm. He personally built showers for the FEMA camp. With Hurricane Rita comming his family was in a tent at a camp ground. He spoke with the power company officals & arranged for 20 drivers & 20 trucks to transport trailers to their families and others that needed it. When he went to the FEMA camp with this he was insulted and kicked out. They told him no way. These guys are getting paid to haul these trailers and they'd loose money if someone came in and did it for free. He told his story of his family in the tent with another storm comming and the head guy told him "go call George Bush". My brother almost attacked the guy. He was already stressed out & had these guys laugh at his proposition. He and others claim this whole network of FEMA trailer people is like a good-old-boy network. While most of us are suffering some people are getting rich off of this thing. Anyway, he wasn't taking no for an answer, so he threatned to tear down the shower stalls and cut their power off and he had a trailer the next day. Lucky for him he had a barganing chip. Most folks don't.

Originally posted by TetraSpace5
Your right some people got help and money and others are at their wits end still waiting.

I'm from the area.... (Northshore) I've seen the struggle. It's really just a big mess. All the help is so unorganized and no one on the southshore (New Orleans) can get any building permits. My area has more than tripled in population. You can't buy a house anywhere all real estate is taken and the prices have sky rocketed. Landlords were kicking renters out who missed pay while they were evacuated so they could sell their places at top dollar, making more homeless. We can't support the overflow of traffic and the Slidell area is starting to get prostitution problems with pimps moving their women down to the area from Houston for the all workers. Nothing is the same....It's a hard transition.....I took in a good friend who lost her place while she was evacuated and it has not been easy.

[edit on 30-1-2006 by corusso]

Damn Fema.....
I'm glad your brother stood up for himself against those FEMA F!@#s.

PHEMA, also known as PHEME, PHEMES

PHEMA: Goddess of Gossip.
The last daughter of GAIA, she is a terrible winged creature who delights in ruffling feathers. Her own feathers are never still; beneath every one is a prying eye, a pricked ear and a wagging tongue. She flies from place to place at great speed, gabbling and screeching lies and half-truths to any that will listen.

www.godchecker.com...

That's pretty good I'll have to tell some of my friends about that one.