FEMA bills La. $3.7 billion for Katrina

[merwin]

(That's the headline on Yahoo's frontpage. Doesn't match article headline, but is more appropriate)

Louisiana can't pay Katrina, Rita bills
By Alan Levin, USA TODAY Fri Nov 4, 7:49 AM ET

Flood-ravaged Louisiana can't pay the $3.7 billion that the U.S. government says is its share of hurricane relief, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Thursday.

"You can't squeeze $3.7 billion out of this state to pay this bill. Period. That would be difficult for us on a good day," the spokeswoman, Denise Bottcher, told USA TODAY.

Staffers for the governor "about fell over" Wednesday night when they received the
Federal Emergency Management Agency's estimate of the state's costs for hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said Mark Merritt, a consultant working for Blanco.

FEMA projects that it will spend a total of $41.4 billion in Louisiana, about $9,000 per resident. Federal law requires state and local governments to pay a portion of disaster relief costs. That share can be as much as 25%. The $3.7 billion estimate is roughly 9% of FEMA's projected costs in Louisiana.
...

[rodeodance]

1. similiar to squeezing the US budget--just hit the poor!

[ugarte]

2. Pocket change for Halliburton or Baghdad

Maybe one of them can loan Louisiana the money.

[Barkley]

16. Isn't that how much we spend in a month in Iraq?

The people in La. obviously cannot pay this amount.

The Gulf Coast region has lost over 500,000 jobs and countless
businesses.

If you're serious about fighting poverty, piling debt upon people
is not the answer.

[cosmicdot]

47. the national debt: is averaging $3.48 billion per day

we're living on the American Express Gold Card ... so, Mr. Shrub, what's borrowing an extra $3 billion to cover this bill going to do...break the bank?

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$3.48 billion per day since September 30, 2005!

http://brillig.com/debt_clock/

[havocmom]

3. FEMA bills people to ignore them?

:wtf:

[ninkasi]

22. Great observation...

The feds are sticking Louisiana with a bill for Brownie to spend his time having dinner and discussing his wardrobe, while residents drowned, or died of lack of medical care. FEMA did, however, spend quite a bit of time turning down offers of help from others.

[maddezmom]

4. good luck clollecting that FEMA

wonder how much all those ice trucks in ME cost LA?

[...of J.Temperance]

44. Ice trucks?

...Nah, I'd better not go there. You know, there was this fellow called The Iceman and he worked for The Commission, he was unique because he worked across Family lines.

He was crazy, he did his job well, but he was crazy...got caught in the end though.

The other ice trucks, I'm sure I read that they were on the way to Florida for Wilma and when I heard that I was so pissed off, because the way FEMA held them up for Louisiana was a crime in itself.

FEMA needs to be sued for criminal negligence, DELIBERATE criminal negligence.

[LouisianaLiberal]

5. An example of the spending

I spoke to a roofing contractor yesterday who said that he is being paid by the Shaw Group for putting tarps on roofs. Shaw, of course, is a Bush ally. Shaw is paid $175.00 per square (100 square feet) to tarp, and the roofer gets a percentage, while Shaw pushes paper around.

Yes, that's right. $175.00 per square. You can REPLACE a comp roof for that amount.

Fema creates an absurd contract for the benefit of its cronies, and we have to pay for it. Typical. Despicable.

[merwin]

7. $175? I heard that they were being paid $2500 per tarp roof

[LouisianaLiberal]

9. I hadn't heard $2,500

Many of the tarped roofs are only partially tarped, and many are on roofs that are not large. Whichever it is, it is ridiculous. Pure profit for the contractor.

[merwin]

11. Here's a story on it.

http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051103/NEWS/511030327

You can also do a google search for:
Katrina tarp

That will bring up a load of articles on it.

[LouisianaLiberal]

14. Thanks

The article states that Fema is paying an average of $2,480 per roof. Most of the tarps are only a few squares in size.

So for 400 square feet of tarp, the Shaw group is paid $620 per square, an absurd amount - much more than the cost of replacing the roof.

And at $175 per square, it takes more than1400 square feet to get to the $2,480 average payment. Most tarps are much smaller. So they might be making MORE than $175 per square.


From the article:

The House Democrats cited those figures, saying the government was paying $2,980 to $3,500 for each tarp job -- when the usual going rate is $300.

In all, Knight Ridder found in late September that the government was paying contractors an average of $2,480 for less than two hours of work to cover each damaged roof -- even though it's giving them the blue sheeting for free.



Although I'm no longer surprised at this sort of thing 5 years into the Bush administration, it is still disturbing.

[merwin]

15. The government is citing the high cost and danger of staying in LA

[LouisianaLiberal]

17. Danger?

It is difficult to find a place to stay, but not THAT difficult. Adjusters and contractors have all found places to stay nearby.

Tarping is no more dangerous than roofing, and not nearly as difficult or time consuming.

Someone is making some easy money off the misery of Louisianians. And I would have no problem with the profit if it were going to the laborers, but we both know it isn't.

[Jacobin]

37. Danger because everyone here is so pissed off at them

I love all the FEMA Tshirts for sale in the Quarter!!!!

[sandnsea]

38. 1500 sq ft

$175 x 15 = $2600. Is that right?

[uppityperson]

12. That is one 10 foot by 10 ft tarp

bah

[wtbymark]

6. they could probably cut that cost in half if....

they had bids on the contracts. And how can they send a bill when the work isn't even completed?

-bid the contracts, audit the completed work and THEN bill

[DBoon]

8. you assume accountability is important

I believe this administration does everything possible to avoid accountability.

There will never be an audit.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Similar: Can States Afford Bush's Flu Plan?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1898879&mesg_id=1898879

[RubyDuby in GA]

13. I'd give her, the gov, $20 just to tell FEMA

to shove that bill up their asses!

Good luck collecting FEMA. I think Hell will freeze over a good two or three times before the ever see any of that money!

[...of J.Temperance]

18. Personally I'd tell Governor Blanco that it's SERIOUSLY time to

Call a meeting of The Commission...and then send La Cosa Nostra after these motherfuckers.

Get Luigi Sant'Palona's crew onto these pig fuckers.

This is all I'd better comment.

eom.

[Chomskyite]

39. I'd prefer the Sopranos.

Even Johnny Sack said they're animals.

[...of J.Temperance]

43. Well yeah...but

They only play The Black Hand on the tube...don't they, huh?

You need the real deal away from the tube.

Johnny Sack...he still wears little boy shorts ;)

[Justyce]

19. We waited in line & got a couple of MREs, a gallon of water, and

1 tarp which wasn't enough to cover the holes in our roof or enough food & water for more than a day, and at that point, there were no stores open anywhere to buy your own food, water, or tarps. If that was our $9000 worth, or rather since it says 'per resident', our $18,000 worth of gov't assistance, then that was some damn expensive water.... And I know of *no one* yet that I've heard about around here getting any money for house repairs, FEMA trailers, etc. I hope the states demand an audit on exactly how much was spent & how before paying these bills.

[KamaAina]

20. I'd sure like to see the itemized bill!

Mr. Brown's wardrobe.....................................$10,000
Arabian horse upkeep......................................$5,000
Eight (8) trips by Bush** @ $10,000 each..................$80,000
Cell phone bill for Gov. Blanco while on hold with FEMA...$2,000
and so on...
Watching Bush**'s approval rating plummet.............Priceless!

edit: Blanco, and trust me, the figures did line up!

[merwin]

21. LOL

[barb162]

23. How can LA ever pay this back

it's one of the poorest states in the country

[merwin]

26. At the moment, I think it IS the poorest state in the country.

[Stephanie]

24. They should demand an itemized bill to see how much went to Halliburton

[twaddler01]

25. Let's see, subtract the amount owed in Iraq

and we'd still be WAY above this figure....*sigh*

[bunny planet]

27. I hope they left the wandering ice shipment off the bill.

FUBAR.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[leesa]

28. What are they being billed for? Clearly services were withheld and not

delivered. This is what we pay taxes for, assholes.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

30. Maybe, like my mortgage lender just told my wife

on the phone...

Oh. you are behind? So sorry. Why not take out a loan or see what you can sell to pay us?

Yeah, that will work.

[Daphne08]

31. Screw FEMA

I was born and raised in Louisiana, and before Katrina it was one of the poorest states.

This just makes me boil! :mad:

[Jacobin]

32. In the future, FEMA needs to stay the fuck out of Louisiana

when a storm hits.

They made things WORSE, ran off volunteers who were trying to save people using their boats, let people starve to death, and now this bill us BILLIONS for their clusterfuck???????????


Unfuckingbelievable.

[indepat]

33. What was Florida's share for hurricane relief in 2004 and so far in 2005?

[RobertSeattle]

34. Maybe the French will buy Louisanna back

:evilgrin:

[Jacobin]

35. I would prefer to secede

FEMA fucked Louisiana up in Katrina. It did nothing to help. Now they want to bill us?

There is lots of serious conversation in New Orleans at social gatherings about secession.....serious as in 'no one is laughing', not thinking that the government would allow it.

[JPZenger]

36. Half the State's Budget in a Normal Year

This is half of Louisiana's budget in a normal year. About 1/3rd of the State's businesses were shut down after the two hurricanes.

[derby378]

40. Is FEMA billing Louisiana for work that it didn't even do down there?

What is the current body count from Hurricane Katrina, anyway? Nobody likes to update that number anymore, it seems.

Now just watch Brownie get into the collection agency business - after all, being a fashion god ain't cheap.

[RedRocco]

41. Blanco ought to threaten

to seize enough oil to pay for it, it is a state of emergency
that or a tax on all petro-products that move through LA

[sarcasmo]

42. A kick and a Nom.

[struggle4progress]

45. Is this the bill for Brownie's wardrobe? eom

[bettyellen]

46. let's see they are giving money to the red cross, who didn't do shit....

showed themselves to be 10X more inept as the local govt, prevented anybody from helping for free, left the dead bodies around for months, paid for trucks of ice to travel the country for weeks... and they want LA to pay for the ice they didn't get?