Most Katrina Aid from Overseas (120+ nations) Went Unclaimed...

[Bullet1987]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042801113.html">Washington Post

The article itself is pretty old, but I ran across it on another forum and was shocked by the numbers. In light of the Housing and other reconstruction problems going on...why the fuck not take money being OFFERED to you from other nations to help rebuild? Something smells a little fishy down there in New Orleans if you ask me. I've read Gred Palast's work on the subject and I'm beginning to believe him. They don't want the survivors to come back and are essentially trying to displace them.

-SNIP-

Allies offered $854 million in cash and in oil that was to be sold for cash. But only $40 million has been used so far for disaster victims or reconstruction, according to U.S. officials and contractors. Most of the aid went uncollected, including $400 million worth of oil. Some offers were withdrawn or redirected to private groups such as the Red Cross. The rest has been delayed by red tape and bureaucratic limits on how it can be spent...

...The struggle to apply foreign aid in the aftermath of the hurricane, which has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $125 billion so far, is another reminder of the federal government's difficulty leading the recovery. Reports of government waste and delays or denials of assistance have surfaced repeatedly since hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005.

[yourout]

1. "They don't want the survivors to come back and are essentially trying to displace them...."

Can't build expensive condos with all those poor folks around.

[Bullet1987]

2. No one said they had to be expensive condos...

...but a similiar incident happened in the early 1900's and homes were essentially rebuilt by the state and federal government.

[Selatius]

5. Do developers really want to build low-income condo towers?

Granted, building up as opposed to out would save space and save a lot of units from flooding when the next time those decrepit levees fail, but do they really want to cater to low-income folks as opposed to middle and upper class folks?

[avenger64]

3. It would probably show up in an audit...

... of Halliburton's books.

[nosmokes]

4. Of course they don't want 'em comin back. Not unless they're white and

got money and vote Republican or DNC. There's a helluva lot of money to be made at taxpayer expense down there but you hafta be willing to play the game and be part of the old boys network. And you can't have too many people with a vested interest in the quality of your repair work looking on at what you're doing. After all this is better than Iraq money because you're not getting shot at and the return could be almost as good.

[hootinholler]

6. That and if they accept foreign funds...

They will be subject to an independent audit.

Wouldn't want that now would we?

-Hoot