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You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Red Cross + FEMA = A Load of HorseShit

Red Cross + FEMA = A Load of HorseShit

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Remember last week when I went ballistic over the money being spent to house Katrina evacuees in hotels? I should charge the Red Cross for my blood pressure medicine:

The Red Cross and federal government said Tuesday that they had been significantly overreporting the number of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in hotels. Instead of 600,000 people, 200,000 remain in hotels, the charity said.

Although the lower number means that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and cities receiving evacuees will find new housing for far fewer people, the count shows the lack of knowledge that FEMA has about the relocations and its limited oversight over the money it is committed to spend on such housing.

“FEMA still does not know any more about what it was doing last week than it was a month ago,” Representative David R. Obey of Wisconsin, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said. “It is still, as far as I am concerned, an incompetent agency.”

They have no idea what they are paying for and where the money is going. None. Someone might want to ask Sec. Chertoff about that today while he is in the House discussing Katrina.

Oh, and btw- Hurricane Wilma just smashed every record for hurricanes.

Reader Interactions

34Comments

  2. 2.

    John S.

    I enjoyed the reports yesterday that Katrina evacuees were spending their allowance funds on strippers and alcohol.

    Link? Source? Anything? Who made these ‘reports’?

  3. 3.

    neil

    Including, it seems, the record for hurricane with the latest initial letter in its name. What do we do after Hurricane Zelda?

    The computer scientist in me thinks it should be Hurricane Aaron followed, maybe, by Hurricane Abner.

  7. 7.

    John S.

    It was on the news, CNN I think.

    Well that certainly addresses the validity of your claim.

    I think until I actually come across an actual credible media report – rather than heresay – that evacuees are partying on government money, I’ll consider your claim to be without merit.

    To be fair, I do not doubt that some recipients of government money misuse the funds they receive, but in this case I would tend to think that is the exception rather than the rule.

  8. 8.

    Krista

    No idea, but yeah, the next one would be Hurricane Alpha.

    (Terrible mental image of Alpha-Ghetti being flung around the Florida Keys at 150 mph.)

  10. 10.

    ppGaz

    Nobody could have anticipated these FEMA problems.

    Can it be blamed on Clinton?

    On another note …

    Is TallDave jonesin’ for a hit on his blogsite today? It looks like his weak attempt at Dean’s to compare Iraq to early America dissolved into a lame back-and-forth over how many different languages were spoken in early America. So, that went well. But Dave intro’d his little foray into Iraq boosterism by saying this:

    for me most major political issues are now framed primarily by a single concept: how they affect human freedom.

    Jesus wept, book to follow?

    Next from Dave: An article about baseball and apple pie.

  11. 11.

    TallDave

    Well, I wasn’t going to waste the effort, but as usual ten seconds with google is enough to prove John S wrong.

    http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46361

    On the heels of a report earlier this week that Atlanta area Katrina victims were using $2,000 debit cards to purchase luxury items like Louis Vuitton handbags, Houston police yesterday discovered the cards, provided by FEMA and the Red Cross, being used at local strip clubs.

    The Houston Police Department just formed a task force to investigate the abuse of the cards, which were distributed to thousands of Katrina hurricane victims to provide for necessities, such as food, clothing and toiletries. On the first day, the police found the cards being used to buy beer while ogling exotic dancers. According to a report by KPRC, Channel 2, in Houston, a manager at Caligula XXI Gentlemen’s Club said he has seen at least one debit card used at his club. A bartender at Baby Dolls, identified only as “Abby,” said she has seen many of the cards used at her establishment.

    “A lot of customers have been coming in from Louisiana and they’ve been real happy about the $1.75 beers and they’re really nice,” she said.

    I’ll accept in advance your apology for calling the claim “meritless.”

  12. 12.

    Another Jeff

    Well, I wasn’t going to waste the effort, but as usual ten seconds with google is enough to prove John S wrong.

    A comment saying “it’s WorldNutDaily, consider the source” coming in 5…4….3….2

  13. 13.

    John S.

    Well, I wasn’t going to waste the effort, but as usual ten seconds with google is enough to prove John S wrong.

    I guess you never learned when you make a claim the burden of proof is on you.

    And it sure isn’t CNN like you originally claimed, but if WorldNet Daily is reporting it, then it has to be true.

    My sincerest apologies.

    /sarcasm off

  14. 14.

    Another Jeff

    I should also note that the Boston Herald had an article on the same subject, but that would also merit a “it’s a right-wing rag” type response, mostly from people that take everything Kos and Atrios say as gospel.

    However,I will say that i don’t begrudge people who have been through hell having a cold one or two, even at taxpayer expense. More power to them I say. The way this gov’t wastes money, a few shots of Jack and a lap dance is minscule.

    But to get more bang (no pun intended) for their buck, someone should point out to them that for what two bottles of beer cost at the average strip club, you could buy an entire case at your local store.

  15. 15.

    John S.

    I should also note that the Boston Herald had an article on the same subject, but that would also merit a “it’s a right-wing rag” type response, mostly from people that take everything Kos and Atrios say as gospel.

    I guess your standards for journalism are significantly lower than mine. When I come across a sensational story, I usually look for a corrobarating source that backs up the primary source.

    But I suppose for the likes of you, if it runs in the National Enquirer or something, that’s good enough.

  17. 17.

    Shygetz

    But to get more bang (no pun intended) for their buck, someone should point out to them that for what two bottles of beer cost at the average strip club, you could buy an entire case at your local store.

    Dude, they’re not there for the beer.

    And as far as the debit cards go, I don’t need the story verified. I would be surprised if it didn’t happen. Face it–just because you were in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina, that doesn’t automatically make you a good person. I’d be willing to bet, with any odds, that some of the people that got hit with Katrina were *gasp* not perfect people. The big question is, would it have cost the government more to ensure that the money given to the Katrina victims was spent wisely than was “wasted” by those victims? Probably would. So let some of ’em blow their money on beer and strippers; just don’t give ’em any more when that runs out.

  18. 18.

    Another Jeff

    I guess your standards for journalism are significantly lower than mine. When I come across a sensational story, I usually look for a corrobarating source that backs up the primary source.

    What’s sensational about it, you frickin dope!? Some people who just lost everything and have been through hell all of a sudden had $2000 and they decided to blow off some steam.

    It’s A) not that hard to believe it actually happened and B) not a big deal. Get off your soapbox.

  19. 19.

    Lines

    Even if true, once you hand people cash, in whatever form, its theirs. So what? What they do with it is there business.

  20. 20.

    ppGaz

    According to a report by KPRC, Channel 2, in Houston, a manager at Caligula XXI Gentlemen’s Club said he has seen at least one debit card used at his club.

    Wow. That’s almost … a story. I wonder … would TWO cards be enough to throw a smokescreen over the combined FEMA fuckups and expected Plame indictments?

    No, we might need to throw in a terror threat and maybe a court-ordered feeding tube to get this job done.

    To the blogs!!

  21. 21.

    ppGaz

    Even if true, once you hand people cash, in whatever form, its theirs. So what? What they do with it is there business.

    Absolutely, 100% true. That should be the end of that non-story. But it won’t … in blahville.

  23. 23.

    Mac Buckets

    Hey, they’re stimulating the economy…

    I’ve never heard it called “the economy” before…

  24. 24.

    Nikki

    It’s A) not that hard to believe it actually happened and B) not a big deal. Get off your soapbox.

    I wholeheartedly agree that it is not a big deal. So what was the purpose behind reporting it? Why did TallDave find it necessary to post about it?

  25. 25.

    Rome Again

    Hey everyone.

    Not surprised that FEMA still doesn’t have any clue how much money they are spending and exactly how many people they’re housing.

    As for Wilma, I went to bed last night and it was a category two “headed for Cozumel and who knows where after” (was still a tropical storm yesterday morning) and when I got to work this morning at 4 a.m., I had people jokingly asking me if I was planning on evacuating, because a category 5 is headed our way. Hmmmm, that happened quickly.

    People here are flipping out, gas lines are starting again, and stores are closing down this afternoon. As far as I know, I’m still supposed to be delivering papers in the rain on Saturday unless my employer decides to allow us to evacuate. Hubby says he’s going with me so he can hold on to me, thus assuring I don’t blow away.

    Hopefully, this will only be a cat 2 when it gets here (as some are predicting), but just in case, hubby and I will be preparing for another storm when he comes home.

    Sounds like this weekend is going to be interesting.

  26. 26.

    Mac Buckets

    Oh, and btw- Hurricane Wilma just smashed every record for hurricanes.

    From the projected path, it looks like there will be NO WEST VIRGINIA GAME (@ South Florida) ON SATURDAY!

    Also, many, many dead. But NO WEST VIRGINIA game!

  27. 27.

    jg

    I never did like the Herald. I’m a Globe man myself. The Heralds sports coverage is good but for real news I never looked to the Herald, they have that tabloid look and feel I don’t like.

  28. 28.

    John S.

    What’s sensational about it, you frickin dope!?

    If you don’t understand the definiton of what sensational journalism is, then that finger you’re pointing at me has three pointing back at you.

    I wholeheartedly agree that it is not a big deal. So what was the purpose behind reporting it? Why did TallDave find it necessary to post about it?

    To be sensational. Which was the point that I was driving at.

  29. 29.

    Shygetz

    I’ve never heard it called “the economy” before…

    Didn’t you read John Cole’s recent comment that “The economy is humming”? Surely I wasn’t the only one who realized he was talking about oral sex…

  30. 30.

    ppGaz

    Surely I wasn’t the only one who realized he was talking about oral sex…

    Just goes to show that people should not talk with their mouths full.

  31. 31.

    Steve S

    FEMA is working just fine, per Republican goals.

    They’re spending money, and the recipients of that ka-ching are the wealthy Hotel owners(oh and Halliburton) and other beneficiaries of the Crony Capitalism.

    This is what Republicans think government is for. It’s a giant transfer of wealth from the taxpayers to a privileged few.

  32. 32.

    ppGaz

    This is what Republicans think government is for. It’s a giant transfer of wealth from the taxpayers to a privileged few.

    Just a slight rewrite is called for:

    This is what Republicans think government is for. It’s a giant transfer of wealth from the taxpayers to a privileged deserving few.

  34. 34.

    TallDave

    Another Jeff,

    Good call!

    Also, I’m with you on it not being a big deal. People are going to do what people do. I just thought it was amusing.

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