AP: Watchdog: Katrina Criticism Deserved

[Pirate Smile]

Watchdog: Katrina Criticism Deserved

By LARA JAKES JORDAN
The Associated Press
Thursday, April 13, 2006; 10:58 PM

WASHINGTON -- Widespread criticism of the government's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina was largely deserved, the Homeland Security Department's internal watchdog concludes in a report rapping the agency for focusing on terrorism at the expense of preparing for natural disasters.

The report by Inspector General Richard L. Skinner, to be released Friday, includes 38 recommendations for improving disaster response missions by the department and its Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The report's executive summary and the recommendations were obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
The federal government, and FEMA in particular, "received widespread criticism for a slow and ineffective response to Hurricane Katrina," the report concludes. "Much of the criticism is warranted."

"After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, DHS' prevention and preparedness for terrorism have overshadowed that for natural hazards, both in perception and in application," the report found.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041301232.html

[rodeodance]

1. whow. internal watchdog to DHS. this will be big if the media wants it

to be big

[rodeodance]

2. k

[rodeodance]

3. watch for full report today

[rodeodance]

4. WPost (AO1) Waste in Katrina Response Is Cited

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041302159.html?referrer=email&referrer=email&referrer=email

Waste in Katrina Response Is Cited
Housing Aid Called Inefficient in Audits

By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 14, 2006; Page A01

Nearly eight months after Hurricane Katrina triggered the nation's largest housing crisis since the Second World War, a hastily improvised $10 billion effort by the federal government has produced vast sums of waste and misspent funds, an array of government audits and outside analysts have concluded.

As the Federal Emergency Management Agency wraps up the initial phase of its temporary housing program -- ending reliance on cruise ships and hotels for people sent fleeing by the Aug. 29 storm -- the toll of false starts and missed opportunities appears likely to top $1 billion and perhaps much more, according to a series of after-action studies and Department of Homeland Security reports, including one due for release today.


The government's costliest initiative -- $6.4 billion allocated to place storm survivors in temporary trailers and mobile homes -- has ground to a halt around New Orleans this week, in part because of widespread racial and class tensions. Residents of surrounding localities have refused to accept the makeshift communities.

Only 71 percent of the 141,000 trailers that FEMA estimates are needed are being occupied.