FEMA wants aid returned

[Maddy McCall]

Source: Jackson, MS Clarion-Ledger

Biloxi resident Ashley Laferriere requested $1,200 for rental assistance after Hurricane Katrina swept her home away, but "before you knew it, (FEMA) gave me $11,287 in my bank account," she said.

Now, the Federal Emergency Management Agency wants it back "and the interest accrued," said Laferriere, a 20-year-old fast food worker.

"It's scary. I've got two kids, and I got the federal government after me for a lot of money. To come up with that much money, I don't know if I could do it," Laferriere said.

Last April, FEMA asked 2,044 Mississippians to return $4.2 million in disaster aid they received after Katrina. In February, it dropped to 730 cases totaling $1.6 million, FEMA spokesman Eugene Brezany said. In most of those cases, FEMA gave storm victims too much money, he said.

Victims have received between $2,000 and $26,200 each. But some could have received benefits for expenses that were reimbursed later by insurance companies, or FEMA could have made a "processing error," he said. In some cases, victims mistakenly used the aid to repair homes that were not their primary residences, he said. In others - like Laferriere's - more than one person in the same household benefited from assistance.

"FEMA said because my father had insurance and I was living with him, the house I was living in was covered for personal property," she said. "But it's two different households. My personal belongings were never added to his insurance. He got $5,000 from personal property. I lost way more than that."

Brezany said it's against the law for him to discuss individual cases.

"In the early days, we wanted to get people back on their feet," he said. "Then we realized we've provided assistance for invalid reasons, and we have to ask for the money back. We have a responsibility to the taxpayer. These are tax dollars we're using."



Read more: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070405/NEWS/704050388/0/NEWS

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FEMA sucked then, and it sucks now. The agency was unprepared to deal with a disaster the likes of Katrina, so it threw money at people to quiet their criticisms. Now, after the fact, the agency realizes that throwing money at people wasn't that great of a solution, either.

Fuck FEMA.

[hobbit709]

1. They want the money back

because george needs it for his dirty little war.

[BOSSHOG]

2. The first couple of weeks after the Hurricane

fema was chucking money at residents of the gulf coast like mardi gras throws off a float. They've done a heckuva job for almost two years now. I'm glad we didn't get caught up with that money stuff although it was offered to us, I declined - because we didn't need it and our damage did not justify the offer.

[Na Gael]

3. Accounting errors do happen, and

When they happen, it is in the best interest of the person, not to spend the difference. It has happened to me, and although tempted, the possible repersussions were deterrent enough.

That money was supposed to go to someone, who is now without.

As an aside- Some folks mis-spent FEMA money earmarked for home repair, on items not covered(cars, jewelry, gambling), knowing full well receipts would be required to verify spenditures. They too, are required to reimburse FEMA.

[alfredo]

4. So it is OK to hand out billions to Iraqis, but a few thousand to

Katrina victims is bad.

[acmavm]

5. Yes, it is bad if they were NOT entitled to the money. Why would

you even think otherwise?????????????????????????????????????????

[dysfunctional press]

6. it's not a few thousand...

it's a few thousand to thousands of people.

that adds up...especially when it's money that they're not entitled too- they are effectively stealing from their fellow victims.

[alfredo]

8. Did the victims know that was what they were supposed to get?

What about those Iraqis who were handed piles of cash, no questions asked?

Sure, they should pay back any ill gotten gains, but don't do it in a ham handed fashion. It just seems that the bushistas are more generous to people with unknown allegiances than their fellow citizens.

[dysfunctional press]

10. yes, generally.

they know how much they requested, and they know how much they get...and even in the south, i'm pretty sure that they can figure out the difference.

[alfredo]

13. If I ask for $50, but they give me $100, should I ask them why?

[leQ]

9. give that man a cigar! (n/t)

[alfredo]

14. With a tobacco alternative?

[Zhade]

7. Heartless fucking ASSHOLES!

NT!

[Donnachaidh]

11. Reality check -- this is NOT a new tactic for FEMA.

A year after the quake in Southern California they were sending letters to people who had re-located with Fema funds, claiming that the money had to be returned. I know this because it happened to ME. We had been red-tagged, we had left EVERYTHING in California.

I spent the next several weeks calling EVERYONE I had been in contact with, straight up the chain of command at Fema. They finally backed off. Probably only because *I* refused to back down.

It's NOT new. It's SOP for Fema. It sucks, but they do it. Now the folks who received that money have to get into 'pissing contest mode' and stare them down.

Our government does NOTHING free for anyone.

[0rganism]

12. I wonder if the total money returned will cover the cost of collection...

"We have a responsibility to the taxpayer" my ass. Much of that money is probably already spent, by people who have little else in the world. In order to get that money back, FEMA will have to hire collection agents and lawyers, which is essentially a transfer of funds from people devastated by a hurricane to comfortable bureaucrats and wealthy gov't contractors. In the end, FEMA would be "lucky" if the funds recouped cover their collection costs, while those affected stand only to lose what remains of the little protection and compensation the government offered in the wake of Katrina.

I'd rather ten thousand disaster victims were overcompensated than one legitimate recipient be improperly persecuted by this misadministration and further financially ruined as a result.

[Ignacio Upton]

15. Fuck them. It's OUR tax money in the first place!

n/t.

[Pastiche423]

16. I thought that line was slimy too

Making it look like it was the tax payers (us) that wanted the money back.

FEMA fucked up! Sorry, no do overs, assholes!

[SayWhatYo]

17. FEMA screwed up...

At least that is how it sounds. In that case, then FEMA is being pretty screwed up asking for the money back, even worse, with interest.

Although, I suppose if this particular lady knew she wasn't supposed to get that money and simply didn't say anything, but proceeded to spend it, then it's her own fault. It's much like how my bank screwed up and ended up leaving $12,000 in my account for a week after it was transfered out. I probably could have spent it, but when they found out I would have expected to be required to pay them back. However, I do not think that is the case, right?

[superconnected]

18. Sounds like FEMA fucked up, yet again.