FEMA Wants $4.7M Back From Katrina Victims

[hadrons]

JACKSON, Miss. - Thousands of Gulf Coast residents have been told they must repay millions of dollars in federal Hurricane Katrina benefits that were excessive or, in some cases, fraudulent.

In Mississippi alone, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it is seeking $4.7 million from 2,044 people, telling them in a form letter that they have four months to repay or set up a payment plan.

....

More people could get repayment notices as more applications are reviewed, Brezany said. Recipients could have received $2,000 to $26,200.

People who get the form letter have 30 days to respond. If they don't meet the four-month deadline, the U.S. Treasury will attempt to collect the money, Brezany said.

....

In February, audits by the General accounting Office and the Department of Homeland Security found that as many as 900,000 of the 2.5 million applicants who received aid under FEMA's emergency cash assistance program — which included $2,000 debit cards given to evacuees — were based on duplicate or invalid Social Security numbers, or false addresses and names.

....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060422/ap_on_re_us/katrina_repayments

[laruemtt]

1. this is about the sickest.......

tuff noogies, FEMA. how are these people supposed to pay what they don't have because of YOUR mistake? and it wasn't a mistake - they needed more in the first place. pretend they work for halliburton and you'll have no problem handing over the $. :mad:

[depakid]

2. Sounds like from the article

There are some folks who DID scam the system- and where that's the case, I hope the treasury does go after them.

Unfortunately, others with no means to defend themselves will also get caught up in the dragnet- though for the portion of those folks who vote Republican- all I have are crocodile tears.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. You KNOW they'll try to collect from some dead people

The Katrina relief effort was one of the worst-handled in history.

You may speak of LIHOP when it comes to 9-11, but the LIHOP with Katrina was clearly visible for the world to see. In order to try to discredit two Democratic politicians (Gov. Blanco, and Mayor Nagin, who was also to be punished for leaving the Republican Party), Team Bush allowed well over 1000 people to die in a preventable disaster -- and then lied about their own press releases and actions that had audit trails.

On this alone, he should face criminal charges.

--p!

[shenmue]

4. What bastards

:puke:

:grr:

May they all burn in hell.

[OneTwentyoNine]

5. And all the while Halliburton SCREWS FEMA with those "tarp" jobs..

Well over $2,000 per roof just to go up and nail down blue tarps. You'd have to screw around to spend more than 30-45 minutes per roof. And the way I understand it Halliburton subbed all that work out,probably gave contractors $200-300 per roof.

Ah shit just keep it up,Bushes poll numbers need to plunge even more.........

[katinmn]

6. Why don't they go after the billions wrongfully given to no-bid

contractors? How about those rotting trailers, hmm?

Fact is, it's easy as taking candy from a baby to go after poor people without homes, jobs, food or a place to vote.

[Minnesota Libra]

7. I remember some reports saying some people did defraud the system.........

.....and hopefully these are the ones who are getting these notices.