HOORAY TO FEMA MR.PRESIDENT AND ALL REPUBLICAN THANKS WE HAVE THOUSAND OF PEOPLE LIVING IN TENTS, TRAILERS, AND HOTELS ALL OVER THE WORLD YOU MUST BE PROUD YOU HAVE SERVICED THIS COUNTRY NOT!!!!! GOD IS NOT HAPPY WITH HOW COUNTLESS OF AMERICANS ARE BEING TREATED!! GET OFF OF YOUR HIGH HORSES AND DO SOMETHING QUICK!!!!

Maybe this is why the trailers for the school cost so much: School was due to start Nov. 1st, weeks and weeks after all the other schools on the coast. The week or so before school was to start... there were only 6 trailers and one or two installers. Just so happens that a reporter who had talked with the school administrator, challenged a white house rep during a televised open mike press conference on the progress FEMA was making on the gulf coast, citing the lack of trailers one week or so before the start of school, in Hancock county. The trailers were to have been delivered and installed 2 or 3 weeks earlier. The conference was on Friday morning. Strange thing happened: On Saturday night, trailers started appearing and work crews were installing round the clock. People from Washington were calling to check on the progress of the installation. Seems to me... someone dropped the ball when ordering or delivering the trailers, early on... and then folks worked really hard to cover up the lack of progress...which could explain the premium on the cost of the trailers. You got to deliver them overnight... it will cost more.
Mismanagement. Poor coordination. I don't know. But don't blame Hancock County. They were calling and asking about the trailers for weeks...were told, they were being provided based on priorities that had ranked deliveries. Seems like Hancock county, ground zero, wasn't a priority until it looked like a big potential press "field day" was coming on Monday morning.

I wonder who dropped the ball? Investigate that.

I, for one, am glad that these kids finally got to go back to school. I

No Shame,No Morals=Greed,Graft,Corruption=The United States Government!

George W. Bush. Everytime I see his face on television, I shake my head and ask myself, "How did this guy get to be our president."

And then I say, "How did he get re-elected?'

As a former business man and now a college professor, a dye-in-the-wool republican, I just can't get over the fact this guy couldn't KEEP a real job.

Look at his fruits: the country is NOT safer, the budget is now in deficit, he can't pick competent people to lead the critical areas of his administration, whether its post-war in Iraq, FEMA, nominees for the supreme court.

This simple thinking president in a world of complexity. The emperior has no clothes. The ongoling disgrace in FEMA is simply business as usual for this administration.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. George Bush and his political cronies are enriching themselves at the expense of thousands of local and regional firms that can do this business. The guy went to Harvard B-School. They don't teach doing no-bid contracts at Harvard. His presidency is just one giant shakedown of the American taxpayers so the corporate and political elite can just get richer. He ought to be impeached.

Everyone is outraged by the revelations of wasteful government spending? Contracts awarded with no bids? A Director of FEMA who's not qualified? Supreme Court nominations of people more capable of being a secretary than a judge, someone opposed to basic American freedoms? Aghast at orruption, disregard of the Constitutional law of privacy for American citizens? We get what we deserve when we elect (and re-elect) a president. Americans asked for this in November 2000 and November 2004.

After my first post I had to come back!
I once saw 2 Habitat for Humanity homes built in 1 weekend. Cute little 2 bedrooms with a piece of land. The smiles on the faces of the new owners was priceless.
FEMA is paying $175,000 for a family of 4 to live on a cruise ship for 6 months, what a waste! Had they built homes, the people would be paying about the same as rent, and their payments would have gone back into the FEMA coffers. Oh but gee that would have let many poor people become homeowners and homeowners eventually end up part of the middle class, and we wouldn't want that!
Some survivors are living in their cars 4 1/2 months after Katrina!
SHAME SHAME SHAME
When you sit down with you family for Christmas dinner think about how truly lucky you are.

I sincerely hope you're not a "college professor" of grammar and composition, R. Clark of SD!

This thread speaks volumes on the "entitlement mentality" that's settled into American society. Our political leaders did not bring on these natural disasters, yet they are doing their collective best to help those affected. There are many hard-working Louisianans and Mississipians trying to rebuild their lives after this disaster. Unfortunately, for every one of them, there are hundreds of Americans who believe the horn of plenty can never be empty, without ever lifting a finger on their own.

Instead of incessantly whining, how about you do something about the problem? You're a businessman, right? How about bidding $250 per house on the FEMA contract for its "Blue Tarp" program? Then, when you realize it's costing you $2,000 per house because you have to move in external labor, truck in every supply and then pay for your workforce's living expenses, you can write off the $1,750 delta as a charitable contribution?

By experience I have learned that when the goverment is corrupted and ineficient, also its institutions are.

I don't know which is worse. The government's ineptitude at handling anything anymore, or the complete lack of intelligence by ALL people in New Orleans (civilians, police, mayor...)that decided they would live in a city that sits under sea level, let alone decide to ride out a category 3 hurricane in it. The same people sitting at the convention center with their hand out for help were standing in a welfare line a month before with their same hand out. A year from now they will still have that hand out. It is not a race issue. It is an issue of getting off your butts. Do America a favor New Orleans, bulldoze that pork barrel of a city you call home and put it up on higher ground so we don't have to hear y'all complain the next time around.

Katrina, is going to retire a lot of people as millions????????

I agree that help needs be handled faster. Everyone knows that any "Government" agency overspends for stuff. Of course, most people in the public complain when they don't get taken care of. I can't understand why anyone would wait around for FEMA or the Government to clean their own house. Quit being so damn lazy and provide the manpower yourselves.

Let's see, you complain that you don't have a job and no one will clean up your neighborhood or homes.....DUHHHH!!!! Do it yourselves......

I am amazed at so many negative comments on the government response to Katrina. I wonder how many of these bloggers have done anything to help except write these negative letters. I personally have spent time in the hurricane hit areas and the people I have spoken with were very happy to get the trailers and blue tops. After reading these comments, I have noticed that the only comments that are pro FEMA happen to be from the people living in the disaster area. It is so easy for someone to sit back and listen to the liberal media and write something negative about something they have no actual first hand experience about. Before you knock FEMA, how about getting down to the disaster area and work and help the people affected and get the real scoop about how much FEMA has helped these people.

Why are people surprize and all the wasted funds? Remember we have a President that choses not to read newspapers, listen to news broadcasts, and only listen to people who agree with him. We have had do nothings in office before but at least they were informed about conditions. This President is reieniscent of Marie Antonette "Let them eat cake".

aaahhh yes.. We just keep wasting more and more money and people keep suffering what a shame.. I guess that what we get for putting the MOST ignorant President in history in the White House. That's a bigger shame...

Suckers, you get what you voted for.

Instead of putting people up on cruise ships for such expensive ammounts, they should just get home builders to come in and build them brand new homes-- it would be much cheaper.
Things are not much better in my neck of the woods (the New Orleans area). We just received walls in our downstairs that was destroyed from flooding. My landlord had no flood insurance, and I have been having to replace every item lost myself (including appliances, furniture, etc.) and did not receive a single dime from FEMA. I have had to live out of my 10x10 foot bedroom, using my bathroom as my kitchen, and have had to cook only with my microwave and crock pot (microwavable food is expensive!) I am ALOT better off than so many others though- I have a bed (not much else) but at least a bed. This place was considered unlivable, but I have had to live here (amid the mold, stench, etc.) due to having nowhere else to go. Where is FEMA for me? And one article stated those on cruise ships get room service?? I am lucky some days when I even get to eat at all! I am appauled by the waste of our government, and if they want to help people, please have them send me something! I could certainly put a tarp on roofs (tarps around here are about 25 dollars per tarp).

I am ashamed of my government right about now. When I am down and out, they spend so much on cruise ships, over priced tarps, and so much more, and all I ask for is help from them and I get nothing.

What a waste.

In response to Darwin White, of Cleveland, TN:

I am not too pleased with FEMA, nor are many in my area (the New Orleans area). The Federal Government built, maintained and owned the levees that broke, but now they are not sure they want to do anything other than make them pre-katrina strength. (Some good that did us). As for FEMA-- I received not one dime-- the reasons why varies depending on which operator I get on the phone. When I applied from a motel room in Texas, they asked what damage I received. I said "I do not know- I only know that someone living two doors down from me evacuated when the water was already a few inches into the building (townhouses, all units have a first and second floor). So I know I at least got anywhere from three to six inches of water in the house, and he said the water was still rising. What damage, I do not know, but I am sure I lost my downstairs."

The operator typing up my application put on my application "no damage". So a month into it that was figured out, so I had to fax them proof of my address (my drivers license), as well as a statement stating that I had damage. Then I called three weeks later, and found out that they had not "processed that information yet". Then I called a week later, and was told that they have to send out an inspector. Then I waited two weeks, called back again to find out that "due to their being other tenants at that address" I was not eligible for assistance. Figured out they failed to put what unit I lived in so they had several families all listed under one address, not as individual households since I rent my own townhouse, and there are four INDIVIDUAL townhouses in this building.

Then two weeks later I called back and was told "the inspectors could not find your address and therefore your application is being denied." So because they could not find me I was being denied help???

So, we are now going on four months into this, and still nothing. I am fortunate that a stranger bought me a new stove so I will soon be able to cook food, but I lost other appliances, as well as all of my furniture and.. Heck, everything in my entire kitchen, livingroom, laundry room and downstairs bathroom!!

I would not have even applied for FEMA assistance had my President not gotten on TV and looked me in my eye and promised me $2000 in assistance to help me. I feel it was my fault for not having renters insurance, and my landlords fault for not having flood insurance. However, the Levees were federal property, built by, maintained by (or lack thereof), and owned by the federal government. So damage due to their breaks should be covered by the federal government.

I do not want a hand out from the government. I want a hand up, when I am in the darkest of days I have ever seen in my life.

I have nothing good to say about FEMA at this point. Maybe by next year at this time, after I have been able to rebuild my life all by myself, FEMA will finally give me some help-- a case of too little too late for me.

I am very disappointed by the government's response-- on all levels- local, state, and federal.

I worked for a sub-contractor doing hurricane clean up. Though I was originally supposed to report to work in New Orleans at the last minute I was redirected to Miami to supervise a crew there--the reason being that there was so much bureaucratic nonsence going on in NO that people and trucks were waiting for days and weeks to get checked in to work and then not necessarily being given work (we were to get paid by the cubic yard of debries hauled to the dump site).
Since many subcontractors had invested in equipment and other overhead for the purpose of this work and could not afford to sit idle for very long some of them redeployed to Dade County to clean up behind Hurricane Wilma. This work was supposed to last at least 2 months...but it was more like 2 weeks. People who went there lost money in the effort.

When we returned to NO we found that many of the work teams had left or were sitting idle because they had not been paid. This money was supposed to have been paid by FEMA to prime contractors, who in turn would pay their sub contractors. Well either FEMA was not paying or the prime contractors were sitting on their money, though I suspect that the problem was with FEMA.

Two people who had some better knowledge than I both told me that FEMA was out of money...and considering how they spent it, that is no wonder.

As far as $100 tarps versus $2,500 ones, the truth lies somewhere inbetween. The same with the trailers. Considering the time that has elapse and the logistical issues involved this whole affair could have been handled much more cost efficiently. There are individuals who have never set foot in NO or Mississipi who have lined their pockets in an obscene manner. The government signed no-bid contracts with cronie organizations and persons who were unable to respond to the needs at anywhere near the efficiency of smaller local and regional organizations. This idea that the national gov't had to take care of everything is a crock. Had they simply focused on coordinating and funding local and regional resources this whole mess would be much further along and for a lot less money and hardship.

There are people and organizations that benefit disproportionately whenever there is some crisis that can be used as an excuse to do the no-bid thing and it is because they have cultivated their political ties regardless of the competitive substance behind them. We as Americans have a serious issue on our hands and it is time to wake up to it. The one thing they can't manipulate is a groundswell of public opinion and the power of the ballot box.

Well first off the clean up crews and the blue roof crews that are actually doing the work are not making the $$ that is going down there. the BIG companies ECC,Phillips Jordan,Horizon,Ceres These companies are making the BIG $$ while giving the hard working crews that went to this area to help the people of the area recover receive pennies in comparison with these govt contractors. Our crew has been in NOLA since Oct 8th and while there we have recieved PAYCUTS after PAYCUTS and like many of the crews we have mortaged and borrowed LOTS of money for equipment to help and are to broke to leave while staying puts us farther in debt.I foresee a lot of lawsuits in the future for this most disorganized mess that the Govt has created.
While Ive seen QAs who write debri tickets actually making 1500 a day while 10 man crews are lucky to make this amount has a whole. Ive seen Discrimination by the USACE in Our black drivers get worse cuts at the dumps than our White drivers.
While PnJ and ECC and Ceres make profit upwards of 20.00 a yard the crews actually collecting and cleaning and doing the work are making a lousy 6.00 a yard to load haul and clean the debris up.
Ive seen Crews actually fighting over a pile of trash here.These blue roofs that cost 2500 well ask the actually guys putting them on they make about 200.00 per house the companies with the contracts are making the other 2300.00 in profit.And these floating ships that cost us 200 million are being used by you guessed it Fema employees and not victims they sit at the docks with a 40% occupancy So I ask why isnt the 55 year old in the less popular or affluent areas on these boats in the empty rooms after all we the taxpayers have paid for it. You America has NO IDEA at just how dirty and wrong the STorm bussiness is. WAKE UP AMERICA STOP MAKING THE RICH EVEN RICHER

I've never really been witness to so-called overspending by the U.S. Gov't but recently I had an excellent opportunity to make A LOT of money working for one of the 4 no-bid prime contractors. Yes, it was a conflict of interest!!! Once I started to trace everything down as far as the FEMA trailers being installed goes. There is no way to stop it... Everything is put into place, as if it is habit, (overseas Iraq-Afgahni rebuilding efforts). I ask questions, I get the same things repeated straight from a book or manual. Yes, there is definitely wasteful spending, duplications of funds, there are really 5 inspectors meeting at the same trailer, you drive by a trailer being installed and you see at least 10 green shirts standing there, 2 more doing the work, I've heard these guys get paid $22 an hour (Which is billed to the gov't 3-4 times the amount $88.00 /hr). It's no longer toilet seats & hammers, it's in the people, which are being taxed rediculously as well because of major overtime, it's a win-win for gov't, prime, & laborer (mostly from out of state). I would love to share details, but I would lose my anonymity. But, if the right people look, and look hard enough, and trace the steps of at least 200 random trailers from the manufacturer to the resident actually living in the trailer from beginning to finish, they would see it. For anybody defending these contractors & the gov't that hands them the money, what are your motives?

Y'all down south there:

Remember that your states put Bush in office. The Republicans could care less about you. They're too busy golfing and hanging out with their multimillionaire contributors to be bothered with the likes of you.

Next time consider voting Democratic. They're the party that gave the first hoot about average American citizens.

If Clinton were in office this never would have happened.

All these opinions make me forget my own ignorance.
I have the only solution which is,shut down FEMA and
every federal program that wants to be everybodys
daddy.Then let people do all they can for themselves
before their elected congressman takes their case to
the top.Then they would even bother to vote.

It is truly amazing how the "bleeding" heart liberals point the figure at the current administration for failures in the Katrina aftermath, lamenting how much better a democrat could have handled it. Well, how well did the Governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans handle the situation. I believe that gives a fair assessment. In reality, republican or democrat, no leader would have predicted this type of devastation. We have all been living with our heads buried in the sand. A megadose of reality was heaped upon the gulf coast and, ultimately, the nation. Individuals as well as the government bear the burden of recovering. It is foolish and arrogant to think that the government, alone, is responsible for everything.
Living along any coast line or any large body of water is a risky venture...
We should all consider our current situations and prepare for the future while learning upon the lessons of the past. Get over it...move on...adapt...and overcome. Imagine life in the U.S. during the Civil War or during other times of devastation...We can prevail but the "handout" mentality must cease. Many other Americans living throughout the United States suffer the loss of homes, loved ones, etc...every day.The fact that so many loss so much at one time does not diminish the losses elsewhere in America by other Americans...they too must move on.
Clinton would have faired no better...in reality only the upper echelon changes politically the policies and base personnel remain the same. The practices of FEMA and other agencies remain virtually the same regardless of the administration. Clinton was fortunate he never confronted such crises in his tenure. We will never know how he would have handled it.
God Bless the People of Mississippi and Louisiana. My significant other spent 19 days deployed in the region.
Take Care and Good Luck....

One can only hope that despite all the greed, corruption and whatnot going on down there, that there is plenty of good going on as well. Let's praise and support the do-gooders and those who need it, and take care of the rest.... This is a battle I believe we can win!
PS-I'm not one of the stereotypical 'softies' from up this way, but a transplant from the South who'd really like to tear into some of those crooks that are hurting those in need.