The reversal of the plan to give each evacuee from the hurricane that wrought havoc in New Orleans and along the US Gulf Coast a card worth 2,000 dollars came 24 hours after beleaguered Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown announced it.
The 640 million-dollar scheme would have provided instant cash for key provisions via debit card to about 320,000 registered victims.
But FEMA spokesman David Passey said in the Louisiana capital of Baton Rouge that instead of issuing the cards to all registered evacuees, only the up to 20,000 housed in Houston’s Astrodome would receive them while others will receive their money by the much slower old-fashioned route.
Evacuees in other shelters across the United States will instead receive their grants by a sent cheque or direct bank deposit, which usually take 10 day to two weeks to be processed, Passey said, acknowledging a “refinement” of the system.
“Refinement” — uh-huh.
Who else sees the $2000 card from FEMA as nothing more than hush money? “Sure we screwed you over, but that’s in the past, here’s 2 grand to make up for it, go crazy.”
Anyone else reading the news wondering what Colin Powell is up to? Making the sudden remarks about his UN address and coming down hard on the Katrina response. Some democrats and republicans are putting his name forward as an overlord to take over the relief efforts. I seriously doubt this is coming from the White house, RNC maybe.
“Refinement” is needed to be sure that no one is issued more than one card. Having checks sent to a bank account is one way to do this.
Wow, #3. You’re still treating these people like criminals. Make them wait 2 weeks because they will OBVIOUSLY steal every chance they get.
Do you think someone that is found to be double dipping the system won’t get ostracized or worse, shot, by their fellow recipients? Who is the victim here?
The government is basically sending the message : “We are really sorry that we dropped the ball and failed as a government and, as a direct result, you lost your home, your loved ones and your way of life. Here’s a token amount so we don’t have to feel guilty but we have to make sure you won’t steal from us because you are all thieves and it’s like thunderdome these days so give me your bank account # and you’ll get your money eventually. Even though we know that you REALLY need the emergency cash RIGHT NOW. We control the media and the message.”
I have to admit the debit card scheme sounded a little to prone to abuse. I’m just not sure what would work better. I don’t think many of the homeless have accounts and of those that do, how many will remember them with out documentation.
I someone came to me and asked my bankacct info after being through what they went through I think my response would be “Uh…..”.
I’d be curious if anyone out there would have a better, or at least more manageable idea.
And they fired his boss right afterward – next will be a new spokeman
Powell is the perfect blend of compassion and decisiveness for that job. The “recoverees” need a bone fide hero in their corner.
This morning I was listening to NPR and some survivor’s accounts of the hassles they were going through with FEMA. After standing in line for hours, survivors were given an appointment for the next day. Only when they showed up, the “new” manager said the appointments were in error and should not have been made. All FEMA would do is let them fill out a form and then direct them to a bank of telephones so they could phone the respective agencies to get help.
FEMA has not only dropped the ball, they are now defecating on the survivors. These are good people that lost everything. Our government, that we elected to run this country, is still on vacation. Someone and probably a lot of someones need to be fired and TODAY !!! Whether it is Powell or someone else, get someone that has some organizational skills. Too many just don’t have the time to wait for this to blow over.
Listen!!! They are giving the money to the BANKS!!!! The bank will in turn take it and invest it and make money off of it. The other way… no one makes money off of the tragedy. We can’t simply give the money to the people who need it. Someone (rich already) has to make money off the deal. Right now there are groups of rich people trying to figure out how they can make more money off the disaster… they are not looting, they are finding opportunities. And you people (none of you with any real money) allow it and applaud it because you seem to think rich people are better than the rest of us or you think that one day you will be rich and hit the lottery or whatever and when it is you, you want a pass. But it will never be you.
Oh yeah… and really poor people don’t have bank accounts.
but we have to make sure you won’t steal from us because you are all thieves
I must admit that my first thought – after reading about the hell-hole the Superdome turned into – was that the same sh*t-heads who were beating and raping their fellow refugees would probably be making plans to rob them of their debit-cards.
Is this treating all refuges like criminals, or trying to protect them (the vast majority) from the criminals in their midst?
Is this so far-removed from direct-deposit of federal assistance checks, to keep the scum from stealing regularly-scheduled checks from people’s mailboxes?
” must admit that my first thought – after reading about the hell-hole the Superdome turned into – was that the same sh*t-heads who were beating and raping their fellow refugees would probably be making plans to rob them of their debit-cards.”
This is ridiculous. The superdome is DESIGNED to hold large numbers of people. It turned into thunderdome when nobody showed up to organize the relief effort. It regularly houses many thousands for games and events and security is handled by a security force a lot less trained in hostile situations than the national guard.
Order CAN be maintained. It just wasn’t. The inevitable occurred. Treating them now like they are ALL criminals for the actions of some is not only wrong, it steps on their rights as citizens.
Paul T
I, for one, am in line for nationalized health care. Of all the western countries, the U.S. has the most inefficient, costly, and screwed up health care. Anything would be an improvement.
Now I believe your comment was more directed towards general bureaucracy being inefficient. Compared to what? The Democratic Governor of Michigan has vetoed the budget over Republican’s wish to keep a privately run correction facility going. It is the most expensive facility in the state. Other privately run correction facilities have not been less expensive to operate unless they cut programs, health care, and training. Government has always been about pooling services of the people together for the common good. Private enterprise has always been about doing something for the private person’s profit.
This current situation is mostly because dubya has imposed unqualified lackeys on these agencies. The lack of planning by FEMA for this tragedy must be placed at their feet and ultimately Bush himself. The people on the ground are only as good as the direction of their management.
If any health care would be an improvement, hwo come Canadians keep going to the US for health care? How come Europeans charter trips to India for surgery at private hospitals?