Guest guest Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 re: FEMA protest needed I know we've protested FEMA, but barring freedom of speech at FEMA trailer parks must be directly confronted; the inhuman reduction of FEMA disaster assitance must also be confronted. elizabeth http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/3416941.html?index=1 & c=y Page 1 of 4 single page view Members of Louisiana's congressional delegation said Monday that FEMA's policy restricting media access to residents living in FEMA-managed trailer parks is absurd, outrageous and denies park residents their rights as American citizens. " FEMA just strikes you as a bureaucracy that's out of control, " said U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner. " You don't lose your fundamental rights just because you're living in temporary housing. It's an outrageous pattern of behavior. " Jindal was referring to a July 15 article in which The Advocate detailed an incident in a Federal Emergency Management Agency-operated trailer park in Morgan City where a reporter and photographer were ordered off of the site. The two had been invited into a trailer occupied by resident Dekotha Devall and her family. But during the interview a security guard ordered the reporter and photographer to leave. The security guard called the police after the reporter attempted to give Devall a business card, an act the guard said was forbidden. Later, the security guard told another resident, Pansy Ardeneaux, she was not allowed to speak to the media through a chain link fence surrounding the park and ordered Ardeneaux to return to her trailer. When FEMA officials were told of the incident, they said the media has to be escorted at all times by FEMA representatives. " If a resident invites the media to the trailer, they have to be escorted by a FEMA representative who sits in on the interview, " said Rachel Rodi, a FEMA spokeswoman. " That's just policy. " Jindal said that policy is ridiculous. " How in the world can you stop someone in their home from talking to whomever they want? " Jindal asked. " It's a freedom of speech issue; it's a freedom of association issue. " Jindal also criticized FEMA for defending its position. " To try and defend the behavior and say that was FEMA policy added insult to injury, " he said. " FEMA should have apologized and tried to rectify the situation. " Page 2 of 4 single page view Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, called the incident " ludicrous " and " absurd. " " These people are not incarcerated; they're not crooks, " he said. " There's no reason why the press or anyone else shouldn't be able to talk to these folks if they want to talk. " Rep. Charles W. Boustany, R-Lafayette, said he was " stunned " when he learned of the incident. " This seems to be a clear case of arrogance coupled with incompetence and that' s not a good combination, " Boustany said. " I don't think the heavy hand of government should be telling people what they can and can't do in that regard. " FEMA has said the reason it's not allowing media easy access to its trailer parks is to " protect the privacy " of the residents. " I can understand the privacy issue, " Bustany said. " But this seems a little extreme. It should be up to the individual who they speak to. " Jindal said FEMA's actions did not appear to protect Devall. " This wasn't FEMA protecting her, " Jindal said. " This was FEMA harassing her. There's no excuse for it. " The Society of Professional Journalists also sent a letter to David R. Paulison, the director of FEMA, last week. The letter was signed by David E. Carlson, president of the organization, and Charles N. Davis, co-chair of the Freedom of Information Committee. " On behalf of the Society of Professional Journalists, we are writing to express outrage at the treatment given to residents of FEMA parks in Louisiana and the journalists trying to report their stories, " the two wrote. " We are outraged by the arrogance and contempt for public discourse on display in Louisiana, a year after FEMA's performance in the wake of Katrina earned it widespread criticism, " the letter says. " Now FEMA is banning reporters from public property as reporters try to provide scrutiny of the agency. Page 3 of 4 single page view " We fail to see how such journalism is anything but the very sort of newsgathering for which the First Amendment was created, " the letter says. The letter requests that FEMA review " the constitutionality of any policy that dictates when and how those affected by FEMA's work may speak to the press. " " Receipt of FEMA aid should not mean that citizens leave their constitutional rights behind, " the letter concludes. The congressmen as well as the Society of Professional Journalists also are upset that FEMA refused to disclose how much the Morgan City trailer park cost to build. The park has remained nearly empty since it opened in mid-April. Devall's family is one of only 15 families who live in the park, which has 198 trailers in it. " We as taxpayers have every right to know how much is being spent on trailers that aren't being used, " Jindal said. " That impacts us directly because that's money that could be used in our state … and there's a possibility that state and local parishes will be paying a portion of some of these costs. " Melancon said he's been asking FEMA for months when it's going to move evacuees into the Morgan City park. " They keep saying 'soon' or something like that, " he said. " It's always the same answer and still very few people live there. " Boustany also said that taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent. " These are the questions we're asking in Congress, " he said. " We're going to try and get them answered. " Jindal said he wrote a letter to FEMA protesting the series of events outlined by The Advocate in the July 15 article. " These people were victimized by the storm, " Jindal said. " Then they were victimized by the state and federal response. Page 4 of 4 single page view " Now they're being victimized by the continued bureaucracy 10 months after the hurricane. It's simply not acceptable. " single page view < previous page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Story originally published in The Advocate http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-1/115380797438320.xml & coll=1 & t\ hispage=3 State protests FEMA cash cut 'People will suffer' from antifraud rules Tuesday, July 25, 2006 By Bill Walsh WASHINGTON -- Louisiana lawmakers and state disaster officials expressed outrage Monday at new FEMA antifraud policies that would cut the level of emergency financial assistance for hurricane victims and force states to pick up 25 percent of the tab. Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison said the get-tough approach this hurricane season, including ID verification and stricter limits on benefits, is meant to keep a rein on taxpayer money after reports of rampant fraud and abuse in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The most visible change is the reduction in " expedited assistance " for postdisaster emergency expenses, which will be cut from $2,000 to $500 per household. State governments also will feel the pinch. The federal government paid all of the $1.5 billion in expedited assistance last year for Louisiana. This year, Louisiana will be on the hook for a quarter of the costs. According to Paulison, if the states don't pay, neither will FEMA. " It's their citizens, " Paulison said during a news conference at FEMA headquarters. " If they don't agree to it, we won't do it. " Call for compassion To disaster officials in Louisiana, the new policy smacks of mean-spiritedness. Mark Smith, a spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said that in Louisiana's case, the state wouldn't be able to afford to pay 25 percent of the emergency benefits since the government is still reeling from last year's storms. Had the new guidelines been in effect for Katrina and Rita, the bill for Louisiana would have been about $375 million. " If a catastrophic event like Katrina hits a poor state like Alabama, Mississippi or Louisiana, they most assuredly won't be able to pay and the people will suffer, " Smith said. " They are citizens of their states but they are also citizens of the United States. Is (Paulison) saying the federal government will turn its back on its citizens, its taxpayers? " After Katrina, FEMA was hit by a tidal wave of criticism when various investigations uncovered widespread fraud in the disaster relief programs. Some people received the $2,000 payments although they weren't affected by the storms. Some households collected more than one check. Others used Social Security numbers of dead people to qualify. CONTINUED 1 | 2 | 3 Next State protests FEMA cash cut Page 2 of 3 Of the $5.4 billion in individual assistance paid out by the federal government, the amount believed to have been misspent ranges from $600 million to $1.4 billion, although FEMA says it's lower. To prevent a repeat, FEMA will register people for assistance before a storm makes landfall, getting a jump on entering their names into the agency's database and ensuring their information has been verified. The agency also has contracted with ChoicePoint, a national data broker, which will help prevent multiple claims from being filed for a single household, as happened repeatedly in Katrina. ChoicePoint has had its own share of controversy. It announced last year that it had mistakenly sold personal data on 145,000 people to identity thieves, leading to a $15 million fine by the Federal Trade Commission. The company instituted changes and recently signed a five-year contract with the Internal Revenue Service to help track down assets of tax cheats. Speedier response To speed registration, Paulison said that FEMA could quickly add 3,000 people to its call center and register as many as 200,000 people per day. That would be double the capacity during Katrina, when many people complained of long delays in getting through. For the first time, FEMA also will dispatch five mobile registration vans to a disaster zone equipped with 20 cell phones and 20 laptop computers to further aid in registration. The agency also has put safeguards on the program that provides housing for disaster victims in hotel rooms and apartments for extended periods of time. Applicants would have to prove they resided in a disaster zone and would have to present a photo ID to get the benefit, which would be limited to six months. Still, the steps causing the most alarm are the cuts in expedited benefits and the new state cost share. " It's not clear to me how these (two) changes address the root of the problem, " said Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner. " It's hard to see how a 25 percent cost share will make states act more responsibly with these funds. The federal government is administering the program. " Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said that the reduction in FEMA emergency benefits would " penalize future disaster victims. " Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 Next State protests FEMA cash cut Page 3 of 3 " Taxpayers have a right to expect that their dollars will be spent efficiently and honestly, " she said in a written statement. 9/11 fraud rampant, too Hurricanes are not the only disasters that invite fraud. A recent hearing on Capitol Hill highlighted schemes hatched to steal federal recovery money after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Investigations found that about $63 million in debris removal work was given to companies with mob ties and that thousands of people whose homes were untouched by the calamity applied for and received air conditioners courtesy of the federal government. FEMA officials noted that it was only last year that the individual disaster benefits reached as high as $2,000. Victims of the Florida hurricanes in 2004 received $500, according to the agency. The money is intended for such basics as food, clothes and fuel. " There are very few households that need that kind of money for a week, " said David Garrat, deputy director of the recovery division. The new $500 cap is flexible, Paulison said. He has the ability to spend more if the need arises, although it is unclear what the criteria would be for drawing additional money. " This is still going to be a compassionate agency, " Paulison said. " But we've got to put the checks and balances in place to protect the taxpayers' dollars. " .. . . . . . . Bill Walsh can be reached at bill.walsh or (202) 383-7817. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 This is a quote from the FEMA site outlining the trailer park rules, no wonder they are being filled... http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=20514 " If anyone living in the trailer wants to leave to return home to check on things, or to look for a job, they must let FEMA know they will be gone. " You can't even look for a job without telling FEMA! Cynthia , Alobar <Alobar wrote: > > > re: FEMA protest needed > > > > I know we've protested FEMA, but barring freedom of speech at FEMA trailer > parks must be directly confronted; the inhuman reduction of FEMA disaster > assitance must also be confronted. > > elizabeth > > http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/3416941.html?index=1 & c=y > > Page 1 of 4 > single page view > Members of Louisiana's congressional delegation said Monday that FEMA's > policy restricting media access to residents living in FEMA-managed trailer > parks is absurd, outrageous and denies park residents their rights as > American citizens. > > " FEMA just strikes you as a bureaucracy that's out of control, " said U.S. > Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner. " You don't lose your fundamental rights just > because you're living in temporary housing. It's an outrageous pattern of > behavior. " > > Jindal was referring to a July 15 article in which The Advocate detailed an > incident in a Federal Emergency Management Agency-operated trailer park in > Morgan City where a reporter and photographer were ordered off of the site. > > The two had been invited into a trailer occupied by resident Dekotha Devall > and her family. But during the interview a security guard ordered the > reporter and photographer to leave. > > The security guard called the police after the reporter attempted to give > Devall a business card, an act the guard said was forbidden. > > Later, the security guard told another resident, Pansy Ardeneaux, she was > not allowed to speak to the media through a chain link fence surrounding the > park and ordered Ardeneaux to return to her trailer. > > When FEMA officials were told of the incident, they said the media has to be > escorted at all times by FEMA representatives. > > " If a resident invites the media to the trailer, they have to be escorted by > a FEMA representative who sits in on the interview, " said Rachel Rodi, a > FEMA spokeswoman. " That's just policy. " > > Jindal said that policy is ridiculous. > > " How in the world can you stop someone in their home from talking to > whomever they want? " Jindal asked. " It's a freedom of speech issue; it's a > freedom of association issue. " > > Jindal also criticized FEMA for defending its position. > > " To try and defend the behavior and say that was FEMA policy added insult to > injury, " he said. " FEMA should have apologized and tried to rectify the > situation. " > > Page 2 of 4 > single page view > Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, called the incident " ludicrous " and > " absurd. " > > " These people are not incarcerated; they're not crooks, " he said. " There's > no reason why the press or anyone else shouldn't be able to talk to these > folks if they want to talk. " > > Rep. Charles W. Boustany, R-Lafayette, said he was " stunned " when he learned > of the incident. > > " This seems to be a clear case of arrogance coupled with incompetence and > that' s not a good combination, " Boustany said. " I don't think the heavy > hand of government should be telling people what they can and can't do in > that regard. " > > FEMA has said the reason it's not allowing media easy access to its trailer > parks is to " protect the privacy " of the residents. > > " I can understand the privacy issue, " Bustany said. " But this seems a little > extreme. It should be up to the individual who they speak to. " > > Jindal said FEMA's actions did not appear to protect Devall. > > " This wasn't FEMA protecting her, " Jindal said. " This was FEMA harassing > her. There's no excuse for it. " > > The Society of Professional Journalists also sent a letter to David R. > Paulison, the director of FEMA, last week. > > The letter was signed by David E. Carlson, president of the organization, > and Charles N. Davis, co-chair of the Freedom of Information Committee. > > " On behalf of the Society of Professional Journalists, we are writing to > express outrage at the treatment given to residents of FEMA parks in > Louisiana and the journalists trying to report their stories, " the two > wrote. > > " We are outraged by the arrogance and contempt for public discourse on > display in Louisiana, a year after FEMA's performance in the wake of Katrina > earned it widespread criticism, " the letter says. " Now FEMA is banning > reporters from public property as reporters try to provide scrutiny of the > agency. > > Page 3 of 4 > single page view > " We fail to see how such journalism is anything but the very sort of > newsgathering for which the First Amendment was created, " the letter says. > > The letter requests that FEMA review " the constitutionality of any policy > that dictates when and how those affected by FEMA's work may speak to the > press. " > > " Receipt of FEMA aid should not mean that citizens leave their > constitutional rights behind, " the letter concludes. > > The congressmen as well as the Society of Professional Journalists also are > upset that FEMA refused to disclose how much the Morgan City trailer park > cost to build. The park has remained nearly empty since it opened in > mid-April. > > Devall's family is one of only 15 families who live in the park, which has > 198 trailers in it. > > " We as taxpayers have every right to know how much is being spent on > trailers that aren't being used, " Jindal said. " That impacts us directly > because that's money that could be used in our state … and there's a > possibility that state and local parishes will be paying a portion of some > of these costs. " > > Melancon said he's been asking FEMA for months when it's going to move > evacuees into the Morgan City park. > > " They keep saying 'soon' or something like that, " he said. " It's always the > same answer and still very few people live there. " > > Boustany also said that taxpayers have a right to know how their money is > being spent. > > " These are the questions we're asking in Congress, " he said. " We're going to > try and get them answered. " > > Jindal said he wrote a letter to FEMA protesting the series of events > outlined by The Advocate in the July 15 article. > > " These people were victimized by the storm, " Jindal said. " Then they were > victimized by the state and federal response. > > > Page 4 of 4 > single page view > " Now they're being victimized by the continued bureaucracy 10 months after > the hurricane. It's simply not acceptable. " > > > single page view < previous page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 > > Story originally published in The Advocate > > http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news- 1/115380797438320.xml & coll=1 & thispage=3 > > State protests FEMA cash cut > 'People will suffer' from antifraud rules > Tuesday, July 25, 2006 > By Bill Walsh > WASHINGTON -- Louisiana lawmakers and state disaster officials expressed > outrage Monday at new FEMA antifraud policies that would cut the level of > emergency financial assistance for hurricane victims and force states to > pick up 25 percent of the tab. > > Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison said the > get-tough approach this hurricane season, including ID verification and > stricter limits on benefits, is meant to keep a rein on taxpayer money after > reports of rampant fraud and abuse in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina > and Rita. > > The most visible change is the reduction in " expedited assistance " for > postdisaster emergency expenses, which will be cut from $2,000 to $500 per > household. State governments also will feel the pinch. The federal > government paid all of the $1.5 billion in expedited assistance last year > for Louisiana. This year, Louisiana will be on the hook for a quarter of the > costs. > > According to Paulison, if the states don't pay, neither will FEMA. > > " It's their citizens, " Paulison said during a news conference at FEMA > headquarters. " If they don't agree to it, we won't do it. " > > Call for compassion > > To disaster officials in Louisiana, the new policy smacks of > mean-spiritedness. Mark Smith, a spokesman for the Governor's Office of > Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said that in Louisiana's case, > the state wouldn't be able to afford to pay 25 percent of the emergency > benefits since the government is still reeling from last year's storms. > > Had the new guidelines been in effect for Katrina and Rita, the bill for > Louisiana would have been about $375 million. > > " If a catastrophic event like Katrina hits a poor state like Alabama, > Mississippi or Louisiana, they most assuredly won't be able to pay and the > people will suffer, " Smith said. " They are citizens of their states but they > are also citizens of the United States. Is (Paulison) saying the federal > government will turn its back on its citizens, its taxpayers? " > > After Katrina, FEMA was hit by a tidal wave of criticism when various > investigations uncovered widespread fraud in the disaster relief programs. > Some people received the $2,000 payments although they weren't affected by > the storms. Some households collected more than one check. Others used > Social Security numbers of dead people to qualify. > > CONTINUED 1 | 2 | 3 Next > > State protests FEMA cash cut > Page 2 of 3 > Of the $5.4 billion in individual assistance paid out by the federal > government, the amount believed to have been misspent ranges from $600 > million to $1.4 billion, although FEMA says it's lower. > > To prevent a repeat, FEMA will register people for assistance before a storm > makes landfall, getting a jump on entering their names into the agency's > database and ensuring their information has been verified. The agency also > has contracted with ChoicePoint, a national data broker, which will help > prevent multiple claims from being filed for a single household, as happened > repeatedly in Katrina. > > ChoicePoint has had its own share of controversy. It announced last year > that it had mistakenly sold personal data on 145,000 people to identity > thieves, leading to a $15 million fine by the Federal Trade Commission. The > company instituted changes and recently signed a five-year contract with the > Internal Revenue Service to help track down assets of tax cheats. > > Speedier response > > To speed registration, Paulison said that FEMA could quickly add 3,000 > people to its call center and register as many as 200,000 people per day. > That would be double the capacity during Katrina, when many people > complained of long delays in getting through. > > For the first time, FEMA also will dispatch five mobile registration vans to > a disaster zone equipped with 20 cell phones and 20 laptop computers to > further aid in registration. > > The agency also has put safeguards on the program that provides housing for > disaster victims in hotel rooms and apartments for extended periods of time. > Applicants would have to prove they resided in a disaster zone and would > have to present a photo ID to get the benefit, which would be limited to six > months. > > Still, the steps causing the most alarm are the cuts in expedited benefits > and the new state cost share. > > " It's not clear to me how these (two) changes address the root of the > problem, " said Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner. " It's hard to see how a 25 > percent cost share will make states act more responsibly with these funds. > The federal government is administering the program. " > > Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said that the reduction in FEMA emergency > benefits would " penalize future disaster victims. " > > Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 Next > > State protests FEMA cash cut > Page 3 of 3 > " Taxpayers have a right to expect that their dollars will be spent > efficiently and honestly, " she said in a written statement. > > 9/11 fraud rampant, too > > Hurricanes are not the only disasters that invite fraud. A recent hearing on > Capitol Hill highlighted schemes hatched to steal federal recovery money > after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Investigations found that about $63 > million in debris removal work was given to companies with mob ties and that > thousands of people whose homes were untouched by the calamity applied for > and received air conditioners courtesy of the federal government. > > > FEMA officials noted that it was only last year that the individual disaster > benefits reached as high as $2,000. Victims of the Florida hurricanes in > 2004 received $500, according to the agency. The money is intended for such > basics as food, clothes and fuel. > > " There are very few households that need that kind of money for a week, " > said David Garrat, deputy director of the recovery division. > > The new $500 cap is flexible, Paulison said. He has the ability to spend > more if the need arises, although it is unclear what the criteria would be > for drawing additional money. > > " This is still going to be a compassionate agency, " Paulison said. " But > we've got to put the checks and balances in place to protect the taxpayers' > dollars. " > > . . . . . . . > > Bill Walsh can be reached at bill.walsh or (202) 383-7817. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 sorry, typo, meant to say " no wonder they aren't being filled " That's what I get for not proof-reading before I hit 'send' Cynthia , " Cynthia " <cindyvdz wrote: > > This is a quote from the FEMA site outlining the trailer park rules, > no wonder they are being filled... > > http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=20514 > > " If anyone living in the trailer wants to leave to return home to > check on things, or to look for a job, they must let FEMA know they > will be gone. " > > You can't even look for a job without telling FEMA! > Cynthia snipped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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