In March Louisiana Officials Indicted

[halestrm]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-money17sep17,1,5736422.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true

Louisiana Officials Indicted Before Katrina Hit
Federal audits found dubious expenditures by the state's emergency preparedness agency, which will administer FEMA hurricane aid.

By Ken Silverstein and Josh Meyer, Times Staff Writers


WASHINGTON — Senior officials in Louisiana's emergency planning agency already were awaiting trial over allegations stemming from a federal investigation into waste, mismanagement and missing funds when Hurricane Katrina struck.

And federal auditors are still trying to track as much as $60 million in unaccounted for funds that were funneled to the state from the Federal Emergency Management Agency dating back to 1998.

In March, FEMA demanded that Louisiana repay $30.4 million to the federal government.

The problems are particularly worrisome, federal officials said, because they involve the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the agency that will administer much of the billions in federal aid anticipated for victims of Katrina.

Earlier this week, federal Homeland Security officials announced they would send 30 investigators and auditors to the Gulf Coast to ensure relief funds were properly spent.

Details of the ongoing criminal investigations come from two reports by the inspector general's office in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, as well as in state audits, and interviews this week with federal and state officials.

The reports were prepared by the federal agency's field office in Denton, Texas, and cover 1998 to 2003. Improper expenditures previously identified by auditors include a parka, a briefcase and a trip to Germany.

Much of the FEMA money that was unaccounted for was sent to Louisiana under the Hazard Mitigation Grant program, intended to help states retrofit property and improve flood control facilities, for example.

The $30.4 million FEMA is demanding back was money paid into that program and others, including a program to buy out flood-prone homeowners. As much as $30 million in additional unaccounted for spending also is under review in audits that have not yet been released, according to a FEMA official.

One 2003 federal investigation of allegedly misspent funds in Ouachita Parish, a district in northern Louisiana, grew into a probe that sprawled into more than 20 other parishes.

Mark Smith, a spokesman for the Louisiana emergency office, said the agency had responded to calls for reform, and that "we now have the policy and personnel in place to ensure that past problems aren't repeated."

He said earlier problems were largely administrative mistakes, not due to corruption.

But federal officials disagreed. They said FEMA for years expressed concerns over patterns of improper management and lax oversight throughout the state agency, and said most problems had not been corrected.

They point to criminal indictments of three state workers as evidence the problem was more than management missteps. Two other state emergency officials also were identified in court documents as unindicted co-conspirators.

"The charges were made after some very extensive reviews by FEMA investigators and other authorities, who identified issues they felt were of the severity and magnitude to refer them to the U.S. attorney's office," said David Passey, the spokesman for FEMA's regional office in Texas.

Passey, while acknowledging that the state had made some administrative changes, said it had not completed the kind of overhaul FEMA said was needed.

"It concerns us a lot. We are devoted to the mission of helping people prepare for, prevent and recover from disasters and we want these federal funds — this taxpayer money — to be spent and used well and in accordance with the rules," he said.

Keith Ashdown of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington watchdog group, said recent Louisiana history showed that FEMA "money earmarked for saving lives and homes'' was instead squandered in "a cesspool of wasteful spending."

Louisiana's emergency office receives money directly from FEMA. It passes on much of the funding to local governments that apply for assistance.

The audit reports said state operating procedures increased the likelihood of fraud and corruption going undetected.

[snappy]

Welcome to the Louisiana polictical corruption scene. Its effects are also felt throughout the Orleans parish public school system as well as the Housing Authority responsible for the upkeep of the N.O.'s housing projects. Cronyism (sp?) is alive and well in Louisiana.

[DawnCt1]

Makes one wonder if Louisianna should come under the "protection of the United States" and rescued from their incompetent and corrupt government. It was "either a mistake or incompetence". Neither is a good choice.

[snappy]

Makes one wonder if Louisianna should come under the "protection of the United States" and rescued from their incompetent and corrupt government. It was "either a mistake or incompetence". Neither is a good choice.


I think this is exactly what Ms. Blanco was afraid of.

[lbgraves]

Surprising? Unfortunantly not. :( The only way that NO & the rest of LA that was affected by Katrina is if NOONE from LA's government has anything to do with the reconstruction in ANY way. That money is going to disappear with too much left undone if they just turn it over the LA's government.

[DawnCt1]

Surprising? Unfortunantly not. :( The only way that NO & the rest of LA that was affected by Katrina is if NOONE from LA's government has anything to do with the reconstruction in ANY way. That money is going to disappear with too much left undone if they just turn it over the LA's government.
Clearly, Nagin didn't know what he was doing BEFORE the hurricane and apparently, he doesn't know what he is doing now. I heard Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allan on the news this morning expressing concern that the return to NO was "problematic" at the least.

[M:SteveO]

I hate saying this, but it's beginning to look like New Orleans was just asking for situation like this. The way they mismanaged emergency funds, didn't follow their emergency evacuation plan, etc. Just total and complete mismanagement. No doubt there were inadequacies on the federal level during the response, but some of them could have been prevented if the federal money had been spent correctly before the disaster. It makes you wonder how they will spend the reconstruction money. I would advocate letting the federal government control as much as of the situation as possible (as a conservative, I can't believe I just said that, but the situation warrants it).

[3for Me]

As a resident of New Orleans, I PRAY that the federal government will oversee the spending for re-building.

I think the rest of the country has now seen the incompetence we have been dealing with for decades...I encourage all taxpayers to demand from their congressmen and senators that there be a stiff accounting system of all federal funds. - after all it's your money folks. It can be done right, I assure you, it's just a matter of who ends up holding the purse strings.

[arminnie]

As a resident of New Orleans, I PRAY that the federal government will oversee the spending for re-building.

I think the rest of the country has now seen the incompetence we have been dealing with for decades...I encourage all taxpayers to demand from their congressmen and senators that there be a stiff accounting system of all federal funds. - after all it's your money folks. It can be done right, I assure you, it's just a matter of who ends up holding the purse strings.

Amen!

[yeartolate]

That wa about the same time as 14 were indicted for collecting FEMA funds in Miami Dade from alleged damage in last September's hurricanes.

:confused3 So 14 who did not have damage and illegally claimed it are indicted. Now where are the indictments for the FEMA (and possible Florida State government officials) who knew there was no significant damage and allowed 30 million to fly out the window? Louisina is hardly in a vacuum when it comes to corruption.

[ThAnswr]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-money17sep17,1,5736422.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true

So let me see if I understand this. The federal government knew there were problems with Homeland Security funds in Louisiana. FEMA also knew there were problems. They knew something was not quite right.

So what did the federal government do about it? Oh sure there were indictments, but how come no one in the Federal government thought it might've been a good idea to keep a closer eye on disaster programs and funding in Louisiana?

This gets better and better as time goes on. The federal government knew a powerful hurricane was going to hit a major port in the country and the federal government knew there were problems with disaster planning and funding in Louisiana.

[M:SteveO]

So let me see if I understand this. The federal government knew there were problems with Homeland Security funds in Louisiana. FEMA also knew there were problems. They knew something was not quite right.

So what did the federal government do about it? Oh sure there were indictments, but how come no one in the Federal government thought it might've been a good idea to keep a closer eye on disaster programs and funding in Louisiana?

This gets better and better as time goes on. The federal government knew a powerful hurricane was going to hit a major port in the country and the federal government knew there were problems with disaster planning and funding in Louisiana.

So let me see if I understand this. You think that the federal government is the only party responsible in this disaster. The state and city misappropriated funds and yet the federal government takes the blame. The state and city didn't follow their own evacuation plan and yet the federal government gets the blame. The way things work here in America is that the local governments coordinate the evacuation and inital emergency response plan, like it or not. Something tells me that if President Kerry was in office, you're response wouldn't quite be the same. Your Bush-bashing is getting a bit ridiculous.

[MrGrumpy222]

So let me see if I understand this. The federal government knew there were problems with Homeland Security funds in Louisiana. FEMA also knew there were problems. They knew something was not quite right.

So what did the federal government do about it? Oh sure there were indictments, but how come no one in the Federal government thought it might've been a good idea to keep a closer eye on disaster programs and funding in Louisiana?

This gets better and better as time goes on. The federal government knew a powerful hurricane was going to hit a major port in the country and the federal government knew there were problems with disaster planning and funding in Louisiana.

Posse Comatatus

[ThAnswr]

Posse Comatatus

Don't feedeth the trolleths!

[ThAnswr]

So let me see if I understand this. You think that the federal government is the only party responsible in this disaster. The state and city misappropriated funds and yet the federal government takes the blame. The state and city didn't follow their own evacuation plan and yet the federal government gets the blame. The way things work here in America is that the local governments coordinate the evacuation and inital emergency response plan, like it or not. Something tells me that if President Kerry was in office, you're response wouldn't quite be the same. Your Bush-bashing is getting a bit ridiculous.

You really are new to this party.

Btw, I'm invoking the cliff rule.

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-104.gif

Ta ta.

[M:SteveO]

You really are new to this party.

Btw, I'm invoking the cliff rule.

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-104.gif

Ta ta.

Whatever that's supposed to mean.

[ThAnswr]

Whatever that's supposed to mean.

It means whenever a righty is about to go over the cliff, I get the hell out of their way.

[M:SteveO]

It means whenever a righty is about to go over the cliff, I get the hell out of their way.

Oh, okay, thank you for clearing that up with me. However, I am a little confused as to who is exactly going over the cliff:

So let me see if I understand this. The federal government knew there were problems with Homeland Security funds in Louisiana. FEMA also knew there were problems. They knew something was not quite right.

So what did the federal government do about it? Oh sure there were indictments, but how come no one in the Federal government thought it might've been a good idea to keep a closer eye on disaster programs and funding in Louisiana?

This gets better and better as time goes on. The federal government knew a powerful hurricane was going to hit a major port in the country and the federal government knew there were problems with disaster planning and funding in Louisiana.

I guess you wouldn't be going over the cliff blaming the federal gov't for the fact that the state and local government misappropriated funds. But, actually I completely understand - Bush is evil and incompetent and an idiot, it's all his fault.

[ThAnswr]

But, actually I completely understand - Bush is evil and incompetent and an idiot, it's all his fault.

Up until the "it's all his fault" part, it works for me. ;)

[M:SteveO]

Up until the "it's all his fault" part, it works for me. ;)

So, then he is the essence of all evil. I was unsure about this.

[ThAnswr]

So, then he is the essence of all evil. I was unsure about this.

Obviously, you survived the first "cliff jump"..............go ahead, take another shot at it. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-104.gif

[M:SteveO]

Obviously, you survived the first "cliff jump"..............go ahead, take another shot at it. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-104.gif

I do like that animation. I would assume the yellow smiley face that turns red, evil, and looks like the devil is George W. Bush, the essence of all evil, and he is pushing me off the cliff? I just need this cleared up before I jump the cliff. Thank you.

[M:SteveO]

Anyways, I think we're getting a little off topic. This thread was supposed to be about the corruption and misappropriation of funds by the state and local governments, not about how evil the president is or about when I'm going to commit suicide and jump over the cliff because I support the devil.

[RyMickey]

So let me see if I understand this. The federal government knew there were problems with Homeland Security funds in Louisiana. FEMA also knew there were problems. They knew something was not quite right.

So what did the federal government do about it? Oh sure there were indictments, but how come no one in the Federal government thought it might've been a good idea to keep a closer eye on disaster programs and funding in Louisiana?

This gets better and better as time goes on. The federal government knew a powerful hurricane was going to hit a major port in the country and the federal government knew there were problems with disaster planning and funding in Louisiana.

Shocking, really...

Local and state government completely botch things, yet you still blame the feds (and that's even after they begin to look into the mismanagement of money. If anything, this article just furthers my belief that the state and local governments were completely at fault with all the "days after Katrina issues" (not that I believe that the feds weren't at fault, too, but it definitely pinpoints a MAJOR problem).

Certainly, the federal government was looking into affairs of the lower levels of government, but that takes time.

I think the real issue here is that the Democrats can do no wrong, while a Republican-led federal government needs to take the blame for everything ... :rolleyes:

(And before you put words into my mouth, stating that I believe Republicans can do no wrong, please see the above where I state the feds need to carry some of the burden for the issues that took place immediately following the hurricane)

[M:SteveO]

Shocking, really...

Local and state government completely botch things, yet you still blame the feds (and that's even after they begin to look into the mismanagement of money. If anything, this article just furthers my belief that the state and local governments were completely at fault with all the "days after Katrina issues" (not that I believe that the feds weren't at fault, too, but it definitely pinpoints a MAJOR problem).

Certainly, the federal government was looking into affairs of the lower levels of government, but that takes time.

I think the real issue here is that the Democrats can do no wrong, while a Republican-led federal government needs to take the blame for everything ... :rolleyes:

(And before you put words into my mouth, stating that I believe Republicans can do no wrong, please see the above where I state the feds need to carry some of the burden for the issues that took place immediately following the hurricane)

Well stated, RyMickey, but I fear that you, too, will soon be going off the cliff because you just expressed both support of the federal government and criticism of the state government. We can go together!!

[ThAnswr]

(And before you put words into my mouth, stating that I believe Republicans can do no wrong, please see the above where I state the feds need to carry some of the burden for the issues that took place immediately following the hurricane)

No chance of that as I am about as close to your mouth as I care to be and will not be getting any closer. ;)