Tales From FEMAVille: Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

While half of New Orleans and most of the Gulf Coast is lingering in disrepair and decay nearly 18 months after the hurricane triple threat, aid and reconstruction money continues to be wasted by the billions:

Federal investigators have already determined the Bush administration squandered $1 billion on fraudulent disaster aid to individuals after the 2005 storm. Now they are shifting their attention to the multimillion dollar contracts to politically connected firms that critics have long said are a prime area for abuse.

This is probably one of the biggest tragedies in this, a continuing nest of tragedies. Money that should be going to reopening neighborhoods, building new homes, fixing the levees, rebuilding schools, and improving infrastructure is instead disappearing down the drain of corporatized fraud and abuse, with the helpful enabling hands of the Worst President Ever.

And where's that money going? I have an idea:

Casino operators are confident heading into 2007, when further industry expansion is set to help fill what some managers see as an almost insatiable appetite for the kind of escapism — from gambling and shopping to pampering — casinos are peddling. Boomtown is eyeing both a new gambling boat and hotel as part of its proposed, $145 million expansion. One more casino also is set to open on Mississippi's Gulf Coast sometime next year, Clark said.

Nothing like some hard-earned and easily-lost money at the craps table to boost revenues in a state that hasn't got much else to pull from, eh?

If the Feddie Gov can't do its job and provide even the slightest bit of oversight, then it falls to the localities to keep people honest. Wish 'em luck--they're gonna need it.

Posted at December 25, 2006 06:33 PM

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While half of New Orleans and most of the Gulf Coast is lingering in disrepair and decay nearly 18 months after the hurricane triple threat, aid and reconstruction money continues to be wasted by the billions: Federal investigators have already determined the Bush administration squandered $1 billion on fraudulent disaster aid to individuals after the 2005 storm. Now they are shifting their attention to the multimillion dollar contracts to politically connected firms that critics have long said are a prime area for abuse. This is probably one of the biggest tragedies in this, a continuing nest of tragedies. Money that should be going to reopening neighborhoods, building new homes, fixing the levees, rebuilding schools, and improving infrastructure is instead disappearing down the drain of corporatized fraud and abuse, with the helpful enabling hands of the Worst President Ever. And where's that money going? I have an idea: Casino operators are confident heading into 2007, when further industry expansion is set to help fill what some managers see as an almost insatiable appetite for the kind of escapism — from gambling and shopping to pampering — casinos are peddling. Boomtown is eyeing both a new gambling boat and hotel as part of its proposed, $145 million expansion. One more casino also is set to open on Mississippi's Gulf Coast sometime next year, Clark said. Nothing like some hard-earned and easily-lost money at the craps table to boost revenues in a state that hasn't got much else to pull from, eh? If the Feddie Gov can't do its job and provide even the slightest bit of oversight, then it falls to the localities to keep people honest. Wish 'em luck--they're gonna need it.