WDSU.com: Louisiana Officials Rebut Nagin’s Money Complaints
Col. Jeff Smith said that leaves over $595 million in federal money that is available to the city but has not been requested. Once the proper documentation is submitted, the money will be available for replacing city property and structures damaged or ruined in Katrina and its aftermath, such as police cars and buses, the city jail, roads, and the sewer and water systems.
Before we jump down Nagin’s throat, how extensive is this proper documentation and is the state making it easy for the city to access this money? While it is the bureaucratic task of city officials to go through the paperwork wringer for us, let us find out first how hard it is. Obviously, it’s not as simple as Nagin picking up the phone, calling Blanco, Smith and the LRA and saying, “Hey, wire me that cash ASAP.” Ideas?
Another thought: How much longer does the $595 million have to sit there before we forget about it, and the state and city split the dough amongst themselves in the form of “special contracts?”
Anyone notice how this $595 million figure keeps recurring?
Related:
Let’s ask for the receipts. It’s our money. From one government agency to the next.
I’m going to get on the horn to Louisiana DHS on Monday. Let’s get a public records request going and get this dirty laundry out into the air.
Had to hear Dr. Blakely chastise us for not spending Washington’s money properly. As if I were the one holding the accounts.
I agree, there has to be more to this story. I suspect some kind of bureaucratic catch-22 involved (what a surprise that would be).
From my understanding, the inexperienced FEMA inspectors who inspected damaged city property low-balled the estimates by factors as high as 10x. The cities only recourse was to get re-inspections from FEMA. Which, as with anything concerning FEMA takes a long time. This may be a situation where the state may only recognize the FEMA estimate, so we are SOL until the accurate estimate is made…or something along those lines.
Your point is taken, Celcus, but isn’t this money Nagin requested formally? Whose estimates were his requests based on and why wasn’t the money offered at that time?
Wow, sweet link you found to the 2004 budget! Nice work. I highly doubt that DHS’s intentions were noble in having this press conference. It’s very fishy, even for them.