Blanco’s Re-Election Strategy: “The Blame Game”
Governor Blanco is heading to Washington to mix fundraising for her re-electon with lobbying Congress to agree to cover the 10 percent match that local governments must pay toward rebuilding projects reimbursed by FEMA and to make changes in the Stafford Act that controls FEMA programs.
According to KATC3:
With billions of dollars in relief aid still sitting in the bank allocated to Louisiana and unspent, Blanco’s argument that the slow recovery can be pinpointed to Washington Republican indifference might be a difficult one to sell to voters, however.
And while it’s clear that Mississippi has gotten more money proportional to the damage than Louisiana did, it’s very unclear if voters will look at the charts and graphs and believe that Blanco’s administration has done enough with what the state’s received to rebuild.
But while Blanco argues the state has been shortchanged, billions of dollars in relief aid slated for Louisiana remains unspent.
For example, state officials say that nearly $600 million is available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help New Orleans rebuild but that New Orleans hasn’t filled out the proper paperwork. City officials say the process overseen by the state is too complicated.
Most notably, Louisiana can tap into $10.4 billion in flexible federal block grant dollars for recovery, but while much of it is earmarked, little has been doled out.
The state allocated the bulk of those dollars to housing. However, the $7.5 billion Road Home program _ which was developed by Blanco’s Louisiana Recovery Authority, is overseen by the Blanco administration and is managed by a contractor hired by Blanco’s staff _ has been criticized by federal, state and local officials for moving too slowly to dole out aid.
Road Home officials say they are working to speed up assistance, and $2.5 billion has been committed to Louisiana families _ but the dollars still have yet to be spent.
Refer to $250 Billion for Louisianna? and They died because of their unhealthy dependence and KATRINA: RESPONSE TIMELINE Via reader Stanford Matthews: Hurricane Katrina (ref. 01)
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February 5, 2007 - 07:11 PM on February 5th, 2007
The sheer quantity of events that caused New Orleans to be ripe for that disaster boggle the mind. The absence of anyone taking responsibility for ignoring the problem BEFORE disaster struck is equally disturbing. Here are just a few examples
February 5, 2007 - 08:26 PM on February 5th, 2007
1- Thanks, I updated the post to add that link.
February 5, 2007 - 09:28 PM on February 5th, 2007
And the dirty little secret about Blanco’s Road Home program? It’s all bogged down in federally required red tape. Louisiana is simply not to be trusted with so much money, and so the program had to have layer upon layer of checks and audits and accountability–so much that the program at its current rate won’t get money to everyone for at least ten years! For instance, when I went for my interview they took my picture and my thumbprint. Has anyone at any bank or financial institution ever asked you for a thumbprint to get money?????? Louisiana’s original plan was rejected by the Bush Administration over a year ago, so the governor had to go back and fashion a bigger, badder plan that would make the president and his people happy. Now that the program is about to collapse under the weight of all that federal red tape, the president’s people are indeed very happy.
Peace,
Tim
New Orleans
February 5, 2007 - 10:13 PM on February 5th, 2007
3-Has anyone at any bank or financial institution ever asked you for a thumbprint to get money??????
Welcome to the real world. They have been doing this for more than 10 years, and it happens all over the country. Did it occur to you that because of the fraud that has occured, it became necessary for the banks to do that, even though they may know you?
The Road Home program is the program that SHE PUSHED. It is her baby. Now that ICF International, the firm contracted to run the program has managed to achieve a level of incompetence and inefficiency, the governor has understandably suffered politically. Voters are not going to blame ICF – they are going to point the finger squarely at Blanco.
The Constitution needs to be adhered to, even in the event of disasters..I am sure if you took the time to study the situaton,you would see that no one is taking pleasure in this…
Goodluck!
February 5, 2007 - 10:17 PM on February 5th, 2007
What was Louisiana’s original plan? To get handed $52B with no accountability? You expect the Feds to hand over billion$ of other people’s tax money with little or no oversight to incompetents who have been squandering, misappropriating, and mismanaging it for decades?
The fraud and mismanagement of money sent to that area is already legendary.
February 5, 2007 - 11:19 PM on February 5th, 2007
5- No! It was $250 billion, thank-you very much:wink:
February 6, 2007 - 07:02 AM on February 6th, 2007
Peejz, you did not answer the question. Have YOU ever been asked to give a thumbprint by any bank?
Yes, the governor had to push for the Road Home program–no disagreement on that. She had to push HARD because the earlier plan (the Baker Plan) was rejected by the Bush administration and it looked like they might never be satisfied. So the governor had to all but get on her knees to get Road Home approved. Is it a good program? No, it sucks for a hundred reasons, and the blame belongs to everyone.
Robert, I would be happy to discuss the details of the state’s original plan with you, but first you must educate yourself. I see no point in debating with someone who does not have the basic background information.
February 6, 2007 - 08:35 AM on February 6th, 2007
7- Yes I have had to do a thumb print, and I got a kleenex when I was done…I’m just not seeing what the big deal is, There was alot of fraud in your area, and this is to be expected…he Road Home program is just a modified version of The Baker Plan..It isn’t the plan that is really all that bad, it is the execution of said plan…who hired the contractor to oversee it?
The Baker Plan: rejected because the bill would add a federal bureaucracy and set up what would be a government real estate agency, and the cost of Mr. Baker’s plan” he and an aide used figures from $30 billion to $80 billion ” prompted wariness, too. Old suspicions about how Louisiana spends its money have not disappeared.
Tim- The question that comes to my mind is: Why is it that Mississippi, also hit by the storm and received federal assistance, is not complaining about not being able to touch the money, and is moving along with rebuilding? The fact that MS got more isn’t the issue with regards to the question, it is the fact that 1 state can do, while the other can’t…
As an outsider looking in, it’s time for you, the residents, to say enough with the waste and fraud that your government has garnered a reputation for…You, the people, are the ones “serving time” for the sins(corruption) of your politicians(many long gone), that you all seem accept as the status quo…
February 6, 2007 - 08:37 AM on February 6th, 2007
7- Tim, take another look at that $250 million plan that was proposed by your senators…it is in the original link…..
February 6, 2007 - 09:22 AM on February 6th, 2007
Gravitational pulls
According to NASA’s official biography, Nowak is married with three children. During her 13-day mission in July she operated the robotic arm during three spacewalks.
Robotic arm? Hmm…..what could a man and woman do with that?(TFM will leave it t…
February 6, 2007 - 11:23 AM on February 6th, 2007
[...] Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Big Dog’s Weblog, Adam’s Blog, basil’s blog, Common Folk Using Common Sense, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, Jo’s Cafe, Conservative Thoughts, third world county, Right Celebrity, stikNstein… has no mercy, Pirate’s Cove, Planck’s Constant, Dumb Ox Daily News, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]
February 6, 2007 - 12:35 PM on February 6th, 2007
The Road to Islamification is Paved by Religious P
One of the first lessons I learned in seminary is that you cannot divorce religion from culture. Every religion carries with it the mark of the culture that gave it birth. Either religions will adapt to cultural change, or the culture will adapt to r…
February 6, 2007 - 01:05 PM on February 6th, 2007
Okay, thanks for being honest and admitting that we must suffer “the sins of [our] politicians(many long gone).” You’re quite a Christian.
Thank you, sir, may I have another?
Look, I think the guv and the mayor are the pits, too. All I’m asking is that the federal government do its level best to help the citizens here who need help. Just because the history of Louisiana politicians is crooked, you think it’s okay, you approve of making it difficult to get help? How do you sleep at night???
Don’t believe me? Here’s an excerpt op-ed from the Washington Post coverage of the recent Senate Committee hearing held here:
“One example: Almost a year ago, Congress appropriated $10.4 billion in special housing funds for reconstruction in Louisiana. Federal bureaucrats at the hearing last week were at pains to tell the senators why the requirement that the state ante up 10 percent of that total in matching funds was being enforced, since this statutory provision was waived in other recent disasters such as the Sept. 11 attacks and several Florida hurricanes.
“And no one even tried to explain why Washington won’t just let Louisiana write a check for its 10 percent share, and instead wants the state to write, justify and track a separate 10 percent check for each individual rebuilding project — thousands upon thousands of checks.
“Everyone knows this is insanity. Nobody does anything about it.
“Another example: Remember those lucky homeowners who have gotten their Road Home checks? The first thing they’re being required to do is pay back, in full, any loans they previously received under a special Small Business Administration rebuilding program. Anything else we can do for you?”
Read the full story at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/05/AR2007020501188.html?referrer=emailarticle
And note, he finds plenty of blame to go around. He doesn’t just say, “Well, they’re stupid enough to elect stupid people so they get what they deserve.” He is honestly upset that the federal government is not helping.
And note, too, that he is not saying that the federal government must do it all. He just wants the fed to do what it can to help.
I agree with the writer, and I go one further: I want President Bush to keep the promises that came from his own lips in a nationally televised speech from New Orleans on September 15, 2005. Put a link to that on your web page, and let’s see how Mr. Bush is doing.
Peace,
Tim
PS: Mardi Gras is Feb 20, Jazz Fest is April 27-29 and May 4-6. At least come on down and help our tourist economy. Let me know when you get here and I’ll buy the first drink.:grin:
February 6, 2007 - 01:42 PM on February 6th, 2007
Plagarism, Poetry Connections, and Open Trackback Tuesday
In my travels around the blogosphere I run into some interesting and thought provoking articles and will mark them to give myself a chance to ruminate on their content. Two such pieces surfaced in the past few days.
The first, written by Jonathon Kirsc…
February 6, 2007 - 02:42 PM on February 6th, 2007
This Explains SO much…..
I guess I need to apologize for accusing the MSM of bias against the president,but see, I wasn’t aware of the fact that it is their Job to Bash the President. I was under the obviously mistaken impression that journalist were supposed to report the n…
February 6, 2007 - 02:47 PM on February 6th, 2007
[...] Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, The Random Yak, Big Dog’s Weblog, Adam’s Blog, basil’s blog, Maggie’s Notebook, Common Folk Using Common Sense, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, Jo’s Cafe, Conservative Thoughts, Right Celebrity, Faultline USA, third world county, stikNstein… has no mercy, Pirate’s Cove, Planck’s Constant, Renaissance Blogger, Dumb Ox Daily News, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]
February 6, 2007 - 03:26 PM on February 6th, 2007
[...] Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Faultline USA, The Random Yak, Adam’s Blog, basil’s blog, Maggie’s Notebook, Pirate’s Cove, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Planck’s Constant, Renaissance Blogger, Common Folk Using Common Sense, Dumb Ox Daily News, Conservative Cat, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. [...]
February 6, 2007 - 03:48 PM on February 6th, 2007
Listing to Starboard II
From my starbooard-listing cruise around the web in the last week or so…
…
February 6, 2007 - 04:49 PM on February 6th, 2007
Watada lawyer rebukes judge
Civilian courts in the past have ruled on the free speech rights of commissioned officers. Under the UCMJ they are pretty restricted.
In my opinion Lt. Watada should be stripped of his rank and find himself breaking rocks for the next four years.
February 6, 2007 - 06:08 PM on February 6th, 2007
10- You may not like my comment about suffuring for the sins of the politicans, but it is the truth..rather than take care of the problem, NOLA keeps re-electing them…Why should the government trust that they will suddenly follow rules?
As for the Federal govt helping, there is a money trail leading to your state Tim. Lots of money has been sent, but according to this article;
In the same article, the 10% question is answered very clearly:
The state gets the money from the feds not from state coffers…
Tim, those of us that don’t live there see things a bit differently. NOLA has been sinking yearly and prior to Katrina, it was well below sea-level…there is a risk that the individual takes in choosing to live in that particular region…that may sound cold, but it is true.
It isn’t the Federal governments responsibility to rebuild your city..it is the job of the State. The Feds have sent the money yet it sits…what good will it do to send more if they haven’t even utilized the funds they have received?Â
February 6, 2007 - 08:22 PM on February 6th, 2007
Hispanic Superworker?
Does it strike anyone else as extraordinary that to Mr. Navarette Americans asking after a jobs hours and benefits seems outlandish as contrasted with third world slaves who are happy to live at subsistence wages? I really don’t know how to break thi…
February 6, 2007 - 09:18 PM on February 6th, 2007
You’ve got a great point there, Peejz. If New Orleanians are so stupid as to re-elect an incompetent fool like Nagin, why the hell should anyone else care about them?
February 6, 2007 - 10:09 PM on February 6th, 2007
Pigs and MonkeyS Again
WARNING: The Surgeon General and Angel have jointly determined that these words may be sickeningly biased and untrue.
…
February 6, 2007 - 10:19 PM on February 6th, 2007
Truth and Hope Report: Who Needs a Super Hero?
H. Michael Brewer was my guest on this edition of the Truth and Hope Report and he was excellent. Brewer is author of the book, “Who Needs a Superhero:Finding Virtue, Vice, And What’s Holy In The Comics.”
He was such a fun guest. He’s a huge co…
February 7, 2007 - 01:08 PM on February 7th, 2007
Robert, I suppose you’re yet another fine Christian. Thanks for the love.
Preejz, Powell says Louisiana should use money from the federal government to pay the 10% co-pay, thus giving the money right back. You think that’s a good answer??? And yet, somehow, WE’RE the stupid ones?
Okay, I will accept your premise that we who choose to live in a dangerous place must accept the risks. I’m good with that. So I look forward to your blog about how FEMA should not be helping out in the Northeast and Midwest right now because that’s their own fault–it snows there. And the same goes for tornadoes and hurricanes in Florida, earthquakes in California, etc. Let’s pass a law and make it official so that we all know where we stand.
Peace,
Tim
February 7, 2007 - 06:11 PM on February 7th, 2007
13- Tim, you have been and will continue to be helped out by FEMA. It is not the job of FEMA to go in and coordinate State efforts..The Feds have come through, now it’s time for your state to start working..It appears Blanco/Nagin are consistant with regards to how they treat the citizens..they did nothing before the storm and have done nothing after the storm! Guess what, it’s time for the citizen’s to start demanding action from the state…that is where the money is sitting…
Let’s talk about the natural disaster that occur around this country…in each of the instances, the states ask for funds, the states are given the funds and the states take care of it…All the states except for 1! Louisianna! Loisianna asks for funds, receives funds, does nothing with the funds….So if that 10% is waived, then all the problems are resolved right? That 10% is holding everything up?
February 7, 2007 - 07:14 PM on February 7th, 2007
Unbelieveable, just unbelieveable that I have to explain this to a fellow American. Let’s see if you can grasp the scale of what we’re talking about here: Katrina, largest, most destructive hurricane in history. JUST IN LOUISIANA: 1,464 dead. 1.3 million people initially displaced, 204,500 houses with severve or major damage. 82,000 FEMA tailers.
Somebody wrote to me, “When one of our neighbors has a problem like that, we all pitch in and fix it.” Well, friend, it ain’t gonna happen here, because ALL the houses in my neighborhood were destroyed. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. So that “Let’s all pitch in and make it better” plan just doesn’t cut it.
That’s why President Bush himself personally came down here while the city was still full of water and pledged in a nationally televised speech, “We will do what it takes, we will stay as long as it takes, to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives.” That’s a pretty potent pledge, don’t you think?
You keep going back to the guv and the mayor, as if any state or city has the ability, the resources to just pop back up after such widespread and total destruction. That’s why the president stepped in. That’s why FEMA, SBA and even the Army came to New Orleans. Because it was a huge disaster.
On 9/11, New York lost one city block. A lot of poor souls died that day, many more than Katrina could claim. But the city was still there, still functional, still inhabitable. Well Katrina filled about 80 percent of New Orleans, 100 percent of St. Bernard Parish next door, and large parts of Plaquemines, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes, too.
I know, I know, it’s our fault for living here, it’s our fault for electing poor leaders, it’s our fault for not filling out the paperwork and providing all the documents and making all the phone calls to get that precious aid that has already been offered. The president is under no obligation to do anything he promised and it’s our fault for listening.
peejz, you win. We’re all stupid, lazy and greedy. We brought this upon ourselves. New Orleans is not worth saving, it costs too much, it’s not a federal problem, we’re getting what we deserve. Thanks for enlightening me.
This has been most educational.
Peace,
Tim
February 7, 2007 - 07:36 PM on February 7th, 2007
Katrina, largest, most destructive hurricane in history. No it wasn’t. The largest was Camille in 69′.
You keep going back to the guv and the mayor, as if any state or city has the ability, the resources to just pop back up after such widespread and total destruction. I keep going back to them because that is who you pay to do the job..they were chosen by the residents of your state..Blanco popped back enough to have her offices redone after the hurricane..it would be nice if she could put that effort into satisfing the state.
Tim, you can make all the excuses you want, but Mississippi doesn’t have the problems that your state seems to have. They were able to fill their paperwork out, they have been able to distribute money…Florida is hit time and again, yet they are able to fill out their paperwork…
George Bush promised help and he came through..it isn’t the responsibility of the feds to come in an do the states job..if that’s what it will take, I’m sure the federal government can seize control of your state..is that what needs to happen?
How about you guys fire the hand pick of Blanco’s..even the Democrats in the state aren’t supporting him..
It isn’t your fault that the storm hit, but you run a risk when living in cities like that…
February 7, 2007 - 07:38 PM on February 7th, 2007
P.S.- no one accused you of being stupid, but it is your fault on it’s our fault for electing poor leaders, it’s our fault for not filling out the paperwork and providing all the documents and making all the phone calls to get that precious aid that has already been offered..
February 7, 2007 - 08:31 PM on February 7th, 2007
Too Much Aid
“In the neighborhood President Bush visited right after Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. government gave $84.5 million to more than 10,000 households,” the Associated Press reports from New Orleans:
Here we thought the problem was that the government didn’t do enough to help Katrina victims.
February 7, 2007 - 09:32 PM on February 7th, 2007
Tim it isn’t just that you elected poor leaders (we do that here too) but you reelected the incompetent Nagin, with the very recent public display of his gross incompetence still in the recent memory.
April 10, 2007 - 10:25 PM on April 10th, 2007
The city of New orleans was not destroyed by Hurricanie Katrina. The last hurricane that hit our city was 1965. 40 YEARS AGO! Hurricanidne Betsy. After the glancing blow by Katrina people were picking up leaves and inspecting roof damage.
…………OUR CITY WAS DESTROYED BY A DESIGN DEFECT!!!!!!!!!
The Corps of Eengineers took responsibility for the destruction on the City of New Orleans on June 6,2006. The Corps of Engineers which is funded by congress and is part of the U.S. gov. The corps knew what would happen to New Olreans in 1986 from the corps own research!
The steel which were inserted into the levees to protect the city from a hundred year storm was too short. only 11 1/2 feet long. The steel was inserted into peat moss and sand. It was the cheapest and easiest way to build. The canals that have been there since 1858. The walls fell over like dominoes. The corps of engineers promised New Orleans protection. They told us we had the state of the art hurricane protection. They gave us death and destruction!
Rotterdam in 23 feet below sea level. It is the biggest port in the world. In 1953 the North Sea rose up and killed 2000 people. This small country,Holland, made a national program to REUILD that port city and protect it from a THOUSAND YEAR FLOOD. It’s taken 30 years.
Kobe Japan was destroyed by earthquake. Japan has rebuilt its port to protect it and it is almost earh quake proff.
New Orleans is the second lagest port in the U.S. It is the fourth largest port in the World. 14,000 miles of inland waterways flows into the Mississippi river. 80% of the grain from the midwest moves down the Missisisppi river to New Orleans for export! For every barge on the river think 66 semi-trucks and trailers off of the highways of America.
New Orleans imports steel, wood, coffee, sugar. Dominoe’s
Sugar refinery is the biggest in the world.
Our coast line has been destroyed for oil and gas exploration. Alaska has 4,300 miles of pipe line. We have 68,000 miles of pipe line running through our coast We supply 30% of the crude oil used in America and we give 20% of the natural gas. We have 17 refineries on the Mississippi river that processes 200,000 barrels of crude oil a day at each refinery!
Off of lake charles we have the loop. Tankers off load oil and then it’s transported to the refineries.
I hope those of you who think too much money is being spent on La. like tuna from China. Louisiana supplies 30% of the seafood eaten in America. We have 3 of the top 11 sea food docks in America.
America spent over 100,000 BILLION dollars in todays money to rebuild Germany after world war 2.
The people of New orleans are not from a foreign country that hates America. We are not refugees. We are Americans who have had our lives destroyed by an arm of the Federal Government..not terrorist! The Federal Government must rebuld and repair the damage they have caused us.There are over 126 projects under the supervision of the Corps of Engineers that are defective in 30 different states. If the U.S.Gov. turns it’s back on New Orleans. What about Sacromento,Ca., Little Rock Ark.,Gilborro, New York, DesMoines,Ia. What about your home town, your home, your life! How would you feel if a design defect killed your family. This city has turned into a place filled with the deaths of our ederly, suicides from doctors to lawyers to dentistand now our very young! NEVER.. EVER.. FORGET ..A DESIGN DEFECT IS STILL KILLING THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS!
October 15, 2007 - 11:02 PM on October 15th, 2007
[...] Right Voices Blanco’s Re-Election Strategy: “The Blame Game”[...]
August 30, 2008 - 12:40 AM on August 30th, 2008
[...] Gulf Coast aid unspent Katrina Victims Hit Feds With 489,000 Claims Including 1 for $3 Quadrillion Blanco’s Re-Election Strategy: “The Blame Game”Feds Say FEMA Continues to Waste Millions of Dollars in Disaster Aid Ray Nagin Blames Racism, Red [...]