See article below and Vote at Adult Christian Forum Thread 98716 (Choices also given after article below).
The editors of a big time far left liberal mainstream elite media rag seem to believe that: "It is all George Bush's fault!"; and "All hurricane victims are innocent of fraud since Bush made them do it!"
From a Los Angeles Times editorial, A hurricane of fraud?:
From the Los Angeles Times [/] COMMON CURRENCY [/] A hurricane of fraud? [/] FEMA did mismanage Katrina relief, but it's wrong to blame victims for spending irresponsibly. [/] June 17, 2006
MOVE OVER, RECKLESS CONSUMERS. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has outdone your irresponsible spending by racking up a debit card bill so outrageous it could have been created using Mad Libs. Sex-change operations, vacations to the Dominican Republic and wild nights at strip clubs were all bought on the government's dime by both con artists and legitimate victims of Hurricane Katrina. But try to keep that knee from jerking — although FEMA's oversight was lacking, wasted money is an inevitable byproduct of providing rapid emergency assistance.
The tawdry expenses are listed in a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office. Though the headline makers were select items purchased with debit cards that FEMA gave out immediately after Katrina struck, the centerpiece of the survey was an estimate that about 16% of the agency's more than $6 billion in overall hurricane relief payments were improper and potentially fraudulent. And that figure is probably on the low side because it only accounts for certain categories of fraud, such as misrepresentation of identity and duplicate payments.
Some misuse of the FEMA-issued debit cards, however, is hardly shocking. The aim of the $2,000 cards was to give individuals immediate aid to be spent according to his or her judgment, rather than earmarking items that the government guessed would be of greatest assistance. For every "Girls Gone Wild" video purchased, thousands of families used their cards for clothing, food and temporary shelter without having to deal with federal red tape. Bad spending decisions are an unfortunate side effect of a clever and responsive policy.
This is strange. A "clever and responsive policy" from what they have been calling a failed agency in a failed administration. And they have been telling us that "government guess[ing] is generally to be preferred to "his or her judgment". But, of course, innocent victims are not morally responsible in their view, so a better sort of "government guess[ing]" is needed.
The 16% of improper expenditures is indeed high for a federal aid program — food stamps and unemployment insurance, by comparison, had respective rates of 5.9% and 10.1% last fiscal year. But these are established programs, not on-the-fly responses that had to process a sudden rush of 2.6 million claims. Unlike a permanent safety net, disaster relief's top priority is to help as many people as fast as possible, which comes at the price of reduced efficiency.
But just because FEMA faced a daunting task does not mean it should be given a pass for its sloppy oversight. The GAO cited several quick fixes that should be put into effect immediately, most notably simple tests for misrepresentation when citizens register for federal disaster assistance. FEMA's response thus far — cutting expedited payments to $500 — misses the point and will undercut relief efforts in future catastrophes.
The Los Angeles Times seems to believe that the taxpayer should spend more to appropriately support and mentor the innocent victims of diabolical oppressors such as George Bush and Hurricane Katrina. A much larger bureaucracy with much large funding and more intricate and detailed rules would seem to be their answer for anything. Marxism marches on.
It's easy, and necessary, to criticize FEMA's across-the-board incompetence in responding to the largest displacement of Americans since the Civil War. But obsessing about the spending habits of refugees comes perilously close to blaming the victim. [My ellipses and emphasis]
They seem to be saying:
Please remember, my dear child, that victims are always completely innocent. No matter what horrible things that they do. From spending relief funds on pornographic movies to killing three thousand people in the destruction of a great symbol of capitalist oppression. They have been driven to it by their oppressors, mostly capitalistic American oppressors and their lackey, George Bush.
Blaming a victim is the unforgivable sin, and will irrevocably doom one to perdition We are speaking figuratively, of course. Since "sin" and "perdition" are inventions of the oppressors and do not. in reality, exist.
Poll Question: Did Some Katrina Victims Commit Fraud? | Poll choices:
1. Yes. And government has a duty to punish wrongdoing. / 2. Yes. And an example should be made to deter others. / 3. Yes. And punishment may bring them to repentance. / 4. Yes. They stole the taxpayer's/my money. / 5. Yes. But compassion and mercy should be shown. / 6. Yes. / 7. Possibly. Should be investigated. / 8. Possibly. But bigger government more important. / 9. No. But should be officially lectured. / 10. No. / 11. No. Respect the L.A. Times opinion. / 12. No. Have compassion on their emotional distress. / 13. No. In all fairness, it is better to hang Bush and his minions. / 14. No. Only rabid right wing attack dogs would suggest it. / 15. No comment. / 16. No opinion. / 17. This poll is worthless. / 18. This poll is of negative value. / 19. Other.
Vote at Adult Christian Forum Thread 98716
