[StBernard] FEMA reimbursements

[Westley Annis]

Since the storm, the council and administration have beat the drum that the
feds have directed the state to not release FEMA funds intended for our
recovery as "punishment" to our parish and some counties in MS who refused
to use the Corps' debris contractors.

Now we fester in month 22!  URG is supposedly owed over $100 million so we
don't see the blighted houses being demolished anymore as we did last Dec
when URG demo crews were doing great getting rid of several each day. URG
isn't picking up debris weekly as they once were and we haven't seen a crew
around St. Mark's neighborhood in months. 

My question is, why isn't this on 60 Minutes or in the TP if this is
punishment for not using the Corps' contractors who supposedly had
connections with friends of elected officials in Washington who profit from
using them?  Why isn't Mary Landrieu and Charlie Melancon on this they way
Mary called for an investigation when there was a hint of inappropriateness
for the 17th St. Canal pump purchases that may have involved Jeb Bush?  Why
are our parish officials not raising hell anymore?

Is it because there is some other reason the FEMA money isn't flowing out of
Baton Rouge to the most devasted parish of all,  and our parish officials
don't want someone important to be embarrassed?

Perhaps there is no covert, secret punishment/conspiracy  going on and it's
an easy way to deflect a problem with our local officials so our parish
officials are now silent?

Is it because it really is true, but our parish officials are afraid that
calling attention to someone else's unethical behavior will reveal some
skeletons in our local government?

Is it because of someone in Baton Rouge who calls the shots on funneling the
money and our parish officials don't want to point the finger for some
reason?

It just amazes me that we sit and fester, especially the last six months,
and our parish officials are not calling attention, naming names, and
demanding a state and federal investigation. 

Is it because the parish admin can't provide the paperwork and accounting to
show the records of expenses and there could be fraud involved ? 

Perhaps it is time for we the people to demand the truth and get some public
answers at the parish, state, and federal level.  

Anyone out there reading this? Boasso, Hutter, Odinet, Landrieu, Melancon
????    

I took out a huge SBA loan, I used my life savings, and now I'm in my
repaired house and I look at ungutted houses with big red x marks and no
street lights all around me with smelly sewer pump trucks every night.  

But hey, I came back just as my parish officials urged me to RETURN, RENEW,
REBUILD.  I am a patient person, but I see our recovery come to a grinding
halt and the only answer I hear is that the parish hasn't gotten their due
FEMA money because it hired URG and not the Corps and we are being punished.
True or False, that's what I want to know.      mvd