I know everyone here will be stunned and shocked to learn that FEMA's damage is still ravaging our country. This time, it's Texas that is currently feeling the full, howling gale of Chertoff-force incompetence. Governor Goodhair has
sent out a plea:
I write to you today concerning serious problems in Texas' recovery efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. My concern is that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has engaged in inconsistent and disparate treatment of Texas on several important fronts.
These FEMA storm winds have pummelled Texas on several fronts, as Perry goes on to describe.
Full FEMA storm warning after the break...
WARNING! FEMA STORM SHOWS NO SIGNS OF WEAKENING:
Expect unreliable or no communications, making it nigh impossible to manage the damage:
state and local leaders are getting conflicting instructions from FEMA....
and
Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson... authorized a six-month extension for the FY03 grants that Texas had requested. However...the Office for Domestic Preparedness stated that FY03 grant extensions were contingent upon a detailed letter of justification and are not guaranteed for approval.
I knew Michael Jackson had to be involved somehow! Typical MSM/GOP tactic--distract us from real suffering with celebrities...
Further, the original debris removal reimbursement structure was based on an Army Corps of Engineers estimate of debris amounts in affected counties; actual debris amounts exceed this estimate by more than 50 percent.
and
FEMA's failure to swiftly assist Texas in identifying Katrina sex offenders and violent criminals, as well as parolees and probationers who are subject to supervision, continues to jeopardize the safety of Texans and other Katrina evacuees....While I was pleased to learn on October 31 that the Security Division of FEMA has agreed to check the names of Louisiana sex offenders ... Texas made that request weeks earlier and had even supplied the names on October 16.
Expect irratic storm reversals with maximum sustained incompetence to extend the damage for at least 90 days
I asked FEMA to extend the federal government's agreement to pay 100 percent of costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures in affected Texas counties for another 60 days to allow sufficient time to clean up from the devastating effects of Hurricane Rita. FEMA denied this request
and
At the same time Texas' extension was denied, however, FEMA approved a Louisiana request for a 30-day extension ... agreeing to pay 90 percent of the costs for Louisianans....inconsistent and shifting FEMA reimbursement policies for cities and counties create difficulties for local jurisdictions, and I urge you to comprehensively address this challenge.
Expect minimum central support or compassion in all affected areas
Texas has compassionately provided for the needs of more than 400,000 Katrina evacuees who sought refuge after the disaster. However, our communities cannot be expected to support such a large evacuee population on a long-term basis without substantial federal aid. Temporary housing solutions are beginning to create long-term problems for our state. The Texas Apartment Association is today announcing that the eviction of 15,000 people displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is imminent, because no rent has been paid for three months or serious lease violations have occurred. An additional 50,000 evacuees could face eviction next month -- and these figures only represent the segment of evacuees who chose apartments as their temporary home. The inability to provide evacuees with long-term stability is a crucial issue that the federal government must resolve quickly, because it poses significant issues for our communities concerning how to handle thousands of individuals who suddenly find themselves homeless once again.
In other words, you're on your effing own!
Have a nice day.
Chertoff Dept. of Homeland Insecurity