FEMA Battles Negative Image

[TampaFl]

FEMA Battles Negative Image. Interesting article. Thoughts and comments welcomed.


http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly ... 62,00.html


Robert

[mitchell]

I've worked with (but not for) FEMA for about the last 15 years. Fraud and sloppy dispersal of money will always be part of the disaster relief process...its built into the system (I've worked on around 10 disaster recovery efforts)
Consider:
1) Millions to Billions of dollars are changing hands with no ability to set up rigorous financial tracking systems ahead of time.
2) A huge raft of you know what hits FEMA anytime they are percieved as delaying payments to suffering towns or individuals. This makes scrutinizing requests for payment nearly impossible.
3) tens of thousands of newly hired temporary employees or contractors are quickly given large amounts of responsibility in disaster ops
4) The full time employees deployed to a disaster area get to go home when the operation is over...the operation is over when all of the eligible recipients of disaster relief are paid. Extra scrutiny means extra time away from home
5) Congressional pressures are ALWAYS to PROVIDE payments...not deny them.
6) I really hate to say this but its true: People have come to expect government handouts (can you really blame them in coastal areas where it seems like the government already does SO much?) and when FEMA tries to scrutinize requests for reimbursements the squealing and indignation is intense. I'm talking abusive.

I actually think FEMA does a good job under these tremendous constraints