Picture it: The U.S. government gives you a debit card worth $1,000 or, in some cases, much more. You smile, nod and jump up and down as soon as Uncle Sam turns his back. Then you head to your neighborhood porn store or travel agent to blow the entire mini-fortune on debauchery and a couple cheap thrills.
That’s exactly what happened with billions of dollars in FEMA aid after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. Our hard earned tax dollars went for everything from “Girls Gone Wild” videos to booze and even a sex change operation, all right under the nose of the Fed.
Other items purchased include:
• An all-inclusive, one-week Caribbean vacation in the Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic.
• Five season tickets to New Orleans Saints professional football games.
• Dom Perignon champagne and other alcoholic beverages in San Antonio.
• A $1,000 payment to a Houston divorce lawyer.
Reports surfaced Wednesday that as much as $1.4 billion, or 16 percent of the billions of dollars that were supposed to be spent for legitimate purposes by hurricane victims, was instead squandered by dishonest people.
The fraud stems from a debit card program designed to make it easy for hurricane victims to spend government relief dollars. Problem is, it made it way too easy for crooks to step in and claim funds for themselves.
The government issued the little blue debit cards, which are identical to any debit or credit card, save the word “E-funds” that’s stamped in bold, white letters across the front, after the hurricane struck last September.
And the fraud began almost immediately after the first set of cards were issued.
The problem could have been avoided had FEMA been responsible (insert hearty laugh here) and actually followed some sort of procedure. They didn’t validate the identities of registrants, nor did they verify physical locations of reported damaged addresses. Big brother fell asleep on the job.
They just handed out money hand over fist, and the greedy, grubbing thieves got more than their fair share while the innocent victims suffered.
A Wednesday Associated Press report says, “A supposed victim who used a New Orleans cemetery for a home address and a person who spent 70 days at a Hawaiian hotel all were able to get taxpayer help, according to evidence that gives a new black eye to the nation’s disaster relief agency.”
Much more than a black eye, I’d say. And these are just the preliminary reports. Imagine what could surface a month from now when more tales of fraud surface. I’m not as upset about the misuse of funds — although it is horrible — as I am about taking money from those who really need it.
Call me naive, but it’s hard to imagine that people would willingly and knowingly take funds away from children, families and elderly people who so desperately need it.
And the government let it happen — it was easy. You could have done it. I could have done it.
Currently, FEMA has reportedly identified more than 1,500 cases of potential fraud after Katrina and Rita and has referred those cases to the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general, according to the AP.
So far, the agency has only identified $16.8 million in improperly awarded disaster relief money and has started efforts to collect the money. But it’s highly unlikely that any funds can be regained. It’s already spent, afterall.
What a shame.
Some satire for a Friday.
