Texas has paid federal hurricane aid to just 13 families....Gov. Rick Perry blames MS and LA

Louisiana has taken plenty of criticism for the slow grant payouts of the Road Home program. But hey let's see how Texas is doing...

AUSTIN – Only 13 Texas families whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Rita more than two years ago have received federal aid, though almost 4,300 families applied for it, according to an audit critical of state officials who distributed the money.

Congress gave Texas more than a half-billion dollars after Hurricane Rita for housing relief and infrastructure repairs, but the state has used only 2 percent of the money, the report released Thursday said.

And what does Republican Gov. Rick Perry have as an excuse...

Gov. Rick Perry, though, says the state has had to guard against abuses of federal hurricane aid that have occurred in other states.      

"Texas, unlike Mississippi and Louisiana, was very careful to not just hand out blank checks but rather to work with ... local government," said Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle. "We'd rather be accurate about how we distribute the funds than just doing it quickly."

What is he smoking?

The Road Home grants as well as other federal money has not gone out "quickly" in Louisiana and one reason it has been so slow getting to Louisianans is because of multilayered fraud safeguards instituted.  For example applicants had to produce mounds of documents  showing proof of title, insurance, assessment, payouts to name a few and even had to undergo being fingerprinted.  But more to the point on Perry's claim, one  safeguard was that Louisiana homeowners would not get a direct check but rather they would "receive their grants piecemeal through escrow accounts administered by lending institutions."

But wait it gets better.

After all the talk of Louisiana is so corrupt so they better have fraud safeguards, it was the federal government, specifically HUD, much to the shock of Louisiana officials, that stepped in this past March just as the program was beginning to improve and said WHOA....the Road Home program had to make lump-sum payments directly to homeowners. And so they did. Something by the way Mississippi had been doing all along so Perry would be right on that account at least. For Louisianans it is a check but certainly not a "blank" one. Though homeowners can conceivably receive up to $150,000 the average payment is $69,390.

And while Rick Perry has paid just 13 of 4300 families, Louisiana's Road Home program has recorded 185,895 applications and has now paid 66,314 of those. That's 36% which could and should be better but it certainly isn't quickly throwing out checks and given the vast difference in scope well  Perry's paultry stats are horrendously pathetic.

And by the by, the Road Home program also just under went it's 7th audit which the state conducts to check for possible problems, abuse or mistakes.

All of which is to say, Rick should just STFU about Louisiana.

But  what was your excuse again Governor? Possible Abuse? And something like that would never happen under your way of doing things huh? The Dallas Morning News article continues.....

He [State housing agency chief Michael Gerber] said that to speed disbursement of a second, $222 million federal allotment to assist homeowners, the department will hand off processing and eligibility determination duties to a private consortium led by Dallas-based ACS State and Local Solutions Inc.

Though the company is represented in Austin by six former state legislators turned lobbyists, one a former top aide to Mr. Perry, Mr. Gerber said he picked the best bidder and received no pressure to hire ACS. (my emphasis)      

ACS' subcontractors on the project will include Shaw Group Inc. of Baton Rouge, La., which has drawn scrutiny for receiving millions in no-bid Hurricane Katrina recovery work from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Shaw has been represented by lobbyist Joe M. Allbaugh, President Bush's former campaign manager and the former head of FEMA.

And will the Bush administration now chide, blame or strong arm Texas officials like they have Louisiana's?

Don't answer.

Clay Davis has it.............Sheeeeeeeeeeeit

UPDATE: The 13 families live in mobile homes while Gov Perry lives in $9900 /month home while mansion is renovated

Comments

[Virgotex]

Scout, you know he really is just a haircut, rght?

Governor Goodhair isn't a nickname. It's a description.

Hair. The rest? Just cardboard

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-IT.

[scout]

Virgotex...yeah I know but sitting on a half a billion in aid and then having the gall to point fingers?

Sheeeeeit