Sunday, October 15, 2006

9/11 Federal Aid Program Filled with Fraud

Huffington Post
9/11 Federal Aid Program Filled with Fraud?

So says the NY Daily News in
a report of a House Homeland Security subcommittee's study of the more than $21 billion program.

Nuggetty highlights:

FEMA, which dispensed $8.8 billion - 41% of the total federal 9/11 aid package - paid for free air conditioners and other clean-air devices to tens of thousands of New Yorkers who lived nowhere near Ground Zero or the toxic plume from the World Trade Center.

"They have no map of the city? They have no clue how far the plume went?" said an outraged King. "Then people went and used their vouchers to buy stereos and God knows what."...

payment of $300,000 by FEMA and the city to a photographer who took video and photos while flying over Ground Zero, only to turn around and use some of the material in a documentary featuring topless women.

House investigators found that the photog's background and lack of experience was never checked...

"uncomplicated" eligibility rules established by the Empire State Development Corp. and its subsidiary, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., for small business recovery grants ended up "favoring large companies."

Of course, we all know New York City isn't as crooked as New Orleans, which must be why this story isn't national news.