Thread: Introducing FEMA!!!

CASHING IN ON DISASTER

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/sfl-fe ... ws-utility

FEMA gave $21 million in Miami-Dade, where storms were 'like a severe thunderstorm'
The four hurricanes that pummeled the rest of Florida hardly brushed Miami-Dade County. Only Hurricane Frances was a factor there -- packing the punch of a bad thunderstorm.

Probe sought into questionable aid to Miami-Dade 'hurricane victims'
Three Florida members of Congress on Monday called for investigations into how the federal government awards disaster aid and why at least 9,800 Miami-Dade applicants have received more than $21 million in Hurricane Frances assistance even though the storm inflicted little damage in the county.

FEMA director says agency looking into Miami-Dade claims
As Hurricane Frances moved ashore over the Treasure Coast last month, the federal government declared Miami-Dade County a disaster area eligible for individual aid even though the storm's outer bands barely had touched the county.

Miami-Dade FEMA claims high in poor areas
HOMESTEAD -- The manager of a check-cashing store in this southern Miami-Dade city says he has cashed as many as 30 disaster relief checks a day for residents since Hurricane Frances hit Florida on Labor Day weekend.

State to pay $60 million share of hurricane aid
The state will pay more than $60 million as its share of federal hurricane assistance to Floridians but has no control over how the money is spent or who gets it.

FEMA inspectors will face review of hurricane-damage claims
ORLANDO -- As nearly $1 billion in hurricane relief pours into Florida, federal auditors will begin a two-year inquiry this week into whether 3,000 inspectors properly verified damage claims and the Federal Emergency Management Agency provided sufficient oversight.

FEMA extends application deadline to Dec. 31 for all hurricanes
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended its aid registration deadline for all four hurricanes that struck Florida by 46 days until Dec. 31, instead of Monday.

Ranks of hurricane homeless rising by 100 a day
The ranks of Florida's hurricane homeless continue to swell by as many as 100 people per day, three months after the first of four storms struck the state, a Federal Emergency Management Agency official in Orlando said Thursday.

Training for FEMA inspectors often brief
With an investment of eight hours one Monday in early October, Johanna Hadik of Margate got a badge and the next day was out inspecting hurricane damage for the federal government.

FEMA offers trailers for families in need in Fort Pierce parking lot
FORT PIERCE · The way Jewel Hudson's eyes lit up, you would have thought she was moving into a beachfront mansion.

Miami-Dade cleans up on FEMA aid
Government aid for Hurricane Frances bought Miami-Dade County residents rooms full of furniture, new wardrobes and thousands of appliances, including microwaves, refrigerators and sewing machines, even though the brunt of the storm missed the county.

Smart shoppers come out fine with FEMA aid FEMA's rather generous with reimbursements
HIALEAH · At BrandsMart USA, a low-end model Magic Chef microwave costs $28.88.

HURRICANE FRANCES RELIEF
As of Oct. 18, FEMA had awarded $24.4 million in Hurricane Frances relief to residents of Miami-Dade County. The government gave:

Legislators urge FEMA inquiry over Miami-Dade payments
Florida lawmakers Tuesday called for state and federal investigations into how the government approved about $28 million in Hurricane Frances claims for new furniture, clothes and appliances for residents of Miami-Dade County, which was barely touched by the storm.

Legislators call for investigation into 'hurricane aid' in Miami-Dade
Four Florida members of Congress called Wednesday for an investigation into federal hurricane aid distribution, while state legislators are considering legislation to increase penalties for falsifying disaster applications.

Officials expect arrests in Miami-Dade FEMA claims
Federal authorities pursuing fraud allegations anticipate arrests by the end of the year in Miami-Dade County, where residents have collected millions in disaster assistance for Hurricane Frances, an official in charge of the investigation said Friday.

Suspicions don't slow Miami-Dade storm relief
For two months, elected leaders from Tallahassee to Washington have demanded investigations while expressing outrage that Miami-Dade County residents may have fraudulently collected millions in Hurricane Frances aid.

Miami-Dade told officials that losses were minor but FEMA aid flowed anyway
Federal officials knew as early as two days after Hurricane Frances that the Labor Day storm had left little damage in Miami-Dade County.

FEMA declares 22 more counties eligible for Ivan aid, despite little damage
Hurricane Ivan slammed ashore in Alabama in mid-September, but Floridians as far away as Palm Beach County -- 675 miles from the storm's landfall -- can now collect disaster aid from the federal government.

FEMA payout scrutiny spreads to other states
From Mobile, Ala., to Detroit to rural eastern North Carolina, the federal government has approved millions in assistance to areas largely unaffected by disasters, even after local officials warned of possible fraud.

Complaints of FEMA aid fraud stymied by ‘runaround’
From Miami to Winter Haven to Starke, Floridians have accused their neighbors, colleagues and even their own relatives of taking advantage of the hurricanes by collecting disaster assistance they didn't deserve.

FEMA director defends funds to Miami-Dade
Thousands of Miami-Dade County residents who have collected almost $31 million in Hurricane Frances relief deserve not scorn but pity, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday.

14 in Miami-Dade indicted in FEMA fraud scandal
U.S. alleges false claims after hurricane
Federal authorities charged 14 Miami-Dade County residents with fraud Wednesday for claiming damage from Hurricane Frances to collect disaster assistance.

Records detail how FEMA was cheated on hurricane claims
Miranda Woodard moved out of her south Miami-Dade County home before Hurricane Frances hit last fall but still collected $12,359 from the federal government for damages she claimed at her former address, authorities say.

Details of fraudulent FEMA claims
The 14 Miami-Dade residents indicted Wednesday allegedly made false claims to collect a total of $156,354 in disaster aid. Federal records show that inspectors for the Federal Emergency Management Agency signed off on tens of thousands of dollars in claims for clothing, furniture, appliances, rental assistance and cars. Recipients of the most aid are:

Defendants facing charges in FEMA scandal
Here are the people who appeared in U.S. District Court in Miami on Wednesday, charged with various counts of wire and mail fraud and filing false claims with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the indictments and statements made in court:

Sun-Sentinel sues for release of FEMA records on hurricane aid
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to force the release of government records on the distribution of millions in disaster aid following last year's four hurricanes.

Ten plead not guilty to charges of filing false FEMA claims
Ten south Miami-Dade County residents pleaded not guilty Friday in federal court to charges they cheated the government by filing false FEMA claims after Hurricane Frances brushed by, leaving little damage in the county.

State records show Bush re-election concerns played part in FEMA aid
Consultant predicted a `huge mess'
As the second hurricane in less than a month bore down on Florida last fall, a federal consultant predicted a "huge mess" that could reflect poorly on President Bush and suggested that his re-election staff be brought in to minimize any political liability, records show.

FEMA, insurance payouts in Miami-Dade face state review
Florida's auditor general agreed Tuesday to legislators' demands that the state scrutinize the legitimacy of insurance and federal disaster aid payments in Miami-Dade County and possibly other parts of the state.

FEMA aid for storm paid for too many funerals, figures show
Florida officially recorded 123 fatalities from last year's hurricanes, but the federal government has paid funeral expenses for at least 315 deaths, including those of a man who shot himself and a stroke victim hospitalized more than a week before the last storm hit.

Official deaths and FEMA funerals


FEMA's inspectors included criminals
Agency relied on them for honest reports
Government inspectors entrusted to enter disaster victims' homes and verify damage claims include criminals with records for embezzlement, drug dealing and robbery, a South Florida Sun-Sentinel investigation has found.

U.S. Senate to examine fraud, waste in FEMA storm aid
A U.S. Senate committee will have a hearing next week on allegations of waste and fraud in the federal government's disaster assistance program.

Audit scolds FEMA over payments
Waste, loss of control cited at all levels of hurricane aid
Miami-Dade County residents collected Hurricane Frances aid for belongings they didn't own, temporary housing they never requested and cars worth far less than the government paid, according to a federal audit that questions millions in storm payouts.

SUN-SENTINELINVESTIGATION
FEMA ruled on disaster before verifying Dade damage
Decision lets 12,000 in collect millions
As Hurricane Frances made landfall 100 miles north of Miami-Dade County last September, a top official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the county a major disaster area with no evidence of damage and contrary to a presidential order, federal auditors have found.

FEMA controversy may result in tougher critieria for declaring disaster area
A South Florida member of Congress wants to require the federal government to verify damage before declaring areas a disaster, a step bypassed in Miami-Dade County last fall that led to residents collecting $31 million in aid for a hurricane that struck 100 miles away.

Senate panel pledges FEMA reform after finding widespread fraud
A U.S. Senate committee found widespread fraud and waste in the federal government's payout of $31 million to Miami-Dade County residents for Hurricane Frances aid.

House wants criteria for FEMA aid spelled out in U.S. law
The U.S. House passed by voice vote a proposal to require FEMA to develop criteria and provide documentation for funeral assistance.

How FEMA disaster relief went wrong
Director insists mistakes were within reason
Washington, D.C. · Inexperienced inspectors, savvy applicants and untimely operational changes led to overpayments and fraud in Miami-Dade County after Hurricane Frances, congressional investigators found.

Homestead women sentenced to probation for cheating FEMA
A Homestead woman who collected $24,755 in Hurricane Frances relief for a sewer backup that occurred weeks before the storm received probation under a sentence imposed Tuesday in federal court in Miami.

FEMA mailed $11,000 check to Homestead man before verifying damage, trial told
The federal government mailed an $11,000 check to a Homestead man two days before sending him a form asking him to verify his damage claim, according to testimony Thursday at the man's fraud trial.

FEMA inspector arrested before storm
Charge revealed during mail fraud trial
An inspector for the federal government was facing grand theft charges last fall when he verified a Homestead man's claim for disaster relief, according to testimony and court records.

Homestead man found not guilty in FEMA storm aid fraud case
A federal jury cleared a Homestead man Wednesday of charges he lied to the U.S. government last year when he applied for disaster relief after Hurricane Frances brushed by South Florida.

FEMA disaster aid operations tightened after Frances
Disaster aid operations tightened after Frances
Federal officials announced sweeping changes Friday in how they verify damages and award aid to disaster victims in response to a U.S. Senate investigation into widespread fraud and waste in Miami-Dade County after Hurricane Frances last year.

FEMA paid for at least 203 funerals not related to 2004 hurricanes
The federal government used hurricane aid money to pay funeral expenses for at least 203 Floridians whose deaths were not caused by last year's storms, the state's coroners have concluded.

Miami man gets probation for fraudulent FEMA hurricane claim
A Miami man sentenced to probation Tuesday became the second member of his family convicted of fraudulently obtaining federal disaster money for Hurricane Frances last fall.

Chief coroner warns of more FEMA waste on funeral overpayments
Despite assurances from federal officials that they will change the way they award disaster funeral assistance, taxpayer money will likely still be wasted, Florida's chief medical examiner predicted Thursday.

I strongly urge everyone to go to the link to see the whole story. There are pictures. This is what happened last year when Miami received tons of FEMA money they NEVER should have received. It tells an interesting story, most Americans didn't hear about last year.

But let's go back now thirteen years:
Thirteen years ago when Andrew hit, as we all know it was a disaster. FEMA gave lots of money out and of course many needed it. But the untold story is about all the money that went to those who didn't really need it. Everyone knew that there were many people who brought their garden hoses inside and watered down their homes and their furniture etc, in order to get new furniture and remodeling.

About a year after Andrew, a co-worker and I were discussing Andrew. She asked me if we got any FEMA money. I said no, because my husband boarded up our windows, and it really saved us. (We were like one block from the eye wall so it was pretty bad). But we didn't need FEMA. I asked her how she did and if she lost a lot. She said no, but I got a lot of FEMA money. I said, "really?" She leaned over and whispered what happened in confidence. She said many days after Andrew her door bell rang. She went and it was a FEMA person. The person asked her if she had much damage. She said no, not really that she had been very lucky. She said the man said, "Surely you must have SOME damage." She said "no". He said, "well, I have money here to get rid of, let's see if maybe you have SOME things that I can get you a check for." She said, she literally had no damage, but he wrote a report up and she received several thousand dollars.

To this day, many people in Miami refer to Andrew as "Saint Andrew".
You never saw so many new cars in a city in all your life as you did in Miami after Andrew. Amazing. Amazing and kinda sad.

No wonder FEMA told the illegals, they would recieve FEMA. How much money does this organization have

Hi, Legal! It's been a while.

No wonder FEMA told the illegals, they would recieve FEMA. How much money does this organization have Question

I think that is the whole point, the only money they have is what they extract from us overburdened taxpayers. If they don't spend it, they get a cut next budget period. You have put your finger on one of the biggest problems this country has. These agencies believe that if they do not spend the money they have, they will have their budgets cut, so they spend like madmen, especially toward the end of the budget year.

I cannot say I am shocked that there is a lot of fraud in South Florida, or anywhere else for that matter. Too many people are perfectly willing to stick to the government or anyone else if they can get away with it. Disgusting is not a strong enough word for these people.

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

But let's go back now thirteen years:

. . . Everyone knew that there were many people who brought their garden hoses inside and watered down their homes and their furniture etc, in order to get new furniture and remodeling.

About a year after Andrew, a co-worker and I were discussing Andrew. She asked me if we got any FEMA money. I said no, because my husband boarded up our windows, and it really saved us. (We were like one block from the eye wall so it was pretty bad). But we didn't need FEMA. I asked her how she did and if she lost a lot. She said no, but I got a lot of FEMA money. I said, "really?" She leaned over and whispered what happened in confidence. She said many days after Andrew her door bell rang. She went and it was a FEMA person. The person asked her if she had much damage. She said no, not really that she had been very lucky. She said the man said, "Surely you must have SOME damage." She said "no". He said, "well, I have money here to get rid of, let's see if maybe you have SOME things that I can get you a check for." She said, she literally had no damage, but he wrote a report up and she received several thousand dollars.

To this day, many people in Miami refer to Andrew as "Saint Andrew".
You never saw so many new cars in a city in all your life as you did in Miami after Andrew. Amazing. Amazing and kinda sad.

No wonder FEMA told the illegals, they would recieve FEMA. How much money does this organization have

and to think I've been needing my furniture re-upholstered for years!!!