# Insult to Injury -- FEMA charges Louisiana $3.7B for Emergency Aid **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 4, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535 "2005-11-04T20:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/1 "2005-11-04T20:24:27Z")
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051104/ts\_usatoday/louisianacantpaykatrinaritabills](http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051104/ts_usatoday/louisianacantpaykatrinaritabills) Your rant here. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/2 "2005-11-04T20:27:59Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > [http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051104/ts\_usatoday/louisianacantpaykatrinaritabills](http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051104/ts_usatoday/louisianacantpaykatrinaritabills) > Your rant here. Rant about what? What should they do? The law does not permit discretion here. It’s illegal for the feds to waive this portion of the fee. At what, precisely, should I be ranting? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/3 "2005-11-04T20:28:09Z")
Well, maybe they can go to some of those foreign countries that offered aid but were rejected… they could get a loan from Iraq… ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/4 "2005-11-04T20:42:06Z")
So, what will happen if the state just cannot find the funds to pay the bill? Can a state claim bankruptcy? If so, what would be the repercussions? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/5 "2005-11-04T20:48:48Z")
I don’t know what the rules say for Louisiana, but in California and Minnesota they lay off state employees, or just don’t pay them, when they don’t have enough money. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/6 "2005-11-04T20:49:57Z")
So in other words, Louisiana is being billed for it’s alleged portion of services it hasn’t – and probably won’t – receive? The money will probably all go to contractor cronies of current government officials, who proceed to do NOTHING. Which is what every single one of my friends displaced by Katrina reports FEMA has done for them. NOTHING. ZERO. ZIP. NADA. Okay, that sucks. Beyond any power of description I can come up with. But I can’t say I’m surprised. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/7 "2005-11-04T20:52:45Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > So in other words, Louisiana is being billed for it’s alleged portion of services it hasn’t – and probably won’t – receive? The money will probably all go to contractor cronies of current government officials, who proceed to do NOTHING. Which is what every single one of my friends displaced by Katrina reports FEMA has done for them. NOTHING. ZERO. ZIP. NADA. > > Okay, that sucks. Beyond any power of description I can come up with. But I can’t say I’m surprised. Finally, someone who understands how racketeering works! Eerk ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/8 "2005-11-04T21:40:48Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Rant about what? What should they do? The law does not permit discretion here. It’s illegal for the feds to waive this portion of the fee. > > At what, precisely, should I be ranting? Under our federalist system, could the federal government compel a state to hand over any funds from its own treasury without its consent? What if Louisiana told them to go screw themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/9 "2005-11-04T21:45:09Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Under our federalist system, could the federal government compel a state to hand over any funds from its own treasury without its consent? What if Louisiana told them to go screw themselves? I think that’s covered under “secession.” I hear they disapprove of that. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/10 "2005-11-04T23:31:23Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I think that’s covered under “secession.” I hear they disapprove of that. That’s when Sylvio, Furio and Chris come knocking on your door. Erek ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/11 "2005-11-04T23:48:06Z")
Didn’t Congress just vote something like $250B to rebuild that state? Maybe the feds can just deduct the $3.7B from that… $246.3B still sounds like a helluva deal! ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/12 "2005-11-05T19:48:33Z")
1. You don’t accept aid money from other countries. The United States knows that you only offer aid to other countries to curry favor and the develop a since of “indebtedness” we did it all throughout the Cold War and do it to this very day. We aren’t going to take our own medicine when we know what’s in it. 2. This is the law, maybe it needs to be rewritten but there wasn’t any serious opposition to this part of FEMA’s structure prior to anyone actually having to pay the bill. Not sure what there is to rant about, I mean maybe it sucks and we need to review it, but I’m not sure it’s worth a pitting. 3. FEMA has spent billions on hurricane Katrina efforts. No, it’s not all being funneled to cronies, it’s being used to repair the damage that was done. It’s not like this stuff is secret, you can find how the money has been spent and it’s all perfectly legitimate. Remember, anectdotal evidence is basically worthless, just because people you know haven’t gotten help from FEMA doesn’t mean FEMA has done nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/13 "2005-11-05T19:59:40Z")
If La. doesn’t have the money, they don’t have the money. There really isn’t anything the feds can do to collect it. Who are they going to take it from? Congress does have the ability to waive this fee through legislation. That should be a no brainer. ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/14 "2005-11-05T21:38:44Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > If La. doesn’t have the money, they don’t have the money. There really isn’t anything the feds can do to collect it. Who are they going to take it from? > > Congress does have the ability to waive this fee through legislation. That should be a no brainer. Why isn’t anyone calling for Blanco’s impeachment? It’s her responsibility as governor to pay her state’s share of the costs. Not paying sounds like a breach of fidiciuary responsibility to me. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/15 "2005-11-05T21:43:48Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > Why isn’t anyone calling for Blanco’s impeachment? It’s her responsibility as governor to pay her state’s share of the costs. Not paying sounds like a breach of fidiciuary responsibility to me. What’s the point of an impeachment if there is STILL no money in the state coffers? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/16 "2005-11-05T21:45:11Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > Why isn’t anyone calling for Blanco’s impeachment? It’s her responsibility as governor to pay her state’s share of the costs. Not paying sounds like a breach of fidiciuary responsibility to me. If the money is just not there, it’s squeezing water from a rock or blood from a turnip. You simply can’t collect what isn’t there. Impeaching or firing Blanco will not make the money magically appear. Disclaimer: I don’t know if it is or not, just saying is all. ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/17 "2005-11-05T21:47:06Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > What’s the point of an impeachment if there is STILL no money in the state coffers? To remove someone who failed in a basic duty that comes with being governor. She obviously can’t do the job. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/18 "2005-11-05T21:56:13Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > To remove someone who failed in a basic duty that comes with being governor. She obviously can’t do the job. If that’s the case, I imagine the Louisiana voters will get rid of her soon enough. However, if she screwed up, she wasn’t the only one (Mike Brown, the Fashion God for one). It seems every day, it looks worse for Brown and FEMA - that makes Blanco look better in comparison. She has someone to blame. I’m talking spin and accusations, not what the actual facts turn out to be. Personally, I prefer to blame Brown. ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/19 "2005-11-05T22:24:19Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > If that’s the case, I imagine the Louisiana voters will get rid of her soon enough. That’s pretty optimistic of you. After all, voters keep electing the likes of Cynthia McKinney, Maxine Waters, Bob KKK Byrd, Teddy Kennedy, et al. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535/20 "2005-11-05T22:36:14Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > That’s pretty optimistic of you. After all, voters keep electing the likes of Cynthia McKinney, Maxine Waters, Bob KKK Byrd, Teddy Kennedy, et al. But isn’t that their perogative to do so? Are you recommending that the federal government remove Blanco from office? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insult-to-injury-fema-charges-louisiana-3-7b-for-emergency-aid/329535.md?page=2)