In reality, there are two issues dealing with ICF and the Road Home.First, is the contract.Suddenly, with very little notice to those who should have been informed, there are media reports that ICF is reaping the benefits of a contract change to their own 156,000 million benefit.Some feel it is raping, not reaping.
Which moves us to the second issue, job performance.The media has been replete with stories about disputes with Road Home over the money granted.Many people feel frustrated that they have received so little.Others feel robbed that they have not received anything but a notice that they will not “receive” anything, because they previously sold their water-logged homes.
In reality, this entire ordeal is the very last thing that Governor Blanco needed as she allows time to judge her administration and her legacy.
Somehow, something went woefully wrong.Legislators are quite upset which was evident by their comments yesterday during Thursday’s meeting of the Legislative Audit Advisory Council.
The new Executive Director of the LRA, Paul Rainwater, who formerly worked for US Senator Mary Landrieu is discussing streamlining the appeals process and possibly about reducing the contract.
Meanwhile, ICF is telling us that things will be fixed.
Many want to know if things were indeed “fixed” which is one theory for a contract adjustment upward while closings were moving quickly, albeit with complaints and angry former property owners wringing their pockets with no Road Home money.
For the credibility of the program, for future federal money and even for the future reputation of Governor Blanco, the facts must come out as soon as possible.
Even if the complaints of settlement amounts and the situation where homeowners who sold their properties before the “Road Home” program was in place are remedied, there is still the question regarding why there was a contract adjustment with little notice to those who should have received the proper “heads-up”.
One day, all of this will be behind us.But, for now, Louisiana citizens are angry, legislators are miffed, Governor Blanco seems confused and the state’s reputation is sullied.
No doubt, we were hit by the storms of the century in 2005.We can hope that the waters are calm in 2008 over the matter of money and rebuilding.Those sorely impacted by all of this are much more deserving--with money or certainty--than what they are now receiving.
Uhhhhhh Don, so much for your opinion on the need for journalists like....... and yo! Stevo! >>>>>>>>>>>Governor Blanco seems confused and the state’s reputation is sullied.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< News flash dude, Blanco isn't the Guv no mo....... But you know sumthing, you may want to try to live up to Don's (although misdirected) praise and be the journalist you can be. Money is always on your lips, welll?????????????????????
Written by You can lead horse to water..........
on 3/25/2008
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Another "storm of the century" could hit us this year, or the next. Why should those who wisely spend their hard earned wages on insurance continue to pay to rebuild homes for those who do not (or cannot)? I see no problem with "helping our fellow citizens" to rebuild on higher ground where we will not have thousands of homes destroyed again (and perhaps yet again), but to take action whereby the tax payer is saddled with the risk of paying to rebuild these homes in our hurricane vulnerable city - perhaps one or more times post Katrina - is not in the best interest of the working tax payer, IMHO. Written by kpf
on 3/25/2008
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ICF told her they would shutdown the program right away, while she was still govenor, and lay off several hundred people unless she gave them more money. The rest is just sand thrown in our eyes.
Written by No Mystery About Why Blanco Did It on 3/23/2008
The first line pretty much screams a threat of extortion. As I understand it, threatening to withhold services, unless one gets more money, is a classic definition of extortion (or maybe blackmail?). Acts like this can get a someone (in this case, an ICF exec) hauled into federal court. It's time to not only investigate ICF's (mis)handling of this whole sorry mess, but to track down the ICF official who threatened to shut down the program, and to, if warranted, file charges against him (or her, as the case might be) on the charge of attempted extortion/blackmail against Gov. Blanco and our state. If anyone's interested, former Gov. Blanco wrote a letter to the editor in today's TP defending her decision to grant ICF this "raise". That 156 million could be enough to help thousands of area homeowners return home, find their lots, and make decisions about whether to rebuild. Written by Wendy King
on 3/24/2008
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156 million increase in contract under the radar is mind boggling,but 156,000 million (Typo error) in your article would make international headslines. Written by Yogi
on 3/24/2008
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Management of this program has been all over the board, with some feeling they did not get their fair share and others who admit privately they were paid far more than they expected. It could be a simple matter of gross incompetence at work here, along with the usual scalping of the taxpayer of course. Having very little faith in anyone to use their judgment regarding governance I think it best when those in a position of power have strict, transparent and easily understood limits they must stay within, whether it is sentencing guidelines for judges or running a program such as this. Written by kpf
on 3/24/2008
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ICF told her they would shutdown the program right away, while she was still govenor, and lay off several hundred people unless she gave them more money. The rest is just sand thrown in our eyes.
Written by No Mystery About Why Blanco Did It
on 3/23/2008
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Thank you for finally writing a subjective argument instead of jumping on the "Blame the Road Home" bandwagon. There are indeed some fishy stuff going on that needs to come out, but all the media has helped to do it hinder the progress rather than help it. There needs to be checks and balances, but The TP (which is all its worth in my opinion) has done more harm to the citizens of LA than help them. So thank you for being a good reporter and writing something that is to the point with no finger pointing until the facts come out. We need more journalist like you! Thanks Written by Don
on 3/22/2008
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In reality, there are two issues dealing with ICF and the Road Home.
