Thanks to an investigative report by the Times Picayune, we learned today that the Blanco administration paid ICF International an extra $156 million to operate the Road Home program.
With this extra infusion of funds, the Road Home contractor was paid a total of $912 million, an astounding sum considering the fact that the program was so poorly managed.
What is even more astounding is that the public and the Louisiana Legislature were not informed about this extra payment. Everyone knew that ICF International was paid $756 million for operating the Road Home program. The total of the initial contract was questionable enough, but this additional payment is nothing less than an outrage. Louisiana State Senator Ed Murray of New Orleans said that he was “floored” with the additional payment.
Since there are thousands of Katrina victims who have still not been helped by the Road Home program 30 months after the hurricane, ICF International should not have received any additional funds, no matter what their expenses might have been. In fact, ICF International should have been fired many months ago, not given a raise.
This disturbing revelation raises many questions:
1)Why was an out of state firm with no experience running a massive program like the Road Home given this contract?
2)What was the connection between the Blanco administration and ICF International?
3)Why did the Blanco administration pay ICF International an additional $156 million without informing the public or receiving the approval of the legislature?
4)Why hasn’t the Jindal administration and the Louisiana Legislature launched an investigation into the handling of this contract?
In my view, this entire contract is suspicious and this additional payment is infuriating, especially since the program was so mismanaged. Hopefully, we will get some answers in short order as Louisiana citizens deserve the truth.
Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 8 a.m. till Noon weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.
Apropos the comment in the story, "Then, of course, the Road Home program took too long to kick in after President Bush decided to dish the Baker Plan," it could be very useful—and maybe really interesting—to learn exactly about the who, when, what, and why that went into the surprising, emphatic, and unsatisfying decision to ignore Baker's genuinely thoughtful and fresh idea. Maybe it was just simple, casual incompetence—but with the consequences continuing to undercut the whole southeast Louisiana economy, together with people's lives and the social fabric, who in fact gained by not moving forward with an intelligent, market-based process to handle a profound, region-wide problem? The threads and connections may not be clear, but doesn't that just make the question come back again and again? Would not lessons learned add value to handling whatever next region-wide issue occurs in these United States? Written by David Morf
on 3/13/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
While I am sure many who wished to receive this taxpayer funded money are disappointed, those of us who contributed our labor so government (Our Savior!) could find yet another way of pi$$ing it away are also somewhat less than overjoyed. To think I voted for her thinking that “a woman will bring about needed change.” Well I’ll admit I can be as much an idiot as any other voter hopeful for positive “change.” It’s hard not to be cynical about the “promise of good government.” I’m not sure I’d know it if I ever saw it. The good news about our local and state government is that festivals, live music, plays, sporting events and pee-raids are not the only entertainment we enjoy down heah. Written by kpf, limping but gonna dance & drink 2nite anyway
on 3/13/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Geeee, perhaps now we can understand how Bab's can afford to fly around giving lectures. As if anyone would want to pay money to hear anything she has to boo-hoo about......... Written by barfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
on 3/13/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Boy, that made me hot when I read that in the T-P this morning - Jeff is spot-on - something here stinks and needs to be investigated! My own experience with Road Home was that the incompetent ICF should have been DOCKED money, not paid more - what an outrage! And the fact that it was done silently under the table is just atrocious! TW Written by Tee Dub
on 3/13/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Thanks to an investigative report by the Times Picayune, we learned today that the Blanco administration paid ICF International an extra $156 million to operate the Road Home program. 
