It seems that the wounds from the U.S. Government’s miserable handling of Hurricane Katrina will never go away. This weekend, a shocking report shows that our federal government turned down millions of dollars in aid from foreign countries in the aftermath of Katrina. A staggering $846 million in aid was offered from countries across the globe, yet only $40 million was eventually accepted. Some went to private charities, but other assistance, such as medical supplies from Italy, was unused, exposed to the elements and eventually discarded.
The reasons the aid was rejected often dealt with a strict adherence to government regulations. For example, the Greek government offered two cruise ships to be used to house or care for Katrina victims. The ships were rejected due to concerns about the sprinkler systems on the boats. Other aid was turned down because of concerns about bottlenecks at a U.S. airbase in Little Rock, Arkansas caused by too many relief planes arriving. How infuriating that our government was worried about sprinkler systems and airport congestion when people were dying throughout the GulfCoast!
Those issues were trivial concerns that needed to be immediately disregarded because lives were on the line. What this response shows again is that our government does not have the ability to be flexible, quick thinking or responsive. If the response had been quicker or some of this aid had been accepted, then maybe some of the 1,836 lives that were lost in Katrina could have been saved.
The U.S. Government turned down offers of rescue dogs, medical teams, and basic supplies such as water. According to Melanie Sloan of the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the organization which released this report, the problem was that the government did not have a system in place to accept the assistance. Sadly, there is still no system in place today.
According to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. Government is “not accustomed to receiving large-scale foreign assistance offers.” Whether it is accustomed to receiving the assistance or not, it is no excuse for the government to turn down aid that was needed and could have possibly saved lives.
The reason that the aid flowed in from across the world was that the U.S. Government response was so lame and tardy that other governments wanted to assist. The images on the television screens motivated all of this incredible charity. The tragedy is that all of the offers were not used at the time and still to this day have not been used.
As Katrina victims saw in the initial aftermath of Katrina, the government response was tardy, insufficient and laden with bureaucratic red tape. Today, 20 months after the storm, a total of $125 billion in U.S. government aid has been allocated to the hard hit Gulf Coast, but only a fraction has actually been received by the people in need in places such as Louisiana and in New Orleans. The aggravation of dealing with bureaucratic entities such as FEMA and SBA has led some victims to exhaustion, others to suicide.The report that our government turned down $846 million in assistance from foreign nations for reasons that bordered on the ridiculous, just makes this horrific tragedy even more difficult to deal with.
Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 8:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and Noon till 2 p.m. weekdays on several Louisiana radio stations. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.
Alabama prepared its package and offered to let ThyssenKrupp use $900 million in tax-exempt bonds that the federal government made available to help the Gulf Coast States recover from Hurricane Katerina.
Wait...Federal Funds, made available to lure a German Company to Alabama that will import raw steel from Brazil taking advantage of the North American Free Trade agreement. On May 12 Govenor Blanco had that "Katerina" look as she warmly congradulated Alabama. I was expecting her to cry fowl. Hurricane(s) Katerina and Rita made a direct hit on the State of Louisiana. Perhaps, these bonds made possible by devastation Louisiana suffered (and to a much, much lesser degree Coastal Alabama suffered), tipped the balance and Alabama can prosper by the 4 billion dollar deal.
Also, if Govenor Blanco would "sprout antlers" she would be screaming that TysennKrupp stated that the plan was worth $4.2 billion not the $2.9 billion originally stated by TysennKrupp. Likewise, if this is the case any Hurricane Katerina Gulf Opportunity Funds cannot be involved.
Written by Ken
on 5/13/2007
Jeff, I am grieved to tears at the fact that apparent red tape and pride would deter this president from getting involved with the people's lives affected by hurricane Katrina. We went to war with Iraq faster than we went to aid of the people in the affected areas. We cleaned up Hiroshima and Nagasaki faster than New Orleans. I don't know why so many other things are more important than the New Orleans and surrounding areas' return to a semblance of normalcy. Maybe we need more down to earth people to govern the people. May GOD help those devastated by Katrina and those who stand in the way of the victims relief.
Written by Rev. Cory R. Echols Sr.
on 5/1/2007
FEMA let $200 Million dollars worth of MODULAR HOMES that were supposed to be sent to Louisiana, sit in a field in Texas and rot, why? If they could not be used here why did $200 Million dollars of our tax dollars rot in a field in Texas, instead of being used somewhere else in this country?
Written by TP Louis
on 4/30/2007
Jeff,
One of the first deficiencies which should be corrected now, before the hurricane season starts, is the lack of an agency or recovery aid "czar" who would, with sufficient staff and funding, coordinate handling the offers of foreign and domestic aid that will flow in, after the next big hurricane. This man or woman would have the authority to waive the mountain of red tape and bureaucracy, deputize non-evacuated residents, and reopen schools, hospitals, and other buildings, so that they could be quickly inspected, cleaned up, and repaired. This area needs a local recovery aid "czar" or coordinator, rather than the ham-handed FEMA response from Homeland Security, former FEMA director Michael "Brownie" Brown or his successor. A local or regional office would enable national and international aid workers, medical volunteers, financial donors, and food/medical supply volunteers, to come in, and get their instructions. and get the funds, food, and general assistance flowing quickly.
It seems that the wounds from the U.S. Government’s miserable handling of Hurricane Katrina will never go away. This weekend, a shocking report shows that our federal government turned down millions of dollars in aid from foreign countries in the aftermath of Katrina. A staggering $846 million in aid was offered from countries across the globe, yet only $40 million was eventually accepted. Some went to private charities, but other assistance, such as medical supplies from 
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