ICF - 1,000 to 5,000 Katrina victims may have to repay Road Home money (MERGED) (1 Viewer)

[DadsDream]

Good grief, I hope nobody on this board falls into this category. How much more screwed up could Road Home get?

MSNBC
Katrina victims may have to repay money
Contractor says it rushed to deliver aid; agency to collect overpayments
March 29, 2008

NEW ORLEANS - Imagine that your home was reduced to mold-covered wood framing by Hurricane Katrina. Desperate for money to rebuild, you engage in a frustrating bureaucratic process, and after months of living in a government provided-trailer that gives off formaldehyde fumes you finally win a federal grant.

Then a collector announces that you have to pay back thousands of dollars.

For thousands of Katrina victims, this may be a reality.

A private contractor under investigation for the compensation it received to run the Road Home grant program for Katrina victims says that in the rush to deliver aid to homeowners in need some people got too much. Now it wants to hire a separate company to collect millions in grant overpayments.

The contractor, ICF International of Fairfax, Va., revealed the extent of the overpayments when it issued a March 11 request for bids from companies willing to handle "approximately 1,000 to 5,000 cases that will necessitate collection effort."

READ MORE
Katrina victims may have to repay money - Life - MSNBC.com

 

[SaintJ]

I'm sure far more effort will be put into making sure all the money used in the rebuilding of Iraq through private contractors will be accounted for.

What this country needs is a ******* revolution, all right.

 

[bclemms]

I'm sure far more effort will be put into making sure all the money used in the rebuilding of Iraq through private contractors will be accounted for.

What this country needs is a ******* revolution, all right.

The sad part is you are comparing pennies to dollars.

 

[derick76]

Their mistake they should cover it, I would not pay back one red cent if I were asked to return it. These people with the Road Home process went through an extensive system to prove what they are owed if someone now says that mis-calculated, tough you know what, you made the mistake you face the goverment to correct it, the homeowner that receive money should not be involved in the equation, if they got too much, I consider them lucky, they probably needed it anyways to get back on track.

 

[hammernnails]

Welcome to America .... another slap in the face for New Orleans..

Katrina victims may have to repay money - Life - MSNBC.com

NEW ORLEANS - Imagine that your home was reduced to mold-covered wood framing by Hurricane Katrina. Desperate for money to rebuild, you engage in a frustrating bureaucratic process, and after months of living in a government provided-trailer that gives off formaldehyde fumes you finally win a federal grant.

Then a collector announces that you have to pay back thousands of dollars.

 

[RebSaint]

So victims should have to pay for the continued mismanagement of Katrina relief?

Wow, now I've seen it all.

 

[saintanism]

Our government at work...

 

[gumbeau]

So victims should have to pay for the continued mismanagement of Katrina relief?

Wow, now I've seen it all.

I see your small government stance has some limits. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the US government wanting the money for Katrina to be paid back.

And before you bring it up, yes, I would want Iraq to pay us back too.

 

[RebSaint]

I see your small government stance has some limits. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the US government wanting the money for Katrina to be paid back.

And before you bring it up, yes, I would want Iraq to pay us back too.

Of course my "small government" has limits, I've said as much time and again. But I think government should have a role in disaster relief.

I would rather the United States government concentrate on properly managing assisting its own citizens effectively in the wake of a natural disaster rather than engage in useless nation-building for big oil interests.

Put another way, I'd rather government mismanage spending money to solve a problems within these here borders, especially my backyard rather than **** money away thousands of miles away for some narrow special interests.

So you want Iraq to pay the U.S. back? We're already by some estimates 1.3 trillion dollars into Iraq, with no sign of the violence abating.

Iraq may very well pay the U.S. back. Maybe in 100 years when it figures out for itself maybe to run a successful democracy without resorting to violence. Then again, the United States may still be spending $$$ there in 100 years.

 

[jimrip]

hey, we gave the LRA 763 million to give out the money.. let 'em take the overage out of that!

 

[DadsDream]

Just so I'm clear, let's see if I've got this straight...

- The State of Louisiana contracted ICF International to administer distribution of Road Home money.

- A horribly convoluted and red-tape ridden application proceedure greatly delayed the distribution of money and the State and ICF drew a lot of fire.

- Faced with losing the contract, ICF began pushing through applications at breakneck speed.

- ICF is now advertising for a collection agency to go after 1,000 to 5,000 people whom it may have overpaid.

X Nothing to do with the Federal government.
X Nothing to do with Iraq.

Am I wrong?

 

[inetnawlins]

People that have received money to fix up their homes aren't sitting around with fat bank accounts.

First 30 percent of those QUALIFIED for Road Home still haven't recieved their checks. Second, those that have likely have spent the money repairing their homes and trying to get their lives back together.

If they come around looking to take back money, things will get violent. It will truly be the last nail in this city.


Funny how this is happening right after the Legislative Auditor is asked to look into Blanco's last minute payoff to ICF.

 

[RebSaint]

Just so I'm clear, let's see if I've got this straight...

- The State of Louisiana contracted ICF International to administer distribution of Road Home money.

- A horribly convoluted and red-tape ridden application proceedure greatly delayed the distribution of money and the State and ICF drew a lot of fire.

- Faced with losing the contract, ICF began pushing through applications at breakneck speed.

- ICF is now advertising for a collection agency to go after 1,000 to 5,000 people whom it may have overpaid.

X Nothing to do with the Federal government.
X Nothing to do with Iraq.

Am I wrong?

No, your right this disaster has nothing to do with Iraq, but it does underscore the point that many are quick to be upset about some forms of government waste and mismanagement while turning a blind eye to others.

 

[cruize]

They will spend millions trying to collect thousands.

 

[blackadder]

I'm sure far more effort will be put into making sure all the money used in the rebuilding of Iraq through private contractors will be accounted for.

What this country needs is a ******* revolution, all right.

Certainly.

And they will get some money back from the 22 year old arms dealer who got hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts and supplied dud ammunition to troops.

Pretty disgusting. They make mistakes but they are going to squeeze cash out of poor people. Contractors in Iraq who steal, cheat, or provide substandard services will mostly get to walk away.