Useless Eaters

HUD extends disaster vouchers nine more months
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4990750.html

The federal government will extend for 10 months its rental payments for about 11,400 families who lived in public housing or received federal housing vouchers before hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the U.S. housing secretary announced today.

Quick question: When did hurricanes Rita and Katrina hit?

A: August and September, 2005.

Yep, almost two full years ago. Think some of these folks might’ve been able to find jobs in two years? Especially given that unemployment currently is around 4.5%?

Another quick question: Why do you say 9 months in the headline, and 10 months in the lede?

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson said he and President Bush have determined that many displaced residents still need help, and that ending the program now would be "absolutely horrendous."

Horrendous: syn. alarming, appalling, atrocious, deplorable, depressing, disgusting, distressing, dreadful, frightful, ghastly, gruesome, harrowing, hideous, horrible, horrific, horrifying, offensive, raunchy, repulsive

Maybe that’s a bit strong, Alphonso. Some of us find it “horrendous” that we’re still paying for this.

About 3,500 Houston-area households will be covered by the extension… The nine-month extension will cost about $105 million

So they’re paying each family $30,000 over these 9 months? That’s a $40,000/year salary. And they’re only paying for housing. By way of comparison, my housing costs are right at $10,000/year, including water and power.

Not to be outdone, FEMA is extending benefits through March 2009.

http://houstonhurricanerecovery.org/show_content_article.asp?id=4262007-10502&category=housing

Officials of HUD and FEMA said the extension of housing benefits will help insure that all evacuees will receive the kind of assistance that will enable them to make a successful transition back into the community.

I’m guessing if they haven’t “transitioned” within 3 ½ years, they ain’t gonna. What’s the official point where “transition” becomes “permanence”?

While there were no specific references to it in the conference, there also is expected to be regular recertification requirements for evacuees. These will make sure that the housing benefits are only going to those evacuees who genuinely need the aid.

I looked up the recertification form:
http://houstonhurricanerecovery.org/multimedia/2007_fema_recertification_form.pdf

One page. One. Fucking. Page. Tell me, faithful readers, how many pages are in your 1040?

Another new provision announced would enable evacuees now housed in FEMA travel trailers and mobile homes to buy those housing units at fair market value.

The trailers you’re being sued over? Why not just give them the damned things and be done with it? Quit dragging it out. You’re never going to get the value of those trailers, anyway. If they haven’t bothered to scrape up the cash to get a place of their own by now, what makes you think for one second that they’ll have the wherewithal to buy these trailers?

Officials estimated that the overall housing extension will cost more than $1 billion, to be paid for with FEMA funds.

How come it “only” costs $105 million for 9 months, but more than $1,000,000,000 for 17 months? That’s government math, that is. Well thank God FEMA is using its own money for this. Wait a minute...

Go here, read this:

http://members.cox.net/polincorr1/pol1.htm
Davy Crockett’s "Not Yours to Give" speech in Congress