Tuesday, May 31, 2016

FEMA and Poor little Lake Worth

Comment Up

Recently, I read an article on FEMA forgiving monies owed by several municipalities in Florida, one of which is Lake Worth. It is amazing how truth is wiped out after several years. Lake Worth committed and submitted many highly questionable acts and claims.

Read the article with even Lois Frankel getting into the act. She thinks it's all ridiculous and brings up the statute of limitations.

Poor Lake Worth. Well poor Lake worth was charged with lots of overstated claims submitted to FEMA for reimbursement back then. And on top of that, they didn't retain any proof of receipt for  some of the expenses they say were legitimate.

I keep bringing this information back as it is so significant but time has a way of healing all ills or totally forgiving them.

Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General

HURRICANES FRANCES and JEANNE

Recommendation #1

:  Instruct the State to remind the City that it is required to comply with Federal procurement standards when acquiring goods and services under FEMA awards (finding A).

Recommendation #2
: Disallow $385,890 (Federal share $348,775) of unsupported project costs (finding B).

Recommendation #3
: Disallow $38,390 (Federal share $28,792) of ineligible labor costs (finding C).

Recommendation #4
: Disallow $21,289 (Federal share $19,160) of ineligible costs for activities covered by insurance (finding D).

Recommendation #5
: Disallow $8,570 (Federal share $7,713) of ineligible costs for small project work not completed (finding E).

Recommendation #6
: Disallow $16,105 (Federal share $14,495) of ineligible costs for nondisaster activities (finding F)

HURRICANE WILMA

Recommendation #1

: Disallow $6,998,095 of ineligible costs claimed for contracts that were not procured in accordance with Federal requirements unless FEMA decides to grant an exception for all or part of costs as provided for in 44 CFR 13.36(c), and determines the costs were reasonable (finding A).

Recommendation #2
: Instruct the State to remind the City that it is required to comply with Federal procurement standards when acquiring goods and services under FEMA awards (finding A).

Recommendation #3
: Disallow $476,455 of unsupported project costs (finding B).

Recommendation #4
: Disallow $180,626 of ineligible cost for activities covered by insurance (finding C).

Recommendation #5
: Disallow $8,624 of ineligible costs for small project work not completed (finding D).

Recommendation #6
: Disallow $18,732 of ineligible labor costs (finding E)

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you FEMA! At least most of the normal citizens of Lake Worth appreciate the forgiveness from cleaning up after storms from 11 and 12 years ago.

Current legislation gives FEMA a 3 year window to recoup claims...

In January 2016, PBC commissioners agreed to give back $341k of the $3.28 million FEMA gave them for storm cleanup. As the mayor of PBC says, 'It is un-conscionable for FEMA to propose de-obligating previously awarded disaster funds for projects that have been certified complete by the state." Which is what FEMA had claimed within the county.

Total claimed in PBC was over $120m, and only later after an audit were there calls for some repayment, including $14.1m from the county and local entities and in the whole state they were seeking repayment of $35m.

Those off the hook include Boca Ratin for $4.7m, LW for $3.8m, and even includes the private, for profit Jupiter Christian School for $90k.

Did you know that FEMA forgave over $228 million in Louisiana in loans after Katrina! And that happened after 8 years of persistance by local municipalities and the state of Louisiana. It's only common sense… And now we have seen that these parishes in Louisiana were able to invest in providing their children with excellent education and residence with high-quality healthcare thru the rebuilding of the Slidell Memorial Hospital for $28.7m. Their loan cancellations joined a long list of disaster loans that have been forgiven over the years, and that way we see our communities continue to rebuild after disasters. This ain't just hurricanes people, disasters like floods and tornadoes also have debt forgiveness. It's how we rebuild communities here in the good old US of A.

Let's celebrate and rejoice this debt forgiveness!

Lynn Anderson said...

That's what this liberal federal government does--picks up the tab...for every deadbeat, whether it is a person or a city, and underwrites their mismanagement.

What we should be doing is living up to our obligations and of course, running honest local governments. That seems to be off the table now. It's getting your hands on every $ you can for any reason you can with the cost picked up by taxpayers. Honesty is not in the equation when it comes to money, is it? It's always about the next government grant they can get.

Anonymous said...

Anony at 9:40. You think it a-ok to screw the government agency out of what is owed to them? That is why we are nearly 20 trillion in debt. Did you even read the reports to see what Lake Worth did? If you think that's ok then you are as corrupt as all the rest. Maybe we can throw Lois in jail right along with all these liars.

Anonymous said...

Amen to Lynn and anon at 10:13.
385,000 in unsupported project costs. 476,455 in unsupported project costs. This is just a polite way of saying "this money disappeared into somebody's pocket and we want these stolen tax dollars back !"
This was not "free money" that went missing in Lake Worth. It was the hard earned money of working class people who pay taxes to support their governments.
Can we expect Lake Worth to tell anyone who does not make an electric payment to "just forget about it. We'll just write that money off as a loss".
SHAME on Lake worth and all of the other Florida municipalities that are trying to get away with legalized theft !!

Anonymous said...

And just how would you have suggested that New Oleans and the state of Louisana would
recover and rebuild from Katrina? And while a republician president Bush in 2005 was in office and directing FEMA?
People people people, emergencies happen.

Look at Miami with hurricane Andrew. When peoples roofs were torn off, windows blown out and debris literally everywhere, you had whole neighborhoods and communities looking like a bomb went off, government including local municipalities have a duty to act quickly to save lives and property.

You'd be the first one bitching if your street didn't get cleared of downed trees so that you could leave your neighborhood. Get over yourself.

I guess you think because this nations largest natural catastrophe happened in Miami and New Orleans that the rest of the country is under no obligation to help cities recover. Your arguments are flawed.

Lynn Anderson said...

This blog is about submitting highly questionable and even possible and implied fraudulent claims to FEMA.

We're not talking about Hurricane Andrew or anything else. We are talking about reimbursement for ACTUAL expenses incurred by the City--not those for a prescription picked up at CVS as an example.
o
o, stop re-writing the story to suit your agenda of right and wrong.

Anonymous said...

Stop trying to blow smoke up our asses,anon at 10:47.We're not buying it. How much did you and your friends pocket here in dumbo land when you thought nobody was paying attention?

Anonymous said...

Who was the city manager and on the city commission in 2004 and 2005?

Lynn Anderson said...

Rodney Romano was mayor and Paul Boyer was the city manager.
2004: McKinnon, Retha Lowe, Romano, Nadine Burns and Joe Egly
2005: The same commission except Marc Drautz was elected mayor.

Anonymous said...

The fact that the City cannot account for the money or produce backup material is troubling. There is a reason we have gone through how many finance directors?

On the other hand, I'm glad we didn't have to repay the money b/c it likely would have bankrupt us.

Anonymous said...

News flash... FEMA has for year regularity 'forgiven' municipalities and states of money 'loaned' to them for emergency disaster relief. This ain't something new...

Lynn Anderson said...

You, along with the rest of the hand-out crowd, missed the point of this blog.

This is about theft. This is about lying. This is about fraudulent behavior to get money from the federal government for some items after a disaster covered by insurance, duplicate charges, phony charges, unproved claims, etc. You find nothing wrong with that?

Anonymous said...

You know, I do have a problem with that, and it seems the problem is or at least was systemic especially when I see all hear other towns, cities and states getting 'away' with the same maneuvers and manipulations of the 'system'.

And speaking about 'working' the system... I can't wait for you to expose or at least share your insight into the Sales Playbook' from Trump University... Now that my friend is disturbing and is froth with fraud! Teaching people to use OPM (other people's money) and max out their credit cards for his Trump University was a real scam. And not a peep about how Trump's bankruptcies defrauded many small businesses and employees, all getting ripped off and not paid back for their services or products... some of them right here in Palm Beach County! All under the 'protection' of the Feds. Hrumphhh!

Should be interesting news cycle...

Lynn Anderson said...

I don't know enough to formulate an opinion on the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC) but it is curious that this business closed in early 2011 and all these lawsuits are now happening.