Drippy FEMA spends millions to store ice

Sorry about the posting delay. Summer fun seems to have stolen my blogging time.

This one is a doozy though. Having lived in Gloucester, MA, this headline peaked my interest when it was picked up from Associated Press and published in my local newspaper--

Hurricane Katrina ice going down drain

It seems that Gloucester has been home to tens of thousands of pounds of ice since August of 2005. Americold stored the ice for FEMA after they over-estimated the need after hurricane Katrina's devastation.

The cost of trucking and storage of the ice was a whopping 12.5 million dollars. The ice is no longer fit for human consumption and so it will finally be melted. 12.5 million dollars go down the drain.

This is the ultimate portrait of our government's inability to manage mass devastation. FEMA was mismanaged. While Bush toured damage zones with picture perfect sorrow, the folks with their hands on the funds, tossed it around like monopoly money.

Emergency cash cards were given out at random. Folks used them on everything from engagement rings to hair extensions. Meanwhile, there are families still stuck in FEMA trailers, years after the storm hit.

Are we ready for another storm of that magnitude?
How much money will FEMA waste on the next one?

Imagine the number of hungry American children who might have been fed with that 12.5 million dollars. If only we could pour a few FEMA officials down the drain along with the excess ice.