WASHINGTON - The government wasted millions of dollars in its award of post-Katrina Hurricane contracts for disaster relief, including at least $3 million for 4,000 beds that were never used, congressional auditors said Thursday.
The Government Accountability Office's review of 13 major contracts — many of them awarded with limited or no competition after the Aug. 29 hurricane — offers the first preliminary overview of their soundness.
Waste and mismanagement were widespread due to poor planning and miscommunication, according to the five-page briefing paper released Thursday. That led to money being paid for services, such as housing or ice, that were never used.
"The government's response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita depended heavily on contractors to deliver ice, water and food supplies; patch rooftops; and provide housing to displaced residents," said the report by the GAO, Congress' auditing arm. "FEMA did not adequately anticipate needs."
First FEMA gets it for not responding to Katrina fast enough. Now they're getting it for not taking the time to thoroughly review contracts or establish a system for contract bidding.
Anyone else not seeing the logic behind this?
If the Katrina situation has taught us anything it is these two things:
- This thing where politicians respond to any disaster by competing with one another to see who can promise to throw the most money at it has got to stop. Granted, these disasters require timely action, but this rush to spend usually just results in a whole bunch of tax dollars getting wasted instead of reaching those who really need it. Our leaders need to act more responsibly.
- Sitting around on your duff and waiting for the government to solve your problems is foolish. Be independent. Assume the government isn't going to help you. That way if they do come through it is a pleasant surprise and if they don't, well, you're taking care of yourself anyway.