Fraud in Florida

Waterbury Republican-American ^ | August 23, 2005 | Editorial

[Graybeard58]

Every time politicians get a new idea for spending your money, their next thought is to raise your taxes. With rare exceptions, they don't consider how reducing the ubiquitous waste and fraud in government would give them plenty of cash to do something about the latest thing they want to do something about.

Waste and fraud dog the Federal Emergency Management Agency. After Hurricane Frances last summer, FEMA doled out $31 million to more than 10,000 residents in Miami-Dade County, Fla., for home repairs and new furniture, clothes, televisions, microwaves and refrigerators, even though the storm barely brushed the county. Many claims were attributed to phantom tornadoes, and six families alleged damage from ice and snow.

Now comes word that FEMA paid $1.3 million for funerals for 319 Floridians who died last summer. But coroners have concluded as many as 236 of these "victims" died from natural causes, suicide or accidents unrelated to the storms. Claimants included the family of a millionaire who died two days before Hurricane Frances, two cancer victims, a man who succumbed to cirrhosis and heart failure five months after Hurricane Charley, 10 people who were not in Florida when they died, and two people who still may be alive. People didn't even have to prove they were next of kin to get paid off.

This lack of oversight was exposed not by federal auditors, but by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper. Its suspicions were raised when funeral claims were three times higher than the official hurricane death toll for 2004.

Florida's Medical Examiners Commission is so angry with FEMA's incompetence that it called a special meeting to deal with the controversy. (By special, it meant meeting at a resort in Key Biscayne, rather than at its offices in Tallahassee, and sticking taxpayers with the bill.)

FEMA has poured untold millions nationwide into communities barely grazed by disaster. In Mobile County, Ala., it paid $29 million for flood damage after one hurricane last summer, even though local officials reported the county had suffered no damage. And FEMA is just one of scores of government agencies entrusted with taxpayers' money. It's bad enough that the government subsidizes people who live along shores frequented by hurricanes, but giving away disaster aid without accountability is irresponsible in the extreme.

All this raises grave doubts about how FEMA spent the rest of the $8.5 billion allocated for Florida hurricane relief. But then again, it's hard to expect government officials to get serious about waste and fraud when thousands are so eager to exploit the tragedy of others.

[jackieaxe]

FEMA:Federally-Funded-Florida Emergency Management Agency

[JustAnotherOkie]

It is becoming fairly obvious that our Federal Government is not looking out for the best interest of the majority.

They are looking out for the vocal minority under the guise political correctness and the lobby's.

Right now look at the border situation.

[rodguy911]

The FEMA abuses after Hurricane Andrew were legendary and created a whole new attitude within the agency. Now they watch things a lot closer even thought you will still uncover abuses from place to place.

The real fraud in govt. in S. Fla. is in every other welfare system there is. The third worlders who own S. Fla at this point have learned how to game the system like no one ever has. It's hard to even fault them. Bureaucrats make it so easy to game the system why not?

They run two, three, four names through the SS system and earn thousands every month with free medical and free everything, seldom do they ever get caught.

And then when the money runs out the rats scream for more,go figure.

[devane617]

I was living in Florida last year during all the hurricanes. I posted several note about FEMA fraud, especially in the Miami-Dade area where no damaging weather occurred. I felt then the FEMA manager for south FL was involved in the fraud from the beginning. This is a very big deal involving lots of our tax money, that was paid to mainly Haitians in the Miami-Dade area for fraudulent claims.

[CFC__VRWC]

I felt then the FEMA manager for south FL was involved in the fraud from the beginning. This is a very big deal involving lots of our tax money, that was paid to mainly Haitians in the Miami-Dade area for fraudulent claims.

This would be no surprise - fraud and corruption are just a way of life in South Florida. The whole region is nothing more than a playground and a taxpayer-funded ATM machine for crooked Dim politicians (redundancy) and their cronies. Sometimes I wish we could just saw off the state at the Palm Beach County line and let it drift away to Cuba.

[rodguy911]

Mimi Dade is legendary for corrupt govt. but Broward is not much better and everyone knows about West Palm. The discouraging fact right now is that all of that is moving West to the Naples area in a big way which could for-tell their future a generation from now.

What happens is the thirdworlders move into and area and everyone else moves out, sort of a white flight scenario.Look at Dade county must be 99% Hispanic at this point.

Don't confuse the Cubans with other third worlders however they really are fleeing from Communism and a terrible govt. in Cuba they have legitimate reasons for leaving the island.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Lol! You've hit the nail on the head. I still think Martin County can be saved if FL citizens hurry.

This is why we left last year...right before the hurricanes.

[texaslil]

Hi, Graybeard. It's not just in FL. I've never seen so many alegations and/or convictions over corruption all over the Ft. Worth/Dallas area. To wit:

The Ft. Worth ISD let a contractor get away with 15 million $$$. The FBI recently auctioned 75 cars the contractor bought with the proceeds, one or two being driven by school personnel--in the financial office, no less. Lion's share of the $$$ is somewhere in Las Vegas. The guy only got 7 years.

Wilmer Hutchins ISD lost? all the money to be used to open school this year. Another school had to take up the slack and accept 2700 students. The state closed the school, but teachers there were allowed to come back for one day to pick up their personel belongings. They wound up striping the school of school owned computers, TV's, and furniture. All captured by Channel 8 news cameraman who was then threatened with death? if he aired the film.

FBI presently investigating several members of Dallas City Council over kickbacks? from Dallas minority housing contracts. African American council member claiming "racism " with the observation that Dallas could make the riots in LA look like a "picnic." One participant threatened to burn the city of Dallas. "I'm from LA," she said, "It's the only thing these people understand."

Official acting on behalf of Homeland Security in Parker Co. TX convicted along with fire dept. official of theft of over $50,000. (they bought four-wheelers, big screen TV's, sporting goods, etc.) Planning on entertaining the terrorist to death, no doubt.

I could go on, and on, but no room to list it all. Suffice it to say, terrorists may be the least of our problems inasmuch as corruption is beginning to approach the level of, "mind boggling."

[rodguy911]

Shhh you are not supposed to let the secret out!!

[Kenny Bunk]

They run two, three, four names through the SS system

Shocked, I tell you, I am shocked! You mean that Horacio Villa-Gomez is the same guy as Horacio Gomez y Villa, the same guy as Horacio Gomez de Villa,the same guy as Horace Gomez, the same guy as H. Villa-Gomez?

Apparently a course bureaucrats do not take is "Spanish Naming Conventions 101," Of course, my amigo Horacio is voting for me. Let me count the ways.

[Clemenza]

Look at Dade county must be 99% Hispanic at this point.

Actually, its about 58% as of 2000. North County is very heavily black. Let's not forget that 1. Many of the Latinos in Miami-Dade are as white as I am and 2. Miami-Dade has the hottest real estate market in the state. Have you seen how much the condos on the Beach and in the Gables are going for?

What's missing from this story is that the largest group participating in this scam were Haitians. Haitians are notorious for insurance fraud in the Tri-County area.

[rodguy911]

You got it toyota.Jose has a littany of yamos.

[rodguy911]

I have a hard time including Haitians or Cubans in as scammers even thought I know it happens. I spent five years in Haiti and at the time the early 80's, these people had the morals of the 50's, good as gold. Then we shipped Duvalier to France, it all changed. They had no concept of freedom they thought it meant free everything.