FEMA's Generator Fetish

FEMA's history of lavish spending in Florida came with a new kink after Hurricane Wilma: bartender, generators on the house! FEMA paid and overpaid for top-of-the-line generators for all comers. According to a Sun-Sentinel investigation:

In the first seven weeks after Hurricane Wilma, $95 million in federal disaster aid went to buy Floridians generators and cleanup items, more than the government spent to fix homes damaged by the October storm.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency paid 117,000 residents under a controversial policy that reimburses anyone, regardless of income, for generators, chain saws, wet/dry vacuums, air purifiers and dehumidifiers, a South Florida Sun-Sentinel investigation has found.

In Broward County, the reimbursements cost $41 million, and in Palm Beach County, $19 million -- exceeding the amount FEMA spent on home repairs.

In a ZIP code that includes parts of affluent Weston and Southwest Ranches, 33332, taxpayers paid for generators or chain saws for one in six households.

Not only did they buy generators for people who live in million-dollar homes, but they threw in some mad money as well:

The Wilma claims also indicate FEMA's practice of reimbursing people more than they paid may be widespread. FEMA reimbursed an average price, $836 for a generator, unless an inspector specifically noted the applicant paid less.

Last week, agency spokeswoman Frances Marine called overpayments "the exception and not the rule."

But of the more than 100,000 generator claims FEMA approved, 99 percent received the full $836, the Sun-Sentinel found. The claims do not indicate how much applicants actually paid, but spokesmen for the home improvement chains Lowe's and Home Depot said their top-selling generators in Florida cost $499 to $699.

"This tells you there's a huge number of people that FEMA overpaid," said state Sen. Ron Klein, a Boca Raton Democrat who has asked Florida's auditor general to audit the payments. "This is millions of dollars once again being thrown out by FEMA."

Many Florida lawmakers are asking why the federal government decided to become the home generator Santa in the first place:

"Why are we buying generators for people that can afford them?" asked U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale. "And why are we buying generators anyway?"

Shaw supports paying for generators only for those with medical needs, similar to a policy in North Carolina.

"To put a generator in every home is ridiculous," he said. "There are some inconveniences you have following a violent storm ... that people have to tolerate, and it's not the federal government's responsibility to turn on your lights."

FEMA's spending like a drunken sailor has actually negatively effected hurricane-preparedness in Florida. While taking advantage of Florida's pre-hurricane season sales tax moratorium on hurricane items would only net the average family a saving of $30, waiting for FEMA's generosity will get you around $1000:

"I've heard these stories where people get these generators, they return them to Home Depot and walk off with their $800," he said. "This gravy train's got to end soon before we all get addicted to FEMA."

The spending spree of Uncle Sugar's freewheeling disaster agency has one more implication for Florida: we must repay the federal government 25% of what they spend here. The bill for FEMA's generator fetish is starting to look more like a manic relative going off on a toot with our credit card.

***
Previous posting:
Generators on the House!