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Audit Says FEMA Squandering Katrina Aid

By HOPE YEN Associated Press Writer

December 06,2006 | WASHINGTON -- One year after Katrina, the government is still squandering tens of millions of dollars in wasted disaster aid, including $17 million in bogus rental payments to people who had already received free trailers and apartments, federal investigators said Wednesday.

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The GAO audit found that numerous aid applicants received duplicate rental aid, with FEMA in one case providing free apartments to 10 people in Plano, Texas, while sending them $46,000 to cover out-of-pocket housing expenses.

In Texas.

FEMA overpaid Katrina victims...in Plano, Texas.

Plano, Texas:

White persons, percent, 2000 78.3% (Texas average = 71.0%)

Black or African American persons, percent, 2000 5.0% (Texas average = 11.5%)

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 10.1% (Texas average = 32.0%)

Median household income, 1999 $78,722 (Texas average = $39,927)

Per capita money income, 1999 $36,514 (Texas average = $19,617)

Persons below poverty, percent, 1999 4.3% (Texas average = 15.4%)

From Wikipedia:

Plano was the highest income place with a population of 130,000 or more in 2000.

Plano is also located in Collin County, the richest county in Texas and part of the richest 1% of counties in the United States. The four wealthy zip codes of Plano that contribute to the county's affluence are (in descending order of median household income/year): 75093, 75024, 75025, and 75094. Plano was ranked the richest city in the United States with the lowest poverty rate of 6.3% for a city with a population exceeding 250, 000.

One other interesting piece of Plano, Texas trivia: Look up political donations from zip code 75093 at Open Secrets and you'll find this:

AIKMAN, RHONDA MRS PLANO,TX 75093 3/22/2004 $2,000 Bush, George W.
AIKMAN, RHONDA MRS PLANO,TX 75093 HOMEMAKER 8/14/2003 $2,000 Bush, George W.
AIKMAN, RHONDA MRS PLANO,TX 75093 HOMEMAKER 3/2/2004 $2,000 Bush, George W.
AIKMAN, RHONDA MRS PLANO,TX 75093 HOMEMAKER 3/22/2004 ($2,000) Bush, George W.
AIKMAN, TROY K MR PLANO,TX 75093 FOX SPORTS 3/22/2004 $2,000 Bush, George W.
AIKMAN, TROY K MR PLANO,TX 75093 FOX SPORTS/BROADCASTER 8/14/2003 $2,000 Bush, George W.
AIKMAN, TROY K MR PLANO,TX 75093 FOX SPORTS/BROADCASTER 3/2/2004 $2,000 Bush, George W.
AIKMAN, TROY K MR PLANO,TX 75093 8/7/2003 $1,000 Republican National Cmte.
AIKMAN, TROY K MR PLANO,TX 75093 7/21/2005 $1,000 Republican National Cmte.
AIKMAN, TROY K MR PLANO,TX 75093 FOX SPORTS/BROADCASTER 3/22/2004 ($2,000) Bush, George W.