Of about $6 billion in emergency aid intended for Gulf hurricane victims — including those infamous $2,000 debit cards, as well as emergency housing and other payments — an estimated $1 billion was lost to fraud, according to a devastating audit released yesterday by the U.S. General Accounting Office. (Philadelphia Daily News, Thursday)
No doubt a conservative estimate.
FEE Timely Classic
Hurricane Katrina: Government versus the Private Sector (pdf) by Sheldon Richman