[FoCHAT] NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds very disappointing

[K.C. King]

FoCHATers,

 

If you hadn't heard it, check out the NPR All Things Considered 2/5 story
entitled Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7190013 

 

This is an abysmal piece o light weight journalism featuring a Neanderthal
from Saint Bernard as the only person questioning the RHP while the ICF
spokesperson blamed the program's pace on applicant indecision and
slothfulness.  And it wasn't questioned or challenged.

 

I sent the following note to ATC,  I hope you'll join in at
http://www.npr.org/contact/ 

 

---------------------------- KC's note to NPR ATC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------- 

 

I was extremely disappointed in the low journalistic standards displayed in
your February 5th report on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds by by Pam
Fessler.

 

First, the only voice raising a concern with the speed of the Road Home
program was some pathetically inarticulate Saint Bernard Parish resident.
This was followed by a series or dissembling and evasive but unquestioned
posturing by the Federal, State and contractor players.  At no point was it
apparent that NPR understood the crucial root causes of amorphous red tape
and the snail's pace of the program.  These causes include:

 

- At one point, over 25% of the "final" offers were so inaccurate that they
had to be registered as exceptions for further study and resolution.  Many
are in this dismal state after months.

 

- The Road Home program refuses to publish the full rules and formulas it
uses to calculate grants.  Despite this, thousands of applicants have
brought glaring errors to the Program's attention.

 

- Although they aren't published, applicants are noting illogical,
inconsistent and unfair rules that fail to compensate them for the
devastation caused by the negligent design of Federal levees.

 

- Applicants are experiencing the worst of the worst red tape as a gumbo of
incompetent administration and excessive anti-fraud controls that make no
sense whatsoever.

 

Had NPR done only modest research amongst a small sampling of applicants, it
would have found these pervasive issues on the tip of many a tongue and been
able to expose real news to the benefits of its listeners - which include
many desperate citizens waiting for Katrina justice.  Shame!

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://thinknola.com/pipermail/fochat/attachments/20070206/4a5601e3/attachment.html