[FoCHAT] Pressure to go to closing

Thu Feb 8 08:41:37 EST 2007

Several people in my close circle who have recieved their award letters are complaining of subtle pressure techniques by staff in the baton rouge office to get them to agree to a closing even when the numbers are wrong on the yellow letter. I am suggesting to them that they not sign anything until the pre-storm values and insurance and fema numbers are all correct.  Two of my contacts were told that if they appealed it would take a VERY long time so they should just agree to the wrong numbers.

Two people were told to sign the incorrect yellow letter and just send it in and that it would automatically be corrected. I'm really upset about this and i'm mentioning it because this is not just one case. Is anyone else having this problem? I'm really worried about the less fortunate and less educated and elderly who are desperate to recieve any money at all and who will go to closing settling for a lesser amount.

I can see it coming again- another deadline that ICF can't handle. 

There were other pressure techniques used as well and my red flags of common sense are going up.

Thanks CHAT for all your help.

Gomez

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds
      verydisappointing (K.C. King)
   2. Re: NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina
      Fundsverydisappointing (Antee, Shawn G)
   3. Fwd: Walter Leger Testifies Before U.S. House of
      Representatives Financial Services Committee (Melanie Ehrlich)
   4. Good news: the RHP rules are posted! (Melanie Ehrlich)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 14:08:11 -0600
From: "K.C. King" 
Subject: Re: [FoCHAT] NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds
 verydisappointing
To: "'Jean, Jeanne M'" 
Cc: fochat at thinknola.com
Message-ID: <001501c74a2a$8921bd00$1f6dc446 at toshibauser>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Jeanne, and FoCHATers,

I would like to sincerely and humbly apologize to you and to Sydney for my
thoughtless and inconsiderate characterization of Sydney's interview with
NRP.  There's no excuse I could make that would reverse that.  I would only
ask all to see through to the points you appreciated and ignore and forget
the voice of a true snob.  

As a disabled, decorated Vietnam combat veteran with a demolished house in
the London Ave canal breach, I know what it means to be reviled and
castigated and would ask yours and others forgiveness for this serious lapse
of passion.

ICF and the State have and will continue to "spin" their incompetence with
impunity.  They have demonstrated that they put their image above helping
citizens and, despite every opportunity, are incapable of acknowledging
their missteps as the first step towards essential improvements.  NPR should
have worked harder to uncover the real problems.

Humbly yours, KC King, 5919 Pratt Drive 

  _____  

From: Jean, Jeanne M [mailto:Jeanne.M.Jean at maf.nasa.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 10:01 AM
To: 'K.C. King'
Subject: RE: [FoCHAT] NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds
verydisappointing

I understand you're frustrated like everyone else but it does not justify
some of your comments.  I know Sydney and she is not a Neanderthal.  She is
not any different from anyone else dealing with all this.  Simply because
she didn't chant the CHAT mantra by verse does not mean she is any less
intelligent than you.  Frankly, you sound like a "wannabe intellectual
snob".   Although you bring up some good points I would suspect you are
probably not that effective getting your points across to others because of
your attitude.

  _____  

From: fochat-bounces at thinknola.com [mailto:fochat-bounces at thinknola.com] On
Behalf Of K.C. King
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 4:05 AM
To: fochat at thinknola.com
Subject: [FoCHAT] NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds
verydisappointing

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!

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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 14:21:51 -0600
From: "Antee, Shawn G" 
Subject: Re: [FoCHAT] NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina
 Fundsverydisappointing
To: "K.C. King" , "Jean, Jeanne M"

Cc: fochat at thinknola.com
Message-ID:

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Yeeeehaawwww!!

I love it when folks apologize.  It means a willingness to continue in a
relationship, it is maturity. 

 CHAT might be the best thing the city has going for it right now.  

And while I'm not one to get into someone else's fight uninvited, in
close quarters its unavoidable.  

Congrats to KC and Jeanne.  

Keep swinging that cat by the tail.

XXOO to CHAT

Shawn

-----Original Message-----
From: fochat-bounces at thinknola.com [mailto:fochat-bounces at thinknola.com]
On Behalf Of K.C. King
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 2:08 PM
To: 'Jean, Jeanne M'
Cc: fochat at thinknola.com
Subject: Re: [FoCHAT] NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina
Fundsverydisappointing

Jeanne, and FoCHATers,

I would like to sincerely and humbly apologize to you and to Sydney for
my thoughtless and inconsiderate characterization of Sydney's interview
with NRP.  There's no excuse I could make that would reverse that.  I
would only ask all to see through to the points you appreciated and
ignore and forget the voice of a true snob.  

As a disabled, decorated Vietnam combat veteran with a demolished house
in the London Ave canal breach, I know what it means to be reviled and
castigated and would ask yours and others forgiveness for this serious
lapse of passion.

ICF and the State have and will continue to "spin" their incompetence
with impunity.  They have demonstrated that they put their image above
helping citizens and, despite every opportunity, are incapable of
acknowledging their missteps as the first step towards essential
improvements.  NPR should have worked harder to uncover the real
problems.

Humbly yours, KC King, 5919 Pratt Drive 

________________________________

From: Jean, Jeanne M [mailto:Jeanne.M.Jean at maf.nasa.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 10:01 AM
To: 'K.C. King'
Subject: RE: [FoCHAT] NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds
verydisappointing

I understand you're frustrated like everyone else but it does not
justify some of your comments.  I know Sydney and she is not a
Neanderthal.  She is not any different from anyone else dealing with all
this.  Simply because she didn't chant the CHAT mantra by verse does not
mean she is any less intelligent than you.  Frankly, you sound like a
"wannabe intellectual snob".   Although you bring up some good points I
would suspect you are probably not that effective getting your points
across to others because of your attitude.

________________________________

From: fochat-bounces at thinknola.com [mailto:fochat-bounces at thinknola.com]
On Behalf Of K.C. King
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 4:05 AM
To: fochat at thinknola.com
Subject: [FoCHAT] NPR ATC piece on Red Tape Ties Up Katrina Funds
verydisappointing

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!

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------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 13:27:13 -0800 (PST)
From: Melanie Ehrlich 
Subject: [FoCHAT] Fwd: Walter Leger Testifies Before U.S. House of
 Representatives Financial Services Committee
To: fochat at thinknola.com
Message-ID: <370176.61830.qm at web39702.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

FoCHAT Members,

  CHAT is in the middle of advocacy with a number of RHP officials on several fronts. They are listening and working with us. As soon as these important improvements are committed to writing (several require a little time to work out because of complications), we will tell you via our FoCHAT network.

  Walter Leger is batting for us in Washington, D.C. (see the link below).

  Yours in rebuilding Louisiana,

  Melanie

  Melanie Ehrlich

Note: forwarded message attached.

---------------------------------
Need Mail bonding?
Go to the Yahoo! Mail Q&A for great tips from Yahoo! Answers users.
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Subject: Fwd: Walter Leger Testifies Before U.S. House of Representatives
 Financial Services Committee
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 13:18:31 -0800 (PST)
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------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 14:20:58 -0800 (PST)
From: Melanie Ehrlich 
Subject: [FoCHAT] Good news: the RHP rules are posted!
To: fochat at thinknola.com
Cc: gentilly_after_katrina at yahoogroups.com,
 rebuild_lakeview at yahoogroups.com
Message-ID: <539360.94353.qm at web39707.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Mike Spletto deserves our sincere thanks. CHAT only began talking to him in January and requesting this of him a few weeks ago. He came through for us. CHAT is hoping and working on more from him and other RHP officials to get the program faster, fairer, and more accurately.  We are cautiously hopeful for much more improvement of the RHP and getting the money out.

  From an email that I just got from him:

  Below is a link to the new procedures that have been posted on the RH website.

  http://www.road2la.org/Helpful-Tools/default.htm 

  Michael Spletto
  Senior Housing Manager

  If you are not a member of FoCHAT, please consider helping us by simply endorsing our efforts via signing up at http://chat.thinknola.com

  No work or money necessary and you get free info, once a day, as it comes out, or only when you visit our website with your password.

  Melanie Ehrlich
  Co-Chairman,  CHAT

---------------------------------
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
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