First FEMA receipt

Today, I received my first receipt from FEMA via email. I wanted to share Lisa’s letter to them written after my blog was posted. This is an outrage!

To: FEMA-ICC-EHP@dhs.gov
Sent: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 4:34 pm
Subject: Cedar Rapids: Time to Closeout!

Dear FEMA / Iowa Closeout Center,

It’s time you cut the purse strings for Cedar Rapids and CLOSEOUT.

FEMA, HUD, and the State have been way too generous to this city, who is lead by the elite and the money mongers. Instead of focusing on mending from the disaster, they have USED this flood to build monuments to themselves: bigger and better EVERYTHING, including buildings and floors that either weren’t flooded or buildings that were already rehabbed. They are helping their friends get richer and richer with every dollar you keep giving this city. Please stop the flow of money to this town.

Our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIXJ5yS8FJ8“>Public Works facilities were the first to be rehabilitated after the flood. They are rehabbed and fully functional! That’s all that matters.

We are still trying to MEND from the flood. To spend millions of disaster funds to demolish and rebuild facilities which are fine, but not spectacular, should be a federal crime. No one should even be considering allowing this type of thing to occur, and I do not believe that that is what FEMA is supposed to be for…Federal EMERGENCY Management Agency. Our “emergency” is long gone.

When we lost our homes in the flood, FEMA told us that “we can’t make you whole.” I lost a full bath on the first level, but they said that since I have a full bath upstairs, I’m not to get any FEMA assistance for the bathroom I lost. Why is there a DOUBLE STANDARD for the public facilities??? Why are they not only getting back everything they lost, but getting more on top of that? This encourages them even more to spend spend spend.

PLEASE, do not go along or allow such an abuse of our taxes. Please don’t encourage this town to continue to waste anymore of our taxes. There are other disasters that have happened since ours who need your help much MUCH more desperately than Cedar Rapids.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this critical matter.

Sincerely,
Lisa Kuzela
Cedar Rapids, IA

From:Ajai Dittmar~https://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/ [mailto:sibzianna@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 4:54 PM
To:
FEMA-ICC-EHP

Subject: Re: Cedar Rapids: Time to Closeout!
Interesting read since I wrote this post the other day https://cedarrapidsactivist.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/hey-fema-cut-cedar-rapids-ia-off-now/ and made this video yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMPW3jnImc8 looks like we are on the same page!

Ajai Dittmar

I replied to FEMA:

Thank you for your receipt. I am concerned with the money being invested on the east side of town (AND within 4 blocks of the river) without any flood protection for either side of the city. Why is it okay to invest millions of dollars in tax money within 4 blocks east of the river but not okay to invest “a dime” in the west side? According to our city officials, FEMA wanted to take our 120 year old tax base on the west bank for flood mitigation. What has FEMA done besides demolish all the houses? If you could provide me with some information I would appreciate that!

I couldn’t stop there:

Are you aware our city is trying to get flood protection for both sides of the river? If we have flood protection why would FEMA mitigate? The city has USED this flood to build bigger and better public facilities and this is just another example. The city should have followed the Sheriffs Department buildings‘ example. This city is out of control and using FEMA to rebuild brand new bigger and better public facilities! Isn’t FEMA $20 BILLION DOLLARS in debt?

Thank you,
Beverly Dittmar
(aka Ajai)