Katrina Aid . . . Lost

News Flash! IDOLEYES, my book with Mandisa, is out! And I'm going to send a free copy to the person who posts comment number ____--the number of photographs on the interior of the book. :-)

You remember the rules? You may post as many times as you wish as long as you don't post two times in a row. When you get to the magic number (or as soon as possible thereafter), I'll jump in and announce the winner.

Now, onto the daily topic . . .

Okay, this bothers me. Maybe it's because I was a Girl Scout who learned to be thrifty, or maybe I'm just frugal. But I really dislike two things that go against my nature: 1) ineffeciency and 2) waste.

And last week I read a newspaper article about massive proportions of both.

Did you know that many nations gave aid to the United States after Hurricane Katrina? And that most of that aid went unused, unnoticed, and (apparently) unappreciated?

According to a Washington Post story by John Solomon and Spencer Hsu, Allies offered $854 million in cash and oil that was to be sold for cash. So only $40 million has been used so far for disaster victims or reconstruction. Most of the aid went uncollected, including $400 million of oil. Some offers were redirected to groups like the Red Cross, but the rest has been delayed by red tape and bureaucratic limits on how much can be spent. Italy sent shipments of medicine, gauze, and other medical supplies that spoiled in the elements and had to be destroyed. Greece offered to send two cruise ships that could be used as free hotels or hospitals, but the deal was rescinded after it became clear the ship would not arrive before Oct. 10. Instead the U.S. paid $249 million to use Carnival Cruise Line vessels.

Maybe we should put the Girl Scouts in charge of disaster recovery.

~~Angie