Frustrated Ike Victims, Mayor Fed Up with FEMA Red Tape

An agitated Mayor Bill White complained Thursday that overcoming government red tape is making it more difficult to overcome Hurricane Ike.

November 6, 2008
By Ron Trevino
KHOU / 11 News, Houston

“There’s too much bureaucracy and people are not acting with a sense of urgency,” Mayor Bill White said.

He complained that most residents who applied for FEMA aid have yet to see a dime.

Help can't come soon enough for 93-year-old Arthur McNeely.

From the outside, his South Houston home looks like many others with the familiar blue tarp on the roof.

Inside, his home is a disaster.

Parts of the ceiling came crashing down during Ike. Rain poured in and now there's mold everywhere.

Many residents are still waiting for FEMA funds to help pay for repairs.

“It really tore it up, it done me a job,” McNeely said.

Mcneely shares the home with family members and friends, including Ben Humphrey, who is recovering from a stroke.

Humphrey's room is also a mess with a big hole in the ceiling.

“I would like FEMA and the government to do what my taxes have paid for, for years," Humphrey said. "If they can bail out the banks, they can help people.”

Jacqueline Dawson has been trying to get the household some help.

She said FEMA denied her initial request because there were typos on the form. Then it was back and forth over damage estimates. They finally got a check, but didn't bother to cash it because the amount was so low.

Now, they're waiting for FEMA inspectors to return.

“Too much bureaucracy," Dawson said. "They have too much of it.”

The mayor says there’s any easy solution.

“You get the president, secretary of HUD, head of FEMA, Homeland Security and say, 'stop it,'” White said.

A FEMA official told 11 News they're working hard to cut down on the red tape and they're slowly making progress.

McNeely and Humphrey can only hope he's right.

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