FEMA to stop giving out debit cards

[XtremeCruiser]

Again the Government drops the ball, I just talked to Chris and to try and get help from FEMA is next to impossible.  So since he is out of state and relocation he is not holding his breath about getting any help from them even though they have lost almost everything, esp since they have already turned him down once.
I am so glad that the Bush administration cut FEMA funding and staffing to the bare bones minimum

The nation's relief agency said Friday it will discontinue its program to distribute debit cards worth up to $2,000 to hurricane victims, two days after hastily announcing the novel plan to provide quick relief.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it will scrap the program once officials finish distributing cards this weekend at shelters in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, where many of the evacuees were moved. No cards will be issued to victims in other states.

Hurricane victims at other locations will have to apply for expedited aid through the agency's traditional route — filling out information on FEMA's Web site to receive direct bank deposits, FEMA spokeswoman Natalie Rule said.

"We tried it as an innovative way to get aid to evacuee populations in Texas. We decided it would be more expeditious with direct deposits," she said, citing the large staffing operation that would be required to replicate the Texas operation in other states.

[XtremeCruiser]

Here is the first story

Bush signs $51.8 billion aid package

President Bush on Thursday night signed a $51.8 billion emergency spending bill after promising survivors of Hurricane Katrina earlier in the day that the federal government "is going to be with you for the long haul."

The aid bill easily passed both houses of Congress on Thursday.

In an address aimed at the hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents displaced by the August 29 storm, Bush outlined plans to distribute $2,000 in federal aid to every affected household for immediate needs and to supply them with long-term assistance in the months ahead.

He also promised to reimburse states for the costs associated with taking in people forced out of their homes by the hurricane, telling state leaders, "You should not be penalized for showing compassion."

Families can register by contacting Federal Emergency Management Agency or Red Cross teams at emergency shelters, by calling (800) 621-FEMA or by visiting www.fema.gov , Bush said.

The president also called for a national day of prayer.

"I ask that we pray, as Americans have always prayed in times of trial, with confidence in His purpose, with hope for a brighter future and with the humility to ask God to keep us strong, so we can better serve our brothers and sisters in need," he said.

[JakeTrout]

They have no clue about helping people!