The Continuing Saga Of The $5.3 Million Water Weenies
Or how the Charorge Misadministration got conned
then lied about FEMA paying for their screw-up
Last week, TPRTK obtained a November 21, 2005 email from a FEMA official, Jim Steele, to Charlotte Randolph's Administration in which FEMA makes it clear it was not interested in paying $5.3 million for inflatable dams, even at that early date.

In the email, whose subject is "Additional information on inflatable dam pricing (water weenies)", Mr. Steele writes:

A fellow project officer working in St. Charles is having similar difficulty with respect to the 'reasonable cost' analysis of U.S. Flood Control's pricing on inflatable dams. This project officer contacted other firms to see what their costs might be for a similar scope of work. One contact was Kathy Sullivan of Hydro-Solutions, Inc. in Houston, another manufacturer of inflatable dams. In product comparison, he found that the Hydro-Solutions dam was similar in size, but was a superior product in both material and function.

The going rental rate for Hydro-Solutions tubes is currently $20 per LF per month (i.e. $33.33 per day for 50 FT tube). That is one tenth the price of U.S. Flood's rental rate of $350 per day for a 50 FT tube. I have attached for your records a quote prepared by Ms. Sullivan to be used as a comparison for costs charged by U.S. Flood for a similar scope of wok. Note that Hydro Solution's price for renting inflatable tubes is $1000 per month per tube, compared to $10,000 per month from US Flood. I hope the information is helpful to you during your negotiations with U.S. Flood on reasonable expenditures for the emergency work completed.

WAIT A MINUTE! Hasn't Charlotte been saying all along that FEMA will pay for her water weenies? This email sure don't sound like it. Has Charlotte lied to us?

WAIT, THAT'S NOT ALL!

Also provided TPRTK last week was a "Project Worksheet Report" prepared by one Curtis Miklas dated March 10, 2006. The report appears to be a claim for reimbursement from FEMA. Included is a claim totaling $5,269,490.00 for rented equipment. This is presumably for the water weenies.

Who is Curtis Miklas? Why is he preparing our FEMA claim? Since FEMA was already raising its eyebrow on the U.S. Flood inflatable dam cost in November, why are we still trying to claim $5.3 million in March? Is somebody trying to get something over on FEMA? Charlotte, what's your story this week?