You just cant make this up…
FEMA funds were used to purchase sno-cone machines by a county emergency office in Michigan. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, has asked FEMA director Craig Fugate if he was aware a FEMA grant was used in this way, and if oversight procedures at the agency are appropriate. Emphasis mine.
Bilirakis’s letter is incredulous in pointing out that the “official cost justification” submitted for the purchase of the machines by the regional administration was that, “This tool can be used at public education and outreach events to entice volunteers to stop by recruitment booths and receive public education about promotional material about Citizens Corps and preparedness activities – along with shaved ice.“
OK, maybe this was a really bad call on the part of the county office. So what do they have to say for themselves?
Bilirakis’s letter also takes issue with a rationale for buying the shaved-ice machines that he says was later given by the regional development commission’s director – that “these ice rehabilitation machines will assist with treating the onset of heat exhaustion and stroke during large scale events or activities – including possible terrorist incidents or similar emergencies.”
Heh, “ice rehabilitation machine” takes bullshitting to a whole new level. I’m impressed. Bilirakis’s response:
“While I will agree that snow cones are a refreshing treat, at a time when budgets are strained and the government is looking for ways to cut costs, it is unacceptable to be using taxpayer dollars meant to protect our country on these kinds of items”
I’m sorry, but this whole back and forth is hilarious.
On a more serious note, this kind of stupidity is just bad. Government needs to be responsible with it’s use of tax dollars. If someone makes a compelling case that having shaved ice available during emergency situations is useful, and that a sno-cone machine is a cost effective way to obtain shaved ice, then I’m all for it. But spending that money to lure kids to your booth so you can give them a flyer is ridiculous.
From a political standpoint, this is the kind of foolishness that the Ron Pauls of the world can point to when they make their case that agencies like FEMA should be eliminated.
More broadly, anyone who believes government has a role to play in agencies and programs like FEMA (or medicare, etc) ought to be very interested in this kind of thing, because really dumb moves by officials, like in this case, only serve to strengthen the case against government and help cement the perception the public has of government employees being wasteful and incompetent.
So thanks, Michigan. This is why we cant have nice things.
520 Chestnut 
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