Want answers? Don't ask FEMA

Hard information is in short supply

Saturday, October 22, 2005

By James Varney

Staff writer

Local companies may be getting their share of work on contracts let by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Or maybe they're not. Only FEMA knows for sure, and FEMA won't say.

In fact, getting FEMA to release any information has proven a maddening process, according to public officials at every level. Louisiana's political class has been united and outspoken on the topic, insisting that the inclusion of in-state companies on reconstruction projects is a top priority. Such involvement would mark a significant early catalyst for the economic recovery of the New Orleans area, officials say, returning residents and cash to an area hard-strapped for both.