Foreign aid should’ve been accepted for Katrina victims, not brushed aside

The U.S. federal government is in dire need of improving its management skills.

Let’s take the incompetent and tardy response following Hurricane Katrina-no, not Michael Brown and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, nor the Army Corp of Engineers. Lucky for me, there is more to scrutinize in this dark pattern of bureaucratic buck passing.

According to The Washington Post, the U.S. failed to “collect most of the unprecedented outpouring of international cash assistance for Katrina’s victims.”

Almost $854 million in cash and in oil was to be sold to help the victims reconstruction efforts, but, the Post reported, most of the aid went uncollected, including almost $400 million worth of oil.

China, Greece, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait offered aid; so did Canada, Britain and Israel.

Even with all of this aid flowing in the U.S.’s direction, someone or some agency still could not even pretend to be responsible.

To exacerbate the situation, the Post reported the State Department instructed U.S. ambassadors to politely turn down offers from overseas.

The aid sent to help victims and reconstruction could have been used effectively. Families are still displaced, and their homes are still damaged by broken levees built to protect them.

In late August 2005, families packed arenas and coliseums after their homes were destroyed by water and wind. One could assert the destruction came solely from Mother Nature, but I strongly suggest one not waste time.

How would someone explain the death tolls after the storm passed? How would someone explain families having to trek through waist-high water in hopes of dry shelter?

If nations were willing to assist, why would the federal government turn down those offers? People were in need.

Katrina illustrated the federal government is simply arrogant in good times, incompetent during a challenge and fearful of accountability in the aftermath.

It’s ironic the feds are passing the buck now but could not muster the strength to pass the right buck to reduce the death and disease following Katrina’s departure.