Tragicomedy or Comedic Tragedy?

One difficulty not often commented upon in the health care debate: the ease with which the government can be defrauded. At a recent wardroom social, talk turned to Katrina and its damages. The chaplain’s wife told about a man she met through an outreach ministry who was still living in his car since Katrina. A couple of other wives, who were here during the storm, quickly pointed out that he must have mental problems and didn’t know where to look for help, because help was everywhere – along with people taking advantage of it. Not only was there corruption among the government officials, but also among the government beneficiaries. When the Red Cross handed out cash, people went through the line several times, claiming to have lost their ID. Some military members stationed here accepted a displacement allowance but forgot to mention to the government when they returned home, so they continued to receive the allowance. When the government announced it was going to try docking pay to recoup its lost funds, the outcry was so severe and the process so daunting that it gave up and let people keep their ill-gotten gains. Another story was told about a pharmacist who received all her payments and allowances from her insurance company and the government, but then she decided to apply for a grant for upgrades to her property. She was sent $92,000 to make her house look pretty after it was rebuilt with insurance money.



I suppose with all stories of generosity and largeness of heart that go along with natural disasters, there are an equal number of stories of greed and debasement.