My little part-time business lost 80% of its inventory ($6500) and the shop was wrecked. I also lost a couple thousand in time off from my regular part-time job. Between them I stay off welfare and pay my bills, at least. I fell through all the cracks at FEMA, and the SBA sent me a pile of loan forms half an inch thick. $5,000 with no strings or red tape right then would have gone a long way toward fixing things.Instead of taking time to do paperwork when I had to be cleaning up, I used my personal and business credit cards, and will still be paying them off this time next year. Thanks to friends who helped right when I needed it, I am still in business and still paying taxes. Unfortunately I don't make enough to be able to pay real rent out of the flood zone, so it could happen again at any time. At least I know not to waste my time with government agencies any more.

In these lean times that we are having right now is this the only thing they can find to waste our money on? There are so many things being put on the back burner that could put a QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS to good use. I wonder how many seniors or vets that kind a money could assist. Before some of you nut and berry eaters get all excited...I know it is FEMA money. But I thought that money was to help people put their lives back together after a natural disaster. Okay, rails-to-trails was destroyed by a flood that really effects everyones lives in Harrison/Marion county and that left how many people homeless?