OK, but how do we blame this on Louisiana?

The Daily Advertiser:

"'Debris contractors grabbed the money and then committed every abuse imaginable,' said U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. 'The Katrina contracts are a lose-lose proposition.'

Much of the criticism concerned FEMA's decision to award large, no-bid contracts to huge out-of-state companies such as California-based Fluor Inc., and CH2M Hill of Denver, Co. The two companies were given multimillion-dollar contracts to purchase, install and maintain thousands of travel trailers housing victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A fourth company with strong political ties, Shaw Inc. of Baton Rouge, also received a large contract.

'We could not find complete written records ... to determine how these firms were selected,' Matt Jadacki, a special Inspector General for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery told the House panel."