Monday, April 11, 2011

NEMA Conducting BUR for PA on Behalf of FEMA

According to a recent post on Disaster Zone by Eric Holderman NEMA on behalf of FEMA is conducting a BUR [Bottom up Review] of the PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM pursuant to the Stafford Act. Based on the questions asked by NEMA it looks like Bill Carwile's organization is looking at PA hard for the first time since the
Disaster Relief Act of 1974 [Public Law 93-288] was enacted. One of the biggest changes that law wrought in PA was to allow payments to nonprofit organizations that provided community services. I have long argued that only nonprofits that were exempt from FEDERAL and STATE taxes should be eligible for that assistance. Many nonprofits exist that do not have that status and are not qualified for tax deductions for contributions by donors. The Vacation Lane Group is one such organization. Of course I probably don't provide community services either.
Many nonprofits are totally unregulated and exist only to duck under the audit scope of governmental organizations with their officers taking huge salaries. Over 10% of the GDP of the USA [meaning production of goods and services] are in the nonprofit sector. Perhaps a new MORTMAIN statute in the USA?