This has always been a stumper for me. How is it that Louisiana can have so many honest, non-corrupt individuals (I promise! They really are there!), yet continue to produce situations like this?
I looked all over this motorcycle company’s website and sure ‘nuff, not a mention anywhere of travel trailers – used or new. Pretty cool to have a close political relative helping expand one’s business ventures, hunh?
Sigh…Louisiana continues to meet (and exceed) the expectations of the world.
The problem here is that everybody watching LA and NOLA through the post-Katrina magnifying glass will see only Louisiana’s corruption.
“Of course”, they think. “It’s Louisiana” – and totally overlook the fact that these things don’t happen in a vacuum. It should have been perfectly obvious to even the most half-witted FEMA official that a motorcycle dealership was an odd choice to supply trailers for housing – particularly since there are companies already in the business!
Maybe this is just a problem with semantics? Perhaps in FEMA-think, used trailers carried (and sold) by a motorcycle dealership equates to livable housing?
Glen Smith has said he already had a license to sell used trailers and was not aware he needed another one. The shop got its new trailer license in mid-October after it had already begun fulfilling the FEMA contract.
Funniest of all, it seems the political connectedness behind this shady deal was not a problem at the federal level. Instead, the applicable legal issues are covered by state legislation. (umm…. that would be the State of Louisiana, right?)
The Louisiana Recreational and Used Motor Vehicle Commission on Tuesday found that Bourget’s of the South, located in River Ridge, violated state law with the FEMA deal. The shop is owned by the father and uncle of state Rep. Gary Smith, D-Norco.
Ahhhhh, FEMA – continuing to lower the expectations of the world. I guess the bright side is that eventually, everybody will look good in comparison.
Follow Me