Well, this can’t be good.  A charity was set up, people paid in in belief that monies were going to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina and it appears monies never got paid.  Oh, two NY politicians are involved - State Senator Malcolm Smith and  Rep. Gregory Meeks (NY-6) although I doubt they were in the day to day operations.  Still their names are on this.

Via NY Post

Devastated Hurricane Katrina survivors from New Orleans were left high and dry by a charity set up to help them by state Sen. Malcolm Smith and Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens.

Only $1,392 of at least $31,000 raised to help Katrina families was paid, tax records show, and just about everybody involved with the charity — including the two Democratic pols — claim ignorance as to where the rest of the money went.

Meeks said in a statement that “the funds were utilized to help sustain displaced evacuees,” but refused to provide further detail. He said money was administered by an unidentified director and that “a committee of community representatives functioned as advisers to the fund.”

…

The Post reported last week that NOAH-F was under the auspices of a charity called New Direction Local Development Corp., based in Springfield Gardens, Queens, which was started with the help of Meeks and Smith.

The New Direction Web site says the mission of NOAH-F was to raise $270,000 for hurricane evacuees. Donations were directed to the offices of Meeks, Smith or Clark, whose photos still appeared on the site last week.

“NOAH-F plans to provide up to 30 families with full rent and utility payments for six months,” it says.

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5. Spend money on priorities — Is the money tree really tapped out?