A different view

If They're Not Grateful, Fine Them

George Barisich, a resident of Chalmette, La. and victim of last year's Hurricane Katrina, gave up on assistance from the federal government and had some t-shirts printed in protest. The t-shirts read "Flooded by Katrina! Forgotten by FEMA! What's Next, Mr. Bush?".

I understand his voicing his frustration on t-shirts, frustration with government is how I got into blogging.

George has been selling and giving away the t-shirts, and as the president of the United Commercial Fisherman's Association he's pretty well known in town.

But he made the mistake of giving a woman a t-shirt in a Wal-Mart parking lot that doubles as a FEMA relief center. Now he's been ticketed for selling the t-shirt on federal property, a charge Mr. Barisich denies. He says he gave the t-shirt away. Never mind says the federal government, you owe us $75 and never do it again.

Mr. Barisich is from the hard hit St. Bernard Parish where 22,000 of 26,000 homes were destroyed, and he's lost several boats and his oyster beds.

So while the federal government has been cited by watchdog groups as being almost totally negligent in disaster recovery efforts here, the local residents can be assured that the local Wal-Mart parking lot if safe from rogue t-shirts salesmen.

posted by don1one @ 8:57 AM