INCOMPETENCY AT ITS FINEST More than $85 million worth of household materials — from kitchen goods to sleeping necessities — meant for Hurricane Katrina victims sat in a warehouse for two years before FEMA finally "gave it away" to federal and state agencies this year. While FEMA is downplaying it as a non-story, non-profit workers in New Orleans are shocked and appalled, not only that FEMA had this items available, but that the agency game them away. "These are exactly the items that we are desperately seeking donations of right now — basic kitchen household supplies," said Kegel, executive director of Unity of Greater New Orleans. "These are the very things that we are seeking right now. FEMA, in fact, refers homeless clients to us to house them. How can we house them if we don't have basic supplies?" Reps from FEMA said they offered the items to state agencies nation-wide. Louisiana was one of the states that passed on the free supplies. [CNN]

*Thanks, Butterfly!