Image via Wikipedia
Although titled “Disaster Relief, who should be the beneficiaries” Bill Cumming’s blog raises some interesting points about alternative ways to managing the long-term recovery process as well. See his blog on Dec. 7th.
Disaster Relief and Recovery Need Rethinking
Recovery Diva 
Bill Cumming chose to answer Toney’s questions on his blog. See
http://vlg338.blogspot.com/
Good points and good questions. I will ask Bill Cumming to reply to you directly.
Claire
It would be interesting to see the writer follow up with his recommendation and address how implementation could be achieved.
Some of the issue that jumps out at me right up front is the desire to assist those with less. How would you provide an equitable program to those who are socially vulnerable verses those who are not, considering many disaster survivors are victims based on location verses social or economical status. Additionally how do you address those whose status change based on the event and the new ramifications upon the population?
I am always apprehensive of the comment of “study and beefing up” used in the same sentence. Studies in their purest form either describe or explain a situation using generalization which can be replicated. Researcher study, recovery practioners use the information to create change but must weigh the idiosyncratic elements involved in every situation to render a solution.
By beefing up the duplication of benefits do you mean allowing more duplication or establishing stricter guidelines to identify more frequent occurrences of duplication and therefore take corrective action to minimize the occurrences?
It truly would be interesting for the state and local governments to ask FEMA to divulge statistical information about disaster victims. Most requests are denied because of the federal government’s requirement to protect client information.
By two tiered system I can only interpret that to mean you desire a two tiered Individual Assistance Program verses the current three program system of Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, and Mitigation system, which can be activated by the President during a federally declared disaster?