Sen. Grassley reported on Nov. 5  Housing and Urban Development has awarded Iowa an addtional $516 million to pay to rebuild from the floods of 2008.

Here's the breakdown:

• $220 million for housing and commercial property buyouts.
• $125 million for new housing production.
• $70 million for the business assistance program which includes business rental assistance, the loan interest expense program, commercial rental income gap, and residential landlord support.
• $64,662,175 for public infrastructure.
• $1 million for case management.
• $10 million for floodplain mapping.
• $216,000 for the promotion of the National Flood Insurance program.
• $25,835,693 for administration.

TWENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS TO ADMINSTER WHAT? Don't we already have people in place in HUD to administer this?Aren't they already on the payroll? If so, are they going to work long hours of overtime in Cedar Rapids? Are they heading down to Iowa City, Waterloo, Vinton, Chelsea at cost of $25 million?

If the answer is they're activating disaster teams - nonsense. They've been here and been here and been here.

-J. Speer