Following is a Letter to the Editor of the The Layman (Journal of the Presbyterian Lay Committee)

Five years.

This year will mark the fifth anniversary of the catastrophe from Hurricane Katrina. Two years after that, The Layman questioned the response of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance agency (PDA) in its slow distribution of funds. [Special Report: After Katrina and Special Report Part 2: After Katrina] An Oct. 29, 2007 letter from the Presbyterian Lay Committee complained that only $8 million of the over $20 million giving had been applied, with over $12 million still unused. Parker Williamson stated in a January 2008 posting that Katrina giving was up to $23 million but that less than half had been applied. A Layman report of January 2010 tells that giving had increased to $28.4 million and Katrina relief disbursement to $18.1 million. Two things are obvious: One, giving for Presbyterian disaster relief for Katrina has continued, and two, the PDA has consistently been holding back roughly $10 million or more all along. It is only fair that Presbyterians know why.

Five years.

Can The Layman determine if the PDA has plans to complete its relief spending for the Katrina disaster by the date of the 5-year anniversary? If not, can it report that one of the GA committees has the matter up for consideration? Has there been an external audit to ascertain that the holdback in disbursements are still there and accessible?

Five years.

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