Is this surprising?

So, the feds started off giving Katrina refugees $2,000 debit cards, then switched to $2,000 deposits, to $2,000 rent. I posted about it here.

Today, we have this article: Tracking Katrina Money Proving Difficult.

Is the federal government really so dumb it didn't forsee this?

WASHINGTON - Trying to track who's getting what portion of the billions of dollars in federal Hurricane Katrina aid is enough to give any auditor a headache — and is a problem that critics say creates alarming gaps in public oversight.

The database of contracts is incomplete. Information released by federal agencies is spotty and sporadic. And disclosure of many no-bid contracts isn't required by law.

"On any given day, the government is spending millions of taxpayer dollars, but we simply have no visibility on these purchases," said Christopher Yukins, a contracting law professor at George Washington University. "They just buy from the same person year after year."

I want to know exactly how the government and Katrina refugees are spending my money. Is that too much to ask? If I receive federal aid for my education, I have to account for it and pay it all back. Shouldn't they all have to do the same?