Efficiency: $4 Million Spent to Distribute $12 Million in Food Stamps

In the wake of hurricane Isaac, Baton Rouge, Louisiana spent $4 million dollars setting up emergency food stamp application sites which eventually distributed $12 million in benefits.

Hurricane Isaac struck the gulf coast the last week of August 2012 and was responsible for nine deaths. In the wake of the disaster, emergency food stamp sites were set up at six locations in Baton Rouge. In that city alone $4.2 million was spent on renting everything from chairs to port-a-potties to food service.

According to records examined by CBS affiliate WAFB, $360,000 was spent renting 240 portable toilets, over 112 of which were delivered to one location. Nearly half a million dollars was spent catering food and snacks for state workers.

WAFB notes that the $4.2 million spent in Baton Rouge did not include the salaries of state workers. The cost of setting up the distributions sites was split between the state of Louisiana and the federal government.

A total of $12.4 million in food stamps were distributed as a result of the effort, less than triple what was spent on the distribution effort itself.