And why not let Colonel Sanders babysit your chickens?

The Economist recently ran an article about the problems with getting compensation to homeowners who suffered damage from Katrina.  The article is subtitled How to stiff both Louisianans and the federal government. Here's the money quote:

"A typical private home-insurance policy covers wind damage, whereas
flood insurance is provided only by the federal government. The feds,
in the name of efficiency, allowed private insurers to settle both
flood and wind claims after Katrina. But if you were an insurance
company, and you had the choice of paying claims out of your own pocket
or someone else's, which would you pick?"

The head of the National Flood Insurance Program says that the claims were paid properly.  Perhaps a congressional inquiry will take up the subject.  Until then, it's all just speculation.