People who aren't responsible for the money they have aren't responsible about the money that they spend. Observe the consumer habits of ne'er-do-wells who "find" other people's credit cards, gamblers who hit the weekend motherlode, trust-fund millionaires, or welfare recipients on the first day of the month. Do they pay their bills, put money in the bank, or buy groceries? Or, do they buy rounds, $200 sneakers, and PlayStation2 games? Too often it's the latter set of choices. So it is no great shock that the $2,000 "emergency" debit cards issued by FEMA and the Red Cross have been used at several Houston gentlemen's (sorry for the euphemism) clubs, including establishments called Caligula XXI and Baby Dolls. Others bought Louis Vuitton bags and expensive high-heeled shoes with their cards. You got looted.
Who didn't see that one coming? At least it was only for $2000.
Speaking of looting, good news that white collar thief Dennis Kozlowski gets eight and a third in prison plus has to pay back millions. This turkey looted Tyco to the tune of $600M and did it with reckless abandon, figuring that he was entitled not to get caught.
Good riddance.
Now it's all becoming clear to me why we have food stamps. Why did this not occur to the ex head of the Arabian Horse Association?
Oh, yeah.
They had a FEMA spokeswoman on a couple of days ago when these stories started to trickle out and they asked her about the logic behind issuing free $2,000 pre-approved credit cards to the storm victims and the fact that they could buy anything with them without any real restrictions.
She responded by saying that it clearly states on the card that it should be used for necessity items ONLY. When queried about the reality of expecting people to follow certain unenforceable rules, her take was that people’s sense of doing the right thing and trust was all important. Hmmmmm.
It makes you want to tear your hair out to see and hear the ignorance of officials like this spokeswoman. Why is it that the people in these social welfare jobs are precisely the people who least understand human nature and especially the nature of those they serve?
I don’t know that they care. Because….IT’S NOT THEIR MONEY! And the guys who run the government benefit politically through a feel good giveaway.
They have to know that when they pass out $2,000 to people who have already benefited from companies giving out free designer clothes and free food and a government that has provided shelter, that this money will be considered play money.
After the last big hurricane in Fla., FEMA payed for all burial expenses for people killed as a result. And, just for good measure, they even paid to bury people who had died before the hurricane.
How did this country *possibly* prosper before FEMA?
For example, I would like to see comparisons between the federal response to the Great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 or the Chicago Fire of 1871 and the response to disasters today. This would make a great research project and some publishable articles I think. Dan, why don't you find some undergrad to scurry around and come up with this data?
This same principle applies to the "victims" of the hurricane as it does to homeless people. You wouldnt give a hobo money because you know exactly what he would spend it on...booze.
Thats why you offer to buy the hobo a sandwich. Same goes for those free debit cards. You provide food and water and shelter, not free cash.
