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Promoting Entitlement: Katrina Victims to Get $2K Debit Cards

More hand outs by the Feds. While I can see the heart and intentions behind this, I can also see how this is going to be SO abused!

What is wrong with our country? I don't care how dire my situation, I would think that no self-respecting man would accept a cash hand-out from the government! I was laid of some years ago, and after 3 months of unemployment checks, I couldn't take the embarrassment--I canceled it.

I took on a lot of debt because of that, and I had some real rough times, but now I have a job and I am doing great! I got back up, and I did not need government help.
The federal government plans to begin doling out debit cards worth $2,000 each to adult victims of Hurricane Katrina, The Associated Press has learned.

Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff described the plan in a conference call with state officials Wednesday morning. The unprecedented cash card program initially will benefit stranded people who have been moved to major rescue centers such as the Houston Astrodome.

"They are going to start issuing debit cards, $2,000 per adult, today at the Astrodome," said Kathy Walt, a spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Help the victims, by all means. Let's create new job opportunities, retraining for those having to move into new industries, scholarships for courses and skill development, and perhaps basic emergency medical care. The idea is to help individuals get back on their OWN two feet--not on government feet.

Does this bother anyone else? Where is this money going to come from? The government does not grow money on trees, for those who wonder. I'm sure it makes the politicians look like real nice caring people--but that is going to do no good on the long term. Perhaps, a better approach would have been for a non-profit (private) to screen and grant debit cards to Katrina victims, while getting the rest of the country involved in supporting and donating to these victims' emergency cash needs. That way, we would have better accountability, and control over the money.

Why must the government do it? It should not be doing it! This is well-intentioned dumb economics and ultimately bad for everyone--including Katrina victims.

It's this sort of good intentions that have serious consequences in our society, but of course this is to much to ask politicians to consider. We are promoting an entitlement attitude, while bleeding the economy further, making it harder for the underclass to get back up on their own. More critical, we continue to rob them of their self-respect and dignity--I know, these are old fashioned and it might bother you, but they used to be priced values.

Tags: Poverty, Katrina, New Orleans, flood aid, hurricane, hurricane-katrina, Politics, Economics.

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