Give Responsibly

Personally, I think the debit card is a great idea. If someone goes and blows it on booze or something dumb, well, that is more to their loss.

It's just like the typical beaurocratic mind to assume that government or some 'other' entity knows best what to do with any money or other aide. :roll:

Not everyone will have the same needs. One might need baby diapers while another might need adult diapers and another needs tampons. Then again, someone might not need any of these things but instead could very much use some jock itch powder. In the meantime, someone else might need some new underwear and socks and shoes for the kids.

I heard that somewhere along the line, peanut butter was being given out in NO. Fine but what about the people who are highly allergic to peanuts and would go into anaphalactic shock that would end in death? Should they starve instead? Coincidentally, there are a lot of Blacks who are allergic to peanuts and peanut oils. With a debit card, they could buy cheese or bologna or whatever else they choose to feed that same person. We can't and shouldn't micro-manage everything. Sometimes I think that you just have to recognize that sometimes people really do know what's best for themselves and let them decide. Besides, it gives them back a little dignity.
my thoughts exactly Jag. (i didnt feel like typing all that out though!!!)

though, something about giving some homeless guy $2000 because the place he used to "live" is washed away, gives me the willys!!!

besides people, think about it , $2000 is NOT that much cash anyway…
Originally posted by Jaguär:
Besides, it gives them back a little dignity.
the A, number 1 reason for the debit cards.
damn…if so…i think we should open a shoe store
Originally posted by flawd101:
damn…if so…i think we should open a shoe store
How dare you…
Not only does it give back some dignity but it promotes the local economy. No one in the shelters is going to be getting on eBay or Amazon.com anytime soon. And when you send in donations of goods, or the Red Cross (or whoever) brings in the bajamas and meals and supplies, those are all bought somewhere else. Those debit cards, though, that money is going to get spent right in the local area. Houston, for example, is spending a huge amount of money on the evacuees; let them recoup some of it via sales tax and income tax on the local merchants. Even better when they expand it to areas where folks are in local shelters like Slidell or Gulf Shores or so forth. Some of these businesses badly need the income.
yeah, the New Orleans tourism industry took a big hit…
i just keep thinking of the dave chappelle skit on slave reparations