Arrgh.

[kengr]

I just heard on the news that FEMA is dropping that program to give the survivors of Katrina $2000 debit cards. Ok, I figured there were going to be problems with it, especially given a few things about how they were handling it.

But their idea of a replacement? People have to apply on the web and the money will be deposited in their bank accounts.

This has several *huge*, gaping holes.

First of all, a lot of folks are going to need *help* to do this, even if they can get to a computer. I'm sorry, but I have had to try to teach folks how to use computers. And most people *still* can't use them without a lot of help.

And entering info about bank accounts that way? Along with whatever ID info would be needed to verify that it wasn't a scam? That's *asking* for ID theft.

And then there's the other problem. There are people who do not *have* bank accounts, and ion fact, because of credit problems and bounced checks *can't get* bank accounts.

I've been there. Had a $60k cashiers check and none of the banks I tried would open an account for me.

Poor folks, who could use the money the most are also the most likely to be in that situation.

<sigh>

Looks like another case of planners meaning well but just not having any conception of what life is like for the folks they are trying to help.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Well, there you have it folks. That ever-present chasm between the proverbial haves and have-nots, covered with a beeeeautiful oriental rug! I have it on good authority that debit cards with smaller amounts are being sold on the black market in cities like Atlanta for as little as 85.00. What a deal! I thought Ebay was great. Gotta learn to think bigger. I guess there's no way around it I mean being African American and all.

[aurictech.livejournal.com]

I wonder; is this idea (and the debit-card idea it replaces) designed to prevent cash-heavy survivors from being robbery victims? If so, perhaps issuing financial aid in the form of traveler's checks might be a better solution, especially if there is a way to pre-print the initial signature of the recipient on the checks (to ensure that every traveler's check has an initial signature to which the second signature, signed in the presence of the payee, can be compared).