Storm-relief money spent at strip clubs

[political_invader]

Please help me out Is this true I don't know if this is credible? I ran across this site.

On the heels of a report earlier this week that Atlanta area Katrina victims were using $2,000 debit cards to purchase luxury items like Louis Vuitton handbags, Houston police yesterday discovered the cards, provided by FEMA and the Red Cross, being used at local strip clubs.

The Houston Police Department just formed a task force to investigate the abuse of the cards, which were distributed to thousands of Katrina hurricane victims to provide for necessities, such as food, clothing and toiletries. On the first day, the police found the cards being used to buy beer while ogling exotic dancers.
"A lot of customers have been coming in from Louisiana and they've been real happy about the $1.75 beers and they're really nice," she said.

She couldn't say for sure whether the cards she has seen were from the Red Cross or from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but she found no fault in using federal dollars to guzzle beer at a strip club.

"You lost your whole house, then, why not?" she said "You might want some beer in a strip club. There are a lot of guys out there that like to do that."



rest of the storyhttp://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46361

Anyone heard of this elsewhere?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Two notes

the vuiton bags are fakes that the feds decided to let them have instaend of ... destroying, and some are very good copies, article is here on DU

Second off, them caeds are not useful for alcohol or drugs... you draw your own conclusions

Third off, this is world net daily who rarely have a good story even close to reality

[political_invader]

7. Tyvm I had not heard any of this else where And couldn't find it anywhere

else thanks for clearing that up I had never hear of that site so I thought I would ask around.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Yuo are on Democratic Underground

the article on where them bags came from is on DU... somebody posted it a couple days ago

As to RC and FEMA Cards, they cannot be used for cigs or alcohol... just like food stamps... this is on their sites soemwhere

[Wildewolfe]

20. If those are really DEBIT cards...

there are no product restictions in the interfaces on most of the credit networks (I program credit network interfaces for a living).

You can use a debit card to pay for virtually anything. The networks don't support product restrictions on debit tender.

Now if it's an electronics benefits card truly like the food stamp cards now available, that's an entirely different kettle of fish.

[Cleita]

10. Yes, I was going to post the same.

This is just more racist smears like all the other racist smears since the hurricane disaster. Just how long are they going to be blaming the victims who are in no position to fight back?

[Child_Of_Isis]

2. Who cares what they spend it on?

Stories are going to get really wild. Cadillacs will be included.

[LoZoccolo]

3. Well, who cares?

Everyone knows some people will abuse relief money. Big deal; what else is new? It's no reason to take it away from everyone who might need it. What's the point?

Republicans are like the teachers who take away recess because of one kid.

[LoZoccolo]

23. And, maybe I'd support making people account for every dollar of relief...

...if the Republicans will agree to pass legislation requiring people to account for every single bullet they buy for their guns, so we can make sure they didn't shoot anyone or discharge their firearm in an area where they shouldn't. Crimes get committed with guns every now and then, so now we have to track every single bullet. You can still bear arms, but we won't let anyone abuse that right.

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. Who cares? nt

[titoresque]

5. not sure if it's real or fake but...

it's none of the governments damn business how these people spend the money. Hey if they're really concerned they better follow them to the grocery store too, make sure they're buying the cheap bread, cereal, toiletries etc. Christ, what is REALLY disgusting about this letter is not whether it's real or fake but the fact that someone wrote this knowing it was going to piss a lot of freeptards off........like it's any of there damn business!
Personally I think it's MORE disgusting for a rich asshole to buy an expensive bag and do nothing for humanity than it is for a poor person to want to know what it feels like to spend a little money they never have.

[CottonBear]

6. Freeper madness and lies. Consider the source. It's NOT reliable.

Besides, you can't purchase a LV bag of any usable size for $2,000.

This "article" is just RW bullshit.

[meganmonkey]

8. I just checked Snopes, nothing there yet. I hope this gets debunked

because someone at my work was talking about it this morning.

[AllegroRondo]

9. FEMA didn't even give out debit cards

they scrapped the plan and went with direct deposit or check instead.

[Synnical]

14. That was my understanding, as well n/t

[daninthemoon]

11. Don't really believe it, but even if true, it's still money getting into

the Houston economy. Strippers are people, too.

[Lerkfish]

12. HEY GUYS, here's some racist RW crap! is it true????

sheesh.a

I got one for you...


Hey! I heard cheney sacrificed small children to his owl god and drank their blood, laughing. IS IT TRUE? CAN ANYONE CONFIRM THIS?????

[political_invader]

17. It wasn't so much I was asking to comfirm the story. I wanted to know

about the site I had never seen or heard of it before. Thanks for your :sarcasm:

[titoresque]

18. c'mon

no need for that. I've posted stuff here before and have got a true beating, but my intention was never to mislead. I really didn't know! I actually posted some garbage the other day that I got in my email from a source I trust and so I didnt really look into it and posted it on DU.....turns out the author of the article is a total racist nut case......but it was an honest mistake. So, it happens. :hi:

[daninthemoon]

19. I think you got it right.

[DS1]

13. I'd buy a guy who just lost his entire house a beer or two no problem, but

if I found out he was lying about it, well then I'd have to take him out back for a beating :-)

[fishnfla]

15. $ 1.75 beers at strip clubs? I don't believe its true.

er, I mean, I heard they charge more for beer. :eyes:

[CascadeTide]

21. sometimes happy hour is that cheap

place near me does $1 beer and $1 ribs on Fridays. I could care less what they spent the money on. Therapy means different things to different people

[NYCGirl]

22. WorldNUT Daily is an extreme right wing site. NT

[Wilber_Stool]

24. Who's to say that it's not

members of FEMA issuing the cards to themselves and using them. I find that more believable.

[Coastie for Truth]

25. Red Cross Debit Cards

1. Some are coded (first and second groups of 4 digits) not to be usable for certain purchases.

2. There is software at Chase (the issuer) to deny payment at certain types of merchants -- and it is used to either "deny" or "flag" the transaction.

3. The use of the cards is not confidential. The internal auditors at the Red Cross can see every transaction -- and "kill" the card. We do kill them for alcohol transactions. (After fires, where I give out debit cards -- I have been called by our auditor - "Do you know that XYZ used a card that you issued at the fire on Maple Street to buy liquor fifteen minutes ago at the ABC Liquor Store -- I am going to void out the card...")

[salin]

26. wacky wingnut site

fringe wingnuttery (think Alan Keyes) but wacky all the same.