Storm-relief money spent at strip clubs

[NsXMas]

Is this true?? In that case I need some rescue, brother...

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46361

IN KATRINA'S WAKE
Storm-relief money
spent at strip clubs
Police in Houston find misuse
of FEMA's $2,000 debit cards

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: September 16, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com


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.

According to a report by KPRC, Channel 2, in Houston, a manager at Caligula XXI Gentlemen's Club said he has seen at least one debit card used at his club. A bartender at Baby Dolls, identified only as "Abby," said she has seen many of the cards used at her establishment.

"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."

The wife of the manager of another strip club told KPRC that her husband has seen patrons from Louisiana offering Red Cross and FEMA debit cards, but she declined to reveal the club's name.

The FEMA and Red Cross cards have few restrictions, but some evacuees have gotten into trouble when they tried to get additional cards.

Meanwhile, Houston police are going undercover as evacuees to keep their eyes on those who get in line more than once.

"There may be some individuals who use some false identifications or providing false information on the forms, so we're targeting those persons also," said Lt. Robert Manzo.

Officers handed out a warning that falsifying government documents could result in a 20-year prison sentence.

Earlier this week, the New York Daily News reported that "profiteering ghouls" were using the debit cards in luxury-goods stores as far away as Atlanta.

"We've seen three of the cards," said a senior employee of the Louis Vuitton store at the Lenox Square Mall in affluent Buckhead. "Two I'm certain have purchased; one actually asked if she could use it in the store. This has been since Saturday."

Restrictions on the cards say they can't be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or firearms.

The clerk at the Louis Vuitton store said: "There's nothing legally that prevents us from taking it, unfortunately – other than morally, it's wrong." The unnamed employee told the Daily News two women who had made purchases with the card each bought a signature monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbag in the $800 range.

Meanwhile, in Memphis, Tenn., residents told News Channel 3 they saw Hurricane Katrina survivors purchase designer jeans, high heels and purses with their $2,000 emergency debit cards. According to the report, one Katrina victim was spotted at a Cordova clothier buying stacks of $65 designer jeans. Another viewer reported spotting a survivor buying "over $700 in high heel shoes and purses" at a Memphis department store "while (her) younger children, most of them looked under the age of 3, looked like they haven't showered in weeks."

"If they make an inappropriate decision as to what to purchase, the whole issue of victims' rights comes into play," said Bill Hildebrandt, chief executive officer of the Mid-South chapter of the Red Cross. "They have a right, I guess, to be inappropriate."

Hildebrandt conceded that the purchases could be traced, but he said if the receipts just said "shirt" or "jeans" or "clothes," there would be nothing the Red Cross could do. He said the Mid-South chapter stopped using the cards because the process became too cumbersome.

FEMA reportedly issued about 10,500 cards in the pilot program, with a total value of $20.6 million. Hildebrandt said some Red Cross chapters are still using the cards.

The cards have been a major source of confusion – and resentment – throughout the country.

On Sept. 7, after criticism about the federal government's slow response to helping the Katrina victims, the Bush administration announced that displaced families of the hurricane would receive the debit cards to spend on clothing and other immediate needs.

Two days later, FEMA scrapped the program after distributing the cards at shelters in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, where many of the evacuees were moved. FEMA said then that no cards will be issued to victims in other states.

FEMA Director Mike Brown resigned a few days later after being sent back to Washington, D.C., and relieved of his duty as head of the federal government's hurricane efforts.


Since then, FEMA has stopped handing out the cash cards, but is now requiring evacuees in other states outside Texas to apply for cash assistance.

FEMA is still distributing $2,000 per household to victims of the hurricane, but the process has been slow. After a brief experiment with the debit cards, the agency is now directly depositing the money in bank accounts.

Hurricane victims have to register with the agency by calling an 800 number that is almost always busy. The same goes for a Red Cross fund, which has distributed $140 million thus far, determining the amount per family based on need.

 

[Wheelman]

Yes it is true..the Houston Police Department launched a task force to investigate any abuse of the Fema debit cards already. People were buying Playstation and X-boxes across the street and hooking it up to the Reliant Center TV's to pass the time. Kids buying new bikes and bringing them to the Reliant Astrodome.

side note: Krispy Kreme delivered a bunch of boxes of donuts to the "Survivors" and I personally witnessed people eating "one donut" then throwing the whole box away. People throwing food at volunteers at the Reliant Center because they couldn't take food to their beds. A lot of abuse for people lending a helping hand..but for all the bad apples, you have people who truely need our help.

 

[Kroger]

Really what did they expect would happen

The should have if they wanted to "regulate" what the people spent the money on gave them gift cards to food, and lower end retail stores so the money could be spent more wisely. Than all on a designer crap

 

[NsXMas]

*sigh* you can take the someone out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of someone.

 

[PoohBEAR]

how sad can this be? I have friends flying in next week to volunteer...I may as well do everything I can to stop them from helping. ....where is that shredder? I need to get rid of some flight tickets.

Yes it is true..the Houston Police Department launched a task force to investigate any abuse of the Fema debit cards already. People were buying Playstation and X-boxes across the street and hooking it up to the Reliant Center TV's to pass the time. Kids buying new bikes and bringing them to the Reliant Astrodome.

side note: Krispy Kreme delivered a bunch of boxes of donuts to the "Survivors" and I personally witnessed people eating "one donut" then throwing the whole box away. People throwing food at volunteers at the Reliant Center because they couldn't take food to their beds. A lot of abuse for people lending a helping hand..but for all the bad apples, you have people who truely need our help.

 

[Wheelman]

There are some bad people out there...HPD confiscated over 600 guns from people entering the shelter, as well as knives and bayonets . Stolen property was discovered and confiscated. i.e. a bag full of jewelry with the price tag still on them. A bag with 4 playstations....

The majority of the people are very thankful for the nation's help.

People described gang members in the stadium in New Orleans just picking girls and taking them to the bathroom and raping them. A lot were very pleased with the number of police assigned out at the stadium (About 450 officers from all over the Houston area). The people felt safe and secure. Not too many problems inside the Reliant area, just isolated cases. It's a very tough transition for everyone, but we will all get through it as quickly as possible.

 

[WillErickson]

Its inevitable that things like this would happen. Too many people (in general, not just the Katrina victims) don't look at the long term, just right here, right now. Perhaps FEMA should have done a $1,000 debit card (for clothes and other non-food essentials) and a $1,000 EBT card (limited strictly for food items). There's really no way to "restrict" that a debit card only be used to purchase life essentials, perhaps there should be.

Will

 

[Da Hapa]

I'm sure this is all true but let's not lose sight of the big picture. For every one idiot using his money to buy lap dances there's probably 10 families who really need this money.

Granted, I wish there were some way to ensure that the money was being better spent but do we really want bigger government? Moreover, in this kind of huge natural disaster, you've sometimes just got to put the help out there and hope take the bad with the good.

Let's all continue to pray for those truly needy that need our help.

 

[NSX-Stalker]

This is just idiotic... Those people should be given free lap dances and beers after what they've been through! I'm quite disgusted with the strip club owners and may consider a boycott (well not really).

NSX-Stalker

 

[White92]

I talked to my dad 2 nights ago on the phone in Oklahoma. He told me that he and my mom just got back from helping to feed about 1,000 people that were being housed in an apartment complex there. He told me that while he was serving people going through the line he kept trying to strike up a conversation with them about where they were from and how they were doing. Not one of the 1,000 people were actually from the hurricane affected area! He's not sure who he fed, but they weren't hurricane victims.

And earlier this week, there was a lady standing outside of a local Wal-mart wearing a Red Cross shirt. She had a table set up collecting donations for the hurricane victims. The manager came out and told her he appreciated what she was doing, but she did not have permission to be there. She then just bolted leaving all of her stuff, including about $80 that people had already donated. The manager took the money and just donated to Red Cross himself.

 

[liftshard]

Oh you mean that people will take advantage of and scam relief efforts? Oh, knock me over w/ a feather.

I wouldn't be surprised if most of the debit cards ended up getting used this way. Why do you SUPPOSE that FEMA ended the program? People lost "their" house? I thought the people in NO were TOO POOR to leave? As in, they didn't own anything? I.e., it wasn't THEIR house they lost, it was the GOVERNMENT's house.

People like this live in a surreal vacuum. Everything is free. Now, it's a free $2000 to spend on bling.

 

[queenlives]

uh, pardon me for asking (especially if this has already been answered ad naseum), but ... that wouldn't happen to be your ride in your avatar, would it? i hadn't noticed it until now.

 

[steveny]

I am not suprised as I am sure this is the same method they use to spend their other government check they get every month. This month happens to be a bonus month.

 

[nuccaJB]

*sigh* you can take the someone out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of someone.

This is exactly what I was thinking, but wasn't sure if I should post it. It is unfortunate that the people spending the money this way feel that a LV purse or designer jeans will actually make them wealthy or improve their quality of life.

"Another viewer reported spotting a survivor buying "over $700 in high heel shoes and purses" at a Memphis department store "while (her) younger children, most of them looked under the age of 3, looked like they haven't showered in weeks."

This line in the news story is the part that breaks my heart and makes me want to slap some sense into people. I have a completely different life from these people, but when I look at my son I KNOW their is nothing that I wouldn't do for him. If I was on hard times my kids would not be suffering like that. :frown:

I have no sympathy for those people scaming or taking advantage of the situation, but my heart goes out to the kids who are neglected and led by such a poor example that they are likely to repeat.

 

[Meeyatch1]

Maybe this is overly simple thinking....but instead of giving $2,000 debit cards to people and just hoping they would use them wisely, why didn't they just give people $1,000 in food certificates and $1,000 in clothing certificates. Make sure people get the BASICS, not Coach purses and $65 jeans. My tax dollars are not for a bunch of people to piss away money that was intended for help.

 

[SilverStone05]

If i'm subsidizing poor folks fetishes for Louis bags and lap dances its no wonder so much of my income goes toward taxes. Man...if they are starting to buy this stuff i'd better start working harder i guess!! Hell, if I work hard enough maybe they can all start buying NSX's too!

 

[steveny]

I have always wondered why the government does not give out coupons instead of cash for Welfare, financial assistance or child support. No 65 dollar jeans or alcohol just food, shelter, and basic necessities. Any money left over each month for child support should go in a account in the child's name available to the child at 18 years old.

 

[Sig]

I have always wondered why the government does not give out coupons instead of cash for Welfare, financial assistance or child support. No 65 dollar jeans or alcohol just food, shelter, and basic necessities. Any money left over each month for child support should go in a account in the child's name available to the child at 18 years old.

A very good question indeed. The biggest reason is that there is a long line of special interest groups waiting to lobby and if necessary file lawsuits against any thorough intiative that would adequately address the issue and the corresponding loopholes that come with it.

As seen with food stamp racquets over the years, there are so many ways to abuse and scam the system, even when direct cash is not issued.

 

[ccns23]

And people at work wonder why I won't give a dime to the relief efforts. A lot of these individuals I am sure have been living for free on welfare and other government subsidies. Sorry, but they chose not to get the heck out of dodge. And now we are giving them another $2,000 to piss away.

I helped out friends who lived down there, and that's all the help I feel I need to give. I help the rest of the lazy down there with my taxes (which I'm sure will be raised yet again to help pay for this crap...)

I am sick and tired of hearing about them being poor and there were no jobs (before Katrina). Get off your fat lazy ass and flip burgers for a living if you have too. We've all had shitty jobs. It's just that we had initiative and a desire to do better.

Wait, it's really not their fault. The ding-dongs we call politicians pretty much make it easier for them to live off other taxpayers dimes then for them to actually work for a damn living.....

Sorry, but this just annoys the crap out of me. A few bad apples....

 

[ccns23]

Here's an even better freaking idea. Make them rebuild the damn city themselves. If we as taxpayers are gonna pay for it anyway, why not create a ton of government construction jobs, put the "poor" to work, pay them fair wages, and let them actually earn the home they are going to live in.

 

[2Dobes]

An e-mail I received...


-----Original Message-----
From: John Sowers
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 12:27 PM
To: .CHA Users
Subject: A Doctor's Report from Houston






Subject: A Doctor's Report from Houston


Thought I might inform my friends on my recent traumatic experience. I am going to tell it straight, blunt, raw, and I don't give a damn. Long read, I know, but please do read!!!

I went to volunteer on Saturday at the George R. Brown Convention for two reasons.

A: I wanted to help people -- to get a warm fuzzy.

B: Curiosity.

I've been watching the news lately and have seen scenes that have made me want to vomit. And, no, it wasn't dead bodies, the city under water, or the sludge everywhere. It was PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR. The people on T.V., (99% being Black) were DEMANDING help. They were not asking nicely but demanding as if society owed these people something.

Well, the honest truth is WE DON'T. Help should be asked for in a kind manner and then appreciated. This is not what the press (FOX in particular) was showing. What I was seeing was a group of people who are yelling, demanding, looting, killing, raping, and SHOOTING back at the demanded help!!!!!

So, I'm thinking this can't possibly be true, can it???? I decide to submit to the DEMAND for help out of SHOCK. I couldn't believe this to be true of the majority of the people who are the weakest of society. I went to volunteer and help folks out, and see the truth. I will tell the following story and you decide:

I arrived at the Astrodome only to find out that there were too many volunteers and that volunteers were needed at the George R. Brown Convention Center. As I was walking up to the Convention Center I noticed a line of cars that wrapped around blocks filled with donations. These were ordinary Houstonians coming with truckloads and trunks full of water, diapers, clothes, blankets, food, all types of good stuff. Lots of it was NEW. I felt that warm fuzzy while helping unload these vehicles of these wonderful human beings. I then went inside the building
and noticed approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of clothes, shoes, jackets, toys and all types of goodies, all organized and ready for the people in need. I signed up, received a name badge and was on my merry way, excited to be useful.

I toured the place to get familiar with my surroundings; the entire place is probably around 2 million sq. ft. I noticed rows as far as the eye can see of mattresses, not cots, BLOW UP MATTRESSES!!! All of which had nice pillows and plenty of blankets. 2 to 3 bottles of water lay on every bed. These full-size to queen-size beds, by the way, were comfortable. I laid on one to see for myself. I went to look at the medical area. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing!!! A makeshift hospital created in 24 hours!!! It was unbelievable. They even had a pharmacy.

I also noticed that they created showers, which would also have hot water. I went upstairs to the third floor to find a HUGE cafeteria created in under 24 hours! Rows of tables, chairs and food everywhere - enough to feed an army! I'm not talking about crap food either. They had Jason's deli food, apples, oranges, coke, diet coke, lemonade, orange juice, cookies, all types of chips and sandwiches. All the beverages, by the way, were put on ice and chilled!!!! In a matter of about 24 hours or less, an entire mini-city was erected by volunteers for the poor evacuees.

This was not your rundown crap shelter, it was BUM HEAVEN. So that was the layout: great food, comfy beds, clean showers, free medical help. There was a library, and a theatre room that I forgot to mention. Great stuff right???? Well here is what happened on my journey -

I started by handing out COLD water bottles to evacuees as they got off the bus. Many would take them and only 20% or less said "thank you". Lots of them would shake their heads and ask for sodas! This went on for about 20-30 minutes until I was sick of being an unappreciated servant. I figured certainly these folks would appreciate some food!!!

I went upstairs to serve these beloved evacuees some GOOD food that I wish I could have at the moment!

(***The following statements are graphic, truthful, and discuss IRRATIONAL behavior. Proceed at your own risk of offense.***)

Evacuees come slowly to receive this mountain of food that is worth serving to a king! I tell them that we have 2 types of great deli sandwiches to choose from - ham and turkey. Many look at the food in disgust and DEMAND burgers, pizza, and even McDonalds!!!! Jason's deli is better than McDonalds!!!!
Only 1 out of ten people who took something would say "thank you". The rest took items as if it was their God-given right to be served without a shred of appreciation!!! They would ask for beer and liquor. They complained that we didn't have good enough food. They refused food and laughed at us. They treated us volunteers as if we where SLAVES. No, not all of them, of course, but 70% did!!!!!! 20% were appreciative, 10% took the food without any comment and the other 70% had some disgusting comment to say. Some had the nerve to laugh at us. And when I snapped back at them for being mean, they would curse at me!!! Needless to say, I was in utter shock.
They would eat their food and leave their mess on the table. Some would pick up their stuff, many would leave it for the volunteers to pick up. I left that real quick to go down and help set up some more beds. I saw many young ladies carrying mattresses and I helped for a while. Then I realized something. There were hundreds of able-bodied young men who could help!!

I asked a group of young evacuees in their teens and early twenties to help. I got cursed at for asking them to help!!! One said "We just lost our f*****g homes and you want us to work!!" The next said "Ya Cracker, you got a home we don't" I looked at them in disbelief. Here are women walking by carrying THEIR BEDS and they can't lift a finger and help themselves!!

WHY SHOULD I HELP PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO HELP THEMESELVES!!!!

I waved them off and turned away, and was laughed at, and more "white boy jokes" were made at me. I felt no need to waste my breath on a bunch of pitiful losers. I went to a nearby restroom where I noticed a man shaving. I used the restroom, washed my hands and saw this man throw his razor towards the trash can...he missed. He walked out leaving his disgusting razor on the floor for some other "cracker" to pick up.

Even the little kids were demanding. I saw only ONE white family and only TWO Hispanic families. The rest where blacks. Sorry 20% to 30% decent blacks, and 70% LOSERS!!!!! I would call them N*****S, but the actual definition of a n*****r is one who is ignorant. These people were not ignorant..they were ARROGANT ASSHOLES -- the majority of which are thugs and lifetime, lazy-ass, welfare recipients. We are inviting the lowest of the low to Houston, and like idiots we are serving the people who will soon steal our cars, rape, murder, and destroy our city while stealing from our pockets on a daily basis through the welfare checks they take.

We will fund our own destruction. By "US" I don't mean a specific race, I mean the people who work hard, work smart, have values and morals. Only people who want to help themselves should be helped. The others should be allowed to destroy themselves.

I do not want to work hard, give the government close to half the money I earn so they can in turn give it to a bunch of losers. I don't believe in being poor for life. My family immigrated here. We came here poor, and now thank God, and due to HARD WORK, we are doing fine.If immigrants, who come here, don't know the language, can work and become successful... WHY CAN'T THE MAJORITY OF THE HOMEGROWN DO IT!!! If we continue to reward these losers then we will soon destroy our great country. I just witnessed selfish, arrogant, unappreciative behavior by the very people who need help the most. Now these same people who cursed me, refused a city's generosity, who refuse to help themselves are DEMANDING handouts on their own terms!!!!!!! They prance around as if they are owed something, and when they do receive a handout, they say it's not good enough! Well, you know what..these types of people can go to hell for all I care!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard L. Johnston, M.D.
University of Mississippi Medical Center

 

[steveny]

I started by handing out COLD water bottles to evacuees as they got off the bus. Many would take them and only 20% or less said "thank you". Lots of them would shake their heads and ask for sodas!

I just witnessed selfish, arrogant, unappreciative behavior by the very people who need help the most. Now these same people who cursed me, refused a city's generosity, who refuse to help themselves are DEMANDING handouts on their own terms!!!!!!!

Beggars can't be choosers.

 

[liftshard]

Beggars can't be choosers.

They can and do, because they are allowed to.

Earlier in the thread someone said something like "you can take the person out of the ghetto..." and some other guy was like "boy, I'm glad you said that." Well, that ain't REALLY the actual quote, now is it?

But, you're afraid to say what you're really thinking. Remember that next time you are joining in to rail against someone voicing an unpopular opinion. Group dynamics are very interesting.

The problem with the refugees from NO is that they are inescapably stupid. No amount of "good examples" can elevate them from the morass they're in. They had violent, stupid parents who begat violent, stupid children. There are no end of people waiting to con them. Out of their gov't cheese, or into misconceptions, like that everybody else got their wealth from "the man." Literally, that is the popular notion amongst this class of individual. They conceive of society and government as a sort of king and this king doles out money according to his whimsy. They receive and so they assume everyone else receives. They are envious because they believe that you have received far more than they have. It does not occur to them that you may have skills beyond theirs or education beyond theirs or that you work harder than they do. These types of concepts really only stick to those with the mental wattage to grasp abstract reasoning about a time (the future) which is not here, neither present nor tangible. There are a variety of studies out there, even regarding predeliction to choose one lollipop now versus 3 tomorrow, among different classes of children.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that there is at least one other person reading here who was a "smart kid" in school. And, smart kids routinely got asked "how can you know that?" The other kids could not *grasp* how it was possible for someone to be able to deduce such and such a thing given the available information. And, their ability to comprehend defied even detailed instruction. It was a matter of intelligence. Ghetto refugees are amongst the literally dumbest of the dumb and it is unrealistic to expect them to compete and succeed in our society, or even to fully appreciate the danger posed by a gigantic Category 4 hurricane. All they know is their own present, superficial wants. They are ill-equipped to even care for their own children in what we regard as an adequate fashion. Societies of similar people have drastically higher infant mortality, lower levels of technical achievement, higher rates of interpersonal violence, etc. Most, if left alone, would even lack the written word. As an aside, about 40% of DC reads at a 4th grade level or below. And, this is not because they were poorly TAUGHT, it is because they lack the faculties to perform and DC's dysfunctional government and entitlements system serves as a magnet/refuse dump for people so situated.

Beggars CAN be choosers, if you let them. If you don't, you have to be willing to allow people like this to DIE in vast numbers. Because, without the rest of US, the productive majority of the USA, that is exactly what would happen. We have allowed a class of persons to arise which cannot adequately provide for themselves nor contribute productively to our society. If left alone, they would implode, starve, suffer from disease, just like any 3rd world nation would containing similar persons. So, if one isn't willing to allow that, then you are going to have to put up with being called a cracker, and you shouldn't expect any gratitude. These beggars will be choosers.

And, for those donating...the refugees don't want diapers and canned goods. They want Louis Vuitton, Prada, and liquor. Send that and you might get a thankyou card.

 

[liftshard]

uh, pardon me for asking (especially if this has already been answered ad naseum), but ... that wouldn't happen to be your ride in your avatar, would it? i hadn't noticed it until now.

Yes, that was my first 00. My friend totalled it after I'd owned it 3 days. I got another one.

 

[Wheelman]

I just want to know what Dr. Phil has to say about all this.. :biggrin: