MN GOP Welfare Bill Criminalizes Poor Having Cash

If you look at a dollar bill, you'll see the words "legal for all debts public and private." That means in the United States, no one can demand you pay them in some other way for something you want to buy from them. Imagine what your life would be like if the government said you could only have $20 of your income per month in those dollar bills. If you wanted to ride the bus, go to a laundromat, use a parking meter, or send your kid to the store to buy milk, you'd have to spend some of that $20. How long would it be until you were out of cash? Would you last a month? That's exactly what a Republican-backed proposal in Minnesota would do to poor people on welfare. House File 171 . The proposed law would require the state of Minnesota to issue "Electronic Benefit Cards" to those on general assistance welfare. These cards could be used any place that has a special terminal to use the card. The cards could not be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or a tattoo. But in an attempt to strictly enforce these restrictions, the 26 authors of the bill, who all happen to be Republicans, would restrict the amount of cash a person could withdraw from an ATM or get back from a merchant to $20 a month. The original proposal would not have allowed people to have any cash at all. "How do you expect people to take care of business like paying bills such as lights, gas, water, trash and phone?" Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee asked the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Reform Committee. Buechner told committee members the bill "appears to make it illegal for MFIP (Minnesota Family Investment Program) families to have any type of money at all in their pockets." Currently, families on MFIP — and disabled single adults on General Assistance and Minnesota Supplemental Aid — can have their grants in cash or put into a checking account. Buechner calls the bill's changing of residency requirements from 30 to 90 days "unconstitutional" and the restriction against allowing the debit card to be used across state lines "unacceptable." "We'll leave you with this," Buechner told the committee. "It is not right to punish a whole group because of the supposed actions of a few. You in this room could have a pretty rough time if that was the case. It is not right to stigmatize and dehumanize women living the hard life of trying to raise children while living 60% below the poverty level. It is not right to use racist, bumper-sticker hate to inflict human misery for political gain."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• angel buechner
• mfip
• welfare
• minnesota
• welfare rights committee
• poor
• general assistance
• disabled

[Asymmatrix]

Republicans are basically Nazis. Recall every last one of the motherfuckers.

[logan0178]

@staciepaul Well if the poor has it so much better than you do why don't you give up all your money so you can join their "elite" ranks?

I'm sure you'd take great care of your family with no money and no job just like the poor.

Lol moron.

[totesMagotes83]

@dongray87 That was my first thought, but then I realised, it costs alot less to eat badly than it does to eat well (1).

(1) google "mindbody green infographic 2004 study"

[paisleyyama]

@Blood cont. But pls don`t mistake my comment as meaning the gov. creates more gov. jobs that burden tax payers more. That is like long term welfare. Nor am I speaking of the gov. going into the private sector & forcing companies to hire when they don`t need ppl or are having trouble meeting payroll. I mean temporary work to help the community like cleaning highways, tutoring kids, helping with repairs around town, etc. They do these jobs, get the same welfare $ & flex hours to look for a job.

[paisleyyama]

@Blood Asking "is something wrong w/you?" is very rude. I will be kind & not ask you the same question b/c I think there`s something wrong when ppl don`t believe in working. I believe you responded to my comment that instead of just handing out $, the gov. could give ppl a job to work for the $. Working should make ppl feel good that they are providing for themselves. It gives a person more dignity than asking for handouts. But your respond by saying "what`s wrong w/you?" Ppl on welfare need wk

[Bloodsport1]

@paisleyyama Of coarse not. Seriously, is there something wrong with you? If people can't find work, then they need help from the government. I'm not saying stay on welfare for the rest of your life, just until you get on your feet. What is wrong with that? What if the person can't find work?

[paisleyyama]

@Bloodsport1 So you think working is a bad idea and handing out "free" money from the backs of hardworking people is better?

[Bloodsport1]

@paisleyyama because they dont make enough money to live off on. They have part time jobs that pay $150 a week. You think someone can live off of that? What is wrong with you?

[MyChemicalZeitgeist]

You have GOT to be kidding me. This is such a joke. This individual and her complaints are EXACTLY what is wrong with America.

[myNifty350]

Why does so much of the lowlife shit on welfare look like they should be sleeping in a barn and eating straw??!

[FrankoXtreme]

you want cash get a job i have to do it , i take a drug test to work why should the tax payers pay for your food nobody pays for my food i do. insted of crying about your free money get a job

[paisleyyama]

@kimintexas He doesn`t like it when the poor are oppressed but He also doesn`t like it when a gov. creates a society to entice people to be poor. When handouts are offered ppl are prone to leave the idea of working, staying in marriage, and waiting till married to have children and instead run for the handouts.

YHVH also says if you don`t work you don`t eat and family members are supposed to take care of their own not shove their responsibility off on citizens.