Solution to the economy? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Tully Mars · 02-23-2009, 07:04 PM

Quote:

State sending $1 checks to Washington's needy
By DREW MIKKELSEN / KING 5 News

updated 9:45 p.m. CT, Sat., Feb. 21, 2009

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The state is sending out hundreds of thousands of $1 checks to the state’s neediest residents. It’s a plan that’s supposed to bring millions of dollars worth of food stamps to the state by March.

When you add printing and postage, it seems like a waste, but the state says the economy has them pulling out all the stops to find money wherever they can.

$1 isn’t the kind of help Wendy Nelson expected when she signed up for welfare last month. Nelson is one of 250,000 Washington residents on food stamps.

"It's just a huge waste of taxpayer money,” said Nelson.

But Leo Ribas, head of community services at the Department of Social and Health Services, says there’s a method to the state’s madness.

"We're trying to do this at a time when people need assistance the most,” said Ribas.

He says if the state’s food stamp recipients receive just $1 for energy bill assistance, that qualifies them for extra federal assistance. That means someone like Nelson could receive about $30 more per month in food stamps.

Sending out $1 checks cost the state $250,000. DSHS says that could bring the state and additional $43 million in federal funding.

Call it red tape or a hoop to jump through. Either way, the state says it makes sense.

"I think it's an issue of maximizing the federal regulations to the advantage of Washington residents,” said Ribas.

Nelson says it just sounds like more bureaucracy.

"If there was that much money already there, why not just help distribute that among the recipients rather than doing it this way?” asks Nelson.

Since Nelson doesn’t have a checking account, cashing that $1 check would cost her $5 in fees. The state says, luckily, recipients don’t have to cash or deposit the checks to receive the additional benefits.

Stuff like this tends to drive me nuts. Does this makes sense to anyone? In the overall scheme of things 250K isn't jack shit. I doubt anyone's going to think $1 going to help anyone but with out the buck payment they don't qualify. But seriously if governmental agencies can't manage things any better then this how the hell can they be expected to solve anything?

Plan9 · 02-23-2009, 07:06 PM

Ugh... why don't they just mail cyanide capsules?

This is a perfect example of bullshit in action.

FAIL.

Baraka_Guru · 02-23-2009, 07:54 PM

It looks like they're trying to get help to people without having to change regulations, restrictions, or other features, which could take months. I can see how it seems odd. But this is meant as a quick fix, not a "plan" per se.

ngdawg · 02-23-2009, 07:55 PM

It's even probably more convoluted that what they say in the article.

Their budget probably is set at X amount of dollars. If they don't spend X amount of dollars, they lose their fed dollars or the fed dollars get reduced next fiscal payout. So they show the feds "hey, this is how much we had to dole out so now we get your 43mil for the next round."
Happens in business all the time, which is probably part of how we're in this mess. Gotta spend the budgeted dollars or you won't get as much next time, so everyone spends to get more.
Dizzy yet?
Guess no one thinks that maybe they should save their money so they won't be getting what amounts to tax payers money to pay money to those that don't pay taxes....

Now I have a headache

02-23-2009, 07:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Ugh... why don't they just mail cyanide capsules? This is a perfect example of bullshit in action. FAIL. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

02-23-2009, 07:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	It looks like they're trying to get help to people without having to change regulations, restrictions, or other features, which could take months. I can see how it seems odd. But this is meant as a quick fix, not a "plan" per se. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

02-23-2009, 07:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	It's even probably more convoluted that what they say in the article. Their budget probably is set at X amount of dollars. If they don't spend X amount of dollars, they lose their fed dollars or the fed dollars get reduced next fiscal payout. So they show the feds "hey, this is how much we had to dole out so now we get your 43mil for the next round." Happens in business all the time, which is probably part of how we're in this mess. Gotta spend the budgeted dollars or you won't get as much next time, so everyone spends to get more. Dizzy yet? Guess no one thinks that maybe they should save their money so they won't be getting what amounts to tax payers money to pay money to those that don't pay taxes.... Now I have a headache __________________ Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.