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Minnesota is leading the way. Our Rethuglicans have figured out how to end poverty: by making it illegal to have money if you're poor? Wait, that makes no sense.

Minnesota Republicans are pushing legislation that would make it a crime for people on public assistance to have more $20 in cash in their pockets any given month.

Lest you think our most contemptible lawmakers have no heart at all, consider that this is the generous version of their earlier plan.

This represents a change from their initial proposal, which banned them from having any money at all.

I'm not sure what they're thinking. If they're so poor, the only way they could have any money is if they stole it from a rich guy? Or something? Maybe they're just setting up a perfect Catch 22: now the police can roust someone who looks poor, and if they've got no money, send them to jail for vagrancy; if they've got more than $20, arrest them for possession of illegal currency.

Some people don't believe me. Here's the link to the proposed legislation. They want to give all benefits via a debit card so they can restrict and monitor purchases. And if this is their sole source of income, that means they're only allowed a cash allowance of $20/month. Control, control, control.

Section 1. [256.9870] ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER DEBIT CARD.
Subdivision 1. Electronic benefit transfer or EBT debit card. (a) Electronic benefit transfer (EBT) debit cardholders in the general assistance program and the Minnesota supplemental aid program under chapter 256D and programs under chapter 256J are prohibited from withdrawing cash from an automatic teller machine or receiving cash from vendors with the EBT debit card. The EBT debit card may only be used as a debit card.
(b) Beginning July 1, 2011, cash benefits for programs listed under paragraph (a) must be issued on a separate EBT card with the head of household's name printed on the card. The card must also state that "It is unlawful to use this card to purchase tobacco products or alcoholic beverages." This card must be issued within 30 calendar days of an eligibility determination. During the initial 30 calendar days of eligibility, a recipient may have cash benefits issued on an EBT card without the recipient's name printed on the card. This card may be the same card on which food support is issued and does not need to meet the requirements of this section.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), EBT cardholders may opt to have up to $20 per month accessible via automatic teller machine or receive up to $20 cash back from a vendor.

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Originally posted by canttakesky:
Minnesota Republicans are pushing legislation that would make it a crime for people on public assistance to have more $20 in cash in their pockets any given month.

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Originally posted by Geezer:
It'd just keep them from converting more than $20.00 of their public assistance per month to cash.

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St. Paul, MN – Minnesota Republicans are pushing legislation that would make it a crime for people on public assistance to have more $20 in cash in their pockets any given month. This represents a change from their initial proposal, which banned them from having any money at all.

On March 15, Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee testified in front of the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee on House File 171. Buechner told committee members, “We would like to address the provision that makes it illegal for MFIP [one of Minnesota’s welfare programs] families to withdraw cash from the cash portion of the MFIP grant – and in fact, appears to make it illegal for MFIP families to have any type of money at all in their pockets. How do you expect people to take care of business like paying bills such as lights, gas, water, trash and phone?”

House File 171 would make it so that families on MFIP – and disabled single adults on General Assistance and Minnesota Supplemental Aid – could not have their cash grants in cash or put into a checking account. Rather, they could only use a state-issued debit card at special terminals in certain businesses that are set up to accept the card.

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Originally posted by Niki2:
That is just insane...and to me yet another example of how the Republicans, having focused on gaining power in states rather than federally, have gone overboard...WAY overboard...in their class warfare!

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I am still investigating where they got the "illegal to carry cash" accusation from.

Regardless, limits on cash conversion DOES have implications on how much cash you can carry. If all your income comes from public assistance, and you're not allowed to convert more than $20 per month, then effectively, you're not allowed to to carry more than $20 per month. It is designed to make drug transactions difficult, but it also makes many other normal transactions difficult, like giving your kids lunch money and such.

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St. Paul, MN – Minnesota Republicans are pushing legislation that would make it a crime for people on public assistance to have more $20 in cash in their pockets any given month. This represents a change from their initial proposal, which banned them from having any money at all.

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Section 1. [256.9870] ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER DEBIT CARD.
Subdivision 1. Electronic benefit transfer or EBT debit card. (a) Electronic benefit transfer (EBT) debit cardholders in the general assistance program and the Minnesota supplemental aid program under chapter 256D and programs under chapter 256J are prohibited from withdrawing cash from an automatic teller machine or receiving cash from vendors with the EBT debit card. The EBT debit card may only be used as a debit card.
(b) Beginning July 1, 2011, cash benefits for programs listed under paragraph (a) must be issued on a separate EBT card with the head of household's name printed on the card. The card must also state that "It is unlawful to use this card to purchase tobacco products or alcoholic beverages." This card must be issued within 30 calendar days of an eligibility determination. During the initial 30 calendar days of eligibility, a recipient may have cash benefits issued on an EBT card without the recipient's name printed on the card. This card may be the same card on which food support is issued and does not need to meet the requirements of this section.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), EBT cardholders may opt to have up to $20 per month accessible via automatic teller machine or receive up to $20 cash back from a vendor.

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Originally posted by TheHappyTrader:
Anyone else notice how these two statements don't quite match?

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Not blaming you for jumping to conclusions CTS but your quoted article's conclusions are full of partisan garbage.

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the government that gives it to you has a right to decide what you can't do with it.

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.. but beggars can't be choosers.

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
Hard for me to believe that this sort of thing is some kind of priority for Republicans. And coming on the heels of the Wisconsin/Ohio/Michigan union debacle? Seems like just a few months ago Republicans were popular, elected in a landslide victory in the House, and took control of many state Governorships and Legislatures. So this is what they come up with? This is how they govern? What a pathetic waste of voters' support. What a disgusting path to undo all the political gains they made as fast as they can. The Republican Party is out of control, with no leadership and no message. The Party looks petty and vindictive now. If nothing changes, we're gonna get trounced in 2012.

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Originally posted by Hero:

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Originally posted by Niki2:
That is just insane...and to me yet another example of how the Republicans, having focused on gaining power in states rather than federally, have gone overboard...WAY overboard...in their class warfare!

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You guys have this whole thing backwards. The law is not that illegal for the poor to carry cash...its illegal for them to carry MY cash.

I have no problem with them carrying their own money, just hand over the food stamps, cause they can't have it both ways.

H

"Hero. I have come to respect you." "I am forced to agree with Hero here."- Chrisisall, 2009.
"I would rather not ignore your contributions." Niki2, 2010.

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Of course they have the right. But that doesn't mean whatever they decide is morally right. This restriction on cash assumes the worst about the poor, that they are morally deficient, incapable of making judicious decisions about their own spending. Just because they are poor. It treats them in an undignified and denigrating manner BECAUSE they are beggars. It strips them away from what little bit of self-determination is left for them. That isn't right.

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Originally posted by Kwicko:
Not only that, it seeks to continually REMIND them that they are "beggars", to hold it over their heads.

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Originally posted by piratenews:
How are poor people supposed to buy their crack or meth?

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by piratenews:
How are poor people supposed to buy their crack or meth?

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Easy. Register to vote. As long as they register as Democrats.


Jury Convicts Five in Federal Vote Fraud

ASSOCIATED PRESS

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) - A federal jury Wednesday convicted the chairman of the city's Democratic Party and four others of scheming to buy votes with cash, cigarettes and liquor last November.

Prosecutors relied largely on secretly recorded audiotapes in which they say the accused could be heard talking about paying $5 per vote to get key Democrats elected.

Charles Powell Jr., 61, the city's Democratic Party chairman, was found guilty along with the city's former director of regulatory affairs and three others

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Originally posted by RionaEire:
What is the point of this rule exactly?

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Originally posted by Mockromancer:
What the state is saying is they want to put food and cash benefits on a card, thus eliminating actual cash in the hands of losers that buy booze, smokes, or drugs with the money. The state will be able to put the onus on the grocer that sells non-approved items(booze and smokes) by tracking the scan sales. I have no problem with this. My guess, only those fucking over the state will care. The recipients of these benefits can have all the cash they want, just not state "cash". So, if you feel bad for any of these people you can always go to Minn and give them all the cash you want. See, they can have that in their pockets. $20 is all the state will give in "cash assistance". Just clearing this disaster up. peace out.

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Originally posted by Bytemite:
...I have no response to the post Hero just made. There are layers and layers, and they are all bombarding my mind in a coordinated assault using cake decorations.

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Originally posted by Mockromancer:

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Originally posted by Mockromancer:
What the state is saying is they want to put food and cash benefits on a card, thus eliminating actual cash in the hands of losers that buy booze, smokes, or drugs with the money. The state will be able to put the onus on the grocer that sells non-approved items(booze and smokes) by tracking the scan sales. I have no problem with this. My guess, only those fucking over the state will care. The recipients of these benefits can have all the cash they want, just not state "cash". So, if you feel bad for any of these people you can always go to Minn and give them all the cash you want. See, they can have that in their pockets. $20 is all the state will give in "cash assistance". Just clearing this disaster up. peace out.

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So, just to clear up my clearing up. The state no longer is going to give anymore than 20 in cash. The benefits remain the same, it is just in a more accountable form. Nothing like the hysteria in the stupid link that started this joke of a thread. peace out.

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Whether by design or default, the administration of Gov. Rick Snyder has effectively proposed, in next year's budget, banning food and other assistance to people with drug-related felony convictions.

Among other things, this discriminatory, counterproductive and inhumane policy would undermine the state's nationally recognized Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative (MPRI), which has reduced recidivism by helping parolees successfully return to their communities.

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Those responsible, will be held accountable.
V for Vendetta

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