The Kansas legislature recently approved a new measure that limits the amount of money a recipient of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) can withdraw from an ATM at one time. The limit is $25. An issue with this restriction is that there are fees on ATM withdrawals. So, a person needing assistance could pay as much as $30 in feeds in order to withdraw $200.
According to an article in the National Catholic Reporter, the rationale for the new restrictions is to prevent people on assistance to spend money on luxuries. Many people who qualify for assistance rely on walking or public transportation, so they do not go to the grocery store everyday. Many do not have regular bank accounts, so they rely on ATMs to withdraw their funds, and $25 doesn't go very far at the grocery store when you are feeding a family.
The NCR article titled "
Meanness and Irony in Kansas" states: "...the new legislation in Kansas is demonstrably not the way to move forward. It is mean spirited. It is hypocritical. It is stupid." Read more on what NCR claims are the
three ironies behind this legislation.
No comments:
Post a Comment