Posted by
Brian Peters on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 3:34:44 PM
Ripped from today’s headlines: Back to school spree: Billionaire, feds give out $175M to aid neediest students around the state
This is the making of a feel good story, but it has all the hallmarks of political intrigue, back alley deals, graft, corruption, that it’s not funny.
Let’s identify the Billionaire: Billionaire philanthropist George Soros gave $35 million toward the program, with $140 million in federal stimulus funds routed through state government making up the rest.
Are red flags going up for you dear reader? They should be. No pun intended.
What was all the hu-bub about: A $200 back-to-school giveaway for needy kids sparked a mad rush for money on the streets of New York on Tuesday
Sounds nice, and what did the people have to say:
"It's free money!" said Alecia Rumph, 26, who waited in a Morris Park, Bronx, line 300 people deep for the cash to buy uniforms and book bags for her two kids.
"Rumors, there's always rumors," said Teresa Medina, who waited four hours at a Pay-O-Matic in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, to get $600 for her three teenagers - just in case they were true.
"Times are really tough right now. The situation is bad with money. So it's easy to want to use the money for other things," said Ana Barcos, 31, of Corona, Queens, where 200 people waited outside a check-cashing business.
"But if the money's supposed to be for my kids, then I will use it for my kids."
And the most classic line of the times: "Thank God for Obama. He's looking out for us."
How do you keep a populace mollified and voting for you?
Thousands of people lined up at banks and check-cashing shops to withdraw the cash that magically appeared on their electronic benefit cards.
The no-strings-attached money went to families receiving food stamps or welfare.
Now dear reader, here’s the quiet catch:
A. $140 million in federal stimulus funds routed through state government
B. Gov. Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg joined Soros to announce the payments at Public School 208 in Harlem, where the billionaire reminisced that as a penniless student in London, he survived because of a handout he got from Quakers.
Did you catch that: $140 million in federal stimulus funds routed through state government AND Gov. Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg joined Soros
Here’s the link to the full story: http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/08/12/2009-08-12_billionaire_feds_give_out_175m_to_aid_neediest_students_around_the_state_its_fre.html
There’s no such thing as ‘free money’ that does not have attachments, conditions, and consequences.