Author: Jameson Parker May 17, 2015 4:30 pm
The state of Kansas is once again facing an astounding loss of money thanks to its Republican leadership. Having already endured a billion dollar boondoggle at the hands of Republican Governor Sam Brownback and his delusional plan to slash taxes to the point that the state couldn’t even afford to keep schools open for the entire school year, the state may now have to brace for a loss of another $100 million due to a first-of-its-kind plan to screw the poor so severe that it’s actually breaking federal law.
Brownback and his enablers in the state legislature have a contempt for the poor that borders on fanaticism. In Brownback’s zeal to jump on the bandwagon of Republican states across the country which have gone after welfare recipients with a series of demeaning and nonsensical food stamp restriction laws, Kansas Republicans passed a law that would prevent welfare recipients from withdrawing more than $25 a day from an ATM.
As if that wasn’t degrading enough, the bill also banned welfare money being used to attend concerts, get tattoos, or buy lingerie. The premise was built on the myth that food stamp recipients have it too good and will simply continue mooching unless people like Brownback make their lives miserable. It’s a role he played with glee. (If you’re wondering, the most a family of four can receive in cash assistance per month in Kansas is $497 – not exactly the kind of money that inspires envy.)
The law was striking in its audacity. The contempt for the poor had bubbled over and was out in the open for everyone to see. It served no purpose other than to inconvenience and burden the poorest Kansans.
Unsurprisingly, the controversial law caught the eye of poverty and human rights groups who condemned it as a thinly-veiled tax on poor people. As Al Jazeera America explained back in April:
The limit will significantly harm welfare recipients’ spending patterns, according to Elizabeth Lower-Basch, director at Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), an advocacy group for low-income people.
“It’s really disconnected from the reality of people’s lives. The single biggest expense that people have is rent,” said Lower-Basch, adding that a $25 limit would likely result in multiple trips to an ATM until the total amount of rent money is withdrawn. “They’re just going to have to go every day to get their rent money.”
“Also,” she added, “No ATM gives you a $25 bill, so the real limit is $20. “It’s a mess.”
It’s also a violation of federal law. According to McClatchy DC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is investigating whether the law can even stand. In the federal Social Security Act there is a requirement that all welfare recipients have “adequate access” to their benefits and “access to using or withdrawing assistance with minimal fees or charges.” Requiring poor people to pay five dollars every time they want to take out $20 seems like an obvious violation.
Let’s call it what it is: A crime. An act of organized harassment perpetuated by the state of Kansas against its poorest citizens. As such, it places Kansas in the position of losing millions in federal funding if it insists on keeping this law. If the HHS concludes that Kansas is, in fact, violating the rights of its citizens, then it will lose $102 million in TANF block grant funds.
However, as is painfully predictable in America today, the forfeiture of federal money would most likely hurt the poor the most, because – as we well know – Kansas is essentially bankrupt and would likely have no way to offset the losses in federal welfare money on its own. Even worse, Brownback has such a well-known disdain for the poor that he likely wouldn’t care enough to help even if he could. He’d probably welcome less welfare money. After all, he’s got tax cuts for businesses to work on.
Once again, we’re left with that acidic-tasting question in our mouths: What’s the matter with Kansas? How bad does it need to get before the citizens throw Brownback and his henchmen in the legislature out? How many millions, billions, or trillions of dollars blown on failed conservative experiments is too much wasted?
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