No FEMA money for Louis Vuitton!!!

W

winternight

Member
Apr 9, 2006
2,010
12
#1
Look what my boyfriend just sent me:

Under the Dome:</B> Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) adds amendment stating, “None of the funds made available to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in this act may be used to purchase a Louis Vuitton handbag.” [The Hill]

Here is the article, it takes a long time to load:
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One of the most egregious examples of abuse that came to light last year during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was displaced people and other victims spending their government-issued debit cards on Louis Vuitton purses and other luxury goods.
And Rep. Virginia Foxx, the grandmotherly freshman ********** from North Carolina, has had enough. Foxx has introduced an amendment, known as the “Louis Vuitton Amendment,” to the homeland-security appropriations bill that would specifically restrict that type of misuse of funds.
It reads, quite simply, “None of the funds made available to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in this act may be used to purchase a Louis Vuitton handbag.”
Foxx spokeswoman Amy Auth explained that the language is designed to “highlight the abuse that occurred with the debit cards last year so that it doesn’t happen again.”
A spokeswoman for Louis Vuitton did not return phone calls. Perhaps she’s offended that anyone would pay for one of their bags with a debit card. How déclassé!
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#3
I heard about that. I think it's disgusting that people would abuse monetary aid that way. I am surprised that they didn't have restrictions on that money to begin with. You would think they would design a program where the debit cards are only valid for certain kinds of purchases, kind of like how food stamps can only be used to purchase food. Way to go FEMA.
 
#4
I have experienced this. I live in Houston and after the NOLAS received their FEMA credit cards there was a large crowd at Burberry and all had their FEMA cards in hand. Here, the money the government gave to rebuild their home, was used it to buy Burberry! I was disgusted!
 
#9
I think it's a shame FEMA had to take this stand in the first place, but I don't blame them one damn bit.
The debit cards were indeed abused,personally I think the folks that spent their funds on such outrageous high-end items should have to refund our goverment every single dime :mad: .
 
#13
When they issued those debit cards I remember turning to my husband and saying "what is to stop them for wasting the money on non-essential items?". Apparently they were even given PIN numbers so they could withdraw a limited amount of cash that they could spend on anything they wanted to.
It should have been like food stamps...only essential items could be purchased.
I'm sure the ones with Burberrys or LV bags are now the ones whining that they don't have enough money to fix their home or pay the rent.
What a shame :sad:
 
#14
Not that I believe spending FEMA money on handbags is a good idea, but I always think its a little dangerous when the government starts to tell you how you can and can't spend money.

If people are stupid enough to buy luxury goods and end up not having enough to repair their homes, let it be a lesson learned.
 
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